Torment (Fallen 2) by Lauren Kate

Here's a blurb from Ms. Kate's website:
LOVE NEVER DIES
Lucinda is sure that she and Daniel are meant to be together forever. Now they are forced apart in a desperate bid to save Luce from the Outcasts–immortals who want her dead. As she discovers more about her past lives, Luce starts to suspect that Daniel is hiding something. What if he has lied to her about their shared past? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

My Take
I liked the first book of this series, Fallen, but I didn't love it.  I still have those same lukewarm feelings for this installment as well.  I did like this one a bit better.  I felt Luce was more independent and that was a great thing for her character.  I also liked the supporting characters in this one as well.

I look forward to reading Passion to see where this story goes.  Can't wait to resolve the cliffhanger at the end of Torment too.

Oh and the cover is simply gorgeous!!  I'm giving this one 4 angelic kisses!

Demonglass (Hex Hall 2) by Rachel Hawkins

Here's a blurb from the goodreads page: 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 Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

My Take

This is the second in the Hex Hall books.  What if your ex-crush were trying to kill you?  Then to make matter worse Sophie discovers she is one of two demons in the world.  She can't control her powers and they threaten her and those she loves.  She determined to go through the Removal, stripping her of her powers.  First she has to spend the summer with her, up to now, very distant father.  Will she still go through with the Removal?  What happens when she discovers someone is secretly creating more demons?  Will she ever make it back to Hecate Hall? 

I loved this book.  It was suspenseful, but also full of humor.  Rachel Hawkins makes me smile and even laugh out loud.  The characters are so lovable, the writing wonderful.  I read this book almost in one sitting.  I can't wait to read the next Hex Hall book.  This one gets five demonized kisses!!

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Here’s a quick bit from Ms. Turner’swebsite:  The most powerful advisor to the King of Sounis is the magus. He's not a wizard, he's a scholar, an aging solider, not a thief. When he needs something stolen, he pulls a young thief from the King's prison to do the job for him

Gen is a thief and proud of it.  When his bragging lands him behind bars, he has one chance to win his freedom--journey to a neighboring kingdom with the magus, find a legendary stone called Hamiathes's Gift and steal it.


The magus has plans for his King and his country.  Gen has plans of his own.

Newbery Honor Book Award, 1197

ALA List of Notable Books, 1197

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Blue Ribbon List

Horn Book Fanfare List

Selection of the Junior Library Guild

My Take

I was so very fortunate to have won a copy of this book from the author in the hope that I would pass this along so that others could read it.  I am giving my copy to the library at my son’s school.  They are thrilled to be getting it and I know that many other kids will be reading it for some time to come. 

Now, about the book itself… I can see why this book has won so many awards.  It’s quite a tale.   I do feel it’s geared towards middle school age kids but older teens are just as likely to enjoy it.  I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.  I see that there are a couple more books planned beyond what’s out there now as well. 

This book was suspenseful and interesting.  Gen, the main character, was not terribly likeable in the very beginning.  However, as the story went on, he became much more endearing.  Ms. Turner’s writing pulls you in and takes you along on the journey.  I’m excited to see where Gen’s adventures take him next.  I’m giving this one 5 kisses!

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Here's a quick blurb from Ms. Hubbard's gorgeous website: It’s hard to find beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming. Fourteen-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it’s not her mother’s pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances and pickup trucks adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild girl Mandarin Ramey: seventeen, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin.


When the misfits are united for a project, they embark on an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town’s animal-head trophies, and constantly searching for someplace magic. Grace even plays along when Mandarin suggests they make a pact to run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds that plague their badlands town.

But all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin’s unique beauty hides a girl who’s troubled, broken and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, even the best friendships can’t withstand betrayal.

My Take

This book dripped with imagery.  I loved the author's ability to place me right in the setting with the characters.  I also liked the descriptions she used.  One in particular I remember was she described the fenders on an old truck as being 'chubby'.  I could absolutely picture it in that very moment. 

The storyline between Grace and Mandarin drew you in.  I wanted to know where their friendship was going.  Would Grace be pulled down the same paths that Mandarin was travelling?  Is it really the wildwinds that make you release all sense of reason?  I really enjoyed this book.  I'm giving it 5 blown away kisses!

This is also one of the books on the Contemporary Challenge.  Definitely a great read.  Things will slow down here on the blog, as tomorrow I'm having my weight loss surgery.  I'm sure before long, I'll be seeing you around the blogosphere before you know it.  Here's those kisses for LIKE MANDARIN!

 

How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

Here's a review from the author's website: *"Surprising everyone at their private school, a sardonic loner befriends the new girl in this unusual story of an intense platonic relationship between two misfits. Dubbed a robot by her emotionally unstable mother after she fails to manifest sufficient heartbreak over the death of their gerbil, Bea meets pale, withdrawn Jonah, maliciously called “Ghost Boy” by their peers. Almost immediately, she realizes that she has more in common with Jonah than with the catty, insular girls that surround her and begins to rely increasingly heavily on him even as she discovers more about his tragically strange past. Standiford has crafted a darkly whimsical tale filled with details that will be recognizable to teens truly existing on the fringe, complete with references to John Waters films and outsider musician Daniel Johnston. Bea’s original first-person voice will draw readers in, and the unexpected plot will keep them engaged. A decidedly purposeful not-love story, this has all the makings of a cult hit with a flavor similar to Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower (1999)."

--Kirkus Reviews, starred review

My Take

Bea is a cool, quirky little character and Jonah is heavier on the quirk.  Both great characters.  I loved the fact that Jonah never saw his brother Matthew as broken, only different from himself.  I really liked this book.  It speaks of love and how deep it runs.  It challenges your thoughts on family and just who ones family can be comprised of. 

I had heard great things about this book before reading it.  It lived up to the words of praise bestowed on it.  I liked all the Nite Lights and their funny little personalities interplaying with one another.  I could see a sequel to this one eventually, but have no idea if one is planned or not.  The overall message I took away from this was that no matter how disabled or tenuous their grip on reality may be, you don't give up on them.  I'm giving this one 4 1/2 robotic smaks!

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

Here's a blurb from Ms. Zago Rosenthal's website: Ari Mitchell feels invisible at her Brooklyn high school. Her hair is too flat, her style too preppy, and her personality too quiet. And outside school, Ari feels outshined by her beautiful, confident best friend, Summer. Their friendship is as complex and confusing as Ari’s relationship with her troubled older sister, Evelyn, a former teenage mom whose handsome firefighter husband fills Ari’s head with guilty fantasies.


When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York—and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari’s family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future. Meanwhile, Summer warns her that what she feels for Blake is just an infatuation. Not real love. But Ari’s world is awash with new colors, filled with a freshness and an excitement she hasn’t felt in years.

When misfortune befalls Blake’s family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?
 
My Take
 
It's 1985; the year I graduated.  Ari is struggling to find her niche.  She transfers to an elite prep school and that niche seems even further away.  Then she meets Leigh.  She begins gaining more independence and more confidence.
 
Then Ari meets Leigh's cousins.  She and Blake tumble head-long into a relationship.  Ari is beginning to think she has found where she belongs.  But things begin to change as the outside world affects them.  Along the way Ari learns what true love is and what it isn't.  She grows so much and is so strong.  This book was a little jewel.  I'm giving it 5 kisses!
 

When the Stars Go Blue by Caridad Ferrer

Here's an synop from Ms. Ferrer's website:   A dancer driven to succeed.

A musical prodigy attempting to escape his past.

The summer they share.

And the moment it all goes wrong.

Dance is Soledad Reyes’s life. About to graduate from Miami’s Biscayne High School for the Performing Arts, she plans on spending her last summer at home teaching in a dance studio, saving money, and eventually auditioning for dance companies. That is, until fate intervenes in the form of fellow student Jonathan Crandall who has what sounds like an outrageous proposition: Forget teaching. Why not spend the summer performing in the intense environment of the competitive drum and bugle corps? The corps is going to be performing Carmen, and the opportunity to portray the character of the sultry gypsy proves too tempting for Soledad to pass up, as well as the opportunity to spend more time with Jonathan, who intrigues her in a way no boy ever has before.

But in an uncanny echo of the story they perform every evening, an unexpected competitor for Soledad’s affections appears: Taz, a member of an all-star Spanish soccer team. One explosive encounter later Soledad finds not only her relationship with Jonathan threatened, but her entire future as a professional dancer.

My Take

I really loved this book.  I liked Soledad's spice, her independence, and her willingness to make herself vulnerable to love someone.  I also loved the fact that she understood there is great strength in making yourself vulnerable. 

I loved her grandmother "Mamacita" who raised her.  She was such a warm, interesting character.  Her love for Soledad so evident.  But her willingness to let her go for her own growth commendable. 

The 'moment it all went wrong', I never saw coming.  I was completely blown away.  It was easy to get engrossed in the world of dance and corps while reading this book.  You felt as though you were living it with the characters sometimes.  This was a lovely book that I would recommend.  I'm giving it 5 precise kisses!

Note:  Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Goodreads as part of their early book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

Here's a blurb from Ms. Wealer's website: Meet Brooke: Popular, powerful and hating every minute of it, she’s the “It” girl at Douglas High in Lake Champion, Minnesota. Her real ambition? Using her operatic mezzo as a ticket back to NYC, where her family lived before her dad ran off with an up and coming male movie star.


Now meet Kathryn: An overachieving soprano with an underachieving savings account, she’s been a leper ever since Brooke punched her at a party junior year. For Kath, music is the key to a much-needed college scholarship.

The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between the two seniors as they prepare for the prestigious Blackmore competition. Brooke and Kathryn work toward the Blackmore with eyes not just on first prize but on one another, each still stinging from a past that started with friendship and ended in betrayal. With competition day nearing, Brooke dreams of escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional singer, but her scheming BFF Chloe has other plans. And when Kathryn gets an unlikely invitation to Homecoming, she suspects Brooke of trying to sabotage her with one last public humiliation.

As pressures mount, Brooke starts to sense that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had. But Kathryn has a decision to make. Can she forgive? Or are some rivalries for life?
 
My Take
 
This is one of the books in the Contemps Challenge.  All wonderful books.  I loved this book and I can totally see how girls get caught up in the drama of competition.  I think most never fully intend for things to go very far but it's easy for it to get out of hand.  I loved the fact that the ending wasn't quite as predictable as I would have thought it might be.  Definitely pick this one up and see what you think.  I'm giving it 4 1/2 lovely kisses!

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

A short synop from Ms. Despain's website:  *Spoiler Alert* - If you have not read The Dark Divine, this synopsis may contain spoilers.


Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot—a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel is put in danger—in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her—not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

My Take

I really enjoyed The Dark Divine (the first book in this series).  I always hope that the sequel and subsequent books will be as good and I kind of hold my breath when I first start reading.   This one definitely was!  I liked this book  so much.  I particularly liked the fact that Grace was stronger and more independent in this book. 

I would absolutely recommend this book.  If you haven't read the first book, I would do that first.  The cover is simply gorgeous!  I can't wait to see what's next for Grace and Daniel.  I'm giving this one 5 smooches!