Book Review: Oath of Servitude by C.E. Wilson.

 Oath of Servitude by C.E. Wilson.
Book Summary: This is the story of Teague and Cailin, two teenagers who have been brought together by fate. Teague, a human, struggles to come to terms with the consequences of a recent accident that has destroyed the happy life that he had once enjoyed. Cailin, a pixi, is trying to stay true to herself while fighting against forces beyond her control that have exiled her from her home into this strange world of humans. She fears the darkness. He cannot escape it. But when the two of them are thrown together, they begin to discover the light inside of themselves.

Liana's Summary: Cailin's a pixi. She is locked in an Oath of Servitude towards Teague Ainsley, a human. She must accompany him for a year to serve what her father owes Owen Ainsley, Teague's father, for Owen has once Cailin's father's life. When they first meet, Teague and Cailin both dislike each other. But as they get to know each other better, things start to change.

Rate(1-10): 9.5!

Wow, just wow. I really liked this book! Thanks to the author for sending me a PDF copy via Smashwords. I just. Wow. Wow. This book is truly great. I'm actually looking forward to getting book 2!

This book has a totally gorgeous cover that attracted me. LOL.

Okay, anyways. When I first opened this PDF file, I was so reluctant to read it because I was getting absolutely SICK of ebooks after all those book review requests. But then, surprisingly, I got sucked in quickly, right after Chapter 1. Chapter 1 might be a bit slow, but Chapter 2? Things start to get interesting in Chapter 2! Which is good. It's not wise to keep a reader waiting for the good parts.

Anyways, it was so good that I got up 5:30AM this morning, ENERGETIC and ecstatic(shocker. Usually I'm grouchy and tired.) to read this book. Last night, I fell asleep on my ereader on accident because I was so tired. So I woke up this morning to read. After 2 hours, I got 80% into it and I was so reluctant and disappointed that I couldn't take the ereader to school to finish it. And throughout this whole day I was waiting for school to end so I could come back home and continue this story.

Anyways, yeah. This story sort of reminds me of Beauty and the Beast. Teague is like the beast. He's blind. He was a baseball player, really good at it too. And then he got hit on the side of his head with a baseball, and boom, he lost his sight. The end. He threw away his happiness and became a drunk blind man, ignoring the world. His father, Owen, is worried about him, so he summons Cailin's dad to tell him that he needs his daughter as Teague's company. Owen is allowed to do that because he once saved Cailin's father- that's right, Cailin is a pixi. Yes, without the -e at the end. Pixi. Not pixie. So Cailin is in her Oath of Servitude to Teague, to pay for Owen's kindness towards her father. If that explanation makes sense at all. Anyways, it's just like Beauty and the Beast and I couldn't help but relate.

I just love those books in which the characters hate each other at first sight (snickers) and then love each other oh-so-much later on. I just don't understand how the characters can be together at all- how is it going to be like for Teague? Dating a foot-tall woman.

Character Discussions-

Owen- He's a pretty good and considerate dad. No matter how messed up Teague is to him in his state of drunkenness and soberness, he's always patient and considerate.
Cailin- She's feisty! She knows how to bite back at people when they're rude to her. LOL. Anyways, I like her! Sometimes, she can be insecure, making her seem realistic.
Teague- He might seem crazy and all that at first, but then when he's sobered up, you realize he's a good guy.

I don't think there's a need to discuss the less important characters. The point of character discussions is for the reader to preview what to expect from the main-est characters.

And I suppose it is time. For quotes! Only a few.

"..was captivating and he wanted her back in his life.."



"Where are you?" he whispered and fell to his knees, crawling through..



"My oath to serve you."

It. All. Makes. Sense.

"Because I love you, Rhinoa,.."



"She watched him lean forward.. he kissed her.."


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Most of them are GIF worthy. And, that is it! What did you think of this review? (:

Book Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks.

 Of Poseidon by Anna Banks.
Book Summary: Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen — literally, ouch! — both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . . Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Liana's Summary: Emma McIntosh is of Poseidon. But she doesn't know that at first. She doesn't even know she's half Syrena. When Galen, prince of the Syrena, comes on land to find her, she literally runs into him. He tells her that she can save his whole kingdom- but she would have to make some sacrifices she doesn't want to make.

Rate(1-10): 9

This book was fan-flipping-tastic. (See what I did there? Emma loves to say that.)

I've been wanting to read this book for who knows how long. But when I actually saw this book- real life, print paper book, I almost screamed in excitement. It was at that Teen Read Week thing at my city's library where I had a crazy book haul of 18-- in which I got this book. 

So, basically, I'm really glad that I decided to read Legacy Lost before I picked Of Poseidon up. It's a great explaining source and all. Since I've read Legacy Lost, I've been looking for the connections between this book and that short story prequel. Grom, the main character in L.L, is actually Galen's older brother. I really like that name. Galen. It's fab. Anyways, there are often references to Nalia and Grom and Grom and Nalia and Grom and Nalia's past, so I highly recommend you read that first before you set your hands on this book.

So, the main character, Emma, is half Syrena- she has the fabulous purple eyes, the thick skin, and she can breathe underwater longer than normal humans can. She's clumsy when it comes to running, but what about swimming?

Anyways, I would have liked this book a lot better if it wasn't on land that much. I wanted to know more about Syrena history- I wanted the plot to be more underwater. And how much times do I have to mention that I hate those books in which the boy and the girl go to SCHOOL and have classes together? I hate those scenes. They just bore me so much. I'm all about the action- I don't mind if the teacher, desks, chairs, whiteboard, and class curriculum isn't there- I won't miss them.

Besides that, though, this book was actually really good!

The romance sort of reminds me of The Hunger Games- in THG, Peeta thinks Katniss doesn't really love him, that she's only doing what she's doing for the districts' entertainment. And vice versa. In this book, both girl and boy are doubting whether they love the other. The girl thinks that the guy is just trying to satisfy the watchers, but it's not like that-- it's true love and it's so cute omggggggg.

The beginning and ending of this book just-wow. The beginning is already action-filled. I love a hooking beginning. And then the ending is just a cliffhanger- somehow I foreshadowed that it would be.

At first, I didn't understand what the title could mean- but after I read the book, I was all like, I GET IT! Wow. Just wow. I thought Triton was a descendant from Poseidon?! Anyways, it's either that you're Of Poseidon or Of Triton. Which explains the title of book 2.
This was a fun and humorous read told from the main character's POV and Galen's POV. I like how they used third person for Galen and first person for Emma- it didn't get me confused!

Anyways, it's time for quotes!

"I always thought it was because she's freakishly pasty."

That's nice.

"I know you hate humans."



"..jabbing her index finger into his bare chest."
Does he ever wear a shirt?

"..some good garbage eggs."
What an.. interesting name..

"Galen."



"It looks like we have the exact same schedule."



"..how can she be of Poseidon.."

EVERYTHING. MAKES. SENSE.

"Some think Grom felt the pull toward Nalia,"

Oh yes. He definitely did. I read about it in Legacy Lost.

"Ohmysweetgoodness!"

She says that too much. It's overused.

"..tingly..."

Must you use that word.

"You're insulting me in human-talk now?"



"So when he eases away.."


"I'm tired of waiting, Galen. "



"He's ugly."

Wow. Straight up.

"But what does that mean?"

It means, that she is half Syrena! GOSH. IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO FIGURE OUT!

"She belongs to Grom."

No she doesn't. Noo!

"He pulls my chin to face him."

That's his favorite place to touch. He always pulls her chin! It's getting redundant.

"..braking my own sad attempt at flight."

That is so SAD. LOL. Try to run away from him- he catches her anyways.
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And that is all!

What do you think of this review? (:

Book Review: Glitches by Marissa Meyer.

 Glitches by Marissa Meyer.
Lunar Chronicles #0.5
Book Summary: Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In “Glitches,” a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

Liana's summary: Cinder is a cyborg now. She realizes everything won't ever be the same as before. Her stepmother is cruel to her, but only kind Peony likes her at all. 'Glitches' is the fabulous prequel of Marissa Meyer's Cinder!
Rate(1-10): 10

Wow, the fabulousness. I can't believe I didn't find out about this book earlier. It was really short, but the 19 pages is enough to make you cry! It's like, set 5 years before when Cinder is 16, so she's 11. It answers so much questions and it tells you a lot about Cinder's past. I love love love Cinder and I cannot WAIT for book 2, Scarlet! And then books 3-6...I'll be an old maid when the last book of the Lunar Chronicles comes out. </3

Okay, anyways, it's fab. You can find this book online. http://www.tor.com/stories/2011/12/glitches
Once again, it's tor.com to the rescue, letting me read the book I've been wanting to read! Yay.

I love that cover.

Anyways, that is all! I highly recommend you read this before you read CINDER!

Book Review: Legacy Lost by Anna Banks.

Legacy Lost by Anna Banks.
(Of Poseidon #0.5)
Book Summary: He is a mer-prince, she is the mermaid princess that his family orders him to marry so that their kingdoms unite. Grom dreads this arrangement, until he meets Nalia — both beautiful and smart, she's everything he ever wanted. But just when their connection grows deeper, tragedy strikes. Legacy Lost is a prequel story to Anna Banks' debut novel, OF POSEIDON.

Liana's summary: The last thing Grom wants to do is marry Nalia. When he is just about to attempt break the arrangement, he sees Nalia herself, and changes his mind. His memory is seriously messed up. How could the eyes that he remembered to be plain and dull be so bright? They fall in love. However, one single argument could change things- forever.

Rate(1-10): 10

Ok, so this book is a 0.5, and thank goodness I actually found out about it the SECOND I was going to start reading Of Poseidon. I saw that this ebook was available online (http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/05/legacy-lost) and I was like, alright! I shall read it. So, reading these 30 pages, I met Nalia, Freya, Grom, Grom's parents, and the Poseidon king. It is such a preparation for Of Poseidon. This prequel was pretty good! It sucked me right in. I have a feeling I'm going to love the actual book.

And, since this was only 30 pages, and it shut me up by its fabulousness- this is the shortest review EVER and I have no quotes. LOL. So yeah. I promise I'll point out ties between this book and Of Poseidon. Stay tuned! (:

Book Review: Nandana's Mark by Heidi Garrett.

 Nandana's Mark by Heidi Garret.
Book Summary: The half-faerie Melia is hounded by dark moon visions. She believes the visions are linked to her father’s ambitions to incarnate Umbra—the mortal ash accumulating in the void. When the Illustrator marks her forehead with a call for help, Melia gains the courage to challenge her father. Before help arrives, a tragic accident occurs and the truth of her family’s dark legacy is revealed.

Liana's summary: Melia is half- faerie. She doesn't have wings. She gets visions- because of Nandana's Mark. They're linked to what her father wants to do. And at last, whatever she does can kill-- literally.

Rate(1-10): 7.5

First of all, I would like to thank the author for sending me a digital copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
At first, when I read this book, I was like, ew no. Faeries. I hate faeries. Don't know why. But the author just wrote it in such a different way that I ended up liking this book much more than I thought I would!

However, there's one thing. You know me, you know? I want MORE ROMANCE. There was sadly a small amount of romance in this book. Which is why it went from 10 to 7. I'm always looking for the romance.

So, at first, I thought Melia was THE main character, but then her siblings have an active role in being the center of the story too.

This is really random, but as I read this book, I pictured it as a Barbie movie. Maybe it reminded me of Princess of Swan Lake or something but I can totally see this book as a Barbie movie. It's not a bad thing, LOL. I think Barbie movie plots are ridiculously interesting.

And now-- yes! It is time for quotes.

I search for the speaker. He stands in the east—a male with dark hair, sunburnt skin, and emerald eyes. I want to swim in those eyes.

He holds out his hand; it doesn’t reach me. A brown cloak billows behind him.

I want to move towards him, but my feet are rooted.

‘I will stay with you,’ he says. ‘No matter what.’

Oh my. It's finally getting good.

“Their rocks and sticks were no match for my sword.”

Uh huh.

“Stop obsessing about him. You’re worse than Melusine going on about ‘Raymond, Raymond, Raymond.’”

LOL. Once my friend was so obsessed with her crush that she was ecstatic about him merely being present at school. ohmygoodness.

She needed to regain her equilibrium.

You can use equilibrium like that? Then does that mean you can you can say, "I need to keep my homeostasis?" (;

She hated books.

Gasp. Then I hate her.

“Why aren’t you proud of us? What we did was heroic,”

You killed your father and consider yourself heroic?

“Unlike you, Ohloh, Melia doesn’t live in a world of books,” Uncle Raffles said.

Pshh. It's okay Ohloh. You're not alone. (:
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And yes, that is all! What did you think of this review?

Book Review: Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George.

 Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George.
Book Summary: When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.

Liana's summary: It's now Petunia's turn to be the main character- the heroine in this last book of the Westfalin series. Years ago, Galen sealed the gate between the world of Kingdom Under Stone and their world with a silver chain. It is now breaking. The dark princes are trying to come out once again. So it's up to the princesses to defeat them once and for all. But will they fail? Or be victorious? Will everything be alright? Or will things fall into disaster? And meanwhile, will Petunia find her love?

Rate(1-10): 10

Just. Wow. For starters, I thought that this book was fabulous. I loved it!

And I have to say that JDG's covers attract me like crazy. I love her covers. Especially the covers of the Westfalin trilogy. When I first heard of this, I was like, YAY! The third book of the series! The antagonists most likely die! I'm not gonna spoil anything, just going to say that I was happy with the outcome.

It has been brought to my attention that people didn't really like this book because they had no idea it was the third in a series and they were all lost, blah, blah, blah. Well, clearly, it isn't the author's fault that they didn't know. If they didn't know they should have just stopped reading it, not give it a low rating just because.

So, I would have been really happy if Jessica Day George wrote 12 books for each princess in this series, but I guess that's too much to ask and too much to read. LOL. But still. It would have been entertaining! But then there would have been a case of why-aren't-the-antagonists-dying-yet.

I am a huge fan of Jessica Day George and I just love her books. Reading this book reminded me of how much I enjoyed reading her writing!

Out of all three girls, Rose, Poppy, and Petunia, I like Rose the best. She seems really mature and she is really responsible and strong. Poppy was alright, I liked her. But then Petunia? I liked her well enough, it's just that she didn't really seem strong but she was trying to be strong. That's all. Sort of like an insistent tomboy that says she's a boy but still acts like a girl.

Okay, so the main male role, Oliver. I just KNEW that he was going to be the lucky one. THE lucky one. That was to fall in love with the girl? Yep! I LOVE OLIVER. Like he's so fabfabfab I can't believe it. Great character, and definitely worthy to be the main male role!

This book has parts that make you double over and laugh, parts that make you want to cry, parts that cause readers to smile because of their romantic cuteness, and parts that you have to resist the urge to flip tables. Yes. Quite some twists.

And now. It is time for the quotable quotes.

"What's she doing? Simon's voice was hushed.

Oh my goodness. They're watching her pee. This is just...

"Petunia?" Oliver snorted. "Like the flower?"



Duuuuh.

Oliver just looked hurt.



Petunia turned and pushed his chest, nearly sending him onto his rump with surprise. "Run, you fool!"



"..Poppy took the arm of her bethrothed, a tall blond young man.."

Christian!

"Then she was once the lover of the first King Under Stone,"



"Poooooppppy," moaned her sister.

You can't really emphasize Poppy without making the word look like "Poopy." LOL.

"Bloody hell,"

It's Ronald Weasley time isn't it.



Petunia struck Kestilan across the face as hard as she could with the grimy silver hairbrush.

Oou, snap!

"Halfway here, Petunia saw a rosebush in full bloom and tried to pick some of the flowers."

Oh my goodness Petunia.



He leaned around, and her heart started to thump. He was going to kiss her.

Oh my god! (: Yay! It's about time.

But before he could..


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And, that's it! Hope you enjoyed this review! (:

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass.

  The Selection by Kiera Cass.
 Book Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself--and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Liana's summary: When America Singer signs up for The Selection, she had no idea she was going to be one of the 'lucky' 35, competing for being the next princess of Ilea. In fact, she didn't want to sign up at all in the first place, but Aspen insisted. At first, she just wants to get out of there. The only thing that's keeping her in the palace is the free food, but as she gets to know Prince Maxon better, America realizes that he's not as bad as she thought. And when Aspen comes back into her life again, she finds herself at loss of what to do.

Rate(1-10): 10!

Oh my goodness. This book and its fabulousness. I cannot give enough emphasis on how fabulicious this book was.

Well, first of all, I only wanted to read this book because of its cover. LOL. It makes it look so interesting, you know. This book has been on my TBR since 5ever, and it was everything I wanted it to be! Yaay. You know what. I loved this book so much that this is now my second-favorite dystopian, after Lauren Oliver's Delirium. It was THAT good. And y'all know how much I loved Delirium.

Remember when I finished City of Lost Souls? I was in distress and agony and I was all lackluster about the reviews between then and now. But this book came along and now I'm cheered up! Didn't know why I didn't start reading this book earlier. It's great.

It's a combination of Ally Condie's Matched and Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. Also a tiny bit like Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And I loved all of those books.

It's like Matched because it's a crazy love triangle in which I can't really be inclined towards one side.
It's like The Hunger Games because everyone's getting eliminated and only one- the lucky winner- will last 'till the end.
It's like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, because, well, Prince Maxon plays the role of Willy Wonka in this situation.

I love dystopian books. I love them. And I love love triangles. Sometimes..

So, let me discuss their castes. It's like their rating in society. It kind of teaches the readers a moral that a person's identity is not defined by what society labels them. Anyways, I thought that the higher the number, the higher ranked you were. But then I realized that it was Ones as the most powerful and 8's and below homeless or something. The author did a really good job on making that clear!

The protagonist, America Singer, is really likable and a strong female protagonist besides. She's great!  She's like so strong and stubborn and somewhat reminds me of Clary from TMI.

You know what. I'm just gonna do Character Discussions! For the main-est characters. (;

America- I already talked a bit about her above. But yeah, I LOVE her name. It's fab. Especially because today's The United States of America has been turned into Ilea, and her name is a reminder of the historical past of their country. Did I mention that their history is very interesting? Anyways, it's sort of like Panem in The Hunger Games. Wow, this book. It's better than THG.
Maxon- At first I thought he was a boring old prince that America would never like, but oh-ho, did he prove me wrong. I'm mostly Team Maxon, but then I'd feel bad for Aspen.. But still. If people ask, MAXON. This is one of those series that I incline towards the guy most people incline towards. omg.
Aspen- This is how it went with Aspen.
-Hello~ (;
-No I hate you.
-Go away Aspen.
-What are you doing Aspen.
-How could you Aspen.
-Ok fine. You're alright Aspen.
-Wow, Aspen. You're not that bad.
And it ended there.  

And don't even get me started on the characters I despise. UGH.

I'm gonna have to wait in agony for the next book, The Elite. It comes out in 2013. There are like, way too much books coming out that year. I'm gonna die waiting and become an old maid in the process.

Anyways, it's time for quotes! (:

"..please fill out the enclosed form and return it.."
This is how Prince Maxon chooses his brides? Seriously? Like this is some job application?
"For you to submit your name for the Selection."
What.

"She just wants the best for you, that's all."
That's what they all say!

"I'm not some charity case, America. I'm a man. I'm supposed to be a provider.."



" I'll be your friend."
Oh my.

" The guards all wore sly smiles as we passed."


"She said he kept licking her face."


 “And I plan on keeping her here for quite a while.”

Ooou. (;

"Aspen."

Oh ew him. Why mention him again.

 He measured the oill wrong and the first batch burned.

How cute.

"..reached up and slapped Celeste across the face."

YES! YOU GO ANNA.

“Who was the president of the United States during the Third World War?” Silvia quizzed us.

No. It's supposed to end at WWII! What kind of society has the future come to.

"Money. The Americans owed them a lot of money and couldn’t pay them back.”

I heard Dad yeling, “What?” in the background and then Mom’s “Yes, yes, yes!”

"We dropped to nineteen, and it suddenly felt like this was all moving quickly."

Mmmm. There's only 20 more pages and 18 girls to get rid of?! Oh my.
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There wasn't much this time! Anyways, what did you think of this review? (:

Book Review: Every Day by David Levithan.

 Every Day by David Levithan.
Book Summary: In his New York Times bestselling novel, David Levithan introduces readers to what Entertainment Weekly calls a "wise, wildly unique" love story about A, a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere. It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day. With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

Liana's Summary: A has no specific gender. A has no specific identity. Just A. A wakes up as a different person every day- literally. One day he's a guy, one day he's a girl. But he's always 16 years old. One day, A wakes up as Justin, a total jerk, and meets his girlfriend, Rhiannon, and falls in love with her. As days and days go on, A wakes up as different people, always trying to keep in contact with Rhiannon. But will she love him all the way to the end?

Rate(1-10): 10

If I read this book before I met the author, I would have been fandoming so hard when I actually did meet David Levithan. Like, seriously. This book was fantabulous- so much better than I thought it would be! It's actually a 10. Just wow.

Before I read this book, I heard from some of my friends either that they loved it or didn't really like it. I just decided that I should read it before I get any spoilers, because I hate it when that happens. I so hate it when I get spoilers. Anyways, one of my friends didn't like it because, well, she said that the ending was very abrupt.

So, when D Levithan came, he did Q&A. So he said that he wrote this book to answer two questions for himself.

-What is it like to live life as a different person every day?
-Is it possible to love someone who changes every day?

And my friend just said, he answered the questions, and boom, the story ends. However, I didn't really think it was like that at all.

Also, I think Justin, Rhiannon's boyfriend, is supposed to be the jerkiest jerky jerk I've ever met in a book. But, oh, not really. That role is taken by the main character of Alex Flinn's Breathing Underwater. I dislike that character so much I forgot his name. Rhiannon is convinced that Justin is going to change for the better later, but A is convinced that he won't, and then things get all complicated.

The thing that mostly attracted me was the sexy cover. Liana loves pretty covers! And, I'm glad to say, the book was so worth reading, and the story is as good as the cover. I really liked this book mainly because I got to know a different person in every chapter, and I was never bored! A is sort of just the narrator, telling the story of people's lives he's in. Yeah. I like A. It's each chapter, different person, every day. Some of them were fairly long, some of them short as a page. Glad to say the ones I didn't really like were shorter.

And I suppose it's time for quotes!

"Such a basic promise. But to Rhiannon, it means the world."
Is her boyfriend THAT big of a jerk that 'See you later' means that much? Wow. Just wow.

"I think I might be in trouble."
Gasp. Has the Asian gone bad?!

"Don't worry, Justin," Rhiannon says. "He's gay."
"Yeah, I can tell from the way he's dressed."


"..so if I keep my typing quiet, his parents will leave me alone."
Did I mention that my typing is ridiculously loud? omg. LOL.

"In her body."
See. I knew it. The author does a good job of foreshadowing. Mhm. I knew this was bound to happen!

"I mean, this is a Chinese restaurant--"
Chinese restaurants always have the most ACCURATE fortunes in fortune cookies ever.

"And I don't know what to think anymore."

"Plenty of books on the shelves, some of their spines worn down from rereading."
One does not simply bend the spines of books after rereading.

"He is failing his driver's test and fighting back tears when the instructor tells him."
So what's this stereotype about how Asians can't drive.
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And that's it! What did you think of this review? (:

Book Review: White Cat by Holly Black.

Book Summary: Cassel comes from a family of Curse Workers - people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn't got magic, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail - he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago. Cassel has carefully built up a facade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his facade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and his memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Liana's summary: Cassel is from a family of curse workers- let one of them touch you and your memory could be altered forever. However, Cassel isn't one of them. He doesn't have it in his blood. He's as mundane as any person can be. But his life isn't, surrounded by all those kinds of dark magic. A few years back, he killed his best friend. But she may be back, in a different form, urging him to turn her back into the girl she was before.

Rate(1-10): 7

I finally got to read this book because of my school's book club! Yay. It's been on my TBR since forever. Anyways, it's good, for sure, but it's not exactly great. It reminds me of Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia's Beautiful Creatures, but, the only thing is, Beautiful Creatures is better. Yes, there are curses and everything, they're both Modern Fantasy. But the thing is that I don't really like the protagonist of this book, and I LOVED the protagonist in B.C.

Cassel seems to me the reckless and I-don't-care type. I don't really like that. Even if he was narrating first person, I still didn't get to know him all that well. He's very.. private. Aren't main characters supposed to spill themselves out to their readers?

Well, if there were more romance then this book would be very, very, very, close to perfection. You know me. I heart romance, period. This book isn't concentrated on romance at all. Maybe some boyfriend girlfriend relationships but please, the chemical romance is nonexistent. It's more concentrated on curses and curse workers and.. cats. The author loves cats. She dedicated this book to all the fictional cats she killed in her books, which I found slightly amusing.

Overall, this book sort of renders me speechless. I really have nothing to say; even the quotes are majorly less today. The ending is just so abrupt I was like omg what. It's not even a cliffhanger either. It just sort of leaves me wondering how the story is to continue in the rest of the series.

However, despite all my discomforts, this book was actually not bad!

Now. It is time for quotes.

"..my little glass cat,.."
The author. Must. Love. Cats.

"We Asians are all math genuises."
LOL OK.

"..so get your ass over to your brother's apartment."
I think his grandpa uses that word too much.

"Screw you,"
That's nice.

"..to a guy Jace in my dorm."
omg. That name. Mortal Intruments. I can't omg

"..painted with a mural of an old naked man.."
Oh. That's not.. awkward at all..

"I don't want sorbet," he says. "I don't like sorbet. Just give me some damn ice cream."
This totally reminds me of this one Korean drama I watched in which the guy was trying to comfort the girl by offering her some ice cream, but like, she totally exploded and said she hates ice cream and never wants to eat ice cream in her entire life. LOL.
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And yes, really. That's it. I do have quite a few words to add to my vocabulary journal though. Like 5. Oh wait, not even. 4!

And I guess that's it.

What did you think of this review? (:

Blog Tour: Blood To Blood by Ife Oshun.

Summary: Angelika Brown has a killer voice. Too bad her über-conservative parents aren’t happy when she decides to quit high school to be a pop singer. What’s worse, she’s morphing into a blood-drinking immortal and her soaring vocals can now decimate everything, and everyone, within earshot. Will she learn how to control her new powers? Or will her bloodlust cause her to kill her girl group before they reach the Top 10?
Excerpt: “The sound of his heartbeat was the background music banging in my ears as I, in a daze, took another step forward. My fingers itched with the desire to pull through the gold-tinged hair hanging less than an inch from my face. His eyes narrowed and his head cocked to the side. He was exposing his neck…yes, as if he was offering it to me. I inhaled his scent again and my brain switched off. Led by my watering mouth, I closed the gap between us and placed my lips on his neck.”

Here is my review: http://bookaholic-ness.blogspot.com/2012/09/book-review-blood-to-blood-by-ife-oshun.html



Young Adult Novel Mixes Pop Star Dreams with Immortals and Angels

New young adult novel “Blood To Blood” gives urban fantasy a unique spin with hit-
making immortals and an insider’s view of the music industry.

Boston, MA (PRWeb) August 20, 2012 –Former music journalist Ifè Oshun (http://www.ifeoshun.com) is releasing “Blood To Blood,” the first in a series of YA novels centered around Angelika Brown, aka Angel, a 16 year-old, and newly immortal, rising pop star raised in the upscale Boston neighborhood of Beacon Hill.

“Blood To Blood” blends the YA fiction like “Twilight" with the hopes and dreams of television shows like “The Voice” along with immortals, angels, a rapping werewolf, and a love triangle. Slated for official paperback and ebook release in December 2012, the novel’s e-version is currently in pre-release exclusively via Amazon.

Summary: Angelika Brown has a killer voice. Too bad her über-conservative parents aren’t happy when she decides to quit high school to be a pop singer. What’s worse, she’s morphing into a blood-drinking immortal and her soaring vocals can now destroy everything, and everyone, within earshot. Will she learn how to control her new powers? Or will her bloodlust cause her to kill her girl group before they reach the Top 10?

As the daughter of ancient immortals, Angel is faced with jaw-dropping challenges, while forced to make complex moral choices that will forever shape the person she is becoming as she pursues her dream of singing for the world. “Blood To Blood” is ideal for young adult and teen audiences as well as all fans of YA urban fantasy.

Author Ifè Oshun worked for over a decade as a music journalist for magazines and major websites including HiphopRnbSoul.com where she served as Editor-In-Chief. She also independently produced, and wrote for, television and theater and served as a Writers Guild of America intern on the Star Trek television series. She lives in her hometown of Boston. Contact her to schedule interviews and other publicity events at http://www.IfeOshun.com.

Author Bio:

Ifè Oshun is the author of the YA modern fantasy Blood To Blood set for official release in December 2012.
Starting out as an actress, the Fine Arts and English major went on to work for over a decade as a music journalist for national magazines and major websites including serving as Editor-In-Chief for HiphopRnbSoul.com. She also produced, and wrote for, television and theater. A couple of her sci-fi/fantasy plays were produced Off-Broadway and in Los Angeles, and she did her Writers Guild of America internship with Star Trek Enterprise and Voyager.

Her work incorporates fantasy elements with some combination of the following: humor, social issues, family themes, metaphysical concepts, and pop culture. She lives in Boston with her small son and ink-black cat, and can be found online at her personal website.

Author Interview!~

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: The inspiration for Blood To Blood came to me in a couple of stages. First, a long time ago, I was hanging in London when the news of Aaliyah's death was broadcast on television. It was a quick soundbite as if she wasn't that popular over there. I was shocked and ticked-off at the lack of coverage, and then finally I was just heart-broken. She could have had an amazing career; she was a clean cut, gorgeous woman, a  great singer and she had this dark little edge. She was sexy without being trashy, tough without being hard. And there was a "something" that came across in her videos but it wasn't anything you could put your finger on. She was mad mysterious that way. Angel's character is based on her.
A little later, when I was doing my Writers Guild of America internship on Star Trek: Voyager, I thought it would be cool to see a TV show that was a cross between The Cosby Show and Dark Shadows with a young singer. I wrote a pilot episode treatment which got good feedback but I didn't do anything with it and it literally sat on a shelf in my mind for 7 years until, in 2008, it occurred to me that it wasn't a TV series after all. It was a series of books.

Q: What exactly does Sawyer Creed, the main male character in this story, look like? I had a bit of a hard time imagining him. 

A:Tall, green eyes, long dirty blonde hair and an angular jaw. He always has a serious expression. Perhaps like a young Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman from True Blood). Come to think of it, he's just like my first boyfriend.

Q: Did you ever want to be a singer, like the main character, Angel? 

A: Of course, who doesn't want to be a big pop or rock star? But alas I can't sing well.

Q:Are you a fan of vampires?

A: I love vamps, but I'm not keen on the idea that they're soulless demon spawn. I prefer immortals with human qualities. They're much less predictable.

Q :How long did it take you to write this book?

A: I started in 2008. It took 3 years for everything to be done -- researching, rewriting, beta-reading, editing, and more re-writing and more editing, and on and on, along with outlining the sequel.

Q:Where did you get the idea for Angel's "Reflection"? 

A: I have absolutely no idea where that came from. Sometimes I surprise myself.

Q:How many traits do you and the main character share?

A: I no longer suffer from anxiety, and I definitely never had panic attacks that lifted me off the floor! We both have a lot of hair. We both love, love, love music. And we both come from conservative families who struggle to understand what motivates us and our non-traditional career choices.

Q: How did you come up with the title of your book? 

A: It's part of a phrase in a blood ritual scene with Angel and  her sister. Her sister, Cici, says "blood to blood" as part of the mind lock spell.

Q: Are you planning to write more books in the future?

A: The sequel to Blood To Blood is due in the Fall of 2013. I'm also finishing a short story based on Sawyer Creed and a novella based on Justin McCarthy. I'm also outlining an idea for a book that I had when I was 6.

Q: Do you have any writing advice to people who want to become authors? 

A: Read a lot, especially the type of books you see yourself writing. Take classes that help you break stories down, see them in terms of structure. Do this for a few years. Then just sit down and write. Don't wait for inspiration, waiting for inspiration is just a distraction, a way to procrastinate. Make a plan to write consistently and stick to it through thick or thin.

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omg, see how I pester these authors I get to interview. LOL.

Anyways, here are..

Where to purchase Blood To Blood:
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Toebook/dp/B008ONWZ58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344569139&sr=8-1&keywords=blood+to+blood+ife+oshun

Author Website:
www.ifeoshun.com

Official Pre-release Press Release (PRWeb)
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9820673.htm

Twitter:
www.twitter.com/ifeoshun

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/ifeoshun

Amazon Author page:
http://www.amazon.com/If%C3%A8-Oshun/e/B008OX70W6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Goodreads Author page:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450134.Ife_Oshun

Google+:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/104756531427614911234/104756531427614911234/posts

Follow Friday #8!

Follow Friday!
This meme is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. This weeks features are Carmen Jenner and the YA Bookworm Blogger.

Q: What writing device or trick most irritates you when reading a book? For example, if an author employs an omnipotent narrator that is sometimes considered bad form.

I think I hate it when the protagonist is butt weak. Anyways, I just really like strong protagonists. Also, I don't really like it when the girls in a book seem to be slutty (excuse my language) and all that, because it might mean that, if the author is a man, he is prejudiced or something like that. But that rarely happens. I think it tends to show up in old books by old and dead authors because of what men considered women back then. Also it kind of irritates me when the author doesn't know how to suck readers in. It's one of the reasons that I'm scared of being an author- my readers might be very judgmental.

Anyways, if you follow me, just comment and I'll be more than glad to follow back! (:
Happy Friday and Happy Reading~

Book Review: Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate.

 Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate.
Book Summary: And girl created boy… In the beginning, there was an apple— And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal. Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy. Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

Liana's summary: Eve just suffered a horrible car crash. She finds herself in the hospital, wondering if she can ever run again. However, mysteriously enough, she finds her broken-off and stitched-back-to-her-body leg healed, the skin on her thigh perfect and white as before. She finds out what her mother has done. To keep Eve from asking too much questions and to keep her busy, her mother assigns her a project- to create the perfect boy. He will be perfect. Won't he? Eve will love him. And he'll love Eve. But, Eve may choose imperfect over perfect in the end.

Rate(1-10) : 9.8

Okay. So. 

What got me started is a Goodreads Ad. So whoever created the ad, goodjob. You can really attract a reader like that! I was like, ooh. This book looks good. 

And yes, I did the guilty thing. Judged a book by its cover. But hey! It was a great judgement- the book was fabulous. Maybe not a 10/10 but definitely a 9.8. The only thing that kept me from giving it a complete ten is that I can't really tell who's talking. Yep, it's one of those books in which the chapters alternate among the characters that narrate. And, even if there are apparently 2 authors, I think they write the same, if I happen to be right in guessing that they took turns writing chapters in their own way. Anyways, enough about that. It only took off 0.2 from my rating. Since I can't really tell who's talking most of the time even with The Voice, LOL. Hold up-- now that I think about it, Eve uses a lot more vocab than Solo since she's the smarty in this book! But still. Same attitude!

So this book was a dystopian. Futuristic, all-about-technology kind of dystopian. I don't know. I think it's more In-The-Future than Dystopian, if you know what I mean. Like, the government being the assholes (excuse my language, but I feel it's entirely necessary.) that they are in most dystopian books just MAKES the story automatically dystopian. But the government isn't really big in this book. There's just a lot of technology and cool stuff and cures for plagues and all that. Now that I think about it, it sorta reminds me of Marissa Meyer's CINDER.

I think that there were some stereotypes in this book. I am aware that teenagers and young, young adults like to curse and swear. But not that constantly. Like, "YOU COLD BITCH" or something like that. I think I saw that phrase constantly in this book. The swear words are used constantly. I hate it when that happens. It gives adults a wrong impression of what people in their late teens are turning into. Perhaps that played a part in my giving it a 9.8 instead of a ten.

So, Eve basically creates Adam. And everyone should know about the Bible story. Eve and Adam and The Garden of Eden. That's what partially caught my attention, because I thought the Bible story was pretty interesting! Anyways, she creates him in a computer program thing. He's PERF. Like, literally PERFECT. Perfect eyes, perfect hair, perfect nose, perfect lips (scary I know), and perfect skin. And perfect muscles and abs, not to mention. And he just wakes up one day as an 18 year old person and says I LOVE EVE COS' SHE CREATED ME. Which sort of creeped me out. 

I forgot to mention this earlier, but the book is narrated by three characters. Eve, Solo, and Adam. It was Eve and Solo at first, but when Eve is done with Adam he comes to life and has a part in the story. But then in some parts of the story Solo sort of scared me. He went like, "I'M GONNA KISS THE LIVING HELL OUT OF HER." and I'm like, oh. Alright.. But other than that, he's really cool.

I swear Evening is the coolest name I have ever came across. Seriously! Anyways. She's a really strong female protagonist. I like that!

Guess what I noticed. First 3rd person book I've read in a LONG while. How fun. 

So, I suppose it's time for quotes!

"Boys have nipples."
Oh. Um. That's nice. 

"Luna doesn't touch The Leg."
Now the leg has a name!

"It bugs me that I can't get into Eve's working file."

S-T-A-L-K-E-R.



"Man, she has a great laugh."

Obsessed with her already?

"Because I'm just a peasant.."



"..are only supposed to go in one direction.."





"Some Vietnamese guys.."

Well then. 

"Rupert Grint has red hair. He seems nice."



"Why do I find that kind of hot? Seriously. Sleep drool."

He. Has. Problems.

"..except that he hates my mother."
Everyone hates your mother, dear.

"Marry me, Adam. I don't care if you're missing some parts. I love you."

She's hungover really bad.

"This from the girl who wouldn't let Finnian Lenzer ask her out because his hair was too blond?"



"Because his name is Tad!" I yell in frustration. "How can I date a guy named Tad? It's a ridiculous name."



"Her husband killed my parents."



"I love Evening."



"I am strong and tall and I love Evening."



"..where I will grab Eve and kiss the living hell out of her."

Oh. Um. Ok!

How dare they create me and not even give me a name?
"What's my last name?" I demanded.



"I'm going to prison! What am I supposed to tell my wife?"



"He died."

Oh. Straight up.

"And spare me your angst, bitch. In the end, this whole thing made you rich."

Hey.. that rhymes. :D

"You want me over him?"



Yes.
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 Anyways, yeah.
This was a quick and fast read for 291 pages. (Been reading big books lately).

And-- That's it! Great book; definitely a recommendation. The next book is called Adam and Eve, from what I know by reading the last page of this book. omg. Really. It's just flipped backwards. How original.
What did you think of this review? (: