Mini-Reviews: Invasion of the Sequels

Love Match (The Academy #2), by Monica Seles
Publication: February 25, 2014, by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 224
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

Getting into The Academy is the easy part. Staying there takes more than just talent. After being betrayed by her rival and her boyfriend, Maya knows she needs to shrug off the drama and focus on her game. And after a strong showing in the semi-finals at a tennis competition, Maya seems pretty focused. Until that competition brings a new round of gossip, a modeling gig, and renewed feelings for . . . her ex?
And Maya’s not the only one with drama. Cleo just won her first big golf tournament, but the blogs are bashing her alternative style. Renee is smitten with the school’s newest soccer star, Diego. And the Reed brothers are being pitted against each other by their father, their love for Maya, and the press.

My Thoughts:

I guess that this is the perfect chick-lit, full-of-endless-drama for the past twelve-year-old me. I know it would have been. Don't get me wrong, this was a good book, it's just not everything I was looking for. After reading, Love Match seemed to be a book that I just read because A. I had to and B. It was for pleasure and I read the first book in The Academy series. Seles is an okay author who would've done better if she focused on more sports, less publicity and drama for the characters in the school.

This is like the most cliché sequel you can possibly think about. So from what I can remember from reading the first book a few years ago after it was released, it ended with something that broke the hearts of little girls, which I promise I won’t spoil. It’s kind of a book that you’ll spend wishing to be mended and to be perfect by the end. You want that closed ending from the duo logy (which I’m pretty sure this is). I hated the way it ended and it didn’t actually satisfy me as that perfect contemporary romance. It was all catty and bratty in a way. *sighs*

“So many sense memories filled her from their brief relationship, it was like they were transported back in time. They weren’t in the press box of a football stadium. They were on the couch in his place, the first time they’d kissed.” (145)

You see that cheesy romance stuff? Don’t we all want depth and real love? This seems like a Bachelor romance that’ll end in a few months, max. I always love relationships in books where I imagine the characters in love forever, you know?

It’s a book that you just want to scream “meh” at. Maya’s character was okay and still the same as I expected her to be. At least, she had a cute posse of friends who were always by her side.

Monica Seles has granted readers something that's no, not brilliantly written or unique in its own way. It's something that very few people will see perfection in, but it wasn't horrible for me to put it down or anything like that. It's more like one of those books you'll start before bed and finish before your eyes begin to sag. That's just my view on it.

                                

Battle Angel (Immortal City #3), by Scott Speer

Publication: August 28, 2014, by Razorbill

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Angels

Pages: 314

Format: Paperback

Source: Borrowed

Rating: 

/DNF

With Maddy torn between two loves, Guardian Jackson and heroic pilot Tom, and Angels and humans on the brink of an epic war, the Immortal City is more vulnerable than ever. And when demons descend upon Angel City with the intent to destroy, the humans don't stand a fighting chance without the Angels on their side. 
Will Jacks find the strength and forgiveness to enter the fray and fight the demons as a stronger-than-ever Battle Angel? Or has the damage been so great that the Guardians will set off for the next place, abandoning Angel City in its darkest hour?
It all comes down to love-wrecked half-Angel Maddy and the strength of her bond with Jackson in this game-changing, thrice-as-sultry series finale that blends beautiful themes of redemption and renewal with heart-pounding action scenes and jaw-dropping twists.

My Thoughts:

 DNF @ 100 pages

Hell no. I just can’t read this book. It’s most likely because my taste in books have changed and I’m so against paranormal-romances. There are only the few books that feature angels which I’m able to read, but I won’t take anything that doesn’t look very appeasing to me. Battle Angel was horrible. 

I just can’t take books that deal with those cheesy stories of the apocalypse and our “kick-butt” main character fighting the stupid demons that are coming out of the sewers. This is just a continuation of the trilogy that seriously isn’t needed, by the way. I just kept getting bored and it’s not that kind of read for me. And here I am, being the black sheep again where everyone is enjoying it excluding me. But I don’t care, because I knew that I wouldn’t enjoy it anyways. I actually was just curious to see how the series would end, because I liked it in the start, way back then.

Brace yourself for: awkward moments, slow pacing, boring stuff, unexplainable careless deaths for the characters, a not-so kick-ass main character, and a stuck-up angel who thinks he’s so hot. It’s a worse repetition of the first two novels bonded together. Definitely not for me. I want to seriously forget about it, hah.

I can’t even bear to write this review because I feel like throwing my library copy of this out of the window. It’s a boring, weird book that’s just not for me. At the moment, I don’t even care what the ending was. I’ll just find some spoiler review and read about it, but I’m already pretty sure that it’s super predictable, just like I expected it to be. Go for this at your own risk, but I bet that it won’t be for everyone. 

JOKES.

Do you find yourself getting second-book syndrome quite often? What series has given you that?

Angelfall by Susan Ee Review

Angelfall (Penryn and the End of Days #1), by Susan Ee
Publication: May 23, 2013, by Hodder and Stoughton
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Romance, Paranormal
Pages: 326
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted
Rating: 

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. 
Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. 
When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

Hype, especially looking at it these days is such a big thing. I find that I always get so excited to read a book that everyone's raving about and I won't stop being so anxious until I actually go for it. And actually, Angelfall really showed me that hype isn't always correct and every book isn't for everyone.

Dystopians and science-fictions can be so mainstream and overly used all the time. The same concepts can be found all over the place, no matter what letter of the alphabet you begin to search the book under. For once, an author has given us a new experience that I haven't been in before. The uniqueness and diversity that I saw throughout this novel was stupendous, and I definitely wouldn't give away my experience for anything else, though there were some weaknesses. Angels in an apocalypse who are destroying the world? That's pretty awesome, and it's not like the end of the world is happening in one short day—it goes longer than that, and it's just something that's taking some time to progress and become new.

Okay, I admit that I wasn't ready for a big catastrophic boom where everything went out of hand, to be honest. Ee's pacing was slow, but I can tell you that it worked for this novel, and it all began when the apocalypse of angels (not zombies, thank goodness) has hit the Earth and all that there's left are sore survivors and killers... some who are even transforming into a pure cannibal. Everyone sees that it's best and the most productive to work and run away at night where the gangs have a lesser chance to beat people up. Penryn is a hard-working girl who's always there for her mother and sister, and she knows that she's have to find them when her sister is taken away by the angels... right into the sky. Little does she know that she will fall in love.

Fall in loooooveeeee with Raffeeeeeeeeeee.... I can't even tell you that that's some kind of spoiler because we all saw that coming, why can we even go on with this review any longer if you're against this? Yeah, they were adorable *makes googly eyes* but um, I hadn't fell for the predictability. I then kept questioning if this is a novel that is made for those who hadn't ever given a book like this a chance before. And hey, we have angels with wicked names and like Gabriel. Every 'angelic' novel has to base its concept and form out of the real religious allegorical stuff, I tell you.

"I have the absurd impulse to apologize. What, exactly, am I sorry for? That his people have attacked our world and destroyed it? That they are so brutal as to cut off the wings of one of their own and leave him to be torn apart by the native savages? If we are such savages, it is only because they have made us so. So I am not sorry, I remind myself."

If you look at the three quotes in total that I have pulled out of this story, you'll surely see that they're all found out in the first half of the novel. And that first half was the good half. I probably would've given it a 4 star rating if the rest of the book remained the same way, but then it got worse as the pacing went on and the plot kept on going. What I thought would happen and would progress went the opposite, but I wasn't impressed at all.

The ending sucked, the rescue of Paige that we all saw coming sucked, and the writing didn't seem to interest me at all. This all happened in the second half of the novel, and throughout it all, I felt like I was walking around, slumped and destroyed by the aftermath of it all, just like someone who is certainly not a morning person. This wasn't my cup of tea, I must proclaim.

For the happiness of this book, I must say that these were a bunch of good characters. Ee created a strong protagonist, who was kick-ass and wasn't afraid to speak her word and fight evil, especially as this series is even about Penryn and the end of her days, and I just loved her fighting and the love she had for her sister and her mother. Yeah, her mother was a little crazy as she saw things with the devil that Penryn hadn't, but she was hilarious and I liked the humour Ee added in to it all, and you can absolutely tell that she's a witty person, probably even in reality. I wish that I saw more happiness in her writing, or this would've been a better situation for the bunch of us here.

"There's no denying that this is the real deal, though. Men with wings. Angels of the Apocalypse. Supernatural beings who've pulverized the modern world and killed millions, maybe even billions, of people. And here's one of the horrors, right in front of me."

One of the most fantastic (and sexiest) things about this book was the chemistry between Pen and Raffe. They both were so adorable, and I loved how quickly they played hard-to-get although they both were in love with each other from the moment when Penryn saved him from the evil that his own world has brought to him. AND MAN, THAT CLUB SEEN THOUGH WHERE HE TOLD THE OTHER GROSS CHICK TO LEAVE—that was something special, and Susan Ee just knows how to get it completely right.

Thinking about the aftermath of this dystopia, I can tell you that it was written in a well form, but I missed some of the important stuff as it wasn't clear to me. I can't tell what else was missing, but the plot was a big disaster in the end. Yes, we've definitely got a great world-setting, concept and characters, but I can tell you that this surely isn't one of my favourites, or even close to one of the good dystopians I've ever read. The hype that everyone sees is clear, but this book really wasn't for me compared as it was for others. You'll absolutely enjoy this either way, but the action is what everyone'll go for, just make sure you remember who is who!

What's one of the best angel books you've read?

Everafter by Elizabeth Chandler Review

Everafter (Kissed by an Angel #6), by Elizabeth Chandler
Publication: March 19, 2013, by Simon Pulse
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Angels
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

The sweeping saga of Ivy and Tristan comes to a breathtaking conclusion in this final book of the all-new arc in the New York Times bestselling Kissed by an Angel series.
It seems the odds are forever against Ivy and her fallen angel. Tristan is still trapped in the body of an accused murderer, and as the two star-crossed lovers try to clear his name, they must battle the dark forces that would keep them apart and destroy them both. The danger is especially great for Tristan since, as a fallen angel, death would mean losing his soul. It's up to Ivy to save the one she loves and, hopefully, find a way for the two of them to be together for all eternity. 

That ending... sucked. This book honestly would've been much better if it ended differently. I am lost without words because that was so horrible. If the last 50 pages were different, I guess I would've given this a higher rating, and that's what everyone else is saying. Elizabeth Chandler disappointed me with this ending compared to the way the other books in this series were going, and this was a total bombshell where my heart is still panting, wondering what the heck that was itself.

You see, books that are found in a huge series (like this one) are usually all continuous and such. This was, and the plot picked up and off from where the fifth book left us off. I'm not going to spoil anything or add some freaky signs and bolded letters to let you know to not read this, but this final novel was too cliché for my liking. You can simply predict what's going to happen in the end, though people have noted that some heavy tears were involved to finish off the 'binge reading' that they have done to finish Tristan and Ivy's legacy off completely. After the event in the fifth book (which I haven't read but actually only read the summary of) where Tristan is captured into the body of a murderer, everyone's trying to free him and make him be with Ivy again, where at least that's what we're all hoping for.

Let me just note to you that the plot throughout this whole book was horrible. Everything was so rushed and predictable. Am I honestly going to have to witness such nonsense and such an impossible romance? Why should I even waste my time, you're asking. With the way this ending turned out after six novels, I am honestly feeling that I'm bound to face palm myself over and over again as this was complete nonsense and weirdness. The concept of this hasn't changed at all and the only theme that keeps on turning out at me seems to be, "Love is impossible, and this stuff only happens in fictional book worlds." Huh, you're saying. 

After my babbling and raging, as you're probably thinking, you're asking, what was the good and positive aspect of this novel? That was completely the characters and romance, though it was impossible in reality, here on the real Planet Earth. Tristan and Ivy have some kind of bond that gets readers to only wish and hope for happiness and awesomeness in the future for them. When they peer at each other or kiss or do something cute, my heart flips upside down and all the way back around. TRISTAN IS HOT AND UGH HE LOVES IVY SO MUCH. But the fact that he's an angel is so cliché and I've got enough of this paranormal genre. :(

You see, Ivy seems to be a character slash protagonist who seems like she cares about the people around her, and then there are other times when she looks like she couldn't care less. I'm not sure if Chandler is trying to do this on purpose to get us to wonder more about her and give us more curiosity... or is it just like that. *laughs* 

I guess that if you enjoyed (really enjoyed) the other books in this series by Chandler, then you will adore this one as well. And of course, if you're a strong and hard shipper of Trivy (cute ship name, huh?) then you will go even more crazy. I guess it simply depends on the person and the kind of endings you enjoy and crave for. This was boring and not for me, though there's a large chance that you will find this the perfect read and finish-off for you.

Mercy, by Rebecca Lim

Mercy (Mercy #1), by Rebecca Lim

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Angels, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Publication: October 28, 2010, by HarperCollins Children

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)





Goodreads Summary: Mercy doesn't realise it yet, but as she journeys into the darkest places of the human soul, she discovers that she is one of the celestial hosts exiled with fallen angel Lucifer. Now she must atone for taking his side. To find her own way back to heaven, Mercy must help a series of humans in crisis.

Review:


  After reading this book, I have come to realize that getting book recommendations from people shouldn't be 100% trusted. One of the reasons that I picked up this book was because someone at my local library recommended it to me, having me be a YA reader. I read the summary, trusted her word, and took it out, despite the fact that it kind of reminded me of David Levithan's Every Day. And there you have it, I didn't like this book at all.

    "I am my worst enemy; that much I've figured out." 

    The concept and confusion was the thing that worsened the book the far most. During most of the book, I was like:

      And then I was like:

        Because I honestly thought that it was just me who was confused. But then I read other reviews and turns out I wasn't the only one hating this book by page 100. But I guess you could say that the romance kept me going. It was like the only good part of the book, next to the characters. The author made it so difficult to understand the world and what was going on and who Mercy really was. It was all mumbo-jumbo, and reading this was like trying to understand a language that you've never heard of before. I don't recommend this if you're the easy-to-confuse type.

        Mercy is a fallen angel who takes places of different humans for days to come. When she meets Ryan, a lover of the girl who's body she is currently taking over, her whole life changes forever. She needs to find her way back to heaven, so in exchange, she helps out different humans.

        So you must be rolling your eyes. *rolls eyes and sighs* But the thing is, I was once earlier intrigued with this summary and idea. So don't be laughing at me. ;) As I began reading this book, I realized how unoriginal the concept really was. David Levithan, are you there? Here's a total recap of your book with a minor twist added to it. Yes, angels. *bawls in corner*

        Originality is such an important key in writing a book. There are a lot of people out there who have read many of books (such as myself) and if you write a book that is unoriginal, we will catch the mistake and will realize it. It's not the first, or second time that we've seen something like this. ._. Meh.

         So because of the major confusion during the whole book, I didn't really enjoy the plot either. I didn't know what was going on. The concept of mystery added to it was just pointless and boring. I was majorly boring throughout and having Mercy as a detective isn't the best idea either. What is she, the next Nancy Drew angel sleuth? Naw.

        Speaking of Mercy, as a character, she wasn't too bad. Compared to other protagonists in very low rated books of mine, she's pretty good. She wasn't horrible, but she had her dull moments where she deserved a slap in the face. But don't all protagonists do? *creepy grin*

       

          My utterly most favourite thing about this book was Ryan. I LOVED THIS GUY SO MUCH. Like from when he was brought into the book, I felt a connection to him and we had an insta-love relationship! *squeals* But if you know me, you'll know that I have this insta-love connection with most fictional men.

          The romance between Ryan and Mercy was just utterly cryptic but stupendous at the same time. Ryan accepted Mercy for who she was and they loved each other like hell. You could instantly tell. 

           But those were the only two positives. Everything else really disappointed and I expected much better. If you're looking for a good unique read, then I'd recommend staying away from this one. It's boring, confusing, and totally not worth it. 

U is for Unearthly

     Rise and shine, or should I say, bring those haloes up! Because today, is a tribute to another awesome author, Cynthia Hand, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Unearthly. 

      Title: Unearthly
      Author: Cynthia Hand
      Rating: 5/5 stars
      Release Date: January 4, 2011
      Publisher: HarperTeen
      Age Group: Anyone!


   Okay, so you may ask in your head, what is "Unearthly" about? Well in one word, angels. But, since I'm this obsessed and that nice, I'll give you a brief summary, since I love you all, and blogging is my passion.

      Clara Gardner's life isn't what she'd like it to be. Her single mother brings her and her brother all the way across the country to live, and not only that, she discovers that she's part angel, and she has a purpose to live by, a reason that she's put on this earth for. 

    As Clara's fitting into her new town, she starts to have vivid nightmares, of a deep fire blazing in a nearby forest. And, a guy she met, Christian, seems to be sneaky and into her.

    Love, revenge, thrill, and action, Unearthly brings its readers to their full attention, wanting more. 

   Ahh... Unearthly was just... a piece of perfection for all, and I mean that sincerely!

   The characters, romance, and thrill was just amazing, including the plot!

   TEAM CHRISTIAN ALL THE WAY!

QOTD: If you found out that you were were a supernatural creature, or had superpowers, how would you react, and what would you wish to be?

*I'd be a Shadowhunter!*