Book Review: Sweet Evil, by Wendy Higgins
Spoilers alert!
Synopsis:
Embrace the Forbidden.
What is there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull towards danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her true heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about.
If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
Book Review:
I expected Sweet Evil to be another sappy love story with no spine to it, but a chapter in, I was like... wait, what? This book was absolutely nothing like I was expecting. Wendy Higgins showed me angels and demons in a way I had never seen before, winding in a complex maze of... demon politics? Angel/demon rivalries? that was easy to understand, but not cheesy at all.
Anna Whitt is the daughter of the demon of substance abuse, which seems a little weird to me and not as deadly and scary as the demons of Wrath, Murder, and Lust, but at the end of the book, everything fit together and made perfect sense. I was drawn in by Anna's good-girl attitude, but also her secret dark side, and fell in love with her story almost immediately.
Kaidan Rowe is the son of the demon of Lust, and Anna falls quickly for him, despite his rude demeanor and his "work," which basically includes luring girls into bed to corrupt them. Seriously, if he doesn't do it, he'll be killed by his father. Talk about romance friction. I decided to reserve judgement on his character, but I couldn't help feeling like he was a bit of a jerk and a player.
The author, Wendy Higgins, uses time lapse a lot, but in a way that didn't make me feel rushed or that I was being cheated out of information. In fact, I felt like I was reading several books, perhaps in a series, and I was seeing Anna's life as it really was, and not just some battle over a series of days. Actually, I really enjoyed the writing style of this book.
When Anna's father, the demon of substance abuse, comes to "train" her, I was expecting swords or something. Instead, he gave her drinking lessons, which was random but hilarious and fit in perfectly with the flow of the story.
What Anna and her fellow Nephilim have to do to pretend like they are working- excluding Kaidan, of course- is despicable, but I understand the reasoning behind it and learned to enjoy the subtle comic humor provided by side characters. Higgins effortlessly introduces a world of Nephilim oppression, angel prophecies, and demon politics, a world in which Anna has to find her place when she is part demon, part angel, and learn what she has to do to survive.
Sweet Evil is absolutely amazing, and all I have to say is, read it. Now. You will not be disappointed.
Five out of five stars.
For Christmas this year I got a whole trunkful of books, and I decided to do my first "Breaking the Spine" blog post- a post in which I recount my recent book hauls. Be expecting reviews on most of these books in the near future! Happy Holidays!
Beta, by Jenna Black
Pawn, by Aimee Carter
The Iron Witch, by Karen Mahoney
Article 5, by Kristen Simmons
Shadowspell, by Jenna Black
The Shadow Society, by Marie Rutkoski
Sacred, by Elana K. Arnold
Blood Magic, by Tessa Gratton
The Wolf Springs Chronicles: Unleashed, by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Sweet Evil, by Wendy Higgins
I hope your guys' holidays were awesome! I'll resume regular posting tomorrow.
Book Review: City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare
Spoilers alert!
Synopsis:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the
Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a
murder — much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with
strange tattoos and
brandishing bizarre weapons. Clary knows she should call the
police, but it's hard to explain a murder when the body disappears into
thin air and the murderers are
invisible to everyone but Clary.
Equally startled by her ability to see them, the murderers
explain themselves as Shadowhunters: a secret tribe of warriors
dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. Within twenty-four hours,
Clary's mother disappears and Clary herself is almost killed by a
grotesque demon.
But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like
Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The
Shadowhunters would like to know....
Book Review:
It isn't often that I find a book so flawless as this one. From the very first page, I was hooked, reading late into the night every night. I was literally unable to put it down.
This is definitely not the first demon-hunter book out there, but Cassandra Clare invents a whole new world completely different from anything one might expect. Effortlessly weaving a tale of magic, intrigue, mystery, and romance, Clare introduces us readers into the dangerous world of Shadowhunters, a race of demon hunters that were created by the angel Raziel a thousand years ago.
When Clary Fray sees several of these Shadowhunters kill a demon, one of them, Jace Wayland, appears before Clary the next day and takes her to the Institute, which is basically a safe house for the New York Shadowhunters.
Clary is suddenly thrust into a dangerous battle between Shadowhunters and demons, as well as faeries, werewolves, vampires, and warlocks. She also develops feelings for the handsome Shadowhunter Jace.
Clary, Jace, and Simon's love triangle was absolutely riveting. When Simon walked in on Clary and Jace making out, I sat up and squealed like a little girl. The chemistry between the two is undeniable, but Simon has been Clary's friend for almost her whole life, which makes for some killer romantic friction.
(Note: I'm listening to Anthem of the Angels, does anyone else get the irony? Demon hunters? No? Okay.)
Cassandra Clare's writing was exciting and powerful and City of Bones is an exhilarating, moving read, perfect for fantasy romance lovers. I enjoyed every minute.
Six out of five stars.
Post-script: This will be the only blog post today. Happy Holidays!
Book Review: The Vampire Stalker, by Allison van Diepen
Spoilers alert!
Synopsis:
What if the characters in a vampire novel left their world--and came into yours?
Amy
is in love with someone who doesn't exist: Alexander Banks, the dashing
hero in a popular series of vampire novels. Then one night, Amy meets a
boy who bears an eerie resemblance to Alexander. In fact, he IS
Alexander, who has escaped from the pages of the book and is in hot
pursuit of a wicked vampire named Vigo. Together, Amy and Alexander set
out to track Vigo and learn how and why Alexander crossed over. But when
she and Alexander begin to fall for each other, Amy wonders if she even
wants him to ever return to the realm of fiction.
Book review:
This is my first time reading a book by van Diepen, and I must say, I was, and am, very impressed. I found the main character, Amy, to be very relatable and well-written, and Alexander, the vampire-hunter love interest, to be engaging and funny.
One scene in particular stood out to me- Amy is at a "teen club" for her friend's birthday, and Vigo shows up, with Alexander in hot pursuit. Amy throws herself in front of Alexander to save him from a bullet (I think it was a bullet- that part wasn't really clear.)
Anyway, I enjoy when, in books, the main character "sacrifices" him/herself for their friend/boyfriend/girlfriend, whatever. I think that it makes the character appear selfless and brave in the face of danger.
Unfortunately, to write an honest review, I must point out that in several parts of this book, the author did not write with clarity, thus making these sections hard to understand. Like in the end, when Alexander decides to stay in the human world instead of returning home- van Diepen doesn't really say why he stays, apart from Amy. He's still a vampire hunter- and it's not like, with Vigo dead, there's a sudden shortage of vamps out there. However, the characters did say that bringing him back with them would be complicated, because of vamps that are out for revenge. To which I reply: He's a vampire hunter! He'll probably survive it.
Overall, though, this book was witty, engaging, and action-packed, making it a must-read for people 12 and up.
Five out of five stars.
Book Review: Confessions of a Murder Suspect, by James Patterson
Spoilers alert!
Synopsis:
James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a
thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently
wealthy Angel family...and the dark secrets they're keeping from one
another.
On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel
knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents
alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three
siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone—maybe not even herself. Having grown
up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child
comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the
family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a
dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly
capable of?
Book Review:
I picked up this book for half off at Target, excited to find a James Patterson book I hadn't read.
I was disappointed.
James Patterson's style of writing was as close to perfect as could be, as always, but I found the book to be rather anticlimactic and boring. It is just another murder mystery that turned out not to actually be "murder," and the one suspect who could "crack the case" chose to stay silent until the end of the book, which led to a boring and disappointing ending.
Also, the main character, Tandy, suffers from memory loss for the majority of the book, which was never explained. Neither was the loss of funds for Angel Pharma, or the conviction of the children's uncle for shipping illegal drugs. In fact, I'm not even sure he was convicted.
Not to mention the fact that the whole book was leading up to finding out who killed Tandy's parents, when, instead, the parents killed themselves. I, for one, was disappointed.
Part of Tandy's memory loss was connected to this mystery boy, and in the end, when everything was finally revealed, nothing about him seemed to tie in with the rest of the story, apart from having something to write about in the Confessions sections every other chapter.
However, the plot was intriguing for the most part, so this story wasn't a complete disappointment. I did enjoy a lot of it. But the flaws ruined most of it for me, making this a not-so good read.
Two out of five stars.
Book Review: This Dark Endeavor, by Kenneth Oppel
Spoilers alert!
Synopsis:
Bravery, danger, and intense passion. How does obsession begin?
Victor
and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein. They are nearly
inseparable. Growing up, their lives are filled with imaginary
adventures...until the day their adventures turn all too real.
They stumble upon the Dark Library and discover secret books of alchemy
and ancient remedies. Father forbids them from ever entering the room
again, but when Konrad falls gravely ill, Victor is drawn back to the
Dark Library where he uncovers an ancient formula for the Elixir of
Life. Victor, along with his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and friend
Henry, immediately set out to find a man who was once known for his
alchemical works to help them create the formula.
Determined to
save Konrad, the three friends scale the highest trees in Strumwald,
dive into the deepest lakes, and even make an unthinkable sacrifice in
their quest for the elixir’s ingredients. And as if their task was not
complicated enough, a new realm of danger—that of illicit love—threatens
to end the ordeal in tragedy.
Book Review:
Recently I decided to reread This Dark Endeavor, having only read it once a couple years ago. All I remembered was that I enjoyed it.
To my younger self, this book was magnificent- but to my older, reviewing self, I immediately identified the obvious flaws.
First, however, I must say how much I loved the beginning, then and now. The intriguing fight scene really drew me in, as well as Victor falling off the balcony and being rescued by Konrad. I could feel their brotherly affection for one another where minutes before they were fighting to the death.
I must also mention the comic relief provided by Elizabeth, the love interest, Victor, and Konrad. I was cracking up well into the night. The love triangle, also, was extremely well-done, and did not interfere in any way with the overall plot- everything was woven perfectly together, one event fueling another, and subtle foreshadowing that hinted at later conflicts, as well as a sibling rivalry that was backed by an undying affection for each other.
Now for the flaws.
Some parts, like the discovery of the Dark Library, were extremely underdone, while others, like the preparation of dinner for the servants, were overdone.
I found it a little TOO convenient that each of the ingredients for the Elixir of Life were revealed only one at a time. Also, there were only three ingredients. It is an Elixir of LIFE, people! There should be more ingredients! And it was also extremely convenient that each of the ingredients was extremely close to where Victor, Elizabeth, and Konrad lived.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed the dark story of the apprenticeship/corruption of Victor Frankenstein
I recommend this book for anyone 12 and up.
Four out of five stars.
Book review: Tallstar's Revenge, by Erin Hunter
Spoilers alert!
Synopsis:
A desperate quest for revenge.
Tallpaw is a loyal WindClan apprentice who is eager to protect his
Clan. But before Tallpaw can complete his apprentice training, a tragic
incident leaves his father dead—and Tallpaw consumed by a burning desire
for vengeance. Even as he earns his warrior name, Talltail, he cannot
see past the anger in his heart.
Though it goes against everything he has been taught, Talltail puts his
loyalty to WindClan aside and travels far from home in search of justice
for his father. But Talltail's new life outside the laws of the warrior
code is filled with danger . . . and he is forced to decide how much he
is willing to sacrifice for revenge.
Book Review:
Erin Hunter is, honestly, one of my favorite authors. I have read all the Warriors books, but only just figured out that this one came out a while ago. When I checked it out of the library, I had high expectations for the story.
Typically, the Warriors Super Edition books tell the story of one cat's life, from kithood to leader or medicine cat or whatever. This one tells the story of Tallstar's rise to power, and his quest for revenge. Hence the title, Tallstar's revenge.
When Tallstar was an apprentice, his father went into one of the underground tunnels with Sparrow, a rogue cat. The tunnel caved in while they were in it, and only Sparrow made it out alive. For this, Tallpaw hated Sparrow, and viewed him as the cat who killed his father. Which is understandable. I would think that too.
The first half of the book tells about Tallstar's kithood and apprenticeship. Tallpaw felt like he had to prove himself to his father because he didn't become what his father wanted, which I found kind of foolish. I mean, cats keep telling him, oh, it doesn't matter what your father thinks, yada yada yada, and even Tallpaw came to this realization himself, but he wouldn't stop feeling the need to prove himself. Just buck up, cat!
Joining up with Jake, a "kittypet" from Twolegplace, Talltail hunts the rogue who "killed" his father. Half of the second half of the book is dedicated to Talltail's quest for vengeance, and when finally presented with the opportunity to kill Sparrow, he realizes that Sandgorse saved Sparrow's life, and thus, couldn't kill him. So the book should be renamed The Quest For Revenge That Lasted For Like One Quarter Of The Story.
Catchy.
Seriously, after he DOESN'T get his revenge, he goes back to the Clan and gets an apprentice, and then skips directly to his leader naming ceremony in StarClan, which seemed kind of fast to me.
But I loved Erin Hunter's style of writing, and the plot IS engaging and exciting. I suppose that if Talltail had killed Sparrow, than it would have "corrupted" him, and he wouldn't probably have become leader. And I get that he had to become leader before the end, hence the time-lapse between getting an apprentice and going to the Moonstone. Also, at the end, I absolutely LOVED the connection to Firestar.
I did enjoy the book, and I will keep reading the series for as long as they keep coming out.
So, all in all, I recommend this book for anyone 11 and up.
Four out of five stars.
