Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Infinity (Chronicles of Nick #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
YA Paranormal
Rating: 5 Stars

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.
Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.
But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he's next on the menu.
As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

My thoughts: I have fallen in love with Nick Gautier! I love his sassy attitude, especially when he shouldn't have an attitude because that just makes it so much more interesting. His sarcasm is genius. I would probably still like the book if it didn't have all that snarkyness but all that attitude made him a character we can love and connect with. It's like he's missing that filter that says, "Oy, shut up!" I love people like that. I especially enjoyed this version of zombies. Video games is a genius idea. Since video games makes the kids zombies in their everyday lives anyway, let's throw in the feast of human flesh to make things more interesting. I haven't found a book where the main character was a guy that I enjoyed since Harry Potter. It's nice to have that balance again. I was getting kind of tired of girly drama, now I have my tough boy character that I can't get enough of.
Sherrilyn, you are my new best friend, by the way. You may not know it obviously, but you are. You are more amazing than you think. I may be weird but this girl loves her butt kicking guys and Nick definitely fills that gaping whole. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series and I am definitely excited for Inferno.

Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 10/5!!!

Overall score:

The only post I will have about Fifty Shades of Grey

I fell for it. Yes, I did. Everyone was saying how amazing this Fifty Shades of Grey book is and how much it is like Twilight. I was like, really? As a reader, you can't not check it out. So I did. And here it is:

I am so glad I did not waste one cent on that book. That book is not only disturbing but disgusting and just plain wrong and I am not talking about the sex. Although that is a topic. How can a book like this be compared to Twilight? Does anybody see what comparing it to that does? It makes teenagers want to read it. It makes them believe that it's OK to read something like that.

The reason I think all that is a bad idea is because Christian is not the dream male specimen. He is an abusive person. Go read up on abuse and what does that say? This guys name is listed under abuse in the dictionary! He controls this girl and tells her what to do. Who she can and cannot talk to, who she can be friends with. This is not something teenagers should be reading. This is not something anyone should support.

The thing I hate the most about this book being compared to Twilight is that this is an abusive relationship and they are pretty much selling that to teenagers. Teenagers! The last thing we need is teenagers looking for abusive boyfriends because they might be good in bed. This book sets a bad example on the kind of person they want to grow old with. Sex isn't important in a relationship. Trust and devotion is. I wouldn't have any of my future children within a 10 mile radius of a grade A jerk like that.

I have lived in a world with abusive people and this book has truly disgusted me. They make this controlling guy into someone people dream of being with. This monster. I honestly couldn't finish the book and honestly don't care if Ana can change him. Because that's not real life. Not all abusive boyfriends or husbands can change.

This is real life. (Info found here: http://healingabusedwomen.com/2011/07/21/statistics-on-abusive-relationships/)
~Domestic Violence is a pattern of controlling behavior that men use to gain power over their partner. Controlling behavior can include; physical violence, emotional/mental abuse, and sexual abuse.
~Nearly 80% of girls who have been physically abused in their intimate relationships continue to date their abuser.
~On average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends in this country every day. That’s more than 1,100 women a year.

The fact that this author can make money off an abusive relationship makes me sick to my stomach. If you want to fantasize about a guy who does that to a person, then by all means, do so. But I'm standing strong on this. Any book that promotes abuse will never have a place on my bookshelf.

Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens

Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1) by E.J. Stevens
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Rating: 3 Stars

Some things are best left unseen...
Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.
Demons are never a good sign...
A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.
There's blood in the water...
Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, Kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.
The lesser of two evils...

My thoughts: Overall this was a fairly decent book. Did I love it? Not exactly. Did I hate it? Definitely not. The only real issue I had was with the writing itself. The story is great. I love the action and Ivy is a very interesting character. It would suck not being able to touch things or people because you could have a vision that makes people think you are crazy. At least she turned that crazy situation into a good decision. Helping people. That's a great way to use your gift.
The problem I had with this book was it was hard to get into without the action parts. So much time was spent on explaining the world Ivy lives in or every creature she passes or might possibly pass. It got super annoying. What happened to show, not tell?

Cover: 4/5
Writing: 3/5
Characters: 3/5

Overall score: 3/5

One more thing before I go. I will be giving a ebook and swag for this in the near future so keep watch!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Hourglass (Hourglass #1) by Myra McEntire
YA Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars

One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

My Thoughts: This is another case of getting to read the next book in the series through Netgalley so I have to read the first one situation. And once again, I was not disappointed. It's an exciting book and this is a cool twist on time travel.  I could have done without the intense "I want to be with you but I can't drama" though. I understand how it fits in but after a while it gets tiring of hearing about it. You sit here arguing with the book saying "get over it already" but they don't. Another thing thing I want to mention is the book's cover. I knew this book for a long time because I fell in love with this cover a long time ago. It's so mesmerizing and creepy at the same time. I love it!

Cover: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5

Overall Score:

The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen

The Fallen Star (Fallen Star #1) by Jessica Sorensen
YA Fantasy Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars

For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she's around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma's life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn't be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death.

My Thoughts: I love this book. It was the first nook book I bought specifically for my nook and I'm so glad I decided to get it. The thing I love the most is it's something new. I have never read something like this and it's always a great feeling when you read something different. I have to say Gemma is a ditz though, I understand that because she hasn't been able to feel. Honestly if I had met Alex like that I would have punched him straight off. No one would ever talk to me like that. If you want distance from someone, do it. Don't be so mean about it if you don't have to and he definitely didn't have to. Gemma definitely had the right to punch him and she should have. Another great thing about this series is I don't have to wait to read the next one!

Cover: 5/5
Writing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5

Overall Score:

Lie by Caroline Bock

Lie by Caroline Bock
YA Realistic Fiction
Rating: 3 Stars

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking. . . .
Seventeen-year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend, Jimmy, stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she’s the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she’s seen, but how long can she keep it up?
But Jimmy was her savior . . . .
When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world. But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, one of the victims, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting Jimmy. Jimmy’s accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He’s out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy.
The truth must be told. . . .
Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most important, both he and Skylar need to figure out why they would follow someone like Jimmy in the first place.

My Thoughts: This book wasn't terrible or fantastic. In fact I enjoyed it to a certain extent and then was just mad. I get really absorbed in the books I am reading and this one really got to me. It's sad to think that hate crimes really do exist and even more depressing is that these were just kids messing around not fully realizing it was actually a hate crime. I absolutely want to reach through the book and slap Lisa Marie. I hate her. Typical stupid girl who thinks that ignoring things is best. Who talks the way she did to her friend? Honestly, I don't even think Skylar and her were even friends. Skylar to me feels like a real character. Her loss is real and her pain is real, her attachment to Jimmy is explainable since he was the only one who showed real interest in her. The first hero in her eyes after she went through the loss of a mother. I can understand that. What I can't umderstand is how she stood by and continued to protect him after what he did. All of them. I can't connect with characters who do those kind of things. The parents are worse. I guess that's the drama with this book but I can't love this book even if I tried.

Cover: 4/5
Writng: 4/5
Characters: 2/5

Overall Score:

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross
Science Fiction/Steampunk
Rating: 5 Stars

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.
Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.
One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

My Thoughts: It's moments like these that I love NetGalley. This book was amazing, just as awesome as the first one. Maybe even more. Kady is just so good at building this world on top of the past. Emily is still my favorite character. I love her even more in this book. In the end of the last one she finally stood up and proved she isn't some little girl. In this book she continued to use that attitude and did whatever she wanted. Everyone would think that Griffin held everyone together but honestly I think it's Emily. The action was intense in this one. People kept showing up and you had to second guess who was on whose side. I love it! Before I end this I just have to say one thing. I KNEW IT! I knew all along who the bad guy was, the very hidden bad guy. Now that I remember correctly I was right in the last one as well. I am really good at figuring things out. I sure hope there is another novel in this series. I really do.

Cover: 4/5  (Only because I love it but it wasn't as fantastic as the first one, but fit with the series)
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5


Overall Score:

This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

This is not a Test by Courtney Summers
YA Horror/Dystopia
Rating: 3 Stars

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

My Thoughts: Courtney is a great writer. There is no way I can deny it. She is really gifted in pulling you in and feeling the emotions the characters are feeling. This woman seems to write a lot about suicide. I have to admit I absolutely hated this book. I hate Zombies. I can't stand them. It's disgusting and it scares the living crap out of me. I would probably be the first to die in a zombie apocolypse. I was drawn into the book because of the action and the drama. It was like you are watching a scary movie and you want to look away but you can't because you can't miss it, you will wonder what happened. For me that was about it. I finished it because if I didn't I would go insane thinking about what happened.

Cover: 4/5 Stars
Writing: 4/5 Stars
Characters: 3/5 Stars

Overall Score:

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Science Fiction/Steampunk
Rating: 5 Stars

In 1897 England, 16-year-old Finley Jayne is convinced she's a freak. No normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch. Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special . . . that she's one of "them."

My Thoughts: Wow. Just freaking wow. I cannot even begin to explain how in love with this book I am. I have had this on my book shelf since last summer but haven't gotten to it until now. Mostly because I forced myself to read it because I got the second on my NOOK through NetGalley. But as soon as I started reading I was hooked. I love the drama between Finley and Griffin. Even more so Emily. She has to be my favorite character.

Cover: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 5/5

Overall Score: