Book: Shadow Embraced by Cheree Smith

Published April 2013 by Dark Cherry Press|Pages: 234

Series: Haven #1

Genre: YA Paranormal/Vampires

Goodreads|Cheree Smith

Shadow Embraced is an e-ARC from netgalley.com

Goodreads Summary: No escape. 

Those words haunt Scar’s dreams. She thinks the creature that terrorises her while asleep isn’t real, but when she’s abducted and taken to a reform school meant to contain creatures too dangerous to function in society, she starts to wonder whether she isn’t some monster.

She turns to an underground fight club full of vampires, werewolves and witches established by the students to control her urges, and who is she kidding, she loves to fight.

When fighters begin to disappear, turning Scar into the prime suspect, she must race to prove her innocence before her true nature is exposed.

The only problem is that she’s not entirely sure she’s innocent.

Shadow Embraced is definitely interesting.  It reminded me of an edgier Hex Hall, I was also reminded of Vampire Academy, and I think it’s because there are some similarities between Rose and Scar.  They’re both pretty tough and feisty.  I think people who like both books may want to give Shadow Embraced a try.

An underground fight club made up of vampires, werewolves and witches is unique, and I am curious about the Centurions and Ghost. There are a lot of fights (well, obviously) and there’s a lot of action, which makes the book move along at a fast pace.  Scar is considered a freak, even amongst the people at her school, and given she’s a Dhampir- which has to be kept a secret at all costs- Scar has a lot to deal with.

I’m not the biggest fan of Scar, and for me, there was no connection whatsoever.  She seemed a little bit self-absorbed, and I felt like I didn’t really get a chance to know her. I just wanted to see more of her struggles at being cut-off from her former life, and how she felt about being at Haven.

I was also hoping for more details about Haven and this magical/paranormal world, but for me, I felt like those details took the backseat to the fight club part of the novel.  I think there’s a lot of potential, because people sticking to their own..groups…and their offspring pretty much being illegal is interesting.  I’m hoping that we get more of these interesting elements and details about Haven in the next book, as well as a bit more development in terms of all of the characters.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, Shadow Embraced was just okay for me.  I think I’m intrigued enough to keep reading, but Shadow Embraced gets 2 stars.

Book: Out Of Breath by Rebecca Donovan

Published July 2013 by Skyscape|Pages: 420

Where I Got It: Paperback from Barnes And Noble

Series: Breathing Series #3

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Goodreads|Follow Rebecca Donovan On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Emma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves. This final installment will have readers holding their breath until the very last page.

Out Of Breath is my favorite book of the year, hands down.  I’ve been a huge fan ever since I read Reason To Breathe and Barely Breathing last summer, and Out Of Breath is a completely amazing ending to such an unforgettable series.  I honestly could not ask and hope for a better ending.

Emma’s changed so much, and once I started crying, I couldn’t stop.  I had the feeling I’d be crying at some point, and there was a pretty decent-sized pile of tissue next to me by the end of the book.  My heart broke for Emma, who is still dealing with her past, and I could relate to her in a lot of ways.  I’ve never experienced what Emma has, but one thing that I love about Out Of Breath (and the previous two books) is that you see Emma struggle with her childhood and that Donovan shy away from what Emma’s experiences were really like.

While I didn’t always like Emma’s decisions, I understood them completely.  I am glad that Emma FINALLY started to make peace with all of the things that she cannot change and I want her to be happy.  If there’s any character who deserves true happiness in life, Emma would be my first choice.  And Evan needs happiness too.  They really deserve it.

I loved the alternating POV’s.  And it’s not done in the typical way- you’ll be reading Emma’s story, and all of a sudden, you’re reading things from Evan’s perspective.  And it worked so well!  It flowed really well, and I liked seeing the same event from Emma and Evan’s eyes.

There was part of me that didn’t want it to end, because I’ve gotten so attached and invested in Emma’s story, but I couldn’t help but read the entire book in the span of a few hours.  It’s definitely a roller-coaster of emotion, but it was worth every minute I spent reading Out Of Breath.  I really cannot gush about Out Of Breath enough- actually, I cannot gush about this series, enough.  Because Out Of Breath really is that amazing!  

Final Thoughts:

I thought Out Of Breath was completely amazing.  It’s such a perfect ending for a series that I’ll never forget.  There’s something very beautiful about Emma living in the moment and finally coming to terms with everything that’s happened.  Out Of Breath gets 5+ stars.

Book: Saving Wishes by G.J. Walker-Smith

Self-Published In February 2013 by G.J. Walker-Smith|Pages: 218

Series: Wishes #1

Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Goodreads|G.J. Walker On Facebook

Saving Wishes Is A Free E-ARC from netgalley.com 

Goodreads Summary: For Charli Blake, being seventeen is a tough gig.

She’s been branded a troublemaker, her reputation is in tatters and she’s stuck in Pipers Cove, a speck of a town on the coast of Tasmania.

Thankfully, it’s temporary. Her lifelong dream of travelling the world is just months away from becoming reality. All she has to do is ride out the last few months of high school, which is easier said than done thanks to a trio of mean girls known as The Beautifuls.

When Adam Décarie arrives in town, all the way from New York, life takes an unexpected turn. His arrival sets off a chain of events that alters her life forever, convincing her of one thing. Fate brought him to her.

Saving Wishes is the story of a girl who doesn’t quite fit the life she’s living, and the boy who helps her realise why.

I really liked Saving Wishes.  There’s something really heart-warming about it, and I really liked the relationship that Charli had with Alex.  I can honestly say that I wasn’t expecting the family secret that came out regarding their relationship, but looking back, it’s something I probably should have figured out.

There was a lot of humor but there were a lot of heart-felt moments, and there was a really good balance of the two.  I also liked her friendship with Nicole.  Well, for most of the book, anyway.  There’s a point towards the end where I was so angry at Nicole, and I really felt for Charli at that point.  I mean, I really felt for her for pretty much the entire book, but there were a couple times when I really felt for her.

I love Adam and Charli together, and I was heartbroken when Adam left Piper’s Cove.  I so want them to be together and happy, because they both deserve.  Same for Alex and Gabrielle.  And I love Adam’s arrival in town changed so many things in Charli’s life.

I so love Charli.  She’s a special character, and you can’t help but love her.  I loved Alex just as much as Charli, and they have a unique brother-sister bond…until you learn the family secret that changes things.  That secret just made me love their relationship even more.  I cannot gush about them enough.  I really can’t.

Final Thoughts:

Initially, I didn’t like Saving Wishes, but once I got into it, I really liked it.  The ending is a little sad, but I can’t wait to read the next book.  Saving Wishes gets 4 stars.

Book: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch|Narrated by Tai Sammons

Published March 2013 by Blackstone Audio|Run Time: 7 hours, 51 minutes

Where I Got It: Audiobook|Audible

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Goodreads|Emily Murdoch On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Fourteen-year-old Carey and six-year-old Jenessa have lived in the woods with their mother for as long as they can remember. Now abandoned, they must fend for themselves until they’re found by Carey’s father and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of comfort. Carey desperately wants to believe in this new reality but is held back by loyalty to her mentally ill mother, who gave Carey her violin and taught her to play the music that helps her survive. And then there’s the other piece of Carey’s past that haunts her, the story of what happened to her and Jenessa that night in the woods- the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken in over a year.

I have such mixed thoughts on If You Find Me.  There were things that just didn’t make sense for me throughout the book- but mostly in the beginning of the book.

I’m normally willing to overlook things, but If You Find Me is one of the rare books where I found myself not liking certain details.  Like, the social worker who comes to get Carey and Jenessa comes with their dad.  And Carey, Jenessa, and the social worker share one hotel room, while Carey’s dad is in the room next to them.  Because it’ll be really late by the time they get to a group home, where Jenessa and Carey should be staying.  Or Carey believing that her dad abused her and her mom when she was really little.  That turns out to be lie told by Carey’s mom, but considering Carey believes that her dad was abusive for most of the book…I don’t just know.  For the most part, I’m willing to overlook details like these, but it just really irritated me that the social worker didn’t talk to Carey or Jenessa on their own before the hearing.  Or even that they were found so late in the day.  I get they were hard to find because they were in a trailer in the middle of the woods, but that they got back so late…all of these details together were a bit hard to take in.

I get that Carey wants Jenessa to be happy and that Jenessa should have everything Carey didn’t.  I get Carey doesn’t want her and Jenessa to be separated, and that it’s hard for Carey to talk about things, even if it means Carey doesn’t talk about how she remembers her dad hitting her and her mom.

Carey is a pretty unreliable narrator, and while I like that she remembers things differently (if she remembers them at all), I also found it slightly predictable.  It just didn’t stand out to me, and I think that made it harder for me to connect with Carey.  And while Carey pieces everything together in the end, it was too late for me at that point.  I just didn’t care about what really happened to Carey when she disappeared with her mother or even what happened the night Jenessa stopped talking.  I wasn’t surprised by a lot of the events of that night, but I will say it was the teensiest bit hard to listen to.

Speaking of listening, I thought Tai Simmons did great at narrating the book.  While I didn’t completely feel like she was Carey, I still thought that she brought Carey to life.

So…Jenessa.  Something I couldn’t figure out for a lot of the book was Jenessa’s age.  Because there were times when it seemed like Jenessa was just a little kid, but there were other times when it seemed like she was a little older but had developmental problems.  She seemed to adjust to everything really well, considering the fact that living in the woods was the only thing she had ever known.  And Carey seemed to adjust really well too, but adjusting seemed a little bit harder for her than it was for Jenessa.

I do need to bring up Delaney for a second.  It had to have been hard for her, living in the shadow of Carey’s disappearance.  It seems like things get better between her and Carey, which is nice.

Final Thoughts:

I thought Jenessa was adorable and I liked how protective Carey was of Jenessa.  I did think her relationship with Delaney was interesting, and I also liked her friendship with Pixie.  I also liked that Carey started to make peace with everything that happened to her growing up.  Unfortunately, so many of the details made it hard for me to care about what was going on.  If You Find Me gets 2 stars.

Book: Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Published July 2000 by Scholastic|Pages: 734

Where I Got It: Paperback…and I now have no clue where I bought it

Series: Harry Potter #4

Genre: YA Fantasy

Goodreads|J.K. Rowling|Pottermore

Barnes And Noble Summary: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the pivotal fourth novel in the seven-part tale of Harry Potter’s training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn’t happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he’s not normal — even by wizarding standards.

And in this case, different can be deadly.

Fourteen-year-old Harry Potter joins the Weasleys at the Quidditch World Cup, then enters his fourth year at Hogwarts Academy where he is mysteriously entered in an unusual contest that challenges his wizarding skills, friendships and character, amid signs that an old enemy is growing stronger.

My re-read of Harry Potter has been going pretty slow, and I’ve been reading a chapter here and a chapter there, but it should come as no surprise that I really liked Goblet Of Fire.  It’s not my favorite but it’s not my least favorite either.

I have to say, I got a little teary-eyed at the very end!  I definitely cried when reading HBP and DH, but never GoF.  That last chapter really got to me this time around, and I’m glad Dumbledore gave a speech about Cedric.  (Go Hufflepuff!)

The tournament…I liked it!  I don’t know if I necessarily liked it as much as before, but Harry having to deal with the tasks and people talking about him and Rita Skeeter’s articles…poor Harry!  He really did have a lot going on, with a lot of the school not liking that he was the 2nd Hogwarts champion, and I certainly don’t blame Hufflepuff for not being happy that Harry overshadowed their own champion.  I have to say that I like that the Hogwarts champion is from Hufflepuff.

Anyway, Harry and Ron have an interesting relationship for a good chunk of the book.  I get where Ron is coming from, and why he acts like a jealous idiot.  Granted, you think he’d know by know that Harry wouldn’t like about not putting his name in the goblet, but that side didn’t win out in this book.

For me, Goblet Of Fire is when the series really starts to change.  Prisoner Of Azkaban is a bit darker than Sorcerer’s Stone or Chamber Of Secrets, but Goblet Of Fire is a bit darker than the previous three books.  Things are definitely going to be different because of the return of Voldemort.

What’s interesting about Goblet Of Fire is that…I don’t have much to say about it.  Which is weird because I love Harry Potter, and the fact that I don’t have a lot to say…I just don’t know what to think about this!

Final Thoughts:

I really like Goblet Of Fire, despite the fact that I don’t have much to say about it.  It really is the turning point in the series for me, and I like how we see two other wizarding schools and a little bit of the international wizarding community.  Goblet of Fire gets 4 stars!

Book: Asunder by Jodi Meadows

Published January 2013 by HarperCollins Teens|Pages: 416

Where I Got It: E-book|Nook Store

Series: Newsoul #2

Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Goodreads|Jodi Meadows On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Darksouls

Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls—and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

Shadows

Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Love

Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In the second book of Jodi Meadows’s Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. asunder explores the beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

OH MY GOD, I FREAKING LOVED ASUNDER!  I have no freaking idea why it took me a while to read Asunder, but I’m glad I finally did, because I totally, absolutely loved it!

We see a lot of the fall-out from what happened in Incarnate, and we learn the truth of why everyone except Ana is reincarnated.  I wasn’t expecting that at all, but it makes things really interesting!  I don’t blame Ana for wanting to do something, especially with the birth of 2 newsouls!  I’m glad she wants to make things better for them, even though things were (and still are) hard for her.

We learn a lot more about Heart and the Sylph and I liked seeing Ana come to terms with what she’s learned and what it could mean for everyone in Heart.  There were things I was not expecting, and I can’t wait to see how things turn out because Meadows did a great job at wrapping things up from Incarnate while setting things up for Infinite.  And what makes Asunder even more awesome is that it felt like its own story, and not just a placeholder between the first and last book!

I just want Ana to be happy so very much, and I so want people to be nice to her!  I get why some people aren’t, especially given events that happen in Asunder.  With people in the market giving speeches about Ana and the Council finding out about things that Ana never told them…I can’t say I’m surprised that Ana is expelled from Heart or that Sam is going with her.  I get why Ana doesn’t tell the Council the whole truth about Menehem’s research, but it does make her look a little suspicious.

Ana and Sam’s relationship: I love them together!  It feels very genuine, and I like that there are certain obstacles to their relationship.  They really are adorable together, and I like that their relationship unfolds so naturally.  I also like the friendships that Ana has with some of the people of Heart, and how some people aren’t always what they seem.

Speaking of Heart, and Ana leaving Heart…we finally get to see the world beyond Heart in Infinite.  We don’t hear a lot about the world beyond Heart, and it’s sort of sad that it takes Ana leaving Heart to see this world.

Final Thoughts:

I love, love, love the cover!  And I just loved Asunder.  There’s something magical about this world, and I love Ana, who has such a good heart.  I can’t wait for Infinite to come out, because I’m so invested in Ana’s story, and how it’s up to her to save Heart.  Asunder gets 5 stars.

Book: Infatuate by Aimee Agresti

Published March 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|Pages: 416

Where I Got It: E-book|Nook Store

Series: Gilded Wings #2

Genre: YA Paranormal- Angels

Goodreads|Aimee Agresti On Twitter

Goodreads Summary: Haven Terra is still recovering from an internship that brought her literally to the brink of hell when a trip to New Orleans leads to more trouble. There, while taking part in a student volunteer program, Haven and her friends Dante and Lance run across an enclave of devils known as the Krewe.

These shape-shifting devils are more reckless and vicious than any Haven, Lance, and Dante have encountered. Yet the friends soon discover that their French Quarter housemates are also angels in training, and together they must face off with the Krewe in their quest for wings.

But Haven’s resolve is tested when Lucian, the repentant devil with whom she was infatuated, resurfaces and asks her for help escaping the underworld. Can he be trusted? Or will aiding him cost Haven her angel wings—and her life?

I’m really liking this series!  I like that there are other angels-in-training, and I wasn’t too surprised that Haven ended up in New Orleans just to end up meeting other angels-in-training.  It really seems like meeting others like them was a great thing for Dante, Lance and Haven, and it’s good to know that there are other like them.

I really like that there’s a series of tests for them, and that each one is increasing in difficulty- it seems like the stakes get higher with each test.  I thought the idea of Dante, Lance and Haven doing their best work as a group, and not as individuals, was really refreshing.  I like the idea of them being stronger together, which makes the ending all the more interesting.

Also: New Orleans!  It really is the perfect setting for this book.  Especially with Mardi Gras and the interesting but successful techniques of the Krewe.  Lucian also makes quite the appearance, and I’m not sure who I like with Haven.  Haven is with Lance but things are definitely weird between them.  I like Lance with Haven because he’s this nice guy and they have a lot in common, but there’s also something about Lucian that you can’t help but be drawn to.  As much as I love romance, I’m much more interested in the whole angel mythology in this series, and how everything works.  While we learn more about the road to being an angel, it wasn’t a lot more.  However, I felt like Infatuate built on what we learned in Illuminate, and it felt like its own story.  It’s actually nice to read a middle book that is its own story and builds on the previous book!

I hope we see more of the other angels-in-training and more of what it entails to be an angel.  Seriously, I’m hoping we get more of this.  I like that each book centers around a task that take this trio further on their angel journey.  Things are definitely black-and-white in this world, with Lucian being the only shade of grey.  I wish we saw more shades of grey, but overall, I’m really looking forward to the next one to see what happens!

Final Thoughts:

I really liked Infatuate, and while I wish we saw more shades of grey, I also like that things are pretty black-and-white.  I can’t wait to see how things turn out!  Infatuate gets 4 stars.