Review for Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

TITLE: Touch
SERIES: Denazen #1
AUTHOR: Jus Accardo
PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2011
PUBLISHER: Entangled Publishing
PAGES: 284 pages
FORMAT: Book
SOURCE: Purchased
RATING: 4 bows

Adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross was minding her own business walking home one night when a mysterious stranger literally falls at her feet. This, she is certain, is a gift from whatever gods exist because it is the perfect opportunity to piss of her father. Nothing would make him angrier than to come home and find his daughter home alone with a total stranger. But the longer she spends in Kale’s presence, the more she thinks there is something off about him. She’s completely right. He is a Six, which is this novel’s way of saying he has supernatural abilities. He’s specialty? Death touch. One touch from him and anything living dies and literally dissolves into dust. Even better? He’s escaped from a secret compound that uses him and those like him to do their dirty work and her father, Marshall Cross, just happens to be the ringleader. Denazen Corporation isn’t a law firm as she has always believed. They seem to be the home office of evil incarnate and they are hellbent on getting Kale back. He’s one of a kind and they’ll be damned if they loose him. Can she keep Kale safe or will she be a casualty of his recapture?

Dez was a girl I loved almost instantly. She’s tough and cool and completely confident. YA doesn’t have may confident female characters. We get too many Bella Swan girls who are just so “ugly” but yet every attractive guy in a ten mile radius lines up to try to win her heart. I’m not the most confident person myself, but it’s great to read about someone who is. She knows exactly who she is and she refuses to compromise that person for anyone. This is me, take it or leave it kinda of attitude that instantly had me rooting for her. Her determination to irritate her father was an intriguing idea for me. Most teen girls would be a weepy mess if it was obvious that their father doesn’t really care for them. Not Dez. She takes it in stride and figures she’ll just keep him continually pissed off so he is at least aware of her presence. She’s just a bad-ass. How can you not love a girl who intentionally skateboards off a roof within the first chapter?

Then you have Kale…adorable, deadly Kale. This is a guy who has never been outside Denazen before. He’s fascinated with everything and his fascination was incredibly endearing. He doesn’t understand the outside world beyond the tiny sliver he has been granted and because of that it’s hard not to sympathize with him. Plus there is the whole my touch kills people thing. It’s not something he knows how to control. It’s simply what happens. Even if he just accidentally bumps into someone, skin to skin contact is deadly. Can you imagine having to live with that? Can you imagine having to live with the knowledge that you’ve killed people accidentally. Or worse, that you’ve done it on purpose because Denazen commanded you to? I don’t even really want to think about such a life. It’s not hard to see why Dez falls so hard for him.

Then you have jackass Alex, the other point in the late-blooming love triangle. I’m not a fan. Even if he didn’t do the bad thing he does at the end, I wouldn’t be a fan. This is a guy who had Dez’s love and he intentionally fucked it up. He cheated and he knew she’d find out and that it would break her heart. What the fuck kind of person does that? There were others ways to accomplish the goal you had in mind. And now? Dez is almost over you and you decide to pull this shit? Dude, Let. It. Go.

This is a fast paced little novel that keeps you guessing until the end. It’s exceedingly well-written and addictive. Once you get about 50 or so pages in, it’s impossible to put down. You have to know what happens next. Does Kale get captured? What is Dez’s secret? Why the hell is Dez’s dad such a jackass? DO KALE AND DEZ END UP TOGETHER?!?!? You find out all those answers and more. It gets 4 stars instead of 5 because love triangles annoy the fuck out of me. Seriously, that particular plot devise is unnecessary. It actually plays into the plot and story pretty well, but that doesn’t change the fact that I hate them. It also has a mild cliffhanger….or maybe I just think it’s mild because the next book is already out and I continue on the story as soon as my copy arrives in the mail.

The other small issue I had was that it was almost too fast paced. You don’t get a minute to catch your breath and digest what’s happening until it’s over. On the one hand, that keeps you incredibly interested, but on the other, dude, breathing is kinda important. You’re just hit with one event after the next with no space in between to really absorb how what’s just happened will affect the plot. If anything, it’s a good probably to have, but still, I almost wished it was slowed down just a twinge.

I’ll admit that one of the reasons I wanted to read this was because it’s the novel that Katy gushed about in Obsidian. At least, I’m pretty sure it is. Either way, that perked my interest and the description did the rest. This novel has lovable characters, an intense plot, and sizzling romance. What more could you want?

Review for Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy #2) by Jennifer Estep

TITLE: Kiss Of Frost
SERIES: Mythos Academy #2
AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep
PUBLICATION DATE: November 29, 2011
PUBLISHER: K-Teen, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp
PAGES: 337 pages
FORMAT: Ebook
SOURCE: Borrowed
RATING: 4 stars

Gwen Frost’s life just got worse. It’s bad enough to be stuck at Mythos Academy, where all the kids are decedents of ancient warriors, but now, she’s also forced into extra hours of weapons training, to help her learn to defend herself. Oh yeah, and the extra sessions are taught by none other than her crush, Logan, who rejected her proposal to date. Trying to stay focused is difficult enough without his gorgeous face to distract her. Add to that the fact that the Reapers of Chaos are out to get her, and this is definitely bound to be an interesting semester.

Just like the last one, Gwen’s spunky personality had me instantly sympathizing with her. Her comic book and sugar addictions, not to mention the strong compulsion to know everybody’s secrets and I just couldn’t get enough. Her snappy comebacks always made me laugh and her struggle to get over Logan had be both rooting for her and hoping she’d fail…because I mean, COME ON, her and Logan belong together and it had better fucking happen before this series ends.

The side characters are as amusing as ever, though I do feel like Daphne got pushed to the side a little. She was too wound up in her new boyfriend to be overly involved, though she isn’t completely absent, just a bit distracted. We get to see just a bit more of Logan and the fact that we don’t get a LOT more of him was a rather large disappointment. Gwen also makes a new friend in this one, towards the end, and I have to say that I think I’m going to love him. He’s quite an unlikely friend and I was taken aback a little, but I already like him quite a bit.

Part of the plot was a completely shock ****SPOILER****the thing about Oliver****END SPOILER**** and part of it was utterly predictable ****SPOILER****the thing with the reaper.****END SPOILER**** The biggest reason this gets four stars instead of five is that the beginning was very slow and felt outright condescending at times. In the beginning of this, we get so many recaps of book 1 that I felt like I was reading an extended summary of it instead of a completely new book. I understand that authors want to make sure people who didn’t read book one can understand the plot, but you can leave somethings a mystery to make them wish to read the first one a bit more. Or at the very least, not describe multiple things in completely detail! I mean, I did actually read book one and I do remember quite a bit from it, especially the major plot points and the fact that Gwen cannot touch people because her psychometry gives her flashes whether she wants them or not. You don’t need to repeat that fact every single time Gwen refuses to touch someone or allow herself to be touched or even in close proximity to others.

Beyond that, this novel was wholly enjoyable, especially once you get past the first half because things really pickup quickly in the second half. Once you get to the halfway point, it’s pretty difficult to put down. One thing is for sure, I’m definitely going to be reading the next installment.

Review for Before (Heven and Hell #0.5) by Cambria Hebert

TITLE: Before
SERIES: Heven & Hell #0.5
AUTHOR: Cambria Hebert
PUBLICATION DATE: November 18, 2011
PUBLISHER: Otherwold Publications LLC
PAGES: 45 pages
FORMAT: Ebook
SOURCE: Purchased
RATING: 4 stars

Damn, I thought I really wanted to read Masquerade before, I definitely want it more now. This little novella is just a tease to make you desperate for the next installment. It lays the groundwork for Masquerade, giving you a little insight into both the main characters and definitely leaving you wanting more. You wouldn’t think 20 or so pages would have you drooling over the story already, but it fucking does.

What is Sam’s secret? Why on Earth is such an obvious bad-boy attracted to such a goodie-two-shoes? How the held does Cambria Hebert plan on making this series end well? And the big one, if this tiny novella manages to enrapture me entirely and then leave me with a cliffhanger, am doomed to endure the same torturous end with Masquerade? I guess I’ll have to keep reading to find out!

Review for Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

TITLE: Obsidian
SERIES: Lux #1
AUTHOR: Jennifer L Armentrout
PUBLICATION DATE: May 8, 2012
PUBLISHER: Engtangled Teen
PAGES: 335 pages
FORMAT: Ebook
SOURCE: Borrowed
RATING: 5 stars

Damn….dayum…just fucking wow. I….it was….how do I……I think my brain just exploded into a puddle of pure joy.

Far warning with this review, it’s gonna be a hell of a lot of fangirling and might be a bit rambly because it’s killing me to wait the tinsy bit of time it takes to write this to read Onyx.

I was beginning to think I was too damn picky to love anything these days. It seems like every book I pick up is good but not great. Amusing but not hilarious, I like it but it could be better. And this was just perfect. One word people, just one, Daemon. He’s hot as hell and he fucking knows it. Oh, and he’s an alien. He’s also a dick to Katy for the majority of the book, but she doesn’t just roll over and take it. Nope, she tells him to back the fuck off and mind his own business.

…Okay people, I am truly sorry, but I can’t review this book. Seriously, all that is pouring out of my mind is rabid fangirling which can only carry the review so far. Just know that this book is amazing and if you like fantasy, paranormal romance, aliens, and kickass heroines, this is for you. SO GO READ IT NOW. (I’ll try to review it again in a few days when the fangirling has (hopefully) subsided).

Alrighty, let me try this again. I started this book because over half the blogs I follow are rabid fans of this series and I wanted to see what all the hype was about. To be quite honest, I’ve been rather disappointed with most of the books I’ve read recently. Everything has been irritating me. They have love triangles or cliffhangers or mediocre writing and I’ve been getting rather frustrated. I don’t know if I’ve become more picky or maybe I’ve just had a bad streak of book choosing but either way, I was hoping with all the blogger hype, this would be the great book I’ve been searching for. And fuck, it really was. I should also preface this by stating that I was a huge fan of the tv series Roswell, so I have a huge soft spot for aliens when they are done right.

We follow Katy in her move from Florida to West Virginia. She is less than thrilled about the move, even though she understands her moms reasons for uprooting them, she still misses her life in Florida. After a few days of pushing from her mom, she finally ventures out into the world, walking next door to ask the neighbor for directions. But when Daemon Black answers the door in nothing but a pair of jeans, she is floored because Daemon has more muscles on him than any seventeen year old boy has the right to. He also has a smoking face, with high cheekbones, full totally kissable lips, and gorgeous green eyes. She is completely enraptured by him….until he opens his mouth. He goes from completely date-able to the lowest level of scrum within a few scant seconds with his bad attitude from hell. After leaving His Royal Dickhead, she goes in search of the grocery store with his begrudgingly give directions and runs right into his twin sister. Dee profusely apologizes for Daemon and soon the two become fast friends, which seems to piss Daemon off. Katy doesn’t know what he’s problem is, but he keeps trying to blatantly push her away from Dee. Like hell, Katy isn’t going to let some overbearing, overprotective dickhead keep her from a being friends with Dee. But it’s obvious that Dee is keeping something from her. She doesn’t want to pry, but she can’t help but question why Daemon keeps saying Dee doesn’t need “friends like her”. Then she accidentally walks out in front of a truck and Daemon stops time to keep her from becoming road kill. Why? How can he do that? Because they are aliens. And things just get weirder from there.

Now, before any of you run screaming with the whole “I don’t do science fiction, no aliens for me!” bit, let me just say that this isn’t really scifi. It comes off as paranormal YA and for those of you who think aliens can’t be sexy, just watch one episode of Roswell and tell that you don’t want Max Evans saving your life! This series has so much to love and I think people who won’t try it simply because it’s aliens are really missing out.

I’ll start with Katy. I loved Katy, like really loved her. She starts off shy and quiet, but working to overcome it. She also is a book blogger with I found highly entertaining. I’ve read so many books where it’s mentioned in the beginning that they love to read, but you never actually see them pickup a book or show interest in them and that’s so not the case here. This lovely heroine would rather spend her days lounging in her living room reading and reviewing books than anything else and that doesn’t change when Daemon and Dee start making her life a three ring circus. I love that she stands up to Daemon and doesn’t let him push her around. In fact, she typically does the opposite of what he wants. He tells her to stay and she goes, he tells her to be quiet and she rattles on just out of spite. I loved that she was fowl-mouthed as well. Not super bad, but she calls Daemon a dickhead on more than one occasion (and he usually deserves it).

I also really loved the dynamic between these two. It’s one of those “I hate you, but I’m attracted to you” things and damn does it work for them. There are times when I’m not sure which would be better, watching them finally get together or watching them kill each other with insults. It’s obvious to everyone that they are head over heels for each other, everyone that is, except Katy who refuses to admit she likes him. She’s in denial so deep I’m not sure she’ll ever figure out the truth.

I loved almost all the characters in this, especially Katy’s mom. In most YA’s, the parents are absent without a legitimate reason, but bless Jennifer Armentrout because she explains it all before I could even ask. Katy has always been a good girl and since her father died, mommy dearest works extra nursing shifts to make ends meet and have extra money. So when Katy’s off running around with Daemon and getting in trouble, we know why her mom isn’t popping up with questions.

Now, on to the fangirling bits. I will state that you can skip the rest of this review without missing anything of substance, just me raving about how awesome Daemon is. Where to start? Let’s start with appearance. Tall, with wavy brown hair and bright green eyes, not to mention the muscles…..::swoons:: With his penchant for answering the door shirtless, can he just move next to me? I can deal with the foul mouth, in fact he doesn’t need to speak at all….anyway, when he does speak, he’s arrogant, stubborn, cocky, and sarcastic as hell. That’s right, he knows he’s awesome and he knows you think so too. And he doesn’t want Katy anywhere near his world. It’s not safe and he doesn’t want her involved. So, he’s a total dick, doing things to purposely piss her off, but he always gets unexpected results. When he tells her that he doesn’t want her sitting at the lunch table with him and his sister, that she is unwanted, he expects her to walk away with her tail tucked between her legs. So when she dumps her tray of food on his head, he is surprised to say the least and he can’t help but admire her. Underneath the asshat, hides a sweet guy who is just trying to make the best of a bad situation. He must protect his sister at all costs and that means pushing everyone who could present a danger away. So yeah, it’s a bit of the typical, “I’m only pushing you away because I want to protect you, but secretly I want you so hard it hurts” thing, but it’s so believable coming from him that it’s okay. Besides, he really does get a kick out of pissing Katy off. If you don’t fall in love with this guy from the story, there is an extra scene at the end from his perspective that will change your mind. And I think the cover model they got for him was beyond perfect. Have you seen the cover for Opal?

Look at it! Look at him. Not only am I head over heels for the character, but also for the amazing looking Pepe Toth, the model. Damn…just fucking damn. That admiration is only depended by the fact that Pepe is total and completely in love with his co-cover model, Sztella Tziotziosz. But seriously, look at them:



::drools:: how can you not love them?…sorry, they are just so gorgeous, I want to share it with the world.

When it comes down to it, I recommend this book to everyone. It is so amazing and keeps you begging for more. This is easily the best book I’ve read all year and it’s clear that it will be one that I go back to over and over again when I’m looking for something to make my heart race with excitement.

Review for Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie

TITLE: Crossed
SERIES: Matched Trilogy #2
AUTHOR: Ally Condie
PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2011
PUBLISHER: Dutton Children’s
PAGES: 367 pages
FORMAT: Hardcover / Audio-book
SOURCE: Library / Library
RATING: 2 stars

I really liked the first book in this series. This one, however, bored me to tears. I seriously doubted my ability to finish it. I don’t know if it’s because this book had no real plot or action or because Ky’s voice and Cassia’s voice sound identical or if I just didn’t care for the story, but I did not enjoy this experience.

I am now a little scared to read the next book because I don’t want to repeat this horrific experience.