Review: Broken by A.E. Rought

Title: Broken 
Author: A.E. Rought 
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Format: eARC
Pages: 384
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookdepository
Read from January 6 to 14, 2013
My rating: 

Summary: A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog. When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's. The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

Hurting is better than forgetting.

As I haven't really been a fan of paranormal books, I started Broken with little to no expectation. After the first few pages, I was hooked. The prose was very delicate and wonderful to read; it sounded poetic. I loved the way the author described things in beautiful metaphors, as it really got the message, tone, and feelings across, embedded within those words. I was deeply impressed, but it didn't take long for things to go the other way around. In this case, I think it's best to quote Markus Zusak of The Book Thief: "Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness." And I don't mean the character's, I mean mine.

Things started to get bad after Emma, forever pining after her dead boyfriend Daniel, meets the new boy Alex. Then the teen girl instinct kicks in and she gets obsessed with him, saying how he makes her feel and how she shouldn't feel that way, asking questions along the lines of why-does-he-make-me-feel-this way and what-does-he-mean-by-saying-that-or-looking-at-me-like-that, which I can't really stand. This continues for pretty much the rest of the story. What's worse, Emma is obsessed with some of the sentences Alex says, and would repeat it again and again and again. I know the function of those sentences and Emma's need to repeat it, but really, the tireless repetition is a little uncalled for. It's like the writer doesn't trust the reader to be smart enough to pick up on the foreshadows, and it's a bit trying too hard to keep the whole story unified. It's too much for me, and after a few times it really started to bother me.

The plot is predictable. So predictable that I felt like it was pointless to read this book at all. There are more parts I disliked than parts I liked. And even though I really did enjoyed it in the beginning, I lost patience with it after a while and had to force myself to finish it. I mean, of course, the romance has to be so sappy that the boy is willing to do anything to be with the girl, and say something like "[My heart] doesn't beat for me. It's for you" even if they've known each other for two weeks. And of course, the boy has to be so messed up that the girl thinks it's attractive. And of course, the boy has to remind the girl of the dead boyfriend and echo his exact words and make her heart confused. And of course, the girl has to be so confused that she keeps a distance but pines for him anyway, 'cause apparently she can't live without him. These are only some examples of the worst cliches ever. Yawn.

In some ways, Broken is so bad that it reminds me of Twilight. Although Broken has better writing (only in the beginning), they're both made of uninteresting characters I don't care about, plots I don't like, romance that makes no sense and I have to roll my eyes at; overall books I can't stand. I think they're on the same level of bad paranormal romance. So readers of Twilight might enjoy this better than I did.

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This review is also posted on Goodreads.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley and the publisher for review.

Review: Ever by Jessa Russo

Title: Ever 
Series: Ever, #1
Author: Jessa Russo 
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Pages: 295
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookdepository
Read from September 28 to October 1, 2012
My rating:

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ever’s love life has been on hold for the past two years. She’s secretly in love with her best friend Frankie, and he’s completely oblivious. Of course, it doesn't help that he’s dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible. Frustrated and desperate for something real, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever’s life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer.
Some girls lose their hearts to love.
Some girls lose their minds.
Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul.

Seven-hundred and thirty days since the only guy I've ever loved died in my arms, followed me home from the hospital, and never left my house again.

Prior to the beginning of the book, Ever and her best friend and crush Frankie has got into a car accident that ended up killing Frankie but not her. Ever came home that night with Frankie's ghost, and his ghost has been around in her house ever since. Frankie's ghost is not only visible to Ever, but also to her father, mother, and best friend Jessie--they all can interact with him. Ever is still pretty much in love with Frankie until a new family moves into Frankie's old house. When she meets Toby, things start to change. 

Now, the book blurb sounds really appealing, don't you think? I read the blurb and was interested, because it sounds dark and dramatic. But the book itself doesn't quite measure up. It's not that I'm disappointed, because disappointment would suggest that I have an expectation that isn't met. I didn't have any expectation. I finished this book annoyed and irritated. I didn't like this at all and couldn't see anything good in it, to say the least. 

I hated that the pages are filled with nothing going on. Dates, make-out sessions, lying, blushing, sneaking, etc. All these don't quite contribute to anything! Not even the plot! I didn't even like any of the characters. Ever seems to me a very annoying person. The fact that her father's death doesn't bother her enough to talk about it or be sad about it bothers me to no end. After his death, she cries a bit and goes right back to being obsessed with boys. Are you kidding me? The best friend Jessie is a flat character whose only function is as Ever's personal cheerleader. And Toby, oh Toby, can you be any more cheesy? Sent on a job and falls in love with that job. Jeez. 

In the end, I don't even know what this book is really about. Ghosts? No, not really, since the only ghost we see in the story is Frankie, and not that much attention is paid to him. Which leads to another disturbing question: why is he there at all? I mean, what's the significance? What's the point? You know, the whole ghost thing never fits seamlessly into the story. It always made me feel like it's out-of-nowhere and awkward. The whole book reads like a contemporary book, but then the ghost shows up and goes all "What's wrong, Doll?" or "dollface" or whatever, and then it's just weird. The ghost thing is displaced and everything else is very poorly done. 

The most frustrating part of this book is when, near the end, something else ENTIRELY is introduced into the story that changed the book's direction. There has been no foreshadowing or anything, so this thing coming into play is just very forced and contrived. Like the idea just occurred to the author and she thought it would be fun to put it in the book, and then she did, and never went back to edit the whole book to make room or drop hints for this thing. You know what I mean? It's just bad. So throughout the course of  book, the story kept changing genre directions, and it's more than annoying. Contemporary? Paranormal? Fantasy? WHAT? And then before I could answer, it abruptly ended, which totally caught me off guard. Excuse me? Is this supposed to make me feel like I'm hanging off a cliff and dying to read the next book or something? If so, I'm sorry to say that it unfortunately backfires. 

Although this book sounded like something I might enjoy, it was the opposite. There's nothing about it that I enjoyed. The writing is mediocre; the plot is... wait, what is the plot?; the characters are weak and flat. I'm not glad I read it. If anything, I'm glad I got it over with and wish to have nothing to do with it ever ever ever again. Take that, Ever.


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This review is also posted on Goodreads.
I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for review.

Review: Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Title: Angel Eyes
Series: Angel Eyes Trilogy, #1
Author: Shannon Dittemore
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Releaste date: May 29, 2012
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Format: eBook
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookdepository
Read from May 24 - 26, 2012 

My rating: 

Summary: Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake. Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption. Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start. A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive. 

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through angel eyes.

First off, I have to say that I lack experience in the angels/demons book department, as Angel Eyes is my first. Because of this, I have no other book to judge Angel Eyes against, as well as none to compare to. At first I wasn't so sure about it, seeing as I didn't know of angels/demons books could be for me, but I'm so glad that I put my doubt aside and read this book anyway. It's so good!

Angel Eyes started out pretty weird and confusing for me, not gonna lie here. Before the first chapter begins, there's this little story about someone named Elisha who was the prophet of Dothan and his servant, who was given "eyes that see". Later in the book Elisha is also mentioned, though I really didn't understand. It wasn't until I googled that name because I was hoping there would be some kind of explanation that I realized it's in the Bible. Of course I wouldn't know that. As I'm not a Christian, I'm not familiar with the Bible other than the things about it that I studied in Religion class.

Chapter one starts out with Brielle on the train. Devastated by the murder of her best friend, Ali, she returns home from the city where she's been chasing her dreams. She settles back into the small town she used to live in, only to find that things have kind of changed around  here. The friends she used to hang out with are now distant. All except one, Kaylee. Then Brielle meets Jake, the new guy who just moved into town, and they're immediately drawn to each other despite the bickering. Something more than fate has brought them together.


This book is told in mainly three points of view: Brielle's (in first person), Canaan's and Damien's (in third person). I really liked it as it allows the storytelling to exceed the limits of what Brielle perceives. Readers' eyes are not then limited to that rather small perception but can see the big picture of what's going on.

I really liked the story. I feel like I can't just summarize what happens because there's a lot going on, and everything is almost connected, and talking about one thing can't make much sense unless I talk about another thing it's linked to, too, but then that would be revealing too much and ruining all the fun. This is something I love about a book. The mystery keeps you questioning but you don't get the answer right away. It's all these crazy arrows and links pointing to one another. I love how one person leads to another and then leads to someone else. But of course, you don't see everything at first. But when everything comes together, it gives you this overwhelming feeling. I totally love that. And that's what Angel Eyes gave me!

This story is exciting and a little mysterious--not so mysterious it makes you die inside because you need to know so bad, but mysterious enough to make you want to read on and find out what happens and why and how and what's next. As this is my first encounter with an angels/demons book, I have to say I'm already impressed and want to explore more books in this department. However, I feel I need to mention that this book might not be for everyone. It's heavily focused on Christianity. That includes God, angels, demons, heaven and hell. You can almost say Jake is a blind believer. He believes wholeheartedly, but his faith is not something Brielle understands. Brielle cannot bring herself to believe there's actually a God who lets her mother and best friend die, who chooses to save some people but not others, that there are angels protecting humans. It's laughable, she says. Ditto. I was there once (I'm still there). It's hard to believe and the whole idea really sounds laughable when you lose someone you love to death, and there's no one to hear your prayers. I think the use of the belief in this book enriches it. And while reading, I didn't feel like the author tried to shove her belief in my face or anything, which would've been a total turn-off and I'm so glad it didn't happen. I think she did it quite subtly and nicely. I really enjoyed the the theological aspect of this book personally.

The characters in this book feel so natural. I have no problem liking all of those I'm supposed to like, and hating all those I'm supposed to hate. I really liked Brielle and Jake already. I'm pretty sure I almost loved Canaan, and Marco who's labeled potential murderer turns out to be a pretty decent guy. I don't remember picturing the characters a certain way or as someone, but when I accidentally found out about Shannon Dittemore's dream cast, I have to say I agree with her completely. I had to be a creeper and snag some pictures to show you, so you know what I mean. 

This is the author's Brielle. Elle Fanning. Good choice! I CANNOT AGREE MORE. But Thomas Dekker as Jake? I'm not sure but it's not impossible.

Alex O'Loughlin as Canaan. Of course. Definitely. Perfect. *swoons*

 

As I said, I really liked this book, but there are exactly three things that bugged me. But no big deal. 

1) If I were in Brielle's position being informed that angels and demons do exist and that Jake's guardian is an angel assigned to Earth to protect humans, my first reaction would be LOLOLOLOLOL. But Brielle believes it. She accepts it without questioning; she's all oh, okay. It's laughable, but alright. This bugs me, okay? Okay. 

2) Jake and Canaan and their big mouths. They're both always ready to spill the beans. They tell Brielle everything without holding back. Aren't angels supposed to keep their existence from humans? Yes? No? 

3) Brielle changes her mind oh so easily about God. Way too easily for someone who's been skeptical all along. This bugs me the most. 

Again, I really really liked this book. I can't say that enough. It's well written and engaging and mysterious and addictive and fun and interesting. THE END, though, has got to be the meanest cliffhanger I have come across this year! You can't just end a book like that and expect me to simply go on with my life! I need to know what happens next so bad! I'm glad Angel Eyes is a part of a trilogy and that there'll be two more books coming out 'cause I really just can't get enough! It was such a great read!


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This review is also posted on Goodreads.

A digital copy of this book was provided by the publisher and NetGalley for review. 

Review: New Moon by Stephenie Meyer

Title: New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Series: Twilight, #2
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Format: Paperback
Pages: 563
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Bookdepository

Read from October 4 to 9, 2011

My rating: 

Summary: In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.

New Moon is a sequel to the famous first novel of the Twilight saga, that is Twilight. Having read Twilight for the first time in 2008, I am ashamed to admit that I was crazy about it for months. But when I read it again, I couldn't see why I'd even liked it in the first place. Now, three years later, freshly freed from final exams, I wandered around aimlessly in the library. Then New Moon caught my eye. Not because it's pretty or anything, but because there are 3 or 4 thick copies of it lined up on a library shelf. I decided, what the hell, and picked it up.

I was struggling so much trying to get it over with this book. Not gonna lie, it was real torture. The story drags on for too long, if you can't tell by the thickness that is over 500 pages, and most of the time the story is just boring. And it also bugged me so much. Here are some things that annoyed me:

1) Bella keeps talking about the hole in her chest throughout the book! What's with that? That phrase really doesn't have to show up every few pages, you know?

Now, with the help of my e-book version of this book, I'm going to show you just what I mean.

Not only the hole in her chest that she so often mentions, but it looks like Bella is specially attracted to holes. There are other no less than 10 mentions of the entrance hole, too, to where the Volturi live. So much for Bella's holes...

2) Bella's not-until-this-that-I-realized-that. All. The. Friggin'. Time. Seriously, Bella, you're incapable of realizing your physical state or what? Or even the environmental changes? The word realize is well too overused in this novel that it bugged me.

3) The idea that a teenage girl finds it hard to keep on living with the depart of her boyfriend. Isn't that disturbing?

I got annoyed so many times by acknowledging Bella's thoughts. The writing style is lacking on so many levels. I think my problem is Stephenie Meyer. I just don't like the way she writes. And although there are so many annoying parts, there are parts that are entertaining enough. So I would say that it's not that bad, but bad enough to be considered one of the books I regret having spent time with, and definitely one of those I have no intention whatsoever to lay my hands on again.

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This review is also posted on Goodreads.