Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead Until Dark

Author: Charlaine Harris

Pages: 292

Release: May 1^st, 2001

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out.... Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

My Thoughts:

I don’t know how familiar any of you guys are with the HBO show, True Blood, but it is a television show based off of these books, The Sookie Stackhouse series. Well, I absolutely adore the television show so with it’s popularity rising, the mass market paperbacks were in walmart and pretty cheap, so I figured, why not? The first book was just as great as the show and I look forward to reading more in the series.

The most challenging part about writing a review for a book that’s story I am already familiar with is that it’s very difficult to judge the quality without a comparison happening. So, I will get this out of the way by saying that the book was very similar to the first season of the show. Not indentical, but similar in numerous ways which I am sure impressed many of the long-time book fans. The differences I noticed were there was no Tara (whose a main character in the show) and Lafayette wasn’t nearly fabulous enough.

Now speaking strictly about the book, I really loved Sookie and getting to hear things in her head. I also was surprised to find that I didn’t really like Sam’s character. The plot was still so intense that even knowing what to expect, I was flipping pages like crazy and holding my breath without paying attention. Fans of the tv show like myself, should definitely check out these awesome paranormal mystery books.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Title: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Pages: 394

Release: June 14^th, 2011

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)One hour to rewrite the past . . .
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

My Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Hourglass. It was a really cool cover and the synopsis sounded great, but I hadn’t heard a lot about it. I am pleased to say that this book blew me out of the water and I am so glad I read this!

One thing I can tell you I didn’t expect, was for this to be an action packed, edge-of-your-seat kind of book. Oh, but it was, it truly was! There were so many moments where the book took a turn I didn’t expect that I stayed up until two in the morning without even realizing it. I became completely engrossed in the story, the characters, and the time travel!

I can’t remember the last time I liked a character as much as I like Emerson. She has been through so much in her past, but she was strong and easy to relate to. I also can’t forget to mention the sexy Michael who was a total heartthrob. It was a truly beautifully written book with great descriptions and it gave good in-depth details about all the characters. I love when an author makes a point to give us all those little facts. I adored this book and am looking forward to the upcoming sequel, Timepiece.

In Short:

Rating: 5/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes!

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Pages: 435

Release: January 4^th, 2011

Synopsis:

(from Goodreads)In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy. Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

My Thoughts:

Unearthly was a book that I had never seen in stores but noticed it was only .99 in the Nook store. I had heard things about the series and I am a sucker for a fallen angel story, so it was a done deal. Unearthly is an exciting, fast-paced book that keeps you turning pages the whole way through.

While I really enjoyed the novel, the beginning lacked originality. It was in many ways, cut from the same cloth as Twilight. There is a girl, Clara, who is forced to move from a warm, populated area to a cold, small town. There is a love triangle with the daring, hot boy and the good-natured, friendly one and there is even a scene where Clara and her friends go out of town to shop for Prom dresses. It was a little too déjà vu for me at that point. But, luckily it becomes more it’s own by the middle to the end.

While it was a very familiar storyline at times, I loved the angels that Cynthia Hand created and I found myself eager for more information throughout the book. I also absolutely adored the fact that Clara is the hero in this book. She’s the powerful girl who’s doing the rescuing, and I am all about girl power in YA books!

I really enjoyed reading Unearthly and think it is a great book, worth reading. I enjoyed the characters, the mystery, and am looking forward to reading more from this series.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Purchase

Would I read it again?: Yes!

Giveaway: City of Lost Souls

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and Easter, if you observe it. I had a great one, but my weekend was very swamped with different preparations and family get-togethers so I apologize for it being sort of quiet around here. However, I have something that will hopefully make up for it: a GIVEAWAY!

Yep! You heard right, my very first giveaway is here and I thought what better time to host it than when my favorite author has a new book coming out.

One person will receive:

A PRE-ORDER copy of City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Some quick Rules/Guidelines:

• Giveaway open to anyone who Book Depository ships to
• MUST be 13 years of age or older to enter
• Winner will be notified through Email
• Winner has 48 Hours to respond to email before another will be chosen
• Contest ends April 30th

CLICK “READ MORE” to ENTER!

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Title: Harbinger

Author: Sara Wilson Etienne

Pages: 309

Release: February 2^nd, 2012

Synopsis:(from Goodreads)Plagued by waking visions and nightmares, inexplicably drawn to the bones of dead animals, Faye thinks she's going crazy. Fast. Her parents beleive Holbrook Academy might just be the solution. Dr. Mordoch tells her it's the only answer. But Faye knows that something's not quite right about Dr. Mordoch and her creepy, prisonlike school for disturbed teenagers.
What's wrong with Holbrook goes beyond the Takers, sadistic guards who threaten the student body with Tasers and pepper spray; or Nurse, who doles out pills at bedtime and doses of solitary confinement when kids step out of line; or Rita, the strange girl who delivers ominous messages to Faye that never seem to make any sense. What's wrong with Holbrook begins and ends with Faye's red hands; she and her newfound friends--her Holbrook "family"--wake up every morning with their hands stained the terrible brown of dried blood. Faye has no idea what it means but fears she may be the cause.
Because despite the strangeness of Holbrook and the island on which it sits, Faye feels oddly connected to the place; she feels especially linked to the handsome Kel, who helps her unravel the mystery. There's just one problem: Faye's certain Kel's trying to kill her--and maybe the rest of the world, too.
A rich and tautly told psychological thriller, Harbinger heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in young adult fiction.

My Thoughts:

I won this book from a giveaway and I remember that when I got it in the mail, I was so excited! Not just for the story, but for some superficial reasons too. First off, the cover has a different texture than most hardcover jackets and it made the book look unique and feel nice! Secondly, the author included this nice pamphlet from Holbrook Academy and that really got me psyched about entering into this world she created and lastly, it was the first book I had ever gotten signed! I was so excited that I wanted to dance(which is a little ironic if you’ve read the book).

So, you know from all that, that my expectations were high. Were they fulfilled? Mostly. You see Harbinger is unlike any book I have ever read before in that it is paranormal, but in a completely untouched way. It’s kind of dystopian, but that’s not the central idea in the plot. A lot of it has to do with prophecy and tarot cards. I have never read a book before that comes even close to this. It was so intricately woven and had such detail that occasionally it was even a little too much for me and I felt lost. I also found the characters to be fascinating and while I did not relate to them very much, I was always eager to unravel more of the mystery in this book.

I would say that in the long run, it was a very interesting read and I am glad I read it because it truly was a very unique book, but even after finishing it, I feel kind of confused and like I might need to read the last 100 pages over again. So, I would say if it’s something that interests you, then give it a shot. It’s definitely a quality standalone novel.

In Short:

Rating: 4/5

Purchase or Check Out?: Check Out

Would I read it again?: Maybe