Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 17th January 2012
Find on: Amazon. Goodreads

Quick Review: For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to "Unearthly," Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

Detailed Review: The fire was just the beginning. True. This book was as unpredictable and surprising as its predecessor. It literally dragged me in. The story was fantastic.

  The story starts with another vision. A funeral. Whose? Well, at first, the only thing she noticed was Tucker was missing. So yeah...

   But... I noticed this before Clara did. Her mother wasn't there. So? Yep, you got it. It was her mother's funeral. Why? Angel-bloods only live for 120 years, a fact that Clara found out from her best friend Angela, one which she didn't dare accept. 

   Matters seemed to get more worse from there. Her mother's still keeping a secret from Clara. And soon she finds out what is is and what it means: Her father is an Intangere, that means a full-blooded angel. Shocking. And her status from quarter-angel, Quartarius seems to change at once to three-quarters angel, more angel than human, a Triplare. 

   Also, though she still loves Tucker dearly, things seem to go out of control. Such as, why does she feel connected to Christian somehow, and why were they destined to be together? 

   A Black Wing is also tailing Clara everywhere she goes. There's something that's mysterious about her that attracts him. He wants to know what it is. 

   This is not yet the end. There are worse things to come. 

   Jeffrey, Clara's younger brother, who seemed so laid-back actually had a purpose the same time as Clara got hers. Here's the catch: JEFFREY WAS ACTUALLY THE ONE WHO SET THE PALISADES ON FIRE.  And on the day of the fire, he was supposed to rescue TUCKER. So it leaves one deduction: Clara just ruined everything for her brother, Christian and herself. They didn't fulfill their purposes.

   Now this is the end. All the questions are answered, right? Wrong. There's a third book coming, called Boundless and I can't wait to read it.

Brief Review: This was a complex storyline that left me light-headed. I was absolutely gasping for breath at the end of this story. A worthwhile read. So don't miss it!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'

Your Reviewer:

Waiting on Wednesday: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by us, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Release Date: 23rd October 2012

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can’t.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren’t.

She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She’s wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

This book is just weeks away from the bookstores and we just can't wait! It's just this very description that gets all of us tensed. Right? Well, some credits of course go to the cover, but I just can't wait to find out more about Mara, especially in a world where she's waist deep-in her own and her lover's secrets. So, no need to say, this is a must-read. Remember to read the first book!

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 4th January 2011
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Detailed Review: This book had that page-turning effect on me when I first read it. I had to stop my hands from opening the book when I was asleep at night because I just had to know what happened next. In the last few chapters, it's like the whole thing I knew come slamming back in my face telling me that I'm wrong. 

   Clara Gardner is not entirely human. She's a Quartarius, a quarter-angel. Her mother's a Dimidius, a half-angel. One morning, when Clara receives her vision, which appeared to be her purpose. After that, her whole life changed. She has to leave her normal life in California, which she definitely didn't see coming. The boy in her visions, Christian lives in Jackson, so it's there she goes.

   Just what her purpose is to be, she doesn't know. Every time she gets the same vision, she feels waves of sorrow which she doesn't understand. As she gets to know Christian, who studies in Jackson Hole High School with Clara, she gets pulled deeper into her purpose and into the world of angels. There she meets another angel-blood, Angela Zerbino, a Dimidius, and she learns more than her mother has ever let her know. Things that she hasn't been told before comes tumbling from Angela. 

   Wendy, Clara's best friend has her annoying twin brother, Tucker become Clara's tour guide around the country that she knows little of as her birthday present and soon sparks start to fly. Unconsciously, she starts to fall in love with Tucker.

   Which is very BAD.

   He's a distraction after all. Since her focus point is supposed to be Christian

   In the end, what happens is a painful choice she must make. She has to choose between the one she loves and the one she has to save. 

   If not, who knows what will happen?

   Two fires, two boys, and ONE choice.

   The difference?

   Christian is an angel-blood. Tucker is human. 

   What happens after that are questions that can only be answered in the next book, Hallowed.

   This book was completely unpredictable and that was what made it so entertaining. I'm definitely going to read the sequel!

   Brief Review: This book was completely amazing in many ways. It's definitely one of the best angel books I've read in a long time. I like how the characters are portrayed by the author and how she can manipulate the plot so well. This book is full of surprises that will jump at you when you turn to the next page! One point to Cynthia Hand!

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'

Your Reviewer: 

   

Waiting on Wednesday: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

                                                        

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by us, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: 6th November 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

Oh my God! Look at that cover. It's the best one we've ever seen. It's even better than Daughter of Smoke and Bone! We totally love the make-up and that girl is definitely Karou. I even took a deep breath the first time we saw it. Okay, enough fuss over the cover. The STORY. We just can't wait when everything about Karou is revealed in the pages of this book and the rest of the characters. So, this is definitely one book you must buy when you see it in the bookstore.

*You need to read the first book, Daughter and Smoke and Bone before reading this book. You can go and view the review for the first book on this website.

Review: Vanquished by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Title: Vanquished
Author(s): Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: Following the “globetrotting supernatural adventure” (Publishers Weekly) of Damned, the riveting conclusion to the Crusade trilogy pushes the power of love to its limits.

Hope is in short supply, but courage runs deep as the Salamancan hunters recover from a devastating loss. Jenn knows she must rally her team against the Cursed Ones, but her focus is shattered. She’s torn between passion for Antonio, who once fought by her side, and hate for the bloodthirsty vampire he’s become. His volatility is tearing apart their team...and Jenn’s trust.

As the Cursed Ones amass new strength, Team Salamanca must strike together if they hope to survive, let alone defend humanity. Jenn wants to believe Antonio’s loyal to their cause—and their love—but she’s slowly losing her heart to Resistance fighter Noah. And if Antonio’s not careful, he may just end up with a stake in his.

This gripping conclusion to an epic trilogy pairs steamy romance with heart-stopping action, and delivers an ending as dramatic as it is unexpected.

Detailed Review: * Start of the book, I was completely hooked! The book is split off with Team Salamanca and other characters from the book.

BOOK ONE - It starts off with Skye, a White Witch who has been captured by her ex, Estefan who is a Dark Witch. She convinces him by using memories of Holgar, the Danish werewolf and her. And next thing you know, Estefan goes crazy... He was totally jealous and Skye got away. Met her family, done that. But the saddest thing is that Skye's family threw her out! I mean, how can you treat your daughter like that eventhough she broke all the rules especially the worst one! I mean...! Any way Skye tries to find a way as she meets another Witch Coven where they took her in. 

In the meantime with Team Salamanca, Jenn and her teammates gear up. They decide to split up and at the same time Jenn and Antonio can't seem to look at each other. I was completely disappointed because I was like 'What are you doing? You've only a few minutes or even seconds to live, and your not even talking to each other?!?' I was practically jumping around the room as the story continues and one of the teammates called Jamie, an Irishman finds Skye. They are soon reunited. 

At the same time, Jenn, Antonio and Holgar have gone to a place hidden away. Holgar meets other werewolves who are trying to kill them. Following into a scene where Antonio is draining Jenn's blood. Aha! Antonio's a vampire. 

'"Hey!" he shouted, because he shouldn't call out their names. "Hey!" 

There was no answer. He tried the latch. It was locked. He pounded once, then threw himself against the door as hard as he could. No good; he tried again. This time it gave. 

He burst across the threshold to find Antonio with his fangs sunk into Jenn's neck. She was struggling against him, but he had both her hands in one of his, stretched above her head. 

So much blood. Dear God, Jenn-

With a roar he tackled Antonio, and they rolled together away from Jenn. Holgar hit Antonio in the face as hard as he could, then whirled around, scooped up Jenn in his arms, and bolted for the doorway into the sunlight. The blessed sunlight.'

BOOK TWO - I felt really excited. Now, the real start was beginning. We find Noah, a teammate who went to a secret place, which was not so secret and met Michael Sherman, a scientist but now a vampire who has still kept his goodness eventhough he says he hasn't. The story was completely fluid, easy to read eventhough the characters were jumping about. The scientist confronts that he made an airborne virus that can kill vamps. 

Noah leaves. 

During the book, it also shifts to Aurora, the soon to be vampire queen with her sire. A sire is someone who made you a vampire and her sire is called LUCIFER! I thought Lucifer was the devil but instead he was actually a vampire. Back to Jamie and Skye, they have a run in with Estefan all over again. 

'The room around Skye and Jamie erupted in flames. Beneath her feet Skye could hear the startled screams of the other patrons of the inn as fire engulfed the entire building in one blinding moment. 

"Where are they?" Jamie roared, his voice barely audible over the crack and whoosh of the flames. 

They were trapped with no way out. Once more Estefan was calling the shots, herding them in the direction he wanted to go. 

And this time he was killing innocent people. People Skye realized she couldn't save. She grabbed hold of Jamie's arm and yanked him toward the window. Before they reached it, she lifted her other hand and exploded the glass outward. She shoved Jamie halfway through it. 

"We can't jump. It's four stories down!" he shouted. 

An explosion rocked the ground, and she could feel the floorboards starting to give way beneath them. Heat and smoke rushed up toward them both. 

"No choice!" She screamed. She hit him low, hard enough to throw him off balance and to send him toppling through the window with a shout of terror.'

So... Antonio tries to push his hunger away and he meets Jenn again! 

BOOK THREE - Antonio gets captured. 

Jenn's worried out of her mind. 

Noah's falling in love with Jenn and dying in the end, thinking about his wife. 

Holgar learns how to shift on his own.

They have the FINAL BATTLE. Guess what? 

Jenn's sister, Heather, the girl who became a vampire, she killed Aurora and became the new vampire queen but was killed by her own FATHER! Poor guy. He had to kill his own evil daughter yet he too was ruining the world with another vampire called Soloman. Antonio finally escapes and meets Dr. Sherman, who tells him about the virus. Antonio quickly finds the battle and Jenn is dying. 

They help her and Antonio drinks some kind of elixir and survives the virus! He became HUMAN. Happily ever after, Jenn and Antonio marries secretly and then Skye and Holgar marry next!!!! I was so happy! I can't believe Antonio became human. In the meantime, we learn about Father Juan's secret. 

Father Juan is Saint John of The Cross. He gets reborn if there is terrible trouble in the world. I couldn't believe it at first but it finally made sense so yeah...

'"That's true," Jenn said, as Antonio brought here something to drink. Antonio, in the sunlight. Jamie was floored. He'd never dreamed he'd see such a thing. He couldn't help his lopsided grin. It was hard to stay sour when there was so much happiness in the air.'

Brief Review: 'Start, ending? I love it ALL. I was hooked on the book, it's fluid changes and the characters! Jenn was my favourite. She was a fighter and a solid gold heart even with the shadows lurking inside of her. Now to add to my all-time favourites.'

My Rating: 5/5  'Totally Amazing!'

Your Reviewer: 

*Don't forget to read the first two books if you don't understand this*

TGIF - Feature and Follow Friday #114

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
What hyped up book do you think was not worth all the talk?

Actually there's not much to say except... I think it's... Twilight. Don't know why, just do.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: February 1st 1999
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

Detailed Review: I was plunged into this boy's chaotic life when I read the first page. Although I knew that I wasn't really going to like it, I still gave a go at it. But here's the thing: I loved it! It just gave me a reflection of what 'growing up' had been like. The book was so short but it formed one powerful story.

   You may not know who he's writing to, but there's one thing I know, the person who receives the letters are  going to read it from the first to the last one without stopping. Because that's what I did. 
  
  A boy who still loves and misses his dead Aunt Harriet is caught between romances and a unique relationship between his English teacher. As he makes new friends and learns what life actually is, he learns to accept it, in the end. 

   He may be a bit insane and have to go for counselling sometimes but he's gotten a taste of life, which is what some teenagers live.

   In his letters, Charlie gives you a brief account of what he's been through and what he's feeling caught in the wave of what is called life.

*There's even a movie made from this book! So you must read it. Or watch it.

Brief Review: A break from all the fantasy I've been reading, which proved worth it. In this short novel, one gets a taste of life, which can be bitter or a combination of different tastes and sensations. I got tearful in the end. (It's funny how I'm so vulnerable to characters in a book!).This 'coming of age' novel will certainly leave you feeling like me in the end.

 Final Rating: 5/5 'Absolutely Amazing"










Your Reviewer:


   

Waiting on Wednesday: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by US, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Requiem
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: March 5th 2013
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. Of Pandemonium, ALA Booklist noted that “like all successful second volumes, this expands the world and ups the stakes, setting us up for the big finale.”

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

We are big fans of Lauren Oliver, especially of her Delirium trilogy! After reading this description above and finding out that Hana and Lena are going to meet again, we really wanted the book so much! After reading Hana, we didn't believe that she would appear in any of the books again. Also who would Lena choose: Julian or Alex? You'll find out when you read this book, which I hope you do!

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: October 25th 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last.

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

Detailed Review: I confess that the book was quite boring at first, but after that, things started to build up into one big and amazing ending. When Samantha Kingston realize what really the purpose was for reliving her last day again, I almost cried. ALMOST. I am definitely not a crybaby.

   Day one: Sam is nervous and excited because it's Cupid day and it's going to be her BIG day. She and her boyfriend Rob Crokan are going to do it that night. But before that, she has to go to a party which her ex-best friend and the boy who has a major crush on her, Kent Mcfuller has held. It was there that Sam and her friends met Juliet Sykes, whom they nicknamed Psycho, for some unknown reason. She tells them that they're bitches and Lindsay, Sam's friend shoves Juliet and a game of push-and-wet-the-victim-with-beer starts. Sam is the last to push Juliet and she felt strange when the girl had come towards her. After that, Juliet ran out of the doorway. In the end, Sam and her friends got winded up in a car accident after they left the party. Everything went black.

   Day two: Pretty much the same happens like the day one. Sam realized that she's reliving her last day again. I got bored at this part.

   Day three: Here, everything started to change. This time, she wants to save her own life and her friends' life. So they didn't go to Kent's party and ended up having a sleepover in one of Sam's best friends, Ally's house. As Sam waited for the time that would supposedly mark her death, she feels a sense of loss of time and then it passes. It was past the time when she and her friends had the accident two nights before. But this didn't mean that everything was ok again, because a phone call came bringing news of-you wouldn't believe it- Juliet Sykes dead, who'd commited suicide. After that, Sam, occupied with her own questions and also with a sense of dread. In a basement, Sam finds out that Lindsay and Juliet used to be best friends. The day ends a few minutes later.

   Day four: Sam has a fight with Lindsay. That pretty much sums it all. Oh and she and Rob tried to do IT in Kent's bedroom in the party. Yes she went to the party again. And she ends up sleeping in Kent's bedroom with the owner beside her. Sweet.

   Day five: Everything's normal again. But Sam doesn't go to school. Instead, she brings her little sister Izzy to one place she'd been to when she was small and had run away, Goose Point. After that, Sam has dinner with her family in a restaurant and coincidentally Sam saw Juliet's little sister in the restaurant with her friends. After, when they went home, Sam creeped out of her house and went to find Juliet, for some unknown reason. When Juliet's not at home, she decided to go to the party to find her. She finds Juliet outside Kent's house and you wouldn't believe it. Juliet flung herself at the car which turned out to be Lindsay's and she DIED. Elody was also the same, who was seated at the passenger seat and had gotten the most damage, the seat which Sam was supposed to occupy. Sam ends up with Kent and he kissed her! The end.

   Day six: A bouquet of roses to Juliet Sykes with a note, saying 'FROM YOUR SECRET ADMIRER'. This was from Sam. But somehow Juliet had gotten the wrong gist of it and accused Sam and her friends for taunting her. In a bathroom in Kent's party, Juliet tells the story of how she Lindsay had been best friends and why Lindsay had suddenly left her. In the end though, Juliet still died. Surprise. But she wasn't killed by Lindsay's car, but by two passing vans. In the end, Sam's in Kent's room again and they ended up kissing each other. Nice.

   Day seven, the ultimatum: A rose to Juliet saying 'It's never too late'. Hooray! This time Juliet's not angry anymore but hopeful. Sam meets Juliet outside and this time she does what's right. Read this:

In that split second she's launched herself into the road, but she looks back, startled, recognition lighting up her eyes. Then I'm hurtling out behind her. I slam into her back and she goes shooting forward, rolling toward the opposite shoulder, just as two vans converge, about to pass each other.There's a furious high whine and someone- more that one person?- and screams my name and a feeling of heat all through my body and the sensation of being lifted, thrown,, by a huge hand, a giant's hand; the earth revolves, turns upside down and sideways and then a fog of darkness eats up the edges of the earth, turning everything to dream. 

Sad isn't it? That's the reason why you should read it.

Brief Review: 'This book was not a disappointment in the end. This book gives you a view when a perfect life converges into an imperfect one. And when fate  decides to twine the most unexpected people together. Lauren Oliver delivers a good debut that would touch one's inner soul.'

Final rating: 4/5 'Really liked it'

Your reviewer:

Review: Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed In Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: August 30th 2011
Find On: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: 'Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...'

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead. 

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinaOkry: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Detailed Review: Ok first off, this book was absolutely a fun and an exciting read as well as unusual. I always loved ghost stories but this is totally new spin of ghost hunters/creepy killers. This story is told by 'Cas' who is known as Theseus Cassio Lowood. He is a boy who avenges his father by taking his legacy of wielding a knife that is able to kill ghosts. Like the blurb says, his Mum is seriously a witch who brews stuff in the middle of the kitchen and a ghost sniffing cat. It starts off where Cas has decided to hunt a ghost which is a hitchhiker. It's main goal is to keep you from getting home. 

Cas picks him up and they swerve out of control as a bridge starts coming closer and closer. Then when he killed the hitchhiker. Followed up, Cas and his unusual family goes to a town called Thunderbird where they hear about a ghost called 'Anna Dressed In Blood'. Voila! The ultimate ghost is awaiting Cassio. And meeting a telepathic kid named Thomas. 

'But there somewhere out there is one that matters. Somewhere out there is the one that I came for, who is strong enough to squeeze the breath out of living throats. 

I think of her again. Anna. Anna Dressed In Blood. I wonder what tricks she'll try. I wonder if she'll be clever. Will she float? Will she laugh or scream? 

How will she try to kill me?' 

But guess what? Typically cut short, Cas befriends the most popular girl, Carmel  for info. There he meets other students like Mike, Will and Chase who are all typical jocks. Cas then gets juicy info out them by spending time at a party about Anna. They decide to take some time off at Anna's house and sooner then later Mike gets ripped up by Anna HERSELF! I couldn't believe how horrible Mike got hit!

'She sets him on his feet. He's bleeding from cuts on his face and hands. He takes one step backward. Anna bares her teeth. I hear my voice coming from somewhere else, telling her to stop or just screaming, and Mike doesn't have any time to scream before she thrusts her hands into his chest, tearing through skin and muscle. She pushes her arms out to the sides, like she's forcing her way through a closing door, and Mike Andover is torn in half. Both halves fall to their knees, jerking and skittering like insect parts.'

I mean how disgusting can that be? Mike in a pile of his torn-up body. Luckily Thomas pulled Cas out just in time. Then the real adventure begins where Carmel learns who Cas really is. A ghost hunter like his Dad. Thomas soon joins the group after the event and helps Cassio with his hunt for Anna. The next few days he has horrible nightmares about a creature standing over him while he sleeps. He feels incredibly disturbed until one morning he decides to go Anna. 

There he starts falling in love with her! And- the scene breaks apart as Carmel interrupts their conversation. I thought Anna was WOW. She has a different side to her. A soft one and her horrible screeching tearing apart human self. She chases them out. 

Guess what? Carmel and Thomas happens next. I mean, they fall in love! Okkk..., double dates. Dead girl + Hunter = who knows? But anyway they try to figure out how to kill Anna and instead helped her. The dress she was wearing is actually something to keep her inside of the house forever. Until Cas helps her by changing the dress and also meeting the mysterious creature standing over his bed. The creature is called an Obeahman which eats flesh to become stronger. 

There Cas and Obeahman have a final stand off. Instead Anna saved Cas butt as she dragged the Obeahman to Hell, leaving Cas completely sad and happy. One because Anna's gone. Two, she's free...or so he thought. But I love the characters. They were amazingly written and Cas's narrative flowed so easily, I already loved it from the start. I was kinda happy when Anna dragged the Obeahman away everyone. I mean, he was creepy. Imagine this guy eating his or her flesh of someone you knew! 

Yuck. But I loved the end. 

'"Where-" he starts, and looks at me carefully, trying to be delicate. "Where do you think she went?"

I look at my friend Thomas, at his sincere, earnest face. "I don't know," I say softly. There must be a devilish glint in my eye. "Maybe you and Carmel can help me figure it out."

Yet it's not the end.

Brief Review: 'Anna Dressed In Blood was amazingly written and unstoppable. As I read the book, I couldn't stop putting it down even for a minute! I was completely engrossed in this story. Cas was easy-going and a non-stop believer, he was a great character from the start till the end. I can't wait for more!' 

My Rating: 4/5   'Really Liked It'

Your Reviewer: 

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Title: Incarceron
Author: Catherine Fisher
Publisher: Firebird
Release Date: February 28th 2011 (first published May 3rd 2007)
Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

Quick Review: Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here. Although he has no memory of his childhood, he is sure he came from Outside. His link to the Outside, his chance to break free, is Claudia, the warden's daughter, herself determined to escape an arranged marriage. They are up against impossible odds, but one thing looms above all: Incarceron itself is alive . . .

Detailed Review: To mention this, this book has won many literary awards and I could see why after I read this book.

First of all, that cover. The key of Sapphique. When I saw that cover, I just wanted to read it straight away but unfortunately I couldn't lunge straight to it as I still had work to do. But when I did read it, I knew I'd made the right choice. 

  The book tells the story of how Incarceron was made, how it wasn't meant to be just a prison but a civilized 'world' where they didn't need to depend on the Outside. And only one man has ever escaped from it: Sapphique. But, slowly the place started to deteriorate until what we have now, until it has become the place that Finn now lives in.

   Claudia, the Warden's daughter is about to me married of to a prince that she doesn't love and doesn't even like. She finds the key of  Incarceron in her father the Warden's study when she got curious and unexpectedly met Finn through the key, which Finn also has in Incarceron.

   Although Finn was told by everyone, including his oath brother Keiro that he was cell-born, he held on to the hope that he actually came from Outside and someone was looking for him.

   Slowly, both of them got to know each other through the key and Claudia is convinced that Finn is the prince charming which she'd known when she was ten years old and was supposed to marry Finn.

   As Claudia desperately tries to think of a way to get into the prison, which she does.

   When both Finn and Claudia meet, they are plunged into an adventure that none has ever experienced: because of one thing: 

   Incarceron is alive.

   *The rest you'll have to read for yourself.

   Just because of that one fact I fell in love with the book. The idea of a live prison got me thrilled and I just loved Catherine Fisher's way of writing. The way each word were phrased gave me a sense of being in the book.

Brief review: My heart exploded after I read this book! Anyone who reads this book must love it! If not... you'll find a death note stuck on your door the next morning after you read this. I have my ways.

 My rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'

Your reviewer: