Ink by Amanda Sun

Goodreads Blurb

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

I had two issues with Ink, so I might as well get them over with. First was the romance--it sort of reminded me of Twilight, to be honest. I mean first, there was the insta-love. Katie sees Tomohiro and suddenly can't get him, or the strange things that happen out of her mind. And then, for someone who kept pushing her away because he was "dangerous" (Twilight-ian), Tomo warmed up to Katie pretty quickly. 32% in, Katie realizes she loves him, even though their relationship was short at the point.
The second was Jun. How was Katie not wary of someone who she met at a train station and pops up randomly in all the wrong places? She was so at ease with him and...it was sort of weird.

But after the initial bad start, Ink completely blew me away. I fell in love with our characters and the writing. Or, rather, one character. Tomo was really your typical bad boy and I loved him. So much. What can I say? I love me some YA bad boys! More than that, he didn't try to keep Katie in the dark which was automatically ten points in his favor. When it was inevitable that she would get mixed in, he knew that keeping her in the dark was dangerous. THANK YOU TOMO.
Katie was a...complex sort of character to me. At times, she annoyed me (only a few times! 1/30 I promise), but in the end she always makes the right decision! I couldn't really connect with her, but she was a decent YA heroine!

The plot oh my God I died I am dead it killed me. So much run ons in that! I absolutely adored the plot which completely blew me away. I loved everything--the pacing, the twists, how you never knew who you could trust or what was going on. It was wonderful. Until my heart broke near the end. BROKEN.

The worldbuilding was definitely the strong point of the novel. Both the fantasy world Sun created and the Japan we read. You could tell how well researched Ink was and you really were transported. It's the little details that count, and the author didn't slack on those at all! And the fantasy world, OH, I loved it so so so much! It was fascinating and kind of haunting at the same time--a perfect mix!

Ink was a fantastic read with a world I loved to explore alongside our characters. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a book that'll transport you to other places or to anyone who needs an exciting fantasy/paranormal read!

Pages: 377
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology
Series: Paper Gods #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

 Goodreads Blurb

Three levels. Two loves. One choice. Debut novelist, Lenore Appelhans has written a thrilling otherworldly young adult novel about a place that exists between our world (Level 1) and what comes after life (Level 2).
'I pause to look around the hive - all the podlike chambers are lit up as the drones shoot up on memories ... I've wanted to get out of here before, but now the tight quarters start to choke me. There has to be more to death than this.'
Felicia Ward is dead. Trapped in a stark white afterlife limbo, she spends endless days replaying memories, of her family, friends, boyfriend ... and of the guy who broke her heart. The guy who has just broken into Level 2 to find her.
Felicia learns that a rebellion is brewing, and it seems she is the key. Suspended between heaven and earth, she must make a choice. Between two worlds, two lives and two loves.

Why hello you interestingly beautiful book.

The thing about Level 2 that surprised me was that it was balanced somewhat between fantasy and sci-fi, mythology and religion. It was...impressive, yet odd at the same time. It seemed sci-fi because of the "hives" and the gases, the reason why these rebels had had "powers", and all that, but at the same time it was fantasy because, well, angels. That is all I'm saying because you'll just have to read and find out for yourself! The religious/mythology thing is because the gases? They're from the rivers of Hades which is only mentioned in Greek Mythology--the Lethe, Acheron, and some others I can't remember, while most of the memories we see with Felicia take place in a church and we contemplate if there really is a Level 3 (i.e. heaven) or...down there. So honestly? This book is almost a contradiction in itself!

Speaking of contradictions, Julian and Neil. Oh. My. Gosh. I'm not sure if I should dislike both of them, or love both of them! I mean, they were both pretty adorable love interests (Forever Team Julian. Seriously. I seem to always be pulled toward the bad boys!), but...well Julian? Oh, he's a liar. I really wanted to kick his ass sometimes and the one time he decided to be honest was when I didn't want him to (near the end, with...hmm. I can't say.), but that made me love him more if anything! I just can't believe how Julian had played Autumn and I hurt for her, I really did. 

Neil, on the other hand, was perfect. Too perfect. A guy like that doesn't exist! I discovered no faults whatsoever and he always greeted everything with a smile and said the perfect things and he was just...flawless. And I really do hate when a girl thinks she's not good enough for a guy. If a guy thinks that way, then obviously he's not worth you. Oh my, did that just sound like one of those lines in a booklet?

And, I just want to say, there isn't really a love triangle at all! So anyone who was shying away from this book because of that, no fear! But I can't say why though, in case of spoilers!

I loved the memory flashbacks. Period. They were engaging and I loved how important they were to everyone in Level 2, not only because of credits. When reading them, I couldn't set the book down because I absolutely needed to know why this particular memory(ies) was important and why it was included. This is also how we mainly get a feel for Neil's character. 

I loved getting more in depth with the characters, and I think the way Lenore Appelhans wrote Level 2 gives us more...feeling for Felicia's character. I can't explain it, but I felt like I understood Felicia more than I have other characters. Not to say she wasn't annoying a few times, she was! But I think that's more my fault than the book's--for some reason I've been having trouble with characters lately...

The plot was sometimes overridden by the memories and it was a bit slow in the beginning, but it was still an enticing read that I almost read in one sitting (two, only because I realized it was midnight and I had school!) and couldn't get enough of! It was fast paced after a certain point and the ending!

Oh. My. Gosh. PLOT TWIST. I did not expect that...though I realize now I really should've!

Pages:288

Genre: Sci fi/Fantasy

Series: Level 2#1

Publisher: Simon and Schuster BFYR

Release Date: Jan 15, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

Goodreads Blurb

In a desert world of sandstorms and sand-wolves, a teen girl must defy the gods to save her tribe in this mystical, atmospheric tale from the author of Drink, Slay, Love.
Liyana has trained her entire life to be the vessel of a goddess. The goddess will inhabit Liyana’s body and use magic to bring rain to the desert. But Liyana’s goddess never comes. Abandoned by her angry tribe, Liyana expects to die in the desert. Until a boy walks out of the dust in search of her.
Korbyn is a god inside his vessel, and a trickster god at that. He tells Liyana that five other gods are missing, and they set off across the desert in search of the other vessels. For the desert tribes cannot survive without the magic of their gods. But the journey is dangerous, even with a god’s help. And not everyone is willing to believe the trickster god’s tale.
The closer she grows to Korbyn, the less Liyana wants to disappear to make way for her goddess. But she has no choice: She must die for her tribe to live. Unless a trickster god can help her to trick fate—or a human girl can muster some magic of her own.

Oh wow. I got this spectacular book from Shreya at Chocolate Coated Reviews since she is so nice that she sends me any books I want--as long as she rated them 3 stars or less, of course! I'm not that mean.

I'm so glad she decided to give this up. I've absolutely loved this book since page one, when we first meet Liyana, a character I Thoroughly loved! She was a fun character at times, but at her core she was a down-to-earth type with a practicality that shocked me sometimes (okay, most times.) But she was undeniably a strong character who went through a lot of things to get where she ended up. She lost her family and support in one night, discovered it wasn't her fault the next, and over the next few days (weeks?) found a forbidden love, made unlikely friends, discovered that maybe she didn't want to die after all, and lost and gained everything. But did she even falter? Nope. She was who she was and surged ahead to fix everything wrong.

Korbyn was by far my favorite character. He was hilarious at times, but you could tell he had his own dark side. He was definitely out of his comfort zone as a leader, but he took the role steadily and did whatever he could.He was...interesting we'll say, and there were so many layers to him it surprised me to no end.

The romance was...interesting. Needless to say, I was rooting for Korbyn and Liyana (don't you just love their names together? I love their names together) throughout the entire book. And then we get, randomly, we get another surprising (really, really surprising.) love interest. Near the end of the book. I can't quite say how it plays out, but it was both what I expected and what I didn't...I can't explain it any better without ruining it! But let's just say...I was pleased at one thing about the romantic end and not so much about something else. Confusing? Well, read it to see what I mean. You'll see...you'll see...

Did I love the worldbuilding? HECK YES! I'm a recent fan of high fantasy, if you didn't know. As in, I mainly stuck to paranormal. I think Throne of Glass broke that for me...but the world in Vessel was definitely well developed with it's own legends, creations, traditions, and more. I was overwhelmed by each element that came into play while discovering more about this world. Sand wolves, sky serpents, vessels, and more. To say I was sad to let this world go is a definite understatement and I desperately wish there was a sequel, but nope. Though if there ever turns out to be a short story, I'll probably be on it like a sand worm to water!

The thing about Vessel is it can seem a bit repetitive to some people, but I didn't find it that way at all! To me, Vessel was just an amazing high fantasy book that I absolutely loved to no end! It was suspenseful and shocking and the way things happened...it was unbelievable! So I don't know if this is just shock at how it ended, but I'm giving Vessel my 10 star sticker!

Pages: 424
Genre: High Fantasy
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Rating: 10/5 stars

Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Goodreads Blurb

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. 
While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she's drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?

So I decided instead of writing another badly written review in my short amount of time, I'd write another joint review except less...messy than before. All white writing will be Eileen and all neon blue will be me! I basically replied to Eileen's review and she replied, then I did, etc.

Lullaby wasn't what I expected it to be. The plot that I expected was there, but I didn't expect to be that blown away by the story. I'm not that big a fan of mermaid books, I've found, but I really loved this one.

Trust me, it wasn't what I expected either. :P Same for the plot (boring for me)...and I'm a giant fan! Have you READ Of Poseidon or Monstrous Beauty? But that's probably why I didn't like this one. Compared to other mermaid books, this was kind of disappointing...not to say it was bad!

I read Of Poseidon and also really loved it! That was probably one of the exceptions, but I haven’t read many intense mermaid books so maybe that’s what I was really drawn to it.

Right?! It was amazing. :) And hmmm...maybe. I've read about mermaids since I was little and knew about their bloodthirsty legends since I was like, 6. So I guess it just depends on whether or not you've read about them or not! 

The only mermaid book I ever read when I was six was The Little Mermaid. HA.

 | Dang...I was a messed up kid.

Lullaby begins right where Wake left off, and Harper is stopping at nothing to find her sister, Gemma. From missing posters to blogs to calls to anything you could think of, Harper's got her hands full. She preoccupies herself so completely with finding Gemma that she has to sacrifice things that she really wants to do. The loyalty I found from Harper was so admirable and it really enforced that family dynamic that was present in Wake. Harper would do literally anything to keep Gemma safe and sound, even if it meant risking her own life in order to do so, which I thought was not only extremely noble but it reminds you of how much siblings can love each other.

I'll admit that her loyalty was pretty sweet, but I was so annoyed because Harper was like...ugh. I hated how she didn't think about anything else and while that could be thought as sweet, I just felt as if she didn't care about anything else and…I just can't put this right! But I wanted to smack her. Of course, this may have something to do with me not wanting her to find Gemma.

I can see where you’re coming from, but if you’re kid sibling disappeared, you knew that she had run away, and you knew that who she was staying with was pure evil, would you be like, “Oh hey, I have a lead on my sister! No, it can wait, I’m going to go get a smoothie”? Personally, if my younger brother disappeared in that fashion I probably wouldn’t have been as calm.

True, but I'm more talking about her own life. I liked how Daniel put it. You have to move on. Not saying give up, but I felt like she should've concentrated, just a LITTLE more, on her own life. To me, she sort of felt like a Gemma-finding robot sometimes. 

Image: “I must find Gemma. Gemma is my leader.” *robotic moving arms*

Once again, Daniel didn't fail to make me laugh. He was obviously extremely devoted to Harper and trying everyday to help and take care of her, while convincing her that he wasn't the "loser" he was when Harper first ran into Daniel, which, let me say, was an equally hilarious and mortifying situation. Lullaby's secondary characters were probably my favorite part out of the entire novel. Harper's best friend Marcy was snarky but caring underneath her constant remarks, and one of the sirens Thea was supportive and helped Gemma through her phase as she was transitioning into a blood-thirsty siren.

Another reason I didn't like Harper. She was so annoying when it came to Daniel! He just wanted to be there and help and she just...she was like "deny deny deny." And SO TRUE! The secondary characters, in my opinion, were so much better than the main ones.

Okay, I agree. Harper kind of irked me at times with the “I’m trying to keep you safe, don’t talk to me anymore” speech, but it was kind of endearing how she tried to make sure nobody else got involved, although for Daniel it was kind of too late for that.

See? And I guess, though I felt it was more of an "I don't want people to think I'm crazy" kind of thing sometimes, you know?

Gemma herself also had a heart of gold. She always tried to do the right thing and she rarely ever let her hunger win and get the best of her. She was imperfectly perfect, in a way that made my heart ache for her but at the same time I was cheering her on, because Gemma had some fight in her. She was persistent, aggressive, and loved Harper just as much as Harper loved Gemma. Everything Gemma did was for Harper and to make sure she stayed safe, as well as the rest of her family and other people she loved.

I LOVED GEMMA. Erase my last comment! I agree with all of that! I loved seeing how Gemma would transform into her siren abilities and I think that was my favorite part. But I think she did it partly for herself. Trying to avoid the hunger, but making the best of it? She seemed to enjoy some of her powers. SOME of them.

RIGHT? I think she was such a refreshing character and when she was turning into a full-fledged siren it was absolutely fascinating to read!

YES! I loved her transformation so I was so disappointed when she was found. Honestly, this may sound evil, but I kept waiting for Penn to come and get her back. The ending? Not my favorite. (P.S. WHAT WAS GEMMA THINKING? It was sweet, but not very...smart. We must talk about my questions later.)

Yeah it wasn’t really smart of her. Kind of impulsive, but also a little sacrificial and I was like, “Aw, sad feelings.”

Yeah....but I sort of focused on the not smart/impulsive. I was in a bad mood at that scene. 

While I wouldn't recommend this to people who don't like mermaid books, to people who have had a fairly good track record with them, check this one out. The unique spin on the classic siren tale, making it more gruesome than most people remember, will hook you, and then the characters and the hilarious dialogue will take over after. Not only will you fall in love with Gemma and Harper, you will leave Lullaby feeling equal love for every secondary character: Alex, Daniel, Thea, etc.

Complete opposite here. I wouldn't recommend it for people who love reading about mermaids since it sort of fell flat for me. On the other hand people who aren't used to mermaids? This would be the perfect introduction to them! I loved the spin on it definitely, but I would've liked to see more to it. More siren parts, less Harper searching parts.

Hmm possibly. I could see someone who wants to ease into the mermaid genre to start with this one, seeing as it is kind of more of the characterization and less of sirens.

Yeps! I'd definitely recommend it for someone who wants to save best for last!

From heartwarming characters to a unique plot, Lullaby will touch you in its "tail" (Get it? No?) about family, love, and loyalty. Any mermaid fan or Amanda Hocking fan will love this story.

#Punny. ;P

Why thank you!

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

Goodreads Blurb

Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there. 
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

Hmmm...I've been in a mixed feelings mood (Just saying, I schedule these posts so even if I LOVED the a book in a review yesterday, that doesn't mean I wasn't in a mixed feeling mood while writing this!), and Valkyrie Rising definitely left me with mixed feelings! While I pretty much LOVED everything, the pacing in the beginning...well, it was pretty slow. And Ellie?  Sigh. Girl, (wo)man up already...

So the first half of the book was pretty slow--we spend a few pages for the introduction where we learn about the characters and their personalities, we're moved to Norway, and creepy things start happening. LOVED that, and I expected the plot to progress quickly after that. But...well, it didn't. Ellie spends about a hundred or so pages learning about being a Valkyrie, trying to defeat Astrid (a fellow Valkyrie) and failing. Ever. Damn. Time. 
And when the book did start to pick up, I was surprised to see about 200 pages had passed and I was still looking for that rising action/climax. Of course, the last hundred pages were definitely amazing and filled with action! If the entire book was like that ending, trust me, this would've been one of my rare 10 stars! 

Characters? We only really got to see two fully developed characters--Tuck and Ellie. Me? Loved the former, not so much the latter. Tuck was basically the one thing that made this book absolutely hilarious! He was just so...Tuck. He was always making fun of things, which was more endearing than annoying, trust me! He was just so fun to read about and I loved his banter with Ellie! I loved their interactions and wanted to strangle Ellie sometimes with err...what's-his-name. Kjell?
Ellie was definitely another story. Like I said, I wanted to strangle her when she was with Kjell, just for her brother's disapproval then breaking plans with Tuck for him. URGH. And then Tuck would be all...all...I don't want to talk about it. But she was also sort of naive at some parts, believing she could beat Astrid...then trusting Loki...then not believing her grandmother about the sudden disappearances, even when she'd witnessed something abnormal (and she KNOWS it) just the night before. I just...just...ugh, ugh!

But the rest? Loved. Ingrid Paulson cleverly delivers the legends of North mythology, and I loved the worldbuilding, even if we didn't get to see that much of it (although I'm betting my bookcase we'll see more in book 2!) and I loved the Valkyries, even (especially), Astrid! They were described wonderfully and they were written perfectly as how I've always imagined Valkyries to be (hey, I've loved Norse mythology since I was little!). So loved that! 

The romance? Well, I've always been a fan of those older-brother's-best-friend-is-a-jerk-turns-out-he's-super-sweet type of romances! They're just so cute and adorable to me and I want to squish them all up! It's just adorable how the guy tries to hide his feelings for the sake of the older brother--and because the main character wouldn't exactly believe the guy. ;D (LOOK. My first emoticon in a review...) SO I definitely adored this romance! And it was developed nicely, I think. There's no real surprise that he chooses now to reveal his feelings--before Kjell, no one really went after Ellie because of Graham...but now, the boy's got competition!

So all in all, I liked Valkyrie Rising pretty well, although it was pretty slow, and Ellie did get on my nerves at times! Everything else was wonderful; Romance, TUCK, World building, writing, anything but Ellie and plot...yep. DEFINITELY pick this up if you get the chance! Valkyries and Norse mythology? What's not to love?

Pages: 352
Series: Valkyrie Rising #1
Genre: Mythology/Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: October 9, 2012
Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Blog Tour: Undeadly by Michele Vail (Review)

Eep! I just adore this book, really! I'm so glad to be a part of this blog tour! Today's stop is a review and I'm more than happy to share my thoughts on Undeadly!

Goodreads Blurb

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...
Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.
Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

The number one thing I absolutely loved about Undeadly? The world-building! In a parallel world, zombies are a usual sight, SEERs are things almost everyone has, and reapers are almost common! And all because of the battle between the Egyptian gods, Anubis and Set. The way that things were explained actually made sense (Which, trust me, is hard when you add grim reapers with Egyptian mythology) and I admit, it did bombard me with information in the beginning so I had a hard time keeping track of everything, but after a few chapters you start to understand it. Besides that, I had so much fun discovering this world where Egyptian gods were real and hey, it looks like a certain reaper is starting to fall for the champion, Chosen, and child_of Anubis. Huh.

Speaking of, the romance! The romance was…weird to say the least. I mean there was Rick, Molly’s crush from when she was 15, turning 16 and there was Rath. Either way the romance was pretty awkward. I mean, no this isn’t a spoiler by the way, Molly barely knew Rick and she brought him back to life, not finding it weird at all that Rick traveled all the way to her new private school (for reapers) and seems to be so madly in love and obsessive. Because that’s so normal right? As for Rath, I thought it was a bit forced. They didn’t actually get to know each other and yet they’re starting to “like like” each other?

Plot? LOVED. It was fast-paced and everything that happened wasn’t just for the heck of it. There were actually a lot of things that I could predict and while there weren’t many giant plot twists, the few there were…ugh. I think my jaw became unhinged! Shocking and out-of-the-blue? Understatement for sure. I think I reread a few things. You know, just to make sure that I wasn’t hallucinating!

Undeadly was a kick-butt sassy read that was so insanely fun and exciting! It’s definitely one to read especially for Egyptian myth/ Zombie/ Ghost/ Action lovers! Despite the romance, Undeadly was an amazing read that you’ll love! The voice actually, for once in YA, sounded like a teen’s thoughts! Trust me, that’s a pretty hard feat! Full of quips and soul-snatching (read it and find out) Undeadly is one you should definitely get your hands on!



Author Bio

Michele Vail writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers.
She likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, in the impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate.
Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking and their family.

Contact

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Website

a Rafflecopter giveaway