SOME GIRLS ARE by Courtney Summers

Well, my reading journey has officially kicked off this year. I'm proud of myself for actually finding time in my crazy schedule. That said, I may be a little tight on time in the coming weeks. We'll see if I can add another book to my list...may have to wait.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuut!

Let's talk about this book.



Brief Summary: Regina is a MEAN girl. She's been a part of the Fearsome Fivesome for a very long time and being nice just isn't the way they do things. But then one day, Regina finds herself shut out from the group, accused of canoodling with Anna 'the leader's' boyfriend. Even worse, no one else at her school wants to be her friend because she's helped make their lives hell for the past few years. She begrudgingly attaches herself to Michael Hayden, a boy who doesn't fit anywhere,and one whose life Regina has helped ruin. Terrorized by her former friends, Regina begins to face who she has let herself become.

Ummm...so...

Yeah, the new year didn't make me any better at these summaries. LOL.

SOME GIRLS ARE is a disturbing, disturbing book. In a totally good way. At first I was almost overwhelmed by it. It's told in a very in your face approach -- first person, deep deep, DEEP POV. Almost stream of consciousness. I was so inside Regina's head, I felt like I was Regina.

The thing that was really disturbing about this book was that I saw myself in a lot of the characters. Let's face it. High school was rough. I think each of us has probably known the sting of being outside a group at one time or another.. and I think each of us has probably been the one on the inside, watching, almost triumphant over the fact that we're not the one scrabbling to get "in." Feeling sorry for the wannabe's but not really willing to reach out a hand lest we lose our small foothold with whatever group.

I have to admit I spent a good deal of high school and a few years beyond trying to impress people. Stupid the knots I tied myself into at times. It's almost as though I was too afraid to be the person I was--the good and the bad--lest someone I wanted to impress not be impressed. Or find out who I really was and hate me.

Ahhhh, high school. Aren't you glad it's all over?? I will admit I had a fairly good time, tho. Just wish I would've focused a little more on discovering who I was without all the rest of the bullshit that goes along with it.

But yeah, Summers' characters are very real. I've been that mean girl, I've been the meek girl...and everywhere in between. I think that's why this book resonated with me so much. It took me back to those times of insecurity and self-doubt.

And let me tell you...these girls are MEAN. Shockingly mean. But then, so is Regina. So in the end, I wasn't sure who to cheer for at times.

This book really made me think about how perceptions of events can easily become jumbled...distorted or lied about to suit whatever purpose different individuals need filled. What may be innocent to one, may be outright treachery and reason for a complete shut out to another. And it also reminded me of how much I love writing about teenagers. The minute by minute play action that is a friendship and how sides can change SO easily.

It's a good book. Y'all should read it.

CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins

I have only one word to describe this book:

Perfection.


Run. Buy it. Enjoy.

I'm riding in my seat, waiting for the next book. O.M.G.

PAPER TOWNS by John Green

Well, it's been a while since I've done any reviews--mostly because I have very little time to read these days. I DO listen to a ton of audio books, as you all know, but somehow I feel like that's cheating on the whole reading experience. But, you do what you gotta do. Since I can't read, I listen. (Erm, I CAN read, of course...but you know what I mean. lol)

Anywho...I'm back with a quick and dirty review of PAPER TOWNS by John Green.

PAPER TOWNS, Young Adult

Brief Summary: Quentin Jacobson is slightly obsessed with his childhood friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman. They're seniors in high school now, and run in completely different circles. That hasn't stopped his fascination with her--if anything it's made her more untouchable and perfect in his mind. Then one night, she knocks on his window and takes him out for a wild night of pranks--and then, disappears. He sets out to find her. Mayhem ensues.

I'd go further, but I really don't want to spoil it.

What I will say can be summed up in two words:

LOVED IT.

Of course, that's not all I'm going to say! You know me better than that.

Again, John Green has totally delivered. His characters are so well-drawn, his writing spot on and funny, and the premise just so dang good. It kept me turning the pages, wanting to know...no, NEEDING to know what would happen next. Again, my favorite characters were his hilarious sidekicks with their funny repartee. No one, and I mean NO ONE does better sidekicks. I giggled throughout and just really enjoyed everything about this book. He has such a talent for capturing the life of teenagers...gah, I want that!

If I'm 100% honest with you, I didn't _love_ the ending, but yanno...I'm okay with that. LOL. It's only because I wanted things to turn out another way. That said, the journey to get there was so fantastically fun--and tense. Overall, a really great ride.

Buy or Rent? Buy!

SHADOW KISS by Richelle Mead

Just finished reading SHADOW KISS by Richelle Mead and boy am I SO glad I waited to read it until the fourth book was out. Let me tell you, it has one of those endings that leaves you screaming for more.

Actually, I think my reaction was something like this:

*Jen reading, knowing the pages are dwindling...two more pages...*aaargh*...one page...oh shiite, only a paragraph..last sentence...*

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"

Yes, I am a'clamoring for more. In fact, did I not have the fourth novel in my hot little hands, I might've staked out Mead's front yard, refusing to leave until she let me peer over her shoulder while she wrote it. I think all of us should be extremely thankful this is NOT the situation. I do indeed have the book, and I will not go all stalker on anyone. Small miracle.

That said, I have no idea if I should read the next book because I have a gut feeling my reaction to the end of book 4 will only be...more intense. (g)

Okay -- I haven't reviewed any of the books in this series, so let me give you a quick overview of Mead's world.

Rose Hathaway is what's known as a dhamphir. A half-human, half-vampire. This makeup leaves her stronger and more resilient than full-vampires, the Moroi. Because of this difference, dhamphirs pretty much serve two purposes in life. They either go into intense training and become guardians to the physically inferior Moroi, or they become...hmmm, how shall we put this? Blood whores. *heh* Because the ONLY way for Moroi to reproduce is to do it with a dhamphir. (Is this twisted or what?) Dhamphir's are basically the second class citizens of the vampire world. Their motto: They come first. Meaning the Moroi.

But there are evil forces also at work in this world! The Stirgoi. Stirgoi are the BAD vampires. They're sort of a combination of the vampires we all love to lust after, and brainless zombies intent on eating brains. Only they want blood. They're evil, destructive, and hell-bent on taking out all the Moroi. Hence the need for Guardians (the trained arse-kicking dhampirs).

The Moroi DO have one advantage, tho. Magic. Only problem is that they've sort of lost it over the years. And those in power believe all the fighting should be left up to the Guardians.

This is a problem for Lissa Dragomir, who has the power of spirit. Rose and Lissa grew up together, and when in a tragic car accident that wiped out Lissa's entire family, it was Rose she came to the rescue of, saving her with her magic and creating a link between them known as being Shadow Kissed. You with me?

This shadow kiss allows Rose to feel Lissa's emotions--to even "become" her in order to see through her eyes, etc. This link is very strong, and of course, makes Rose the perfect guardian-in-training to protect Lissa. They attend the St. Vladimir's Academy -- a school for vamps and training dhamphirs.

They get into a lot of trouble. They chase after a lot of boys. Most importantly, they, or rather, Rose, chases Dmitri, the guardian assigned to train her for her future guardian role. Still with me?

MAYHEM ENSUES. LOTS OF MAYHEM.

I'm not going to go into the specifics about THIS book. Way too much to explain, and I'd spoil everything for you. What I will say is this:

YOU. NEED. TO. READ. THESE. BOOKS.

Book 1: VAMPIRE ACADEMY
Book 2: FROSTBITE
Book 3: SHADOW KISS
Book 4: BLOOD PROMISE (just released this year)
Book 5: SPIRIT BOUND (Slated to drop May 2010)
Book 6: TBA (sob--I believe it's the final one -- Slated to drop 2010)

If you've read BTPM and enjoyed it -- get these books. They will show what a truly talentless hack I am. But that's okay.

(%^&*O&^%$%#$^&#*?!?!?!

I just finished THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova.

WTF was that?! LOL. I was so into the book and the ending....AARGH. Not good. Nope. Not at all.

It's Been An Audio Year

For the past few months, I haven't had any time to read. I can probably count the number of books I've finished on one hand. Wow. That's just nuts when my TBR pile continues to grow to monstrous proportions!

Anywho -- I've been listening to a ton of books on audio, so I thought I'd do a brief rundown of the ones I've listened to -- and would recommend.

The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling -- all seven. Jim Dale narrates and does a FANTASTIC job. I became completely enchanted with the series all over again. Even if you've read them, go out and get the discs. I promise you'll enjoy them.

The Twilight books by Stephenie Meyer -- all four. I have to admit, it was a real struggle to get through the first two books. Not sure why. I think it's a combination of the story dragging a bit and the narrator. She doesn't do voices, so everyone sounds the same. After 10-15 hours of it, it tended to get a bit old. For whatever reason, it wasn't a problem in the second two books -- which also added a male narrator for Jacob. His voice was pretty cool and I tended to think of Jacob as more of an adult because of it.

The Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich -- all fourteen. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed these books. The voices, while a bit spotty at times(there are two different narrators for this series -- at least at my library) are HILARIOUS -- especially some of the secondary characters. I laughed out loud a gazillion times, making my co-workers raise a few brows in my direction. I will tell you this -- the voices get better the further into the series you go. I didn't know if I could listen to these based on the first book, but I gutted my way through and really enjoyed them. The comic timing when they're read is just fantastic...go..run...get 'em.

The Host by Stephenie Meyers -- I thought this book was great on audio. The narrator has this airy, clipped tone that sounds how you'd think an alien would sound. (g) I greatly enjoyed it.

The Outlander Books by Diana Gabaldon -- the first three (Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager). The narrator of these books is fantastic -- and of course, the story is great. I haven't continued in the series yet -- mostly because it's quite a time committment when you listen to one. I think Drums runs over 40 hours...so yeah, I'm working my way up to it again. :) Very enjoyable, tho.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak -- I blogged about this a couple of weeks ago. Go. Get it. Now. It's fantastic. The narrator is one of the best I've listened to.

The Firm by John Grisham -- I've never read a Grisham. Shocker, I know. I've seen several movies -- including this one -- and even own at least a half dozen of his novels. Alas, this was my first read/listen. It was good -- not great, but a solid listen. I thought the ending to the movie was much better. :)

A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton -- This was an okay book. It was hard to follow in parts, but I blame that on the media and my tendency to lose track of what's going on in a book I haven't read before. All in all, I would probably listen to another, though they probably wouldn't be first on my list.

Sam's Letters to Jennifer by James Patterson -- Anne Heche narrated this book, and she's got a great voice for it. I found the book a little sickly sweet, but he always manages to get a few tears out of me -- no matter how hard I fight them. (g) It's a short book -- 4-5 hours tops, so if you want a little sentimental listen, this is the book for you.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova -- I started this book a while back and got sidetracked mid-way through it. I'm about 4/5ths of the way through it right now and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. It has a male and a female narrator. The man is solid, but the female narrator is EXCELLENT. She does fantastic accents. I will say it's a little hard to follow in this format, but I'm still managing to get the gist of what's going on.

So yeah....34 books in the past 4 months or so. I'd say I'm getting my fill of literature despite cracking only a handful of "actual" books. (g)

Next in the queue:

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson
1st to Die by James Patterson
The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

Some Reviews

It feels like forever since I lasted reviewed any books -- heck, it's been a long time since I've taken any time to read at all. I've been listening to a lot of audio books, but I've read all of them before, so nothing new there. I will say that Jim Dale does _an excellent job_ with the Harry Potter books. They're so much fun and I always walk away with a huge smile. I highly recommend them! Other than that, I've been listening to the Outlander books (a HUGE endeavor), the Janet Evanovich books, and I have the Twilight books in the queue. So yeah, I guess I'm getting my fix. That said, I have squeezed in a couple of books here and there.


GIRL AT SEA by Maureen Johnson
Young Adult

This book...well, to put it bluntly: I LOVED IT. It's an adventure story, having to do with the search for a bit of lost treasure. Clio, who is somewhat estranged from her father, is forced to spend her summer on a sailing expedition with him and his motley crew of assistants. It's got it all: Action, adventure, romance, and a totally witty voice that had me cracking up. I don't know how Johnson does it, but she really captures what it's like to be a teenager. Two big thumbs up on this one. It's light, fun, and really just a lovely read.

Buy or Rent? Buy.

LIVING DEAD GIRL by Elizabeth Scott
Young Adult

This book is powerful. Did I love it? Well, I liked it, was moved by it, but I wasn't IN love with it. It's the story of "Alice" who was kidnapped by Ray when she was ten. Guess I don't need to spell out what he does to her--the book does a good job of that for me. I bought this book because of my ideas concerning STOLEN. Figured I would see what's out there, and really just wanted to get a feel for what was being done/could be done within an abuse story.

I think this book had so much potential, but there was something that just didn't click for me. I've thought long and hard about it and I've finally decided it's because the entire book lacked one essential thing I wanted...Hope. I don't need a HEA, but I wanted at least one moment of hopt, to believe that things might be okay, and frankly, it wasn't there. Granted, it's a tough subject matter, and perhaps it's a naive outlook. But yeah, that's what bothered me about it overall.

That said, it's very powerful, disturbing, and definitely something well worth reading.

Buy or Rent? At the very least, you should rent it.

A CHILD CALLED IT by Dave Pelzer
Autobiography

Further research, here. This book has been around for quite some time, but I honestly had never heard of it. I was talking to a friend at work about LIVING DEAD GIRL and my ideas regarding STOLEN, and she recommended it.

It's truly horrifying, the things done to this young boy. I almost became numb to it, and it honestly scares me to think there are people out there who would do these things to his/her child. Egads, it's sick. And it's definitely not a light read that will leave you with a satisfied feeling afterward. But, I honestly think it's an important book to read. It's a good reminder to us all -- we need to trust our instincts. If we think a child is being abused, we all have a responsibility to speak out. If not, something like this can/will happen.

Buy or Rent? Buy.

I also read this random "my house was haunted" book that I wasn't all that happy with. It was poorly written, and so fantastic that I can't believe I paid good money for it. LOL. I've also started and stopped reading two different YA authors. One was new to me...and well, there was just something about the cadence of her writing that kept putting me off. Plus, the story just wasn't gripping me. I tried for about three weeks, but well, if I can't get into a book after the first 30-50 pages, I know I should just give up. The second was the second book by an author I tried out a while ago. I didn't particularly love her first book, but well, she's gotten HUGE reviews/sales for her books and I thought maybe it was just me. Well, apparently it is. LOL. I can't get into it, and I'm really glad I rented this second one. Seriously, I need a guidebook to understand her world building. This one I'm leaving to the heavens... Cuz. I. Just. Don't. Get. It. Guess I'm gonna have to live with that.

I've got some exciting picks in my TBR pile, but well, time is limited right now. The next set of reviews might be a while. (g) Happy reading to all of you!

BREAKING DAWN by Stephenie Meyer (A Little Chat With Jen)

Okay, it's Project Runway night, so I'm not getting much done on FI. I figured I could get this review out during commercials. LOL. Yeah, I'm pathetic. I'm moving along in a scene, tho, so I'm sure I'll get back to that as soon as the show is over. I'm actually really excited to work on it (a HUGE relief).

On to BD.

****MAJOR SPOILERS ahead -- stop NOW if you don't want to hear 'em. :)****



***This is your last chance to turn back!!! SPOILERS _ABOUND_ IN THIS REVIEW!!!***

Ahem. :)

This book is the fourth and "final" book in the Twilight series. I use the quotes because apparently Meyer's is rewriting TWILIGHT from Edward's POV. I really look forward to that because it will be interesting to see things through Edward's eyes. Plus, I'm dying to know what Edward's voice will be like. I also used those quotes because you _never know_. There might be one or MANY books left in this series... If I had to bet money, I would definitely lay it on the side of there being a continuation at some point. But that's me. :) I dream of writing a series (or two or three) because I never want to say goodbye to my characters. At least, not yet. (g)

Brief Summary: Last we left the Twilight crew, Bella had finally talked Edward into making her a vampire. His only condition was that they be married first. Jacob, faced with losing Bella, gets the heck out of Dodge--to parts unknown. In addition, the Volturi had put their own deadline on things -- either Bella, who is quite knowledgable about the vampire world, becomes a vampire or she must die, and that knowledge with her. So, will they or won't they? And how in the world is she going to explain things to her parents?

So, according to Edward, the whole transition into becoming a vampire is quite horrific. From the way he made things sound, once she's transitioned, she'll basically become this insatiable animal whose bloodlust will be completely out of control. Even worse, she won't be "Bella" for a very long time. Sure, she'll settle down after a while, but it's gonna be a very rough period during which she'll be a danger to all of those around her -- both to her human family, but also to her new vampire family, who will have to keep her under control lest she expose the vampire world and run the risk of bringing the Volturi down on them.

Egads. Talk about PRESSURE.

So, okay. I'm a little more than shocked that Edward actually DID marry Bella. LOL. I don't know. I thought he might get cold feet (no pun intended) and drag out the whole thing. But no...he stuck by his word. He did marry her. I thought it was really sweet, but then I'm a complete sap, and I was a little more than interested to see what would happen *cough* in the bedroom between them. Alas, Meyers blacked it all out, which was actually okay in the end. The lead up was really sweet and we can all imagine how things went. (g)

What DID shock me was that she got pregnant!!!!!! Well, maybe shocked isn't the right word. Surprised is better. Was I flabbergasted and appalled? No, not really. Honestly, I thought it was a unique twist that was great for the series. I mean, OMG...a half-human, half-vampire baby!! Just think of the possibilities there. (g) Plus, I sort of liked the maternal side of Bella. *shrug* It seems a lot of people were really bothered by this twist... I wasn't.

So then, the baby started to kill Bella. I loved how protective Edward was of her during this time, and I found myself slightly irritated that she turned toward what's her bucket for support...gah, the vampire that doesn't like her. Rosalie!! (Yes, I had to go look up the name. LOL.)

Anyway, I thought the suspense was a little...sketchy in parts. I mean, I didn't _really_ believe Bella would die. And well, of course she didn't. It made me laugh that they couldn't figure out that blood would calm the little bump down (I mean, half-vampire, people!), and could only manage a half-hearted cheer when the lightbulb finally lit up for them.

The superfast pregnancy was a little freaky, tho. Cool idea, if I'm perfectly honest. I almost hoped the whole birthing part would be a little more "alien like" but it was good. I thought for sure this whole baby thing would somehow keep Edward from turning her into a vampire. But no, he had to change her in order to save her. Okay, so here's where things with the book started going a little...too easily. Yes, that is my phrase for this book. Things were _too dang easy_.

I say this because Bella didn't experience a "normal" transition--in that, it was VERY normal, without any bad side effects. She became this super vampire without any real bloodlust. More importantly, she was BELLA. That isn't supposed to happen!! Okay, so it served the book, but good grief. How is it that she's THAT special? The fact Edward couldn't ever read her thoughts was cool...but how is that this klutzy girl was able to transition so easily? Hrm. I dunno...I think there needed to be more to the whole thing. See...easy! Too, too easy. Just any other day.... And seeing Charlie again was absolutely no big deal. Easy.

The baby was cool, but the name... well, let's face it. Renesemee kinda blows as a name. LOL. I couldn't pronounce it in my head and stumbled across it every time. I totally bought into the nickname Nessie. I don't care if I'm in the minority (I don't think I am, btw). It's easy to say.

Anyway, I liked Nessie's ability to speak through images -- and I loved that she was on this super growth spurt and that she was able to talk so soon, etc. Freaky! I worried that she would keep going and be dead within a few short years--just as the characters did. More on this later!

Now, I have to take a moment to talk about the fact Meyer's wrote a big chunk of this book from Jacob's POV. Even though I thought his voice was hilarious, and it was fresh and new to see things from someone else's POV, I found the whole thing did nothing towards warming me up to Jacob as a potential love interest for Bella. Why? Because it all highlighted how truly immature and boyish he is. I mean, how can she be attracted to two totally different people? One mature and strong-willed...the other immature and prone to tantrums?? I LIKE Jacob, but I never understood the attraction. Sorry to all of you in Jacob's camp! And if you ARE in Jacob's camp, I can't imagine that you were all that happy when Jacob imprinted on Nessie!! ROFL. Dude, I roared with laughter when that happened! (For those of you who don't know, Jacob is a werewolf. Every werewolf "imprints" on someone eventually (at least they hope to) and that person becomes the center of his/her universe. It's like love at first sight with a supernatural, obsessive twist to it.) And yeah, it's a little more than creepy that Jacob imprinted with Bella's daughter...right after she was born, no less. Don't get me wrong...he's not a pedophile or anything. He just wants to protect her at this age...but later.... Kinda gross, eh?

Anyway, just another example of how everything was "too easy." I mean, in one fell swoop, the whole Edward vs. Jacob thing was permanently solved. She gets to have them both -- and a baby! What the heck? One of things I really love about a novel is when an MC is forced to make difficult decisions that HURT...decisions that are difficult to live with...ones with reprecussions that radiate into all facets of their lives. Ones that twist my gut and leave me needing to take a step away or lose it. Ugh. It was most disappointing. (OH! And the whole vampire/werewolf war was solved as well, as the werewolves will do anything to protect the imprinted mate of one of their pack. So yeah, they're all on the same team now. Easy, easy, easy.)

Okay, so the baby is born, she's super special, and they need to find out if there's a way to save her from a quick death. They also need to pay hommage to the Volturi so they don't come charging in to kill Bella. Lots of possibilities...had me on the edge, waiting to see what would happen.

And of course, my worst fear came true. The Volturi got wind of Nessie, and if you were paying attention earlier in the book, they of course assumed (or at least used the excuse of the rest of the vampire world assuming) that she is a "made" child vampire (she having grown to toddler size in just a couple of short months). And because of the child vampire wars earlier in their history, of course the Volturi would sweep in quickly to destroy her and the Cullen family. They were biding their time for an opportunity, so I just knew it would come to this in the final book.

So yay...scary, scary war coming. Pretty exciting to see the Cullens pull in all of the vampires from around the world to "witness" for them. I have to mention the Romanians--they were AWESOME. :) Seriously, one of the highlights for me. (g) I could just see them on the sidelines, rubbing their hands together and giggling maniacially. "Muhahahahahahahaha."

I liked watching Edward and Bella prepare for the inevitable. It was sweet and romantic, and yeah, I was stressed to no end. Bella really matured in this book -- almost to the point I no longer recognized her. I really liked her--she was different, but it was good, IMHO.

Anyway, so the "war comes" and man, I was stressed....here we go...eek...ack...I'm so scared! Please let them all be okay....

Oh wait...

It's over?????????????

Yeah, so anti-climatic. Such a disappointment. Don't get me wrong. I got the ending I wanted...but man, what happened to tough decisions...casualties, hell, I'd settle for an _injury_?? But nope, none of that. It was like climbing the sheer face of a cliff only to discover a nice meadow with frolicking deer at the top. WTF.

When I finished this book, an old dream of mine came to mind. (Let me just say first that I saw Jaws at a VERY impressionable age.) Anyway, in this dream, people are chasing me and I MUST climb this mountain to get away from them. When I would get to the top, I would find the "peak" was literally razor thin, and the other side was an ocean FILLED with sharks. So there's little dream Jen trying to balance on this edge, knowing whatever direction she chose would likely be fatal. What could little Jen do??

LOL.

Luckily for me, that's about the time I would wake up. (phew) Anyway, isn't that what we ALL want in a novel?? A situation where there are no good options, and ones in which there will be some losses. That's what it _looked like_ in BD, but unfortunately, the ending did not live up to the hype.

Gah. The fact that Bella's new powers scared away this legendary coven of vampires without any fighting...without any of the vampires even getting a single hair shaken out of place, was just a WAH WAH WAH moment. I mean, Alice came back JUST at the right time...Bella managed to throw her shield up when she'd failed so many times before...gah. I almost wanted to throw the book at the wall.

But I didn't. Why? Because I GOT the ending I wanted. I wanted them to all live--for everyone to be okay and happy. And dang it, she gave it to me. I've never been so disappointed/happy. And yeah, you bet your ass I would buy any other sequels she writes. Dang. That's just weird.

Anyway, as I said... it was all too easy. She tied up everything _perfectly_... a vampire HEA. Good grief.

All that, and of course I still loved the book. Well, I loved the characters and I'm happy that things worked out in the end. But, IMHO, she should've hurt her characters some...it's good fiction. *shrug*

I'm sure I'll think of a million other things to say after I post this. Gak. Oh well, that's all I can think of right now and this is already too long.

Would I buy this book? A'yup. Go. Now. It's still really good. LOL.

I Finished!

Late last night. (g)

I wanted to write my review but lacked the energy and a clear direction on how to do it. I'm not sure I can really talk about BREAKING DAWN without giving away huge spoilers... I'll think on it today, but I may just have to hide the majority of the review and give BIG spoiler warnings to keep the casual passerby from seeing anything s/he doesn't wanna. (That means all y'all on google reader will have to mark my message "READ" and keep going. (g)) Fair enough? :)

Anyway, I will say this -- I LOVED this book, but there were parts I didn't love...so much. Overall, I'm satisfied with _the way_ this series tied up, but somewhat dissatisfied with the _journey_ it took to get there. But Meyer's had me all the way. If there's any doubt, this is a BUY BUY BUY. :)

You have to buy it. Seriously. (g)

I'm at work ALL day and won't be home until late tonight. If I can muster the energy, I'll write the review tonight. If any of you want to discuss the book before that, please email me. (g) I said I'd be at work, so of course I'd love the distraction. LOL.

Have a good day, and YES, go buy this book if you haven't already. :)

Quick Reviews

I haven't had much time to read since last week, but here are the ones I've managed to finish:

A MONSTROUS REGIMENT OF WOMEN by Laurie R. King -- I really liked this one, though, again, it was a little slow in the beginning. I can't put my finger on what I love so much, but there's just something about this series that leaves me salivating for the next book. They're very...dense...books, with a lot of details, and I love all of the historical tidbits. In this novel, Mary Russell is drawn into the confidence of a friend who is part of a women's organization that is pretty much aimed at women's rights. Someone is killing off rich young women who, of course, managed to leave all/most of their money to the organization. Again, the relationship between Russell and Holmes is _wonderful_, though the father/daughter aspects of it are taking a backseat to something a bit...less father/daughter. (VBG) I really didn't know what to think of that, but found myself cheering it on in the end. We'll see how it goes from here on out. Anyway -- very good book.

Buy or Rent? BUY.


AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES by John Green

This is the story of a young guy who has dated and broken up with no less than 19 Katherines and his search for the reason _why?_ Colin Singleton is a "former" child prodigy who feels he hasn't lived up to his potential. As he points out numerous times, a prodigy (unlike a genius) only learns things quickly--things others invented or figured out. All he wants is to leave his mark on the world, and he finds his chance when he comes up with and tries to prove the "Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability" -- the idea that he can predict how long any couple with stay together before their relationship falls apart. And perhaps answer the "why" regarding all of those dang Katherines. Accompanied by his best friend, Hassan, he sets out on an impromptu road trip which lands him in Gutshot, TN. General teen mayhem ensues.

I liked this book -- the humor was great and I laughed out loud many, many times. Hassan is one of the best sidekicks I've read in a long time. Seriously, he should have his own series. (g)

Here's the thing. It's light, it's fun...but it's not what I would call a deep read. It's pure entertainment and I totally recommend it for a good laugh. (FYI -- it's coming out in paperback this August (I believe) with a cover price of $3.99. Go forth and buy, people.) Green's use of footnotes was HYSTERICAL. Haha...just thinking about them makes me laugh. (g)

Buy or Rent? Buy.


LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL by Jo Knowles

This is the story of two best friends -- told from when they're very young, through their teenage years. At first their relationship seems pretty standard. Sure, one of the girls is a little bossy, but overall, typical kid stuff. But then it became apparent that Leah held a great deal of power over Laine and used that power to manipulate her. It's disturbing and gritty, but overall, pretty realistic, I think.

I can't say I loved this book, but it definitely made an impact. It was powerful stuff, but at times, I felt the prose didn't quite live up to the potential of the story. Could be me.

However, I think Knowles really captured what it's like to be a teenager -- the stupid decisions all of us made at one time or another, the power of peer pressure, the way a relationship will ebb and flow through the years, how finding your way out of one bad situation may lead you into another... It felt real, and I have to applaud that.

That said, this book is rather dark. And well, I think I'm a little burned out on hard-hitting books with an in-your-face storytelling style. (g) I think I'll read something a bit lighter next... maybe THE PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale. :)

Okay, off to see Batman *dun dun dun dun dun dun dun BATMAN!!*

Hola!

Well, I pulled out everything for FI today and did a read through. Unfortunately, I'm feeling a little discouraged at the moment -- there just seems to be so much left to do. Blah. I'm chalking it all up to being exhausted. My week (last week, that is) didn't turn out the way I expected. Grandpa came to town in order to get his teeth fixed (LONG overdue). Anyway, I was put on official Grandpa-watch--had to make sure he ate enough pudding and ice cream, had something to drink at all times, and was fairly entertained throughout the day. He didn't want to do anything other than listen to music and talk. And the talking was pretty sporadic. I couldn't really write so I did some reading in between our convos.

Then this weekend was BUSY. Lots of working, late hours...throw in a couple of friends who came to town (a visit that lasted almost 8 hours!! LOL), and it was gone, gone, gone. So yeah, new week, fresh start. I'm going to pull out one small section of FI tonight and just try to concentrate on that. If I look at the whole, I become overwhelmed. Weird because I know there's not THAT much left to add. It's just that there are a lot of little problems I need to fix and well...yeah...that equals one freaked-out Jen.

Anyway, finished a couple of books.

Stephen King's THE GUNSLINGER -- can't say I loved it, but I'm interested enough to at least try the next book. I have to admit, I'm a little lost on some of the terminology, but his world-building is good overall. I seem to recall someone saying that the first book wasn't really representative of the series as a whole (meaning the others are much better), so we'll see.

Dana Stabenow's DEAD IN THE WATER -- so, I've made a decision about this series. It's a BUY. :) Her writing really did a huge leap between books 1 and 2, and she really seems to have hit her stride in book 3. In this book, two fishermen disappear off of a crab boat and Kate joins the crew, undercover, to discover the truth behind their disappearance. Let me tell you, there is no way in heck I would ever want to do that job! LOL. She really brought you right on to that boat, and I do not want to go there again. (g) At least, not physically. But it was a great read -- terrifying, actually. (That drowning thing of mine (g)).

Okay, off to dinner -- then to write.

Mini-Reviews

As I said in a previous post, I've been reading up a storm. (g) I really need to stop slacking and get to work on FI, so that's my goal for this afternoon. In the meantime, here are some quick reviews of the books I've gulped down during the past couple of weeks.

FEARLESS FOURTEEN by Janet Evanovich -- I actually liked this a lot more than I thought I would--simply based on the reviews I heard. It's extremely fast-paced (almost too fast in parts), but actually tied up rather well. I would agree that it wasn't as funny as some of her others--and, gah, Ranger was almost an afterthought (seriously, we need something to happen--soon). Overall, tho, I enjoyed it. It was a nice, fun, light read that kept my mind off things.

DEVILISH by Maureen Johnson -- This one is about a high school student who discovers her best friend has sold her soul to the devil in order to become popular. In order to save her, she makes her own deal and gets into all kinds o' trouble. This one was okay. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. The characters are well drawn, but the devil character was a little too...hmm, random is the best word I can come up with. But it's a page-turner, and light...so yeah, it's enjoyable and worth a read.

A DANGEROUS MOURNING by Anne Perry -- LOVE LOVE LOVED this one. This is a must-read series, imho. :) A young widow is murdered and all evidence suggests it was one of her family members who killed her. Inspector Monk recruits Hester Latterly to go undercover (yay) as a nursemaid, and _everyone_ looks guilty. (g) I loved it (repeat yourself much, Jen? (g)). Again, a lot of historical detail, without beating people over the head with it...and characters that are so richly drawn. I sank right into this book.

SHUTTER ISLAND by Dennis Lehane -- A patient has gone missing at the Ashcliffe mental institute and Teddy Daniels and his partner have been called in to investigate. What they find is a bunch of clues that lead them to believe there's more going on than meets the eye -- in other words, the mental institute isn't just treating patients, but perhaps....experimenting on them. Throw in a hurricane, and...Muhahaha. I liked this book. It was intriguing and had all kinds o' twisty plot turns. The ending was pretty surprising. LOL. Not sure I could've seen it coming while I was reading, and it was more than a little far-fetched...but still. Enjoyable. I liked the characters a lot and the writing, as always, was superb. Lehane was able to create another great world -- this time set in the 1950's -- that felt very authentic. So different than MYSTIC RIVER, and I respect his ability to create such differently colored books.

Surely I must've read more books than this.... Oh, I'm in the middle of THE GUNSLINGER by Stephen King, and got about halfway through another that I just had to give up on. (blech) OH OH OH..and I got MY LORD AND SPYMASTER by Joanna Bourne the other night. I'm listed in the acks!! Me, MY name in lights (so to speak). (g) Too cool for school.

Anyway, off to try and get some words in. We'll see how it goes.

A FATAL THAW by Dana Stabenow

It's official -- I've made it through my pile o' mysteries. At least the ones that are due back at the library tomorrow. (g) I'm still working on Elizabeth George's WRITE AWAY, slogging my way through it slowly. But I hope to finish it up tonight. If not, it's gotta go back anyway. Heh. May have to skim through the highlights.

Anywho -- on to this review. I read A COLD DAY FOR MURDER not too long ago, and I have to admit it didn't really snare my attention. To be completely honest, I had a hard time making it through all 200 pages. There were large chunks of Alaskan backstory -- be it description of this or that landmark or a long passage about the passing of this or that bill and how it affected trade or whatnot. Her descriptions in general -- be it of a person or place -- were longwinded lists of every minute detail, without any real character voice or reason I should care to know so much. If that makes sense. (g) It felt like I was reading non-fiction for a good majority of it, rather than a novel I could sink my teeth into.

I did find Kate Shugak to be an interesting character, but I wasn't overly eager to get the next book. The main reason I picked it up was that SO many people seem to really love this series. I had to know what all the hubub was about, bub. Even with it sitting there, it took a great deal of effort to pick it up. I don't know if it's me, or if that first book was truly lacking...but it just didn't appeal to me. At all.

This book was better -- much better. I'm actually glad I checked it out and gave it a shot. I can't say the series is on my "must-read" list, but I would definitely pick up another. They're quick reads, and the characters really started to pop out in this second book.

Brief Synopsis: A mass murderer goes on a killing spree in Kate's hometown, killing 9 people. As it turns out, though, one of the victims was shot by someone else. Now it's Kate's job to figure out who.

So yeah, those thick passages of description have pretty much been eliminated, to be replaced by more real-time action and some pretty dang snappy dialogue. I'm intrigued by the implied love triangle that was set-up in this book, between Bobby, Jack, and Kate. What I really like is that nothing about these characters is all that conventional. Jack is probably the most "normal" -- an invesigator who often calls Kate in for local help on cases. Bobby is a black, ex-vet amputee, who lost both legs in Vietnam. Kate is a native Alaskan who was almost killed by a child molester, and still wears a reminder of the near fatal encounter: thick scar tissue around her neck that forever altered her voice to a harsh rasp.

They're real -- flawed and definitely haunted by things in their pasts. Oh, and definitely attracted to each other. I find that extremely interesting. (g)

The story set off at a great pace and continued until the end. Stabenow has a pretty uncanny ability to keep a lot of things from the reader -- not sure whether I would call it blatant "cheating" but she definitely walks the line. LOL. Some parts of the story seem a bit fantastic...but well, it's fiction, so there ya go.

Overall, a fun read. I was grossed out to no end about the "Middle Finger" shots, but it's that kind of small detail that really brings the story and setting alive. If you've never been to Alaska, you can definitely travel there through these books.

Buy or Rent? It's a tough call. I'll probably read at least another 1-2 before making a final decision.

MYSTIC RIVER by Dennis Lehane

Yeah, I've seen the movie -- it was really good. The book is better. :)

Brief Synopsis: Jimmy, Sean, and Dave were all friends when they were kids. Then, one day, a car pulled up next to them and Dave got inside with two strange men. He disappeared for four days. It changed them all and eventually they drifted apart. Twenty-five years later, Jimmy is a reformed felon who's daughter has been murdered, Sean is the detective put in charge of solving the crime, and all signs are pointing toward Dave having been the one who killed her.

I've already made mention of this in an earlier post, but it bears repeating. I have serious book love right now. (g) This book was amazing. Not only because it's a great story, with all kinds of twists and turns, but because it's just _flippin' fantastic_ writing. As one friend put it, "it's raw." You feel the emotions, you see everything as it plays out, and it's all so real and in your face.

His world-building--and I hesitate to use this term, because it all felt very real--was flippin' awesome. I felt like I knew the neighborhood, knew the thugs standing on the street corners, and could smell the stench coming off the river. The characters were flawed as all get out, but I understood them, and I cared for them.

I'll be looking for Lehane's other titles.

Buy or Rent? Buy.

THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE by Laurie R. King

Can you hear that? Yup -- that's a happy sigh you heard. I loved this book. Simply loved it. This is the first time in a while I've finished the first book in a series and wanted to rush out to immediately get the next. (Erm, it's 2am, so I don't think that will be happening. Drat. (g))

If you like historicals, mysteries, and a good dose of witty repartee, you'd probably love this book, too.

Brief Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes (yes, that Sherlock Holmes) has retired to a countryside manor where he meets one Mary Russell, a fifteen year old spitfire who is able to match his wit blow for blow. Intrigued by this young woman, he takes her on as his apprentice, teaching her all of the tricks of his former trade--skills that come in handy when they find themselves being hunted by an unknown enemy who is able to anticipate their every move.

Okay, let me list what I loved about this book:

1. Their witty banter. They are simply great together. But underneath all of their verbal sparring they have such a deep respect and love for each other. There were moments when I had to put the book down and just sort of soak it all in. Lovely. Truly. I can't wait to see where it goes. And no, it's not romantic -- he's nearly three times her age. (g) It's a father/daughter relationship -- so sweet.

2. The prose. It jumped off the page and put me right in the middle of it all. There is one section of the book where they travel to Jerusalem and it made me long to be there -- so beautifully worded and crafted. Jealous. I'm very jealous. (g)

3. The secondary characters were fantastic -- notably dear Watson, who was presented as a bit of a bumbling, but extremely kind-hearted, fool. I've never read the Sherlock Holme's mysteries, but I think the collected works is going on my to buy list. I simply need to get to know them as they were originally written. I KNOW this book will be going on the list.

4. I didn't see the ending coming, but all of the clues were there. I like that feeling of wanting to slap my forehead for failing to spot them. (g)

The first quarter of this book was mostly narration. Interesting, but I'll admit I was almost put off by it. I'm so glad I stuck by it, though. I'm not sure when I fell in love with this book, but it happened. If you try it, do give it time. :)

Buy or Rent? Buy, buy, buy! :)

I wonder which book is next...

Quick Update On My Pile O' Mysteries

I couldn't get into the Kerry Greenwood book, COCAINE BLUES. Just wasn't for me. Called it quits after thirty pages.

I finished Ted Dekker's SKIN. Eh, I didn't really enjoy it much. I'd review it, but I'll just point you to my review of HOUSE, on which he collaborated with Frank Peretti. HERE. To be honest, they're pretty much the same book. Only one centers around a freaky house with a seriously weird basement, and the other centers around a small town that keeps disappearing. SKIN had less of a religious angle to it, but the style of both books is remarkably similar. Page-turners, both, but overall not very satisfying to this girl.

I've just begun THE BEEKEEPER'S APPRENTICE by Laurie R. King. It's snared my interest so far, though it's been mostly narration for the first fifty pages or so. I'm hoping to get into some real-time action soon. We'll see.

So yeah, I'm doing okay with my stack...need to step on the gas a little, tho. I have three books to finish by next Tuesday or Wednesday. My goal is to keep from incurring any late fees this summer. (g)

THE FACE OF A STRANGER by Anne Perry

I've been wanting to read one of Anne Perry's books for a long time. I'm so glad I finally did. There's nothing like discovering an author that you truly enjoy. I cannot wait to get the next book in the William Monk series. (g)

Brief Summary: William Monk awakes in a hospital one day, remembering nothing of his former life -- not his name, what he looks like, his occupation. Nothing. He soon learns that he is an investigator for the police and is charged with finding the murderer of one Major Joscelyn Grey. Unable to recall anything from this ongoing investigation, he must slowly piece together clues--to the murder, as well as his own history. This series is set in London during the mid 1800's.

I loved this book. Perry is truly gifted at bringing 19th century London to life--from the clothing and the food, to the various accents. Not to mention the societal behaviors and expectations, etc. Great detail, here.

The book clipped along at a great pace, but by the last hundred pages, I was whipping through it so fast to see what happened next. And the great thing is that the ending really tied the book together well. I can't say I saw everything coming, but I can say that it all sounded plausible and made perfect sense to me. No curve balls at the end that I couldn't have seen coming...no surprise suspects whipped out of thin air to take the fall. It was so well-balanced.

I also loved the way Monk truly couldn't remember anything -- and the way Perry weaved in the bits of memory that suddenly came upon him. Sometimes he didn't even realize it until later. It made it all seem very real and organic. His "self-discovery" and constant second guessing as to what character traits were TRULY his was such an interesting process to watch. Overall, I thought he was a very interesting character that I can't wait to see more of.

I did have a bit of a hard time understanding some of the dialects in this book. She has a real knack for 'em and I almost felt like I was right there, unable to understand the person standing in front of me. (g) It made it difficult to get through some passages, but didn't really detract from the overall story. I blame myself here. (g)

Anyway, I have that happy book glow. :)

Buy or Rent? Buy.

HOUSE by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

First off -- I obviously did a lot of reading yesterday. (g) The good news is that I got my cookies baked and shipped off to big sis. Secondly, I'm WAY behind on reviews, so some of these may be short.

Brief Synopsis: On a deserted backroad in Alabama, two couples find themselves stranded when both of their vehicles are sabotaged. Left with no other option, they take refuge in what appears to be a charming country inn. However, looks are very deceiving. (muhahaha) The couples find themselves captives of the three "inbreds" who live there, and pawns in a game being played by a serial killer named the Tinman. What they soon discover is that the inn is no ordinary house, and the only way out is to play by his rules. In order for three to live, they must kill the fourth.

Okay.

This book was...bizarre. I honestly can't say I enjoyed it much, though it kept me turning the pages -- mostly out of a pure need to understand wtf was up with this house. (g) So on that score, it succeeded.

Unfortunately, it failed on many levels. I didn't really get a great sense of the characters -- they were a bit thinly drawn and not all that likeable. I didn't find myself cheering them on and their survival honestly didn't matter all that much by the end. The "locals" were too stereotypical and their inclusion seemed unnecessary.

The plot was a bit confusing -- it DID make sense in the end, but well, I'm not sure it tied up in a satisfactory manner. To be honest, I felt like the religious angle (introduced rather late in the book) was a bit preachy. And the supernatural elements...eh, I think they would make more sense in a film, but were exceedingly difficult to picture on the page. I think the combination of the two is what really turned me off here. I've read several of Peretti's books--which have all had a religious message of some sort--and enjoyed them greatly. Something was just off here.

The end? CHEESE. (g)

Anyway, it's a fast read -- the writing is clean, though a bit uneven in spots. The supernatural elements were interesting, though I'm not sure they were terribly unique. Overall, not a book I would probably want to read again. I'd give it a 2/5 stars.

Buy or Rent? Rent.

Can I Be Honest?

My need to respond to this makes me feel like a complete idiot -- let's get that straight right now. (g) There have been a number of people in the blogosphere who have stated they don't do negative reviews -- authors, readers, agents. I'll admit, every time someone says this, I feel a little ping aimed right at me. I take a long hard look at myself and the "negative" reviews I've done, and I start worrying.

Am I a degenerate who doesn't understand netiquette?

Am I just a mean asshole?

Do people shake their heads and tsk every time they see one of my less than favorable reviews?

Do they hate me??

Okay, melodramatic, I know, but there it is. That said, I'd like to defend my decision to write what _I_ consider to be honest reviews. Not positive, not negative...just honest reviews about the books I read. And this in no way is impugning anyone's right to limit their online reviews/discussions to positive reviews. I always say -- to each his own.

Okay...why my decision to write _honest_ book reviews?

Well, there are several reasons, actually.

1. I love books. I love everything about them. I love buying them with excited anticipation, reading them and falling into the world the author has created, and yes, I love talking about them. I become giddily excited when I fall in love with a novel and its characters...I want to tell _everyone_. Conversely, like all readers, sometimes I'm disappointed when a book fails to live up to my expectations. And well, it never occurred to me that it's wrong to talk about these situations. I'm not able to flip that switch, I guess.

2. Not giving honest reviews makes me feel like a liar, and I feel guilty when I try to sugarcoat things. Plain and simple. That said, I never want to take things too far. I did once, I realized it and took down the review. It WAS my honest response, but yeah...LOL. (You know the one, right? (g)) Anyway -- I will try to give honest feedback about my likes and dislikes, but scrounging around for something good to say about a book, just for the sake of saying it, is just...false. I'll admit to reviewing a couple of books that I absolutely hated -- but in the name of being "nice" said some things I didn't mean. It made me feel terrible and it doesn't happen anymore. Conversely, I won't pump up a book just because it was written by a friend -- that goes for published and unpublished authors.

3. I love writing reviews and having people jump in, saying why they do/don't agree with me. It's fun. It doesn't make me happy to say I didn't like a book (*cough* -- besides that one time. That review was FUN.), but it's a great way for me to express my excitement and/or disappointment to like-minded people. I know most of the people who read this blog are writer friends...can there be a better audience for discussing books? :) I'll be the first to admit that my reviews are totally skewed to my personal taste. I expect people to disagree with me--many of you have. (g) That's OKAY. The ensuing discussions are fantastic. On the other hand, there is nothing that makes me more stupidly excited than when someone says they bought a book based on the review I did. OMG..it's like Christmas and my birthday wrapped up in one. And if they loved it, too...EGADS. :)

4. For those people who read my reviews -- I want to be trustworthy. Whether or not you agree with the calls I make, I want there to be a trust level there that allows you to say, "Of course Jen likes that book! She liked that other crappy one that I absolutely hated. Gah, our tastes do NOT match up." Or the opposite. (I prefer the opposite. (g)) If I said nice things about an author just because I want to keep from offending them (for whatever reason -- playing nice, fear of losing a potential networking opportunity, whatever...), how in the world could I expect anyone to trust what I say? Especially when they hate a book I recommended for a myriad of false reasons. Yeah, that's just not cool.

And finally...

5. To be brutally honest, I've just never been able to convince myself that in the grand scheme of things, my little blog matters all that damn much in the world at large. I'm just one reader/reviewer. I have a modest following on this blog -- no earth shattering numbers that will sway the reading public. If an author stumbled upon a review I did of their book, I'd be stoked as all hell. Erm, to my knowledge, that hasn't happened yet. LOL. Doubt it ever will. (And that goes for the people I KNOW.) (g)

So yeah, THAT is why I write honest reviews. Speaking of which, I have three I need to write... two I loved, one I'm on the fence with right now... I'll let you know when I finish it.

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE and ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost

This is an official review of ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE for Avon Books, but I first had to read HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE to know what was going on. Figured I'd kill two birds with one stone, and review both. There are some spoilers involved here, as I can't talk about book 2 without giving away some things from book 1. Therefore, if you don't want to hear them, continue no further. (g)



HTTG Synopsis: Catherine Crawford "Cat" is half-vampire, half-human and hell-bent on finding and killing her vampire father who raped her mother, resulting in her birth. One night, she runs up against Bones, a vampire/bounty hunter, and ends up being blackmailed into partnering with him. He trains her and teaches her all the "vampire" ways. Brought up to hate vampires, her attraction to Bones confuses Cat -- but she finds herself unable to fight it. Together, they attempt to hunt down a group of vampires that are responsible for the kidnapping and deaths of several young girls.

Okay, let me start by saying that I liked this book. Second, I want to say--I have no idea why. LOL. There are so many things wrong with this book, but for some reason I really, really enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, it's not even close to the worst book I've ever read...it's just that if I were to walk through the book and analyze each scene/event, I'd say I could find reason to fault more of them than not. I guess it's a case of so many wrongs just equal one right for some indiscernible reason.

Let's start with the good:

+ I really like Cat. She's awkward and FUNNY. There were many laugh out loud moments in this book -- her one-liners are KILLER. In some ways, she's really the Maddy of the vampire world. I love that she's so inexperienced and uncomfortable with so many things--especially with her own sexuality.

+ Bones. What's not to love? He's sexy and smart, and he seriously wants Cat. Their scenes together were SO good. (He actually reminds me a great deal of Spike from Buffy...I kept thinking he had to be her inspiration for this character.)

+ The world Frost created is interesting, and the set-up for the relationship between Bones and Cat is fantastic. Instant chemistry and I was enthralled. The paranormal characters--especially the drunken cemetery ghost--were a riot!

+ The pacing. It was a real page-turner that had me running back for more.

The Bad:

- The pacing. While it kept me reading, there was something really strange about the time jumps -- disjointed is the best word I can use to describe it. One scene didn't necessarily flow into the next, and she's big on "two weeks later."

- While Bones and Cat were fleshed out, the other characterizations were glossed over. I can't really say, thinking back, who else was in the book...yeah...coming up blank. Her mother, I thought, would play a big role in the story...but every time she appeared "on stage" she was off so quickly that I didn't get any real sense of who she was other than this screeching banshee who wants her daughter to KILL KILL KILL vampires.

- Parts of this book felt very contrived. Especially the ending. (The bad guy literally came out of NOWHERE...huh? Wtf?) And the decision Cat makes just didn't seem necessary. If the main character can't convince me that she has no way out other than the road she takes, even if that only means she's convinced herself with a well-thought out, albeit delusioned reason, I just can't buy into it. To be honest, the last fifty pages were a real struggle and the book nearly hit the wall on several occasions.

- The sex scenes in this book were okay (definitely better than book 2), but I found Cat's obsession with sex after that first time to be a bit...overwhelming. She was a walking, talking libido afterward and well, yeah...that gets old rather quickly.

- Cat went from this nice, awkward girl who is compelled to kill vampires, to this HARDCORE chick who uses swear words like they're gonna stop making them tomorrow, and who is just SO angry. I found her a little too gritty toward the end. I don't think her characterization before that point supported the sudden change in her. I'm sure people would argue this point with me...but yeah...*shrug* It got to the point where I didn't want to cheer for her anymore. Her actions were extreme and her reasons rather, well, stupid.

Okay, so that sounds like I hated the book...but like I said, I REALLY, REALLY liked it. Overall, I think some things could've been handled better...but there was enough there to make me immediately pick up the second book.

BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!

OFITG Synopsis: When we last left Cat, she had joined a military operation geared toward exterminating vampires. In order to protect Bones, Cat faked his death and left him behind. It's four years later now--Cat is busy killing vampires as head of this military unit, she hasn't had any contact with Bones but still harbors a deep love for him. When she's targeted for assassination, Cat and Bones are brought back together--a reunion she both longs for and dreads.

Okay, this book had all the same issues as the first. The characters were so thinly drawn that none of them stood out for me. The pacing was erratic for the first hundred or so pages -- parts felt very contrived...the list goes on.

Again, however, I really, REALLY enjoyed it overall. LOL. I can't figure this one out, honest.

Cat...well, Cat is one tough cookie in this book. She's just so...BITTER and TOUGH as nails. I didn't really like her much, to be honest. I want back that awkward girl from the first book...the one that had me howling with laughter. She DID get a bit better once Bones reappeared, so that was a welcome relief.

Bones -- Gah, I love him. (Their first "reunion" was AWESOME!!) But... Well, I felt he was a little...wussy. Instead of being angry with Cat for leaving him, he shows up with all kinds of declarations of love. Sweet, but man, I wanted some of the old Bones back. The one who didn't take her sh*t and had that wonderful unruffled exterior. If I heard him say "I love you" one more time to her, I thought I might scream. (g) I know, I know...I can't figure out why that bothers me so much, but it does. I guess I wanted to see him play a little hard to get...I wanted to question his loyalties a bit. I think that would've made things a little more interesting.

The sex in this book needs to be addressed. I have to say, it was all a little too "insert A into B...and C...and D..." for me. I think this is a good rule of thumb for everyone: if you have an _entire_ chapter devoted to a single sex scene, you've gone on FOR TOO LONG. I was yawning by the end of it. There _were_ some good moments, but overall I found it a little too "1, 2, 3...change position...hold...1, 2, 3...change position...hold..." Maybe it's me. I do black out my sex scenes, after all. Mainly because I'm HORRIBLE at writing them. So yeah, this is all a bit of the pot calling the kettle black. (g)

The plot was a little muddled. I didn't feel any real sense of urgency or danger at any point. Everything tied up really well--and easily. No real sacrifices made, no real danger to be found... And the ending was abrupt to the extreme. I turned the page, thinking there was more...but there wasn't. Odd. I think if she had cut it off a couple of paragraphs earlier or added a couple of lines after, it would have resolved quite nicely. As is, it felt a little cut-off mid-sentence.

All of this said and you can bet your ass I'll be in line to pick up the next book.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!!

Maybe it's the vampires...maybe it's just Bones and Cat... I want to see them together, and well, I guess I'm willing to plow my way through the rough patches to get to them.

Overall, it just has that certain sumthin' that makes me want more.

Buy or Rent? Buy.