Shattered Dreams

Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special. She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late.

Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen.

But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario.

Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues while searching for Jessica, including the surprising romance she finds with Chase, or the shocking truths she learns, not just about the girl who has gone missing, but the past that has been hidden from her. (from Goodreads)

So I didn't quite get this book. There were a ton of different little plots, and I didn't really figure out which one was the main plot. 

The book was creepy, to put it simply. There was a lot of talk about disappearing girls and psychopaths. 

It reminded me a bit of Darker Still, the way the plot was just meshed together with a bunch of random things that didn't really have any correlation. 

There were also a few characters who just showed up randomly. Bethany, Jessica's sister, didn't really do anything. I would have liked it if she had more of a role in the book; her emotions could have been shown a lot more. 

But this book did keep me up reading until I finished it, even if I was counting the pages until it was done.

The romantic aspect of this book didn't bother me. I think it was because Chase and Trinity had done stuff before the book started, so the romance wasn't instant. But Chase was sort of stalkerish - he investigated along with Trinity and everything, but it was never really explained why. So some more clarification would have been nice.

There wasn't really an explanation of why this was a 'midnight dragonfly' novel. As a matter of fact, there wasn't really an explanation about Trinity's powers and why she had them, what exactly they did, where they came from, etc. 

This book had the potential to be great, but the plot was too confusing. The ending was really odd, and who the bad guy was and why he did what he did was never really explained. 

The biggest problem with this book would have to be the lack of explanation of things. I assume more will be explained in the sequel, but I don't know if I'm going to read it or not. 

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My second WoW is...

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous. 

Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves. 

One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.

The first book was pretty good, and the summary for this one sounds great, especially the clockwork collar part. Plus, it's a steampunk that takes place in NYC, with should be fun to read.

Dark Mirror

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status. 

Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, it could strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.

When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.

But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.

I had high expectations for this book. It didn't fall all that flat, but then, it didn't live up to my expectations either. 

The beginning of the book was pretty good. Tory wakes up to discover that she's floating above the bed. Her mother, someone with magic running through her veins, orders Tory to hide her abilities, otherwise she'll be sent away. But she rescues her nephew as he falls off of a cliff, showing her magic to everyone. She saves him, but at the price of being sent away to a Gothic-like school. 

The time travel aspect of this book was something I hadn't been expecting, but it was a nice addition. I also liked the fact that they were traveling forward in time, rather than back in time, with the same goals that they had in their own time period. I would have liked to know a bit more about the mirrors and how they came to be, but that will probably be explained in the sequel. 

The idea that magic was outlawed by the aristocrats yet embraced by the common was an interesting idea that added a lot to the story. It added a lot of struggle to the beginning of the story that helped to push the plot until Tory discovered the mirror and tumbled through. 

The characters were okay. They didn't stand out at all, but neither did I instantly hate them. Jack was probably my favorite. He, Elspeth, and Cynthia. They might have been slight cliches, but they, to me, were the most fleshed-out and real characters. Tory was all right. The only character I really and truly hated was Allarde. He was just so...flat. There wasn't anything real about him, and when he revealed his 'shocking secret' to Tory, I wasn't surprised. Plus, his first name didn't fit the time period at all. It made me think of one of today's pop stars, not some Regency lord. Plus, the author tried to pull off something with him at the end that didn't work AT ALL.

Other than the romantic interest, this book was great. The plot was original, the characters weren't cardboard, and the setting was wonderful. I can't wait until the third, Dark Destiny, comes out. 

Illuminated

Sorry I've been gone so long. There were finals to study for, and then I wanted to take a bit of a break from blogging. Onto the review:

An epic romance full of mysteries that transcend time—fans of Romeo and Juliet and The Time Traveler’s Wife will rejoice! 

Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story—and hers—takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary—and that of Heloise and Abelard’s ancient romance—their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can’t last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history? (from Goodreads)

Please scratch what I said about The Mephisto Covenant being the worst case of insta-love! I've ever read. Illuminated is far, far worse.

This book, physically, wasn't to my liking. It was on the smaller side with huge print, so the 250-page number was misleading.  And so when the romance started on page 30, the book didn't get any brownie points from me.

I was actually excited to read this book. It has pretty cover and a retelling of Romeo and Juliet - yeah, that seems pretty good. But the summary is really, really misleading.

The book started out okay, with Callie and her uncle discovering a really old, valuable book. That part I liked - I love to read (duh!), and old books are fascinating. In fact, Uncle Harry was my favorite character, along with Miriam. They just acted so real and genuine, and I could imagine them as real people, with real emotions and reactions.

But my like for the book stopped pretty much after Callie met August. It was insta-love! of the worst kind. Callie even says something to the effect of it at the beginning of the book, something like how she couldn't believe how much of a connection she felt with August after two days. Part of the things I like about romance is seeing the relationship develop. And there was none of that here.

I also didn't really connect with Callie. Maybe it was because she made so many decisions that I thought were really stupid, but I wasn't rooting for a happy ending for her. I actually disliked her, and that led to the dislike to the book as a whole.

The part about Heloise and Abelard was interesting, and I'd like to have read more about them and that part of the book.

The bad characterization just ruined this book for me. That and the romance. 

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My first WoW is...

Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive. 

An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return... 

Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge. 

Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn....

I loved the first book in the series. I can't wait until this one comes out in February! 

The Mephisto Covenant

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life? (from Goodreads)

So this book went like this: first 100 pages sucked, the middle part was pretty good, and the ending was only slightly short of a letdown. This book is a prime example of how important beginnings are: I was about to give up on the book forever after page 100. But because I usually make myself read until the end of books, I decided to keep going.  And this isn't going to be one of those 'and I'm so happy I did!' kind of situations, but it did improve my opinions of this book and the author quite a bit.

I was first drawn to this book by the pretty cover and the summary. A paranormal guy actually having to win the girl instead of having her instantly drooling over him? Sign me up! It didn't quite go like that, though. As I said in my post on Insta-Love! yesterday, Sasha and Jax were already going at it by page 75.  I'm not really going to say more on the subject of that; it would just be another long  rant. 

There was a pretty heavy religious aspect to the mythology of this book. I didn't really mind it; it reminded me a lot of the book Halo by Alexandra Adornetto. Sasha appeared pretty religious; she can recite Bible verses and thinks that the boy she was destined for would be 'Russian Orthodox, Episcopalian, maybe even Jewish'. I also didn't have a problem with that except for the fact that Jax is a son of Hell. If she were religious, wouldn't she be totally freaked out by someone who's destined for Hell? 

Besides that, I had two main problems: Jax and Sasha's cousins/aunt/uncle. Her extended family was pretty much a bunch of flat characters. All Chris ever did was play video games, Melanie screamed, raged, and threw hissy fits, Tim ate and watched football, and Brett was, well, Brett. 

And Jax was a total stalker. I don't care if he's a son of Hell and his emotions are 'hard to contain.' He's not getting any brownie points (in fact, he lost some) when he and Sasha went shopping together, and he turned invisible and went into her dressing room. And I get it that you think that Sasha's meant to be with you forever and ever, but she gets a voice, too.

Now? What did I like about this book? The mythology was original. Sasha was a narrator that didn't manage to make me hate her by the end of the book. She was extremely loyal to someone who I thought didn't deserve the loyalty. The plot, minus the romantic beginning, moved extremely well and extremely fast. 

If this book had a completely different beginning, this probably would have been four stars.  

Insta-Love!

(Notes: This post is a lot like my anti-love triangles post. This isn't my review of The Mephisto Covenant; I haven't even finished the book yet. I used it for most of the examples because it's the worst case of Insta-Love! I've ever read.)

So I'm about halfway through The Mephisto Covenant, and something in it really, really bothers me in more than any other book I've read. The Insta-Love. >.<

It's not that love at first sight bothers me. It doesn't. It really doesn't. Being a writer myself, I understand that the characters don't have all the time in the world, and that the romantic parts are some of the best and most fun to write. The characters just have to find something attractive in each other besides looks. They have to be more connected then just through looks. And I'm sorry to say that most YA books today don't have this.

My main problem is that the romance today, especially the Insta-Love! kind is mostly told and shown through make-out sessions and fits of passion. There's no depth to them. None at all. And that comes from two things: the actual romance being flat, or the romantic interest.

When the romantic interest is flat in Insta-Love!, it's usually because we as the readers have barely seen the romantic interest. In The Mephisto Covenant, even though Jax is one of the narrators, he's barely anything beyond being obsessed with Sasha. In Darker Still, Denby is about as flat a character of major importance could get.

I also think that one of the things that really bothers me is when the romance takes place too early in the book. In The Mephisto Covenant, it starts on page 75. (Yes, I checked.) With the Infernal Devices and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, two of my favorite books, it's only about a week after the couple meets, but about half the book has gone by. In reality it isn't a long time, but since half the book and half the action has gone by, it seems longer. Plus, in paranormal romances, after about half the book they've usually been through a lot together; they have something that connects them. They have something that makes their romance deeper.

Like I said with love triangles: I don't despise Insta-Love! Not at all. But there just has to be a reason beyond looks. Most aren't well done at all, so that's why I dislike them.