YA Book Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Wings by Aprilynne Pike
© 1 May 2009 by HarperTeen

Goodreads description:

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.


Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.


In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

My Thoughts...

This was one of the first books that I bought for my NookColor when I got it for Christmas in 2010 and I have NO IDEA why I waited so long to read it! I enjoyed every minute of this book. Aprilynne's writing is superb and so much fun to read.

Laurel, who has been home-schooled her whole life, starts high school at the local public school when her parents decide to move to a new town. While she's a bit socially awkward at first, a few people do their best to befriend her, including David who seems smitten with her from the very beginning.  Laurel slowly begins to adjust to life among the masses and even eventually warms up to her new friends. Everything is going swimmingly until one morning she wakes up to find a bump on her back.  Her mother assures her that it is simply probably her first zit and it will go away soon.  However, instead of getting smaller and disappearing, the bump grows larger and larger until one morning Laurel wakes to find a beautiful flower essentially blooming out of her back.


That's all I will stay about the story itself for now because there is so much to discover about the story that Aprilynne has crafted. The characters themselves are quite endearing and I enjoyed learning about the various facets of the lives of both the humans and the faeries.  Present, of course, is the love triangle that we are so used to read about these days, but this one didn't rub me the wrong way like some can.  It was cute and each boy was well-done. I think it will definitely be interesting to follow the trio through future books.

I loved that she wrote such a fresh, unique story about faeries. This was a really quick read as well and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone! It's a great read especially for young girls (10-12) because it doesn't have a lot of the darker elements that are fairly common.  It's a light read that I think many readers, even your more reluctant ones, will fly through.

YA Book Review: Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
© June 2011 by Dutton Juvenille

Goodreads description:

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

My Thoughts...

Okay, we'll start with a confession here: the first time I saw the cover for this book I immediately knew I had to read it.  When I saw it in person, I was in love. Like, seriously, this cover is captivating. Now that's out of the way, I'll give you a some brief thoughts on the story.  And, when I say brief, I really do mean it this time because I'm still not really sure what I thought/felt about this story.

First, not everyone is going to enjoy this book.  It looks and sounds like a contemporary--I thought it was going to be a contemporary.  It's not really.  There's a paranormal element that comes in, mostly toward the end but you get weird hints throughout, that you don't really see coming...actually you never really find out what it is. (Which I'll admit, was a little annoying). 

The prose is beautiful.  For me, Nova's writing really flowed from page to page and despite confusion about what was going on (which, I think I was *supposed* to be at least a little confused?), I found myself turning page after page to read more about these sisters and the strange events that were happening.  Throughout the story, I had really vivid images of what was going on, but the entire time I also felt a little like I had entered this alternate dream universe.  It had that feeling that I think dreams sometimes give you--the uncertainty, the "haze" surrounding events, the haunting feeling later when you feel like you can't quite remember everything that happened.

In conclusion, the writing is beautiful, and the story is unique/interesting, I felt a little dissatisfied at the end because I still didn't really know what was up with Ruby. I do know, however, that I definitely hope to read more from Nova in the future!

Some other reviews (b/c like I said...not everyone will like this):

• The Bookish Brunette
• Chick Loves Lit
• Pure Imagination
• I Read Banned Books

I chose this post for Review Appreciation Day (7/7/11) @ The Cait Files!

YA Book Review: Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter by Tara Hudson
© June 2011 by HarperCollins

Goodreads description:

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.

My Thoughts...

I have to say, first, that the Browse Inside feature offered by HarperTeen may be the death of me (financially, of course) because it causes impulse buys--for example, my Nook pre-order of this book. That being said, from the moment I opened the file to read until the moment that I finished my Nook copy while standing in the Dark Days of Supernatural signing line, I was hooked.

When the book starts out, Amelia is lonely and caught in a cycle of disappearing back to her place/moment of death.  Then, one time it's different--someone else is drowning and she has to stop it.  When she saves Josh, she creates an impossible bond with him--he becomes the only person who can see her and touch her (at least as far as she knows).  Now, I know some people will rail against the "insta-love" that occurs in this book, but I personally thought that it made a little sense that Amelia would make such a connection--she hasn't been able to TOUCH or interact with anyone since her death (and not for lack of trying).  I thought that Tara Hudson did a fabulous job describing the electric nature of their first physical encounters.  They had that hesitant nature of young love where things are new and different and you're just curious and in awe.

Overall, this one was a "win" for me.  I really felt myself pulled into their story and Hudson pulled some elements in that I didn't expect at all.  It's had the right amount of darkness for me paired with the romantic elements.  I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book (although I will admit that I would have been just as happy with this book as a standalone, which is always a nice feeling). However, I do look forward to more character development in the next book so maybe we'll get to know more about Amelia and Josh.

My fabulous signed copy!

Some other reviews you might check out:

• Well-Read Reviews
• Fantastic Book Review
• A Cupcake and a Latte
• Bewitched Bookworms

YA Book Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Die for Me by Amy Plum
© May 2011 by HarperTeen

Goodreads description:

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

My Thoughts...

I read this one while I was on vacation in the UK and I think that it was the perfect vacation read.  The kind of book that you read purely as part of the escapism of a vacation.  One of the first things that I noticed when I started this book was just how easy it was to read.  Amy Plum's prose is beautiful and the writing simply flows beautiful.  The woman sure does know how to write a good story!

Our main character here (as I'm sure you gathered from the synopsis) is Kate Mercer, a  young woman who has been devastated by the loss of her parents.  The way that Plum writes Kate at the beginning makes her an incredibly sympathetic character; her pain in losing her parents jumps off the page and becomes very real.  I think I connected with her at this point because she dealt with the loss in a way that felt similar to how I would react.  While Kate makes some of the same mistakes throughout that generally make me sigh and shake my head at the character, I overall really liked her character. 

The romance in this book is really beautiful...that simple beautiful "first love" kind of romance (although it's not Vincent's first time in love...).  Now, I must admit that Vincent had a little bit of the "stalker" air about him when he first starts talking to Kate, but I got over it.  I know that some readers will have problems with this, but I overlooked it.  Maybe I'm just too in love with my hot male leads and my "kissing books."

What I thought made this book unique was the idea of revenants--it was like this completely different take on zombies?  So interesting!  I thought that it really worked, even making one form of them "good" and another "bad" and the way that each "type" was created.  I don't want to tell you what they really are so you can discover them for yourself.  Let's suffice it to say that I loved Amy Plum's debut novel and look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Oh, I also met Amy at the Dark Days of Supernatural tour stop.  She's super sweet and I was so excited to get the chance to meet her! Also, I'm totally jealous that she lives in France. She also brought absolutely delicious chocolate--dark chocolate with sea salt?! Yum!




And just because you should know that not everyone is in love with this book and I fully realize you may not like this book...if you're on the fence, read these blogs' reviews as well!

• Parajunkee's View
• The Story Siren
• Bewitched Bookworms
• Book Chick City

YA Book Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
© August 2010 by Atheneum

Buy It!
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Goodreads description:

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

My Thoughts...

I wanted to LOVE this book.  I really, really did.  When this showed up in my inbox as part of my email book club, I wasn't very interested.  By the end of the week, I HAD to get this from the library so I could finish it.  I loved the premise (however cliche it might seem) and I thought the Poe twist/incorporation sounded really unique.

From the beginning, I was completely sucked into the story. I was totally and completely intrigued by Varen and he held my attention while Isobel grew on me. The story presents the reader with some awesome twists and turns and pulls you in completely.  There is so much intrigue and mystery surrounding Varen and you can't help but want to go along for the ride as Isobel learns more about him and his secrets. These were definitely two well-written characters with a lot of depth and surprises in store.

However, about 3/4 of the way through the book, I kind of started to lose interest.  I'm not sure what did it for me, but this book started to drag a bit.  I found myself having trouble staying interested.  I'm not sure if it was the dream world that lost me or just the pacing.  I wanted so badly to know what happened at the end, but I dragged my feet about finishing the book.

That all being said, the ending...well, the ending has me waiting rather impatiently for the next installment, set for release next year!

YA Book Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity by Kim Harrington
© 2011 by Point (Scholastic, Inc.)

Goodreads description:

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth? 

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift. 

And a curse. 

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Thoughts, Musings, Ramblings...


I liked this book from start to finish.  I mean, really, how can you not like a supernatural murder mystery?! (Maybe that's just me...)  Chapter One pulls you in immediately (super intense first two pages, let me tell you!) and you honestly can't put this one down until you've gotten to the end.

My honest-to-goodness favorite thing about this book was that I did not solve the mystery before the main character.  I'm sure that many readers will figure it out, but I'll readily admit that I was so into the story that I didn't see it coming! I was *completely* convinced the murdered was someone else and had a "NO WAY!" moment when it was revealed.  That's always a good feeling when you're reading a book--like you're learning right alongside the main character.

Now, Clarity, or Clare as she prefers, didn't necessarily pull me in as a character right away.  I'm not sure why but I didn't connect with her at the beginning.  As the story progressed, I did feel like I warmed up to her quite a bit.  I also really thought that the minor characters in this one were well done.  I felt like I knew each of them fairly well...with a lot of room for growth in #2!!   Also, on the character side of things, I actually tliked the love triangle in this one because it wasn't the FOCUS.  It was there, it was minor, and it was a cute romance.

I can't wait to read the sequel when it comes out next March (gah, 2012?!).  The story was really well written and I want more (especially of the romance--this was SO just the tip of the iceberg on that!).  I can't wait to find out what happens between Clarity, Justin, and Gabriel and what adventure is in store next.