Delirium

Rating: 5 out of 5 Procedures

Lena Haloway is content in her safe, government-managed society. She feels (mostly) relaxed about the future in which her husband and career will be decided, and looks forward to turning 18, when she’ll be cured of deliria, a.k.a. love. She tries not to think about her mother’s suicide (her last words to Lena were a forbidden “I love you”) or the supposed “Invalid” community made up of the uncured just beyond her Portland, Maine, border. There’s no real point—she believes her government knows how to best protect its people, and should do so at any cost. But 95 days before her cure, Lena meets Alex, a confident and mysterious young man who makes her heart flutter and her skin turn red-hot. As their romance blossoms, Lena begins to doubt the intentions of those in power, and fears that her world will turn gray should she submit to the procedure. In this powerful and beautifully written novel, Lauren Oliver, the bestselling author of Before I Fall, throws readers into a tightly controlled society where options don’t exist, and shows not only the lengths one will go for a chance at freedom, but also the true meaning of sacrifice. (Jessica Schein, Amazon.com)

I did not know what to expect from this novel. The cover is intriguing; the back and the flaps don't really give much away as far as any sort of synopsis; I had to know what it was. I had only read three chapters and I was hooked. It is the kind of story that publishers devour and tackle because it is so sellable. It is the kind of story that avid readers love because it is unique and intriguing. It is the kind of story that needs to be told and Lauren Oliver is the only one who could give it the voice it needed.

Oliver's writing is decadent and provoking. Every motion, every word simply breathes. There is movement in her words that you don't find everywhere. Her writing is reminiscent of Jennifer Donnelly's, but they both have a distinctive style that is their own.

Lena is a reliable character. I never once felt like she was too weak for her task at hand, but I still always wondered if she would be able to make it. There is an element of Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games in this book in that it is a dystopian society with an authoritative regime, and I'm not the first to compare it to those books.

The commentary on society is intriguing. I kept thinking of all the aspects being presented. The fact that it is not too outlandish for something like this actually happen to our country and our society is scary in itself. And then I kept thinking about how everything stems from love. Even hate and anger are biproducts of love even though they are the antitheses. At some point, when you are angry with someone or hate someone, you loved them also. There are different kinds of love as well. Not just romantic. Mother-daughter relationships are explored in Oliver's book as well as the love between best friends. I'm glad that Oliver did not choose to focus so solely on the romantic aspect, but, rather, showed how love encompasses everything and there simply is no cure for it.

This is Book One in a trilogy which I was mad about because now I have to wait for the next book to be released. I guess I will have time to re-read it then. This deserves a 5 out of 5. Awesome work, Ms. Oliver!

For the Love of a Child

Congratulations to my friends Matt and Traci Mellor.

They are adopting a baby from Kansas!

This has been a long time coming, and I am super excited for them. They will make great parents. I just had to give them a shout-out from my little niche in the great blogosphere.

For their side of the story, visit their website here.

PS Matt, when I said "You suck" on Facebook...it was a joke. No hard feelings. : )

I'm Not Dead

Just so you all know...I'm still alive.

My bloggy-ness has been pretty stagnant lately, and I apologize for that. I love writing book reviews and that has been all I've had energy to devote to for my blog these days. But I will be better.

I guess here is an update on things in my life:

I'm reading an amazing book called Delirium by Lauren Oliver. It is such an interesting story. Just wait for the book review. I hope it keeps me enthralled like it has so far all the way through the book. Sad note: I found out it is slated to be part of a trilogy. OMG, people, I don't want to wait for more books to come out! Oh well. As a writer I can understand why they do it, but as a reader it irks me.

Speaking of books. Mine is...there. I tried to sit down last night to write and do some revising, but I couldn't get going. I'm really frustrated because I have some great ideas, and I've gotten great feedback from everyone who has read the rough draft. I guess I'm just not sure how to go about the changes. Where to begin? Oy. More to come on that later, and hopefully it will be good news.

I'm still working as a supervisor at Deseret Book. I really enjoy the different store and the people I work with. It is a much better situation for me than where I was previously. However, I am again on the hunt for a "big-kid job." I'm also considering *gasp* going back to school! Scary thought. If I do go back I want to go somewhere outside of Idaho. Sure it may be more expensive, but I want to experience something outside my comfort zone for awhile.

I'm still growing out my hair. Operation: Fabio is still in the works.

My best friend is getting married. I told him that the end of the world is nigh because we all thought it would be the end of the world before he got married. He didn't find that funny. But yeah. I will be his best man, and they are getting married in Oakland, California in August. A day after my birthday. Happy birthday to me. I'm really excited for both of them.

I'm planning a few trips besides California. I want to go to North Carolina to see my cousin and her cute little family sometime in June. Also, as "research" for my book I am hoping to go to Boston this year sometime. I'm thinking July-ish or May-ish or September-ish. I really don't know though. My book takes place in Boston and I've never been there, so I feel like I need to go get a feel for it and experience it myself to really know what I'm writing about. A little jaunt up to Portland, Maine would be nice. That would be a double whammy because the book I'm reading takes place there and there is a part in my book that occurs there as well. The pictures I've seen of it are absolutely gorgeous. Again it is all "research." These trips will help me fulfill one of my New Year's resolutions in which I travel to places I've never been before.

I'm still very single. I hate to go on a diatribe about that, so I will just say that I'm okay with it. I kind of have to be. But really. I am not really interested in anyone right now. Slightly depressing, but it's the truth.

Anyway, I need to shove off and go to work. I leave you with lyrics from a P!nk song entitled "I'm Not Dead."

I'm not dead just floating
Underneath the ink of my tattoo
In the belly of the beast we've turned into
Right behind the cigarette and the devilish smile
You're my crack of sunlight.

Demonglass

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 Raised Demons

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she? (Product Info Provided by Amazon.com)


The second installment of Hawkins' Hex Hall series is every bit as good as the first. We find Sophie recuperating from the events of the first novel and preparing for the Removal. Her long-absent father enters the picture and takes her away to a huge English countryside palace/house where she is supposed to learn about her heritage. The premise is intriguing, and I love that it takes place in England. I found, however, that I missed the nuances and quirkiness of Hex Hall. There was something vibrant and unique about that place where Thorne Abbey is merely okay because it is so splendorous.

We meet new characters in this novel and some old ones carry through. Daisy and Nick are interesting because they are the antithesis of what Sophie is. They represent exactly what she does not want to become as a demon.

While Archer isn't as present in this novel as he was in the first, he still takes up a lot of room in it. Sophie spends just enough time wondering about him to keep him in the readers' mind. This was a fine line to walk and I think Hawkins' did it superbly. Archer is an interesting character, but none of the questions about him really get answered in this book. We know he's not really against the Prodigium but he isn't really with them either. But why?

Cal takes more of a lead in this book which is interesting. I am glad, but I wish he'd get fleshed out more. He loves Sophie, and that is clear, but we don't know why. We really don't know anything about him at all except that he's a powerful white warlock that can heal people. Oh and he looks like an All-American jock. And he always helps Sophie regardless of the cost to him. He's an endearing character, but I feel bad for him because Sophie doesn't see him as a romantic interest, but there is definitely some sort of spark there. I can't decide whose team I'm on. In most books it is easy to pick which guy of the love triangle that I want to get the girl. This one I'm torn because I like both of them.

The wit and humor is still ever-present in Demonglass. I have to say that Hawkins does an excellent job of describing things in a funny way that lends itself to a teenage voice. When some of it should come off as awkward it actually plays off as charming and clever. She is an enjoyable read. I gave it 4 and 1/2 out of 5 Raised Demons.

Hex Hall

Rating: 5 out of 5 Demon Spells

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

I saw this book from a long ways away, standing and talking to a friend of mine at Barnes and Noble. The cover attracted me instantly. And then the synopsis sounded interesting. So, yeah, I bought it.

First of all, Sophie Mercer is a funny character. She isn't your normal type of character that usually populate these kinds of books. In other words, she actually has a spine and some wit. That being said, she still acts like a normal teenager with a little angst, random and uncontrollable crying, a lot of sarcasm and humor, and inevitable crushes. I enjoyed reading Sophie and, by the end of the book, I felt like I knew her very well.

The relationship between Archer and Sophie is also very enjoyable to read. There is enough tension there to keep it interesting. And there is definitely some chemistry between them although at parts it seems glossed over. However, I don't really feel like Archer is really given a whole lot of depth where other characters have been given some.

Like Jenna. She is a good character as well. We get the whole story about how she fell for the wrong person and ended up a vampire all alone once her lover was killed. That is a powerful story and I was hoping to get something like that from Archer as well. But that did not happen. That is probably my only real complaint about this book.

Everything else is great. The plot is smooth and quick, fast. I did not see the twist at the end coming. I did see the whole business with Archer coming because I was an idiot and read the back of the second book before I finished this one. Oh well. It was still interesting and I nice little plot twist.

I definitely can say I would put Hawkins' book up there with Unearthly. It is a great, entertaining read, and left me with a hankering to read the next one. I gave it 5 out of 5 Demon Spells.

St. Patrick's Day

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

O, how I love this day because it is all about Ireland.

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a freak about anything Irish.

So...now that the day is practically over. Hope you had a great one!

Moonlight Mile

Rating: 3 out of 5 Acelas

Amanda McCready was four years old when she vanished from a Boston neighborhood twelve years ago. Desperate pleas for help from the child's aunt led investigators Kenzie and Gennaro to take on the case. The pair risked everything to find the young girl—only to orchestrate her return to a neglectful mother and a broken home.

Now Amanda is sixteen—and gone again. A stellar student, brilliant but aloof, she seemed destined to escape her upbringing. Yet Amanda's aunt is once more knocking on Patrick Kenzie's door, fearing the worst for the little girl who has blossomed into a striking, clever young woman—a woman who hasn't been seen in weeks.

Haunted by their consciences, Kenzie and Gennaro revisit the case that troubled them the most. Their search leads them into a world of identity thieves, methamphetamine dealers, a mentally unstable crime boss and his equally demented wife, a priceless, thousand-year-old cross, and a happily homicidal Russian gangster. It's a world in which motives and allegiances constantly shift and mistakes are fatal.

In their desperate fight to confront the past and find Amanda McCready, Kenzie and Gennaro will be forced to question if it's possible to do the wrong thing and still be right or to do the right thing and still be wrong. As they face an evil that goes beyond broken families and broken dreams, they discover that the sins of yesterday don't always stay buried and the crimes of today could end their lives.

I was introduced to Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro just before the movie of Gone, Baby, Gone came out a few years ago. The movie is great and sticks to the book really well. These books and these characters are exciting and just fantastic. Patrick is a smart-ass and Angie is a hardened, beautiful, Italian. They make a great team. One thing the movie did not do well that the books do is show the chemistry between the two and the great dialogue you get in the books was not present in the movie. That book raised an ethical question at the end that was very poignant to me. I won't spoil anything for those of you who have not read the book or the movie.

This book plays as a direct sequel to Gone, Baby, Gone because it deals with the same characters. Amanda McCready is missing again, but now she is sixteen years old and incredibly intelligent and bright. Patrick and Angie are older now and have fallen into a life of complacency and parenthood. Somewhere along the break since we last saw them they got married and had a child. This is a nice change and it makes the stakes even higher for them when their family is threatened.

I'm going to compare this book to the ones that came before it. When I do that, it doesn't really do very well. The story line gets a little fuzzy at times and I'm not sure what details were really necessary. And there were some weird little political statements inserted in there that I'm not sure were not entirely the author's voice coming through. Whatever they were they kind of bugged me. The Patrick Kenzie I had gotten acquainted with in the other books did not whine as much about technology and change. That being said, some of the things Patrick said were really funny and so very true.

When you don't compare this book to the others it is a great book. It has a good message to it and there is enough action to make it exciting. Patrick's banter is entertaining also.

I may have to read them all in a row again just so I can see if more things will make sense. I am saddened by the ending of this book because it may mean the end of Kenzie-Gennaro adventures. Here's to hoping that something will pull them out of their retirement. I do recommend Dennis Lehane and especially these books starting with A Drink Before the War to anyone who likes their crime drama gritty, full of action, and a little dark at times. I gave it three out of five Acelas.