Review: Glow

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: September 13th 2011
Pages: 307
Copy Type: ARC
Book Received By: RAK
Genre: Science Fiction
Sub-Genres: Romance, Adventure
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Synopsis 


What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

I usually have a very difficult time reading Science fiction but right away Glow caught my attention. Right from the first chapter the book is full of action and there is never a dull moment. Glow follows a young couple, Waverly and Kieran as Waverly is separated from her ship to New Earth and taken to the companion ship. The story goes back in forth between both teen's struggles and accomplishments to get back to each other.

My favorite part of this story is the science fiction aspect of the entire story and how real the circumstances really felt. The plan to find a new earth seems like a possible future and I love the thought that went into the story.

The romance in this book seemed very second priority for this book at it seemed to be marketed as a romance story when it seemed that Science fiction seems like a more fitting. The romance also seemed very under developed and there was little reasoning to why the two teens were a couple in the first place.

This book did a very nice job showing differencing opinions on religion and the conflict between the opposing beliefs on religion. 

Review Summery: This book was a very nice science fiction read though it did lack good developed romance. 

Review: Dead Beautiful

Dead  Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Pages: 480
Publisher: Hyperion
Date Published: September 21st 2010
Copy Type: Hardcover
Copy Received by: RAK from Sara [Her Blog]

Teaser from Goodreads 

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.
After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”
It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.
Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.
Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.

 

Review

This book is nice for when your looking for a not-so-simple Paranormal Romance, that takes place at a boarding school.

I when I first began this book I couldn't really tell if it was going to be Paranormal. Though there were several little hints though out the book I didn't really begin to get what was happening until the middle of the book when things were starting to heat up. 

I thought the characters, mostly the main ones, Renee and Dante seems to have very little personality to them. They never really were given any hobbies or major interests, and there didn't seem to be anything very special about the main character, Renee's love interest Dante except for how they explained that he was "Beautiful".

This book reminded me a lot of the Fallen series by Lauren Kate, which is in no way a bad thing, I thought Fallen, Torment, and Passion were great, it just seems like there wasn't anything extremely original about the story.

The ending was very incomplete. I have no idea what happened at the very end and I'm not sure what to expect if I read the next book the the series (coming out in 2012)

Review: Forgive My Fins

Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Pages: 293
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: May 19th 2010
Copy Type: Paperback
Copy received by: A random act of kindness from Lisa at Lisa Loves Literature.


Teaser from Goodreads


Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Review

Forgive my Fins is one of those quick, cheesy romances that you get mixed feelings about. On the positive side I really liked the relationship that Lily gains with her pesky neighbor Quince, and how they grow to like each other. I also liked the realistic crush that Lily had on Brody, the kind you really only have from afar until you see what they are like on the inside. 

I really didn't like how shallow some of the supporting characters seemed. I really didn't seem to know much of anything about Brody, Quince, or Lily's friend other than their names and some ot their hobbies along with a general description of how they look. 

I thought that all three of the characters that eventually find out that Lily is a mermaid seem to take the news to easily. In real life if someone told me they were Mer, I wouldn't just automatically believe them like the characters did. They had really unrealistic reactions. 

I think this would have been a really good stand alone novel if the Epilogue, which brings it into the books next book, Fins are Forever. I'm really not sure if I'm going to read the next book. If you've read it let me know if I should. 

Review: Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 

Pages: 391
Type of Copy: Paperback + Audiobook from Library
Received by: RAK
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Teaser from Goodreads

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

First Reaction


I was not entirely drawn by the beginning of the book, which is the main reason I had to begin it with an audio book to keep my attention, but after the first 30 pages or so I quit listening to the audio book (mainly because the reader had a weird voice and read to slowly for me to follow along to) and read it on my own, and doing so I was able to get sucked in better.


Review
Most books that contain one plot line (meaning there aren't more than two or three things going on in the story) I find very predictable and I can guess the ending correctly, but in this one I had a hard time trying to figure out what was going to happen in the end, though the final ending did cross my mind it did have several twists that I would never have thought of.

I quite enjoyed all of the characters and I like that the main character, Nora had a minor medical condition that made the story line more realistic, in most  books it seems like the characters are near perfect even, and the added aspect that she had a medical condition made it seem more realistic.

The fact that Patch wasn't technically a good guy was different than other books. Most angel books seem to have a very strong good vs. bad aspect, and this one made me flip my view of the situation.


This biggest reason this book has four stars is because I was not drawn for about a fourth of the book. It did not seem to have a hook that I always look for in a book, but in the end it did pull though to get a good score.

Review: The Iron King

The Iron King By Julie Kagawa

Series Name: Iron Fey
Pages: 363
Type of Copy: Paperback
Received by: RAK, Carrie, Stalking the Shelves
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review Written: 8/8/11

Teaser from Goodreads

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.
Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.
When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.
But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

 First Reaction: 

I started this book not knowing what to expect what so ever. With the Iron Knight being all the rage recently I decided I might as well try it eventually and then within a few weeks of putting it on my goodreads to-read list Carrie at Stalking the Shelves sent me an RAK. Upon opening the package- with no idea what it would  be I got really excited and instantly fell in love with the cover. You can't really see it unless you hold a copy so if you ever get a chance at a bookstore just pick it up and see how beautiful it is. The swirls and lettering are lifted and shiny and just lovely. I find this book like a version of Alice in Wonderland mixed YA.


Characters:

Meghan: Meghan is usually unnoticed. She lives on a farm with her family after her dad disappeared when she was six. Now her step-dad and half brother along with her mother live in a nearly unpopulated area, but then things turn weird when her brother suddenly attacks her and her mother slips and hits her head then her only friend Robbie starts acting really weird.

Puck (Robbie): You may also know him as Robin Goodfellow. Ring any bells? 

Ash: Prince of the winter court.


The Iron King: Nearly unheard of king of technology who wants Meghan to become his...queen. 


Review: 

When I put this book on my wishlist I never imagined I would enjoy it so much. I was never a huge fan of adventure, and I haven't read much fantasy. At the very beginning of the book I didn't find myself sucked in as much as I had  been hoping, but after about 50 pages I knew I was going to like the book. 
The writing has a good balance between speech and action, and was easily followed. I cannot wait until I can get my hands on a copy of the Iron daughter!

FIVE STARS!

Oh! Don't forget to enter my first giveaway!

July RAK Wrap-up

I got a whole lot of goddies for RAK this month. Thank so much to everyone who sent me anything! Here's what I got. 

Forgive my Fins, Sent to me by Lisa at Lisa Loves Literature

Hush Hush and Clockwork Angel, Sent to me by Lili at Chica Reader

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, sent to me from Carrie at Stalking the Bookshelves