Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme held by Should Be Reading and here is my Teaser for today.

"Are you two...?"

"What?" Laurel tried to focus on what her mom was saying.

"Well, you spend an awful lot of time over at his house; I thought maybe the two of you were...becoming an item."

Wings by Aprilynne Pike, Pg 168

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

Release Date: May 29th, 2007
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 405
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Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride and the other members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It seems like a dream come true--except that they're being hunted by half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" who can fly, too. 



In Book 3 of the series, the flock members are faced with a new enemy--robots called Flyboys who are stronger than Erasers and have retractable wings. The last thing Max wants is to keep running for her life, but she has to, taking the Flock across the country. There, they meet the sinister scientist Ter-Borsht, who speaks of something called "Re-Evolution," and the "By-Half Plan": the most frightening human experiment they can imagine--a kind of ethnic cleansing of the entire planet.



As fear and tension escalate among the flock members--and a romance starts to form between Max and Fang--they split up, with Max taking the girls to Europe, where they are held captive yet again. The only thing that keeps Max going is that, this time, she might finally meet her mother and father--but she still has to save the world. Max Ride's final flight is like a thrilling roller coaster ride with twists you'd never expect and a landing that can't be anything other than... perfect.

This book is the end in this particular trilogy. It wraps up what Max and her friends were trying to accomplish in the first two books, answering any questions left over by the first two books.

There isn’t much development character wise. We learn things about each of them that we may not have known before, but there isn’t anything surprisingly new with the characters, except for maybe the developing relationship between Fang and Max, which I absolutely adore.

The conclusion to the original book is pretty good in comparison to other books. The story does continue, though taking a different direction with the other books in the series that are basically stand alone novels.

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Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Release Date: October 18th, 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
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Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen.

This book was an intense read for me. I have never read a book that was about why someone committed suicide. The book makes the reader rethink how they treat people or how they judge people.

The characters were intensely real. The possible guilt could be seen on various characters as Clay encountered them after listening to tapes that Hannah left behind. Hannah was also realistic as the story behind her death comes out. It is easy to see how girls feel when things they cannot control happen and they get depressed.

The writing had a way of hooking the reader until they new every reason on those tapes. It was not an easy read, not because of the style but because of the content.

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In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by The Story Siren


Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog (Hardback/Delacorte/June 23rd, 2009)

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other.

But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Hardback/Margaret K. McElderry/March 25th, 2008)

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go -- especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil -- and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings -- and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling (Paperback/Amulet Books/May 1st, 2006)

The first volume, The Hunter's Moon, follows two cousins, Gwen and Findabhair, as they backpack around Ireland in search of the country's magical past. But the girls go too far when they dare to spend the night in a known fairy mound. Finn is stolen away by the dark king of Faerie to become his bride sacrifice to the Great Worm, or Hunter. It is up to timid Gwen to rescue her intrepid cousin, and she wonders if the task will be too much the first time she catches a glimpse of the Little People at play. "Gwen quaked inside. This wild abandon…was beyond anything she could imagine…Exquisite chaos." But with the help of a fairy doctress and her handsome grandson, Gwen assembles a rag tag team of heroes determined to bring Finn back -- even if it means the destruction of Faerie itself.

The Summer King by O.R. Melling (Paperback/Amulet Books/May 1st, 2006)

This second book in a series "shimmering with magic, myth, and romance" (Booklist), follows sixteen-year-old Laurel as she tries to understand the cause of her twin sister's mysterious death. Honor believed in Faerie, a parallel land of mischievous immortals. Laurel doesn't. That is, until the fairies come and ask her to take up her sister's failed quest to find the Summer King, a lord who can light the midsummer fire that keeps the two worlds, human and Faerie, cleaved. Laurel must decide to help those whose cause killed her sister, and, in the process, come to believe that there is still magic-and love-in the world.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr (Hardback/Harperteen/May 1st, 2008)

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.
Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.
The tattoo does bring changes; not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .

I haven't started reading last weeks yet, but my book appetite required me to have more.

Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever

Maximum Ride: School’s Out Forever by James Patterson

Release Date: September 1st, 2009
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 409
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Brave bird-kid Max and her flock fly south on a perilous quest to find their parents, after having rescued Angel and recovered secret documents about their origins. But just when they think they've finally escaped the hungry claws of evil Erasers, they're discovered by an FBI agent and forced to face perhaps an even worse nightmare: going to school. There's no such thing as an ordinary day when Max's "homework" includes decoding documents, deciphering when (and how) she's supposed to save the world, and learning to face what may be her greatest enemy: herself. A clone. Max II.

This sequel to The Angel Experiment did not leave me disappointed. It picked up right where the first one left off and was a great book.

The character relationships grew even more in this book, and it is even more evident why these bird-kids stick together instead of going off on their own. Even more twists are thrown at the reader as they try to figure out who the true enemy is in this book. There would be a moment of peace for the reader and the bird-kids until some new challenge was thrown at them.

This is definitely a series to keep one’s eyes on. It’s a new and original story written in an easy, fast pace way.

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Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Release Date: August 16th, 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 332
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St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school; it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's, the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigos, the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires make Lissa one of them forever.

After the final book in the Twilight Saga came out, I was thirsty (like many Twilight fans) for more books about Vampires. Scouring the local Barnes and Noble, I found this book and was tentative about buy it. In fact, I didn’t buy it until the third or fourth time of having picked it up. And I’m glad that I finally did.

The plot line is highly entertaining. It took the typical school setting and twisted it into a new world where these characters live. I love the true chemistry between Rose and Dimitri even though it’s forbidden. The typical bad boy character is somewhat new since Christian isn’t the ‘loner’ because of his own choices, but because of the opinions of his peers about his parents.

The overall story was great. I can’t wait for Blood Promise to come out.

Reviews for the other books coming soon.

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Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: September 1st, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 432
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Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I received an ARC of this book when a friend sent it to me in the mail after I started my blog. While it wasn’t from Suzanne Collins or Scholastic I was still super excited when I got this book. I have wanted to read this book since I finished reading The Hunger Games little less than a year ago.

Just like The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins threw twists and cliffhangers at the reader left and right. I read this book in one day, staying up until four a.m. simply having to know what happens to Katniss and Peeta. While some questions were answered, she threw out even more questions making the reader beg for an answer before the book is finished. Unfortunately, not all were answered before the book was concluded.

We get a deeper insight into Katniss and her feelings for both Peeta and Gale, which was a big question at the end of Hunger Games. We also see how the two boys respond to her when she comes to cope with her own feelings. We also get a deeper look into characters we thought we had already figured out completely, like Haymitch.

This book was not a disappointment at all. It reached the expectation that Hunger Games left me hunger for, if not excelling it even more. I cannot wait for the next and final book in the series.

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The Spell Book of Listen Taylor

The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty

Release Date: September 1st, 2007
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
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The Zing family lives in a world of misguided spell books, singular poetry, and state-of-the-art surveillance equipment. They use these things to protect the Zing Family Secret -- one so huge it draws the family to the garden shed for meetings every Friday night.

Into their world comes socially isolated middle grader Listen Taylor, whose father is dating a Zing. Enter Cath Murphy, a young teacher at the elementary school that Cassie Zing attends, suffering from a broken heart. How will the worlds of these two young woman connect? Only the reader can know!

I bought this book a couple months ago when the title of it caught my eye. My first thought that it was some book about witches, even the cover can give that suggestion. However, it was not about witches like Harry Potter was. It was completely different, and yet I was not disappointed.

The characters are completely relatable. I found myself knowing exactly how Listen was feeling as she dealt with the issues of losing friendship of girls she had been friends with her entire life. It was also comforting to watch her overcome the challenges put forth by the book. The other character Cath, helped add a little more purpose to the plot through the added mystery of how she relates to the Zings and Listen’s world.

This book was a fast read. It was fun and lively and it was cool how everything just came together in the end. Definitely a good book.
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