Hades Book Review

Author: Alexandra Adonetto

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Hardcover: 424

Summary from Book:

Heaven Help Her.

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier's love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can't keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth's release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.

My Thoughts:

Plot: 4

Characters: 5

Cover: 5

Overall: 5

Hades is the second book in the Halo series.  I really enjoyed Halo and was looking forward to reading Hades.  Alexandra did not disappoint me with this sequel.  At some points I even found myself liking it more than Halo. 

Hades begins with Beth and Xavier attending a Halloween party. This was perfect for me while reading it since it was the month of October and nearing Halloween.  At the party Bethany’s friends convince her to take part in playing with an Ouija board.  Beth tries to convince her friends it isn’t a good idea but they don’t listen.  Since they don’t listen Beth decides it would be better for her to take part instead of leaving her friends alone.  If anything happens she would be there to help.  “What were the chances of these fun-loving girls actually making a connection with the other side?” Beth thinks to herself.  It’s during this party and game that things go wrong.  Beth is tricked into hell by demon Jake thorn. I loved how the story opened.  At a Halloween party and an Ouija board (those things freak me out!).  And from there I loved how the story progressed.  With Gabriel, Ivy and Xavier’s journey to free Beth and Beth trapped in hell trying to find her own way out.

 Something I LOVED about Halo was the characters.  And in Hades I loved how they grow.  I think out of all the characters Beth grew the most.  With the cruel and crazy things she had to endure in hell I think Beth’s character became stronger. I guess being in hell will do that to a person. Then there’s Jake Thorn. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Jake and almost even like him.  He made me route for him to end up being a good guy. You learn a lot about Jake in this book compared to the first.

I feel that Gabriel grew a lot too.  I think he connects more with humans and begins to have more feelings towards being human.   Beth’s friend Molly still chases after Gabriel. I just can’t help but think he has feelings for her too, deep down anyway (probably my imagination). Even though he claims he can’t feel that way and he just wants to protect her and his family.  I’m not sure if they would be a good match even if he decided he could have those kinds of feelings.    Maybe nothing will come of it but I lovvvve seeing his views and feelings change.  I think it would be nice to have him fall in love.  Maybe have a Gabriel side story of his own he he. 

Xavier is still as loveable as ever. At first I was sad. I thought having Beth in hell and apart from Xavier so long there wouldn’t be much romance. But seeing his determination to free her and how strong their connection is even though apart was super cute. You get to see just how in love he is with Beth. Hades also introduces two new characters.  Beth meets Tucker and Hannah. I won’t reveal much on them but they are great additions to the story and I hope we get to see them in the third book. 

The only thing that I wish would have been a bit different was the amount of time Beth spends in Hell.  But at the same time that might change how the story played out.  Overall this was an AWESOME read.

Hush Hush Book Review

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Hardcover: 391 pages

Summary from Book:

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. At least, not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and probing eyes, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust-she can't decide whether she should fall into Patch's arms or run and hide from him. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth more unsettling than any feeling Patch evokes. For Nora stands amid an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen-and choosing the wrong side will cost her life.

My Thoughts:

Plot: 5

Characters: 4

Cover: 5

Overall: 5

I hadn’t heard about Hush Hush until one of my best friends mentioned it to me. He told me a bit about the story.  He told me I definitely should read it and that’s just what I did. 

The story involves main character Nora Grey who lives with her mother and housekeeper in an old farmhouse away from town.  She attends a high school where she goes with her best friend Vee.  It’s during her biology class that she meets Patch, her new assigned partner.  He’s mysterious, dark and very alluring. He also appears to be very secretive. The story continues with Nora running into weird and dangerous events.  She eventually begins to fear she is being stalked.  With more characters thrown into the mix Nora begins to have a hard time trusting anyone, even Patch who undeniably shows an interest in her.

I have been reading other reviews for this book and I was surprised to come across a lot of people that disliked the book.  But we all have our own opinions and likes. I really enjoyed this read.  I found it addictive and it made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next.  It made me think ahead of the story at the possibilities of who could have done what and how certain things happened. With that and the relationship between Patch Nora I was hooked. 

 I couldn’t help but love Patch. He’s a bad/good boy in my eyes.  He has made his mistakes and will probably make more.  Who doesn’t? And his charming personality just makes you want to somehow reach into the book and rip him out and…ok I think I’m getting carried away.  But he is pretty great. 

 I had a love and hate relationship with Nora.  As I said in my last review for Halo, I sometimes get annoyed with the main girl character it some books.  This is one of those times.  I don’t dislike her completely but she is one of those characters that just made me want to scream at her.  She seems to throw herself in dangerous situations often even though it’s clearly a bad move.  Overall, I didn’t mind her and it didn’t affect how I felt about the story itself. 

 Vee, Nora’s best friend is pretty hilarious.  She is always there for Nora and is always willing to be her partner in crime.  I really like their friendship. 

 I couldn't help but love this book. I enjoyed the story’s serious suspenseful parts mixed with Nora and Vee’s funny moments and of course the hot/sexy/sweet parts with Nora and Patch.  In my opinion, it was all just put together very well.

Halo Book Review

Author: Alexandra Adornetto

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Hardcover: 496

Summary from Book:

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone-especially herself-from the Dark Forces. Is love a great enough power against evil?

My Thoughts:

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Cover: 100

Overall: 5

So it's been a while since I've done any reviews.  I want to start again and keep doing them consistantly as I read new books.  I decided I would do a couple of reviews on books I have read over the year. ANYWAY on to this review!

The first time I saw this book I was standing in the Coles that is in the mall by my house.  I hadn’t planned on buying a book but regardless I plan on buying a book or not I ALWAYS have to stop by Coles when I go to the mall. It’s tradition. Every time I go into that store I grab books and read the descriptions on the back.  I always find thousands (that might be an exaggeration) of books I want to read which just adds to the list of books I already want/plan on reading.  This time I have to admit, it was the cover that caught my attention.  I mean, every time I go into a book store there are many covers that catch my eye. Many covers that make me want to read the description to find out what the story is about.  Halo’s cover was different; it just popped right out from all the other covers.  I fell in love with it instantly without even reading the description.  I know, I know, shame on me; I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. For all I knew it could have been the worst story ever.  Of course, just like the cover the story description caught my interest.  ANNNND of course I walked out of that store with Halo in my hands…after buying it!

Alexandra Adornetto did an amazing job writing this book.  The story and especially the characters were beautifully written. The angels Gabriel, Ivy and main character Bethany church are sent down from heaven to help better the world.  To help humans do good deeds and help rid of any evil. They do this by disguising themselves as regular humans. Ivy spends time within the town while Gabriel takes the role of a music teacher in the local high school. Bethany, the youngest of the three angels is the most curious of humans and their feelings.  She is drawn to them differently than her brother and sister. In the story Bethany goes to a high school where she meets Xavier.  Xavier is sweet, confident and a very lovable character.  He would be the perfect guy to take home and meet your parents. He’s pretty much the whole package, if ya know what I mean ;). Quickly Beth and Xavier are drawn to each other.  This makes Beth confused because as an angel she knows she shouldn’t fall in love with a human, especially since it is forbidden to reveal their true identities to humans. There is something about Xavier that Bethany can’t turn away from.  Soon her need to be with him is to too great and she must struggle with her feelings and what the consequences might be if she acts upon those feelings.   Should she share her secret with Xavier?  Then a new guy arrives into the school, Jake Thorn. Something doesn’t seem right about this newcomer.   

 I love Bethany’s character in the story.  I never found myself getting annoyed with her character as I usually do at one point or another with main girl characters in other books. Since she is an angel and new to living on earth I found her lack of understanding to things said and done by other humans around her funny. Gabriel and Ivy are amazing as well.  Man do I love Gabriel. It doesn’t seem like he thinks he could share human feelings or fall in love. He is strictly there for the mission. He respects human life and will protect it to no end but that’s as far as it goes in his mind. He seems to feel that he is there for a purpose and that purpose only.  He also doesn’t agree with Bethany’s feelings for a human.  But as the story progresses I feel you see Gabriel’s thoughts, feelings and opinions change.  I love his devotion and loyalty to his family. And although he may not agree with Bethany’s decisions you can really tell he just wants her to be happy. He definitely is the definition of protector (and he kicks ass…just saying). Ivy is sweet, caring and overall just a nice person who I think everyone will like.  She is gentle yet vicious when needed which makes her all the more cool.  She always seems to be able to get through to Gabriel.

 Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.  The only part that I found a little frustrating was how descriptive everything was.  I like description but I found there was so much of it.  At the same time, compared to how good the story is it isn’t such a big deal.  Others might love the amount of description.  I think it’s just what you prefer. Also, I find it pretty inspiring that Alexandra wrote such a great book at her age.  She’s two years younger than me. I love writing and I admire Alexandra’s creativity with her story and characters. I recommend this book to any YA reader.  It is definitely worth the read.

Randomness

Let me just say, there is one part near the end with Gabriel that I LOVE. I could see the scene happening clearly in my head like it was in a movie.  I won’t give it away (even though I want to :P).  Maybe it’s just me that loves that part so much. 

Endless Summer Book Review

Author: Jennifer Echols

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Paperback: 624

Summary from Book:

Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.

Lori can’t wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she’s turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that’s not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.

Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori’s romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

My Thoughts:

Plot: 4

Characters: 4

Cover: 4

Overall: 4

First I'll explain that this book also includes "The Boys Next Door" which is the first part of the story and then continue's into the seqeal Endless Summer.  I'm very happy I discovered this book when Jennifer Echols came out with the sequel  and made both books into one, that way I didn't have to go out and buy both books and was able to just continue reading when I was done the first part.

The Boys Next Door/Endless Summer was a perfect summer read.  I found it to be a very relaxing book, nothing complicated. Compared to Echols other two books, Going Too Far and Forgetting You, this book was more simple as it focused more on young relationships and didn't involve serious events. The first part, The Boys Next Door, finds Lori plotting to get older Vader brother, Shawn, who she has had a crush on basically all her life to like her back. Lori's plots aren't always the best but she is a very likeable and relatable character who is very persistent on getting Shawn to like her and see her differently.  She grew up being one of the guys but doesn't want to be seen as that child anymore. One of her main plots is pretending to date Shawn’s younger brother Adam who is her own age. He agrees to go along with her plan also in hopes to make his ex girlfriend Rachel jealous. I'm not going to go into too much detail because I'd be giving away the story but it was definitely worth reading.  Like I said, nothing complicated, a relaxing read for the summer that deals with young romance, funny and awkward situations and...hot boys.  Who doesn't love hot boys?

I really did enjoy the characters in this book.  Lori is just funny. Her plots can become stupid but you got to give her credit for trying.  I mean, I say they're stupid plots but if it were me I probably would have come up with an even more ridiculous plot that probably wouldn't have even made sense ha ha.  Although, knowing my luck it would have blown up in my face from the beginning. Lori had me laughing quite a few times throughout the story. And Adam? Well Adam was just adorable, I loved him. Growing up he was always picked on by his brothers, especially Shawn.  Some of their jokes would involve the fact Adam has ADHD which really annoyed Adam but he handles himself pretty well. Then there's Shawn, who I liked and disliked throughout the story. He's a nice guy when he wanted to be and other times just full of himself. Although fool of himself Shawn does show a soft side...sometimes. Adam and Shawn's other brother Cameron is a good character as well, doesn't have a big role in the story but is funny and a good addition. Then you have Lori's older brother, McGillicuddy, who is protective of her and sticks up for his friends and family.

Endless Summer:

SPOILERS (if you haven't read the first part of the book "The Boys Next Door".

If there was going to be a continuation to The Boys Next Door (which there obviously is) Endless Summer is perfect.  It continues a few weeks after The Boys Next Door left off. Lori, now having what she wants, gets it taken away from her pretty much right away after she stays out all night with a certain boy.  They fall asleep, lose track of time and then her dad forbids her from seeing this boy.  Now Lori must find a way to change her dad's mind.  Yes, more plots and I'm sure you can just imagine the type of plots she comes up with.  It's a fun story that kept me reading until the end.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and I recommend it, I don't think you will be disappointed.

Book Review: Going Too Far

Author: Jennifer Echols

Publisher: MTV

Paperback: 245 Pages

Summary From Book:

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away.  Away from high school.  Away from her backwater town.  Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives.  But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, shes goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay.  To enforce the rules.  To serve and protect.  He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget.  But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everthing he learned at the police academy.  And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge-and over....

My Thoughts:

Plot: 5 stars

Characters: 5 stars

Cover: 5 stars

Overall: 5 stars

Again, like Forget You, I was drawn into this story as soon as I started reading it.  After reading Forget You I was eager to go out and buy another of Jennifer Echols books. Instead of buying one more of her books I bought two, Going too Far and Endless Summer, which actually added up to three books since Endless summer is two books in one (a deal? I think so :P ).  I'll do a review for Endless summer when I'm finished reading it, so far it's looking good! Anyway, back to this review.

Really good story and I loved the characters. Meg and John are two very different people who are brought together in this story.  They're so different that you wouldn't think they could even get along until they get to know each other and dive into each others heads and hearts.  Meg, a 17 year old girl who doesn't show much care about her life and what happens in it. Sleeping around, getting drunk, doing stupid things that could put her life in serious danger. She's seen as a troublemaker by many including her parents. Then there's John After, an 19 year old police officer who shows a lot of care in other lives.

After an incident at the railroad track Meg is forced to ride along with John on his night shifts for a week.  At first this is a dreadful thought for Meg who now is missing her spring break.  For John, it's a mission to save Meg.  His fear is that if she continues down the path she's headed she will end up dead. 

I found this story idea very appealing. I mean, Meg and John are so different and I couldn't wait to read how their story progressed. Having to spend a whole week together, what would they find out about each other? Would John be able to help Meg change her ways? Why does Meg act the way she does? And what is it that makes John so attached to that bridge that he drives by it every night during his shift?  All questions that kept me reading.  I found this story to be full of emotion, love, anger, sad, and more love.  Although I can't say I can relate to Meg I did like her character. She was lost and reading the story I felt for her. You can also say I felt for John too. Who can resist a nice, loveable, sexy cop?? Seriously though, he's a great character and there was just something about him that made me feel bad. He seemed trap to me which made me want to jump into the book and give him a big bear hug. I definitly loved how Echols developed these characters as the story progressed.  I love being able to feel with  and for characters as I read a story and that's something I was able to do with this book for sure.

Randomness:

Something strange that I did find, and it is totally my own problem, was that I couldn't quite ever picture John in my head. He is perfectly described in the book so I shouldn't have had this problem but for some reason I was a blank.  Has this ever happened to anyone? It rarely happens to me. Like I said he was described very well in the book and for crying out loud there's an image of a guy on the front cover who I'm sure is suppose to represent John. Yet there I was, a complete blank.  I mean, sometimes on other occasions if I don't like how a character is described I end up just picturing something I do like instead. So you think that if I couldn't get John's image right in my head I would have just made something up myself.  I didn't because I was really set on seeing him the way he was described. The cover of the book only shows half of a mans face, from the chin to just above his mouth.  So when I did look to the cover for some help I'd try to picture what the top of this face would look like.  Guess what?? I stilllll had problems.  I'm not exactly sure what was wrong with me. Considering how well John is described I don't think anyone else will have this problem. It was definitly just my problem. My mind was just being very strange.

Anyway, this was an awesome story and I highly recommend it.

Book Review: Forget You

Author: Jennifer Echols

Publisher: MTV Books, a division of Simon & Schuster

Paperback: 304 pages

Summary from Book:

There's a lot Zoey would like to forget.  Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four-year old girlfriend.  Like Zoey's fear that the whole town will find out about her mom's nervous breakdown.  Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school.  Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she's the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there's one this she can't remember at all-the entire night before.  Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned?  And if so, why does it seem like Brandom is avoiding her?  And why is Doug-of all people-suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them?  Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that nights as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her.  Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life-a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.

My Thoughts:

Plot - 5 stars
Characters - 5 stars
Cover - 5 stars

Overall - 5 stars

Really interesting, romantic, sexy and overall a great story that kept my attention the whole way through. While searching for a good book to buy I saw the cover for Forget You. The cover itself drew me in. Come one, how cute is it?? After reading the description of the book I was instantly interested in reading it and bought the book shortly after. Echols keeps the readers guessing and wondering what will happen next.  I couldn't put the book down, I finished it within a day and was disappointed when I realized it was over.


Although I found Zoey to be a bit annoying at first, the decision she makes with Brandon despite the many conversations she has had with him concerning his past relationships, and by relationship I mean sex, with other girls, I did come to really like her. She believes, because her and Brandon were friends before, it will be different for them compared to his previous "relationships".  After a car being in a car crash Zoey finds herself in a mess when she can't remember the accident at all except for Doug, a boy who seemed to hate her for as long as she can remember, saving her and bringing her to safety. Now, not remembering anything from that night, confused about why Doug is now acting surprisingly attached to her, Zoey must put the pieces together to find out what really happened . She gets help from Doug, which isn't always the easiest thing, and along the way becomes closer to him. 


I loved Doug, although he appears to be a mysterious guy with a bad temper he really has a soft heart. It's clear he has feelings for Zoey and I found myself cheering them on, wanting them to be together. I wanted to jump into the story and shake her...orrrrrr just take him for myself  ;). The way Echols described moments between Doug and Zoey really surprised me. It was sweet, funny, and sometimes very hot. I was actually shocked at just how descriptive these scenes were, but hey, I have no complaints about that.  It really showed the emotion and the feelings the characters were having...especially with Doug I found.


I rarely put the book down while reading it.  I found myself wanting to find out what really happened the night of the accident as much as Zoey wanted to too. I wanted to see who she would choose to be with in the end.  Would things work out with Brandon, would things really be different for them compared to his past relationships? Or would she choose Doug, frustrating mysterious Doug?

First Post

Hey! If you didn't get it from the title this is my first post :) yay!. I'm not going to be doing any reviews in this post but I will do one soon.  Possibly later tonight if I'm not too tired. As I said in my profile, I love reading and writing, so I thought "why not write about books that I read and share my thoughts on them". I'm by no means a professional, just someone who loves to read and share her own opinions. Everytime I read a book I find myself wanting to tell someone about it. Sometimes I get carried away and end up telling my friends the whole story. Well, they know how I am, they stop me if they know they're going to end up reading it. I'll be sure not to post any spoilers in my blogs without signifying it first. That being said, I'm really looking forward to reviewing books and hopefully hearing from anyone with comments on my reviews.  I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions whether you agree or disagree with my review. Everyone has their own thoughts, likes and dislikes. Also, I'm open to any suggestions on books you think would be a good read. If there's a book you would like me to do a review on just leave a comment and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. :)