Book Review- The Summoning

After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home.

At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…


I've seen this book around the library and I've heard lots about it. So one day I finally decided to read it, give it a try. I figured, it sounded cool but even though the library had the rest of the books, I decided to just get the first one in case I didn't like the first one. 


So this book pitch is pretty detailed and tell you basically what happened in the beginning. So the first ghost Chole sees is this janiter that died at her school in a fire and this ghost wants to tell her something. Well she freaks out, punches a teacher because he thinks she's trying to kill herself, and then ends up at the house for crazy kids. 


At first every one seems like normal kids, except that a few of them are different. The kids soon find out about Chole's ability to see ghosts and she begins to see them even at the house. The first ghost she sees is this ghost inside this locked closet in the basement. But she can't figure out how to get to him.


As the kids get "better" they are able to return to normal house. There's only two kids who leave during the story, Liz and Peter. Peter is "better", but Liz is sent to this hospital. Later on, Chole begins to see Liz's spirit but as she finds out from Simon and Derek, there are people who are able to astral project their spritis out of their bodies. Only, Chole isn't really sure if Liz is doing it without knowing...or if she's dead. 


So they go through the story, Chole slowly learning to trust all the kids except for Tory who's a bit actually crazy, and begins to find out the horrible truth about the house. Some crazy guy way back built the house to kill people like Chole- people who can raise the dead and speak to them. And she also slowly finds out the the rest of the kids in the house also have powers and that the people who run the house also know about their powers. 


So they realize that the only way for them to live...is to run. But do the escape? I'll find out in the next book.


Now the characters were all very good, except I didn't really like them. Chole was good but she was too stubborn and untrusting. I did not think that most of the characters were very good. Tori was too self centered and too unhappy to be liked at all, she bugged the crap out of me. Derek came off as a bully and I wasn't sure what to make of him most of the time. It was confusing. And I think Simon was an okay character although I wasn't too sure if they were suppose to like each other or not. To me, Chloe seemed to like Derek more. 


The plot was very good and interesting. I kept on wanting to know more and find out what was going to happen. But some things were really gross and creepy and sometimes I thought that the descriptions got a little too...descriptive for me. But otherwise than that I really like the mystery behind the story. 


But that being said, I really liked the book it was just the characters that turned me off the story. Otherwise I would have given it five stars, but I'm giving it four stars. Would I recommend it, yes I would, but only to people who like paranormal stuff and don't mind some gross stuff. 


On Goodreads: The Summoning
Her website: Kelly Armstrong


So, have you read many books that deal with ghosts? Did you like it? 


Sincerely,
Peony

Book Review- The Last Days

Strange things are happening: old friends disappearing, angels (or devils) clambering on the fire escapes of New York City. But for Pearl, Moz, and Zahler, all that matters is the band. As the city reels under a mysterious epidemic, the three combine their talents with a vampire lead singer and a drummer whose fractured mind can glimpse the coming darkness. Will their music stave off the end? Or summon it?

Set against the gritty apocalypse that began in Peeps, The Last Days is about five teenagers who find themselves creating the soundtrack for the end of the world.

In the next book after Peeps, we meet five kids who want to start a band. Pearl and Moz meet when they save a rare guitar and then Moz introduces her to his best friend. The two boys have been playing guitars together for six years and considered themselves a too person band.

Pearl then brings her friend, Minerva, to their band practices as the singer. Min has been getting over the sickness that turns you into a vampire. That's one of the things I liked about this book, while they turn into vampires through getting bitten, I enjoyed this book partly because vampires isn't actually said. Plus they still eat people, hate light, love meat, and are pretty much normal vampires. They don't sparkle.

I thought that all of the characters were relateable to in somehow shape and form. Plus since this was written in first person and there was five different point of views, I thought that Mr. Westerfeld did a very good job keeping them straight and moving the story along. I loved learning about the characters and seeing the sickness that was affecting New York through many different eyes. Minerva was probably my favorite character. 

While I didn't think much happened in this book, it was still interesting to see how Moz and his new friends turned into vampires and into a great band. I loved the way the music was described when the played and how everything went good. I loved the part where they were trying to come up with a name for their band and how Minerva talked to her cat and how the cat acted. 

My favorite part was probably when the characters from the last book, Peeps, appeared. I was happy to see them show up and explain to Moz's band what was happening. Plus I love how vampires are good things in these stories rather than dark evil creatures. 

Overall, it was a good book although at times it was boring, so more could have happened. Some of the characters were funny and amusing and so I enjoyed the book. Would I recommend it? Maybe, if you like this kind of stuff.

On Goodreads: The Last Days
Website: Scott Westerfeld

So, have you ever read a book that take a new meaning or look at an old species or an idea? Did you like this new apporch or not? 

Sincerely,

Peony

Book Review- White Cat

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 mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, 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.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts 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, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love — or death — and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

First of all, the concept was really cool. And I love Cassel's name, it's epic. Cassel Sharpe lives in a world where a simple touch can be life or death, love or hate, good or bad. He lives in a world where people with magic are called workers. Workers are shunned by the normal people because they think that workers are bad people. Because curse work is illegal most of the workers have ended up working as mobsters or con artists. They also work for large crime families or other workers.

I thought that Cassel was a good character. I think that he is a character that some of us at least can relate to. Why? Well Cassel happens to not only be an outsider at his school since few people are related to workers, but he is also an outsider in his own family since he can't do magic. One of the traits I liked about him was his strong sense of family ties since I believe that family is very important. 

All the characters were very good too. From Cassel's brothers, his friends, family, and other people. They were all believable and cool. I loved his friends, they amused me. As did his grandpa. And I love how he turns out in the end, go grandpa! 

And the plot was amazing. As the story progresses Cassel figures out that his memories have been tampered with. So as you read, you're never really sure what's real and what isn't until the very end. I enjoyed how Holly Black explores the idea of memories and how they affect you. Like, if your memories change, does that change you? Can changing someone's memories make them a better or worse person? 

The other concept I thought was cool was the concept of curses or magic in this book. There are many different types of curses, good and bad, ones that can give you luck and protect you from other curses, to ones that can erase your memories. And according to the story, we find out with every time you curse someone, you get a blowback or something happens to you. Kinda like a check and balance. So say if you erase some one's memory, than a part of yours is gone too. Or like with Cassel's grandpa, he's a death workers which means he can kill people by touching them, so for every time he curses someone, he loses parts of his fingers. Eventually he's left with just stubs where his fingers used to be. 

Of the things I didn't like, I found some misspellings (although one of them I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not) and things got confusing for me at times that I had to reread something. I had problems following the story line and figuring out how a con worked. But other than that, I really loved this book! 

Overall this book was really good and I'd certainly recommend it. And I normally wouldn't read this type of book, dark and morbid
 at times, but overall I thought it was interesting. And it's good to read something you normally wouldn't. I haven't read Black's other books, but I've been meaning too. 

So, have you ever read any books about mobsters and gangs? Actually, do you know of anyone who has stories about mobs and gangs? According to a rumor floating around my family, we used to be related to some guy in the mafia. But he died a long time ago and we don't know if it's true or not. 


On Goodreads: White Cat

Her Website:  Holly Black

Sincerely,

Peony

Book Review- Guardian of the Gate

The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.

Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.


I had high expectations when I first started reading this book. Since I really liked the first book, I was hoping this one would be even more exciting. But...it didn't meet my expectations. 


The characters were pretty good, everyone seemed realistic enough. But the first thing that bugged me was that the book is set several months after they leave for London, so we don't get to see them search for the keys. 


Anyways, at this party Lia meets this dashing man who is mysterious and stuff. (Here comes what really ruined the book for me) As Lia is being chased by these Hell hounds, the man she met at the party, Dimitri, suddenly appears. And guess what! First we see that the Hounds don't even try to go after him, but then he confesses that he's part of some supernatural thing that Lia's father was apart of. 


So after he saves her, Lia gets her to tell him who he really is and then he tells her that *gasp* he's been watching her to keep her safe! Apparently that really didn't bug her all that much, especially after having met only twice, that Dimitri confesses that he feels like he's known her all her life and then Lia says the same cheesy lines and Bam! Their in love! And then they make out for the rest of the night. 


And I kinda really wanted to slap Lia and say, "are you out of your mind? You barely know the guy! And what about James?" 


Ah yes, James, now he's the real love interest I like. He actually knows Lia and has a reason to be in love with her. But as we find out from Alice, James has been spending more and more time with her since Lia has left. So after burning his letter and thinking that it'd be better for the both of them, Lia feels bad about "loving" Dimitri. and she only mentions this a couple of times. 


So, now onto what I did like. I thought that there was much more excitement and adventure in this book than the other one. It has a stronger sense of danger. Plus at first we think that Lusia is betraying Lia but no, it was actually Sonia, who has accidently let the Spirits into her mind. But after they get to Atlus, the Sisters there manage to save Sonia and Lia learns some important stuff about where to find the pages from her dying aunt. 


The ending was okay, it was exciting and I think it met my expectations but I'm not sure. It was good anyways because not only does she find the pages, but Lia confronts Alice for one of the last times. 


The writing was good, as was her descriptions. I love her descriptions and Lia's voice actually. Will I read the next book? Sure, but I won't have as high as expectations for it. 


Offial Website: Michelle Zink
On Goodreads: Guardian of the Gate
First Book Review: Prophecy of the Sisters
So, have you ever read a book where the first one was really good but the second one wasn't?


Sincerely,
Peony

Book Review- Halo

Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments. 

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong. 

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?


Tip: Don't judge a book by the cover. Ayways, so the cover caught my eye right away and I was pleased to find a paranormal romance that wasn't so dark and dreamy unlike the majority of paranormal books today. I enjoyed not seeing so much darkness in this story. The cover clearly is a good representative of the story and it's very pretty. It was surprising find that it was about angels where an angel falls in love with a human rather then it being the other way around. 


While I thought that there was a lot of romance for this book, I was expecting it from the book blurb and the reviews I read here on Goodreads. But unlike the rest of the reviewers who only gave this book one or two stars I thought that Ms. Adornetto's style of writing and her choice of words was great. I loved seeing new words I didn't know and having to look them up. It was great. I was surprised to find that that Ms. Adornetto is a teen author. It gives other teen writers like myself hope that we too can get published. 


While Xavier did seem to be Mr. Prefect at times (actually a lot of the times) I enjoyed reading about him and Beth. I thought that his family portrayed a family that we could very much know. Although the characters were good, I thought that the whole "prom is such a big deal!" from the girls Beth was friends with was a little overboard. While Prom is a big deal, most girls I know don't plan their whole year trying to find dresses and stuff. We usually worry about that two or one month ahead. 


Unlike some people I enjoyed seeing the religon in this book sense I am a strong Christian, and in a way it was comforting. But even with this I thought it was interesting to see Beth's (not sure if it's Alexandra Adornetto's version either) version of what heaven is like. And I loved how her angels were different from how other angels are. The part that their skin glows, their wings are paper thin, and they have no naval is cool. 


As an angel turning human, I thought that Beth's transition from being a supernatural being to something more mortal was well portrayed. If I was an angel I would probably act the same way. Seeing how Gabriel and Ivy acted and responded to events and Beth's actions was interesting. You could tell that they clearly cared about her and their mission. I thought that for being one of the most important angels, Gabe was a good character. He wasn't arrogant or mean, but distant and reserved. Ivy was how I would imagine someone like her to be. 


The only part that I found remotely towards their actual mission was when Jack Thorn shows up. And even though they have proof that is was him causing all trouble, they don't do anything about it towards the very end. 


All in all, it was an interesting book. I thought that there was alot of unnecessary stuff and that the book could have been shorter. Beth could have been a stronger character too. Would I recommend it? Probably not. Will I read the next one? Maybe. I'm still deciding. 


So, what do you think about angel books? If you were an angel from heaven to help save the world, how would you go about it? And what would you change first?


On Goodreads: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Her Goodreads page (I can't get to her website listed there): Alexandra Adornetto


Sincerely,
Peony

Book Review- Prophecy of the Sisters

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-
One good...
One evil...
Who will prevail?
Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets. 
Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.
They just know they can't trust each other.


In the first book in this series I found this book at my library and started to read it while waiting for my brother to come pick me up. I usually don't really paranormal/gothic books but as of late I've somewhat been getting into them (mind you, I still will not pick up a vampire book). I've seen this book before at the bookstore but I never bothered picking it up because I was too busy buying the books I originally came for. 


When I began reading it I fell in love with Michelle Zink's writing style. It's first person in present tense (I think). One of the reasons I think I love this point of view is because I'm writing one of my books in this PoV too. So it helps me see how other writers have handled it. The second thing that drew me in was Lia's voice and the way she told the story. I also loved the way Ms. Michelle words her sentences. 


I thought that the prophecy was interesting, the way she wrote it was cool. And I like the mystery and the quest that Lia has to take. I thought that the characters were nicely done. I disliked Alice, although I never could figure out if Lia and Alice were close when they were young. Although I enjoyed Sonia's character, I thought that she trusted Lia too soon and that they became friends too quickly. Although I enjoyed the slight romantic pieces in the story, I was disappointed how Lia didn't tell James about the prophecy. Poor James! And he really is cute! I liked Aunt Victoria's part in the story, I thought she did well, as did Lia's brother Henry. Poor Henry, I hate the ending! 


The rules that was laid out for the Outerworlds and the rules set upon Lia and Alice are interesting. As is the parts about their births. I wasn't expecting it. Although there were a lot of surprises in the story but to me I had already figured them out by the time they were revealed. Maybe it's cause I'm a writer or it was just really clear what was going to happen in some parts. 


At times I thought that some parts were rushed and that the characters did things for no reason (like how Alice and her friend got to see Sonia and then Alice gets mad at the end of the visit). And although I thought that the Outerworlds was cool, the whole spirit talker and spirit world thing bugs me. I don't apporve of people who try to talk to the dead at all so I wasn't thrilled with this part. I also thought that Lia should have been more..afraid of this whole thing. Where was her screaming, "why me?" She seemed to take the fact that she could very much help end the world at any time pretty calmly. It didn't seem to scared her witless. (I mean think about it, what would you do if you could help end the world?)


I liked the setting. Although I've seen alot of the 1890s in books lately. Maybe it's the Luxe series to blame? But I think that the time period fits. The part where the little girl randomly shows up was weird. I mean she just shows up and then reappears whenever Lia loses the ribbon. Who is this girl?! 


The other part that bugged me was that Lia didn't seem to grieve all that much over her father's death. She did a little at first, but then afterwards it's...nothing. Where was her crying and sobbing over his death? I mean, from what the story implied they seemed pretty close. And then only a couple pages here and there have speaks of her being sad over his death.  


Overall I really liked this book. I thought it was good but parts bugged me. Especially about the whole evil Beast and spirit talker people. 


Offial Website: Michelle Zink
On Goodreads: Prophecy of the Sisters

*By the way, Mondays will also be Book Reviews again along with Poetry because of the excessive amount of books I'm reading during the summer. Probably during the school year I'll change it back to just Poetry.

So, have you ever read any books with end of the world stuff (besides zombies)? How about books with twins in them?

Sincerely,
Peony