Wrecked by Priscilla West

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars!

I ended up really enjoying Wrecked. This is the story of two college students who meet under unusual circumstances, form a friendship and then eventually something more. Lorrie has a horrible past, her mother was murdered by her stepfather and her father took his own life due to his grief (none of these things are spoilers, the author is very straightforward about it in the beginning). I liked the playful banter between Hunter and Lorrie for their friendship. What I did not like was Lorrie insistence that they remain friends and then she would yell at him for things she had no right to be mad about like hooking up with a girl even though he and Lorrie were just friends.

The last 25% of the book was probably the best part, as there was a more solid plot than the beginning and middle of the book. Plus, many issues are hashed out and the reader finally gets some answers to questions raised throughout the beginning of the book. After that ending, I for sure want to read the next book and find out what happens.

My one major criticism of this book: There was no description of Lorrie!!! I mean, maybe I missed it, but it would be nice to know what the main character looked like. Short/tall? Blond/Brunette? etc... So hopefully in book 2 we will find out what Lorrie looks like and not just Hunter!

Amy Harmon

I just read two incredible books by the ever talented Amy Harmon. A couple months ago I read A Different Blue and loved it!

This week I read Making Faces, which I enjoyed, but for me the real gem was Running Barefoot. I highly recommend all 3 books to readers out there, Harmon deserves much more recognition.

Update as of 10/7/13

To those of you who actually read this, I am starting school again next week and I'm going to have less time to review books. Hopefully I will find extra time to write. Until then, here are some books I read and/or reread recently that were awesome, I have read all of these since reading Bitterblue. I highly recommend all of these. Recommendation credit to Tim and Kris from Goodreads for a few.

Bitterblue

Title: Bitterblue
Author: Kristin Cashore
Year: 2012
Series?: Graceling Realm #3
Format: Hardcover (Library checkout)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mystery

What's it about?:  Eight years after Bitterblue becomes Queen of Monsea, she is still fighting Leck's influence in her city and fighting unknown forces that seem to want to ruin it. With the help of her friends, Bitterblue fights to hold everything together and to unravel the mysteries surrounding her.

My opinion: Some spoilers ahead if you have not read Graceling and Fire!!

If Kristin Cashore never writes another book it would be a devastating tragedy.

As much as I love this series, I am very glad I waited until now to read them, as Bitterblue took three years to be released after Fire and I don't think I could have handled the wait. Unlike the two books in the realm before it, Bitterblue is slower paced and more of a political mystery book than an action or adventure novel. With this book Cashore has proven yet again that she is one of the most intelligent fantasy and young adult authors out there. Many people have complained that this book wasn't as good as the others, and while I agree some to that point, I'm glad Cashore did something different with her books; she easily could have churned out the same thing but she went outside her boundaries and made something different and far more clever than what she's produced before. So in this case I don't understand the reader backlash because this book was so intricately done, I can see why Cashore put so much time into it. While not everything tied perfectly together at the end, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about characters I loved in Graceling and I'm glad I got the opportunity to see where their lives led; many other authors wouldn't give their fans the satisfaction Cashore gave hers, so stop whining! The pacing was a bit slow as the reader is working out the mysteries surrounding the plot as Bitterblue herself figures them out. I like that the more I read Bitterblue, the more I understood about the other two novels in the series. I commend Cashore for tying things together and to continue to develop on what she already made great.

Eight years after defeating King Leck, his daughter Bitterblue is now queen and continues to clean up the mess her father left behind in her kingdom. This is an extreme ordeal for her because she became queen at the age of ten, and even being wiser beyond her years, there is still a lot she does not know about everything around her. I could feel her frustration over trying to put her kingdom back together and just hitting walls at every chance. When it was revealed what Leck had really been doing to all of his victims over the thirty-five years he reigned, my heart broke. I knew it would be bad but it was more twisted than I guessed it would be; it never crossed my mind some of the things he had done, but it made sense once revealed based on characters' actions throughout the book. Leck is one of the most intriguing and disturbed villains I have ever read in a series. His taint spread so far and damaged so many people it was sickening. The mystery is what made this book and I love that everything unfolded the further you read, instead of all of the pieces of the puzzle being handed to you at the beginning to sort through.

I love, love, loved the character development in this book, especially of more minor characters in previous books that got a chance to shine in this one. It was nice to see that Katsa and Po were still together, I love that we learned what became of the characters in Fire. Bitterblue found her own ways to be strong and to fight, by using her mind and wits to fix everything around her instead of physical action and war. Friendship was a giant theme in this book, Bitterblue never could have done the things she did without the loyalty and love of those she kept and loved around her. Trust your friends and treat them well was a huge message throughout the book.

 My favorite relationship was the one that built between Lord Giddon and Bitterblue, it was one I never expected but I can only dream it will go further. Cashore herself says she loves when readers create their own assumptions and subtext and my guess (or hope) is that there is a future romance between Giddon and Bitterblue. They remained friends in this book, but they supported each other through every hardship and knew how to comfort the other without asking. On that note, I was a bit disappointed that there was less romance in this book than the others. Saf and Bitterblue started out strong and then sort of faded until the last 1/4 of the book. I felt Bitterblue's relationship with Saf was more of a learning experience than something meant to be; they didn't seem to understand each other and they didn't work hard enough to overlook their differences to be together.

To me, Bitterblue was a giant promise of what is to come, whether or not Cashore writes any more books, she left the reader with enough to imagine their own endings in any way they wish. An author that makes the reader think? Blasphemy!!! (**giggles**). I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars, how could I give it anything else?

Fire

Title: Fire
Author: Kristin Cashore
Year: 2009
Series?: Graceling Realm #2
Format: Hardcover (Library checkout)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure

What's it about?: Out in a barren and rocky landscape lives a monster named Fire. She has an enticing appearance and the ability to read and possess people's minds, but Fire has no desire to use her abilities against other people. The current king of her land requests Fire's help in exposing a plot made against him, and Fire must struggle with the decision of using her abilities, but she doesn't want to become the true monster her father was before her.

My opinion:  

"Book hangover", definition being when you've finished a book and you suddenly return to the real world, but the real world feels incomplete or surreal because you're still living in the world of the book.

^^^ This is exactly how I feel about Fire. I know that I raved about Graceling, rightfully so, but holy monkey balls Fire was even better. I assume that Graceling was Cashore's first attempt at writing, and while I loved it, it's obvious that Cashore really came into herself as a writer with this second novel. From the first moment, Fire sucked you in and grasped your attention until the very end; there was no point in the entire book where I had to walk away or make myself keep reading and I couldn't put the damn thing down! One can actually read Fire without having read Graceling, as it is a companion novel and not a sequel. There is one similar character from the first book, but in a way this book was more of a prequel, it just took place in a different land and before the events of Graceling. I do like that it explained the origins of a certain character who crosses over between the two books, but it would never be confusing for a reader new to the Graceling Realm.

I liked that Fire was a strong female character to admire, she constantly proved herself as a good person over and over again to fight against those who believed her to be evil based on the previous actions of her very evil father. While there are similarities between Fire and Katsa (from the first book), they are very much their own characters with some similar traits. One of my favorite scenes from the book was Fire's attempt to let the military ride safely past the sky-monsters, I was absolutely riveted and entirely lost in the book, at one point I think I stopped breathing. The interactions between Fire and the other characters in the book are what really moved the pace, no matter who she was talking to Fire showed intelligence and considered her options before action. Fire's daily struggle with being a "monster" and the moral implications of her gift made her one of the most compelling characters I've ever read. The development of Fire's character was impressive for while she did change her morals and intentions never strayed into a dark side, she remained constant in her belief that she not turn into her father. The theme of parental origins was strong in the book, more than one character proved that a person born by their parents don't necessarily become their father or mother simply through blood, but how they are raised and how they are taught to treat others. (A concept that most parents today should follow more often).

There was a love triangle in the book, although it was not a triangle in the traditional sense. Basically there were two love interests who I both admired. One a childhood love and the other a slow building relationship. I am a huge fan of the slow build, so I was uber pleased with how things turned out in the end; we often forget that most people do not instantly fall in love and first impressions are not always correct. People also change and the things they once wanted can become irrelevant with time, as was the case with Fire and her life choices. Another reviewer pointed out this book is an incredibly accurate portrayal of rape culture and I wholeheartedly agree. The result of Fire's ability (or being a "monster") caused men throughout the book to throw themselves at her, and Cashore made the great point that no matter how pretty someone is, this is not okay! Fire is not whining about her beauty, she literally has to struggle with it everyday, sometimes even keeping people physically off of and away from her to protect herself. Eventually, she finds a way to accept her circumstances and deal with it, but it's obviously not the easiest thing to come to terms with.

We really need more books like this one in the literary world. I plan on starting the third book Bitterblue next and I will pray that Cashore writes many, MANY more books as fascinating as Fire in the future. I would rate this book 6 out of 5 stars! (giggles).

Angels' Blood

Title: Angels' Blood
Author: Nalini Singh
Year: 2009
Series?: Guild Hunter #1
Format: Mass Market Paperback (Library checkout)
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

What's it about?: Elena Deveraux, the vampire hunter, is very good at her job. So good, in fact, that the archangel Raphael has hired her in order to track someone down. Raphael is very dangerous and would easily kill Elena if she insults him or is no longer amusing or of use to him. Even worse, Raphael is angling to be Elena's lover and she refuses to be his plaything. Together they will track a blood thirsty killer who seems impossible to find.

My opinion: This book is yet another Goodreads recommendation that I'm glad I followed through on. The lore behind how vampires are made in this world Singh created was surprisingly cool; vampires are made from angels, who roam and rule the earth and all the people are aware of the existence of both "species". I also loved that angels had different colored wings than others and the descriptions that the author wrote made me picture them perfectly. The banter between Elena and Raphael was my favorite part of the book, the development of their relationship throughout the book rivals that of other romances. Elena made it clear she would not be a toy to be played with and by the end of the book she actually managed to gain some ground with Raphael on what their relationship would be.

I liked how strong Elena was, she is a female hero that young women should aspire to. The amount of loss in her life could have been overwhelming but she worked hard at not letting it suck her down into a depression. Her friends were great background characters, I hope they'll be in more of the books in the series.

I literally sucked this book down like it was crack, I finished it in less than twenty four hours, it's one of those books that are extremely hard to put down as it keeps you wondering what will happen next. In fact I am on my way to Barnes and Noble to buy the next book after I post this review. Happy reading everyone!

I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Starcrossed

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini
Year: 2011
Series?: Starcrossed #1
Format: Hardcover (Library checkout)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy/Mythology, Romance

What's it about?: Helen Hamilton has lived on the boring island of Nantucket for her entire life. Helen does everything she can to avoid being the center of attention, despite being model thin and tall, extremely smart and incredible at athletics. Helen knows down deep she is not a normal human, she has dreams of old women crying blood and wandering a desert landscape, waking up to dirty feet in her bed. When the Delos family moves to the island and begins to stir up gossip, Helen is the only person not intrigued by their presence, in fact it makes her cranky. Until the day she meets Lucas Delos, in which she flies into a white hot fury that is beyond her control.

My opinion: This book exceeded my expectations. I checked out this book because Goodreads had recommended it and I'm glad I took the chance. The story sucks you in from the first page and I ended up devouring this book within 24 hours. I liked the fact that this wasn't another Vampire/Werewolf/Angel young adult novel, as much as I like those. Angelini incorporated ancient Greek mythology into a modern setting very well, even if I wasn't familiar with The Iliad, she explained the background without being confusing or exhausting. Starcrossed was paced very well and there was never a choppy moment in the flow, it captures your attention and keeps a choke-hold on it until the very last page. The were times when it got a little Mortal Instruments for me (in a very small way) but despite that small plot similarity, it was quite the original idea, having demigods live among mortals.

Lucas is one of those great book boyfriends we always fall for, even when he "hated" Helen, he still protected her from danger, as if he recognized that they were connected in some way. I liked the development of their relationship, the fine line between friendship and something more. I also understood why Lucas waited so long to tell her his reasons for not "being" with Helen, which I won't go into. But I am always a big supporter of relationship angst within a book, so I look forward to the rest of the saga and how far they will go with it. Spoiler!: once the Furies were sent away from Helen and the Delos family, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the new friends Helen made within it. Aside from Lucas, Hector was my favorite as he seemed to be the most misunderstood of them all, he seemed to bear most of the burden and while his family wasn't mean to him, they didn't seem to give him enough credit; they worried about him too much.

One criticism! I wish that they would have said Helen was a blond at the beginning of the book, maybe they did and I missed it, but I spent like 93% of the book picturing her as a brunette so I was irked when I realized I had been picturing her wrong. Oh well, just a nitpicky thang I guess.

I would rate this book 4 out of 5 stars!