Torn By Amanda Hocking Review (Trylle Novel #2)

Source: Raincoast Books (Finished Copy)

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Description: 

When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself - that she's a changeling switched at birth - she knows her life will never be the same. Now she's about to learn that there's more to the story...

She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined - and they'll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers - and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who's strictly off limits... and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.

Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she's ever wanted... in both worlds.

As a special gift to readers, this book contains a new, never-before-published bonus story, "One Day, Three Ways," set in the magical world of the Trylle.

Chaos' Review:

  As always, it's time to criticize the cover! HOORAY! But, I adore the cover, so there isn't much of anything to be rash about. My favourite colour is blue, and typically the cover is basically blue, and I adore accessories, meaning the crown being held by the girl (Wendy) in the center, so this cover is perfectly mysterious and pretty all at once, though the figure of the girl is a little too blurred, but it's still gorgeous. 

  Now on to the story part! To be honest, I haven't read Switched and just dived into this book, but it was still VERY good either way! I understood the concepts easily and at the back there was a little glossary that gave the definitions when it got a little confusing, with words like "Markis" and "Marksinna" which are basically Dukes and Duchesses, but it all worked out in the end. The story starts off rapidly and we are automatically re-introduced to  Wendy, Matt, Rhys, and Finn. Which was awesomely perfect and clear cut to  the point. Wendy, I seemed to have an adoration for, she typically, like any other girl thrown into a situation where she was forced to lead and take action, was forced into a leadership role she didn't ask for (Princess duty). She was picked up from her teenage years and was forced to mature for the sake of the Kingdom (She must become Queen). She was a perfect role model for readers because, its a small but nonchalant way of describing how women have to sometimes grow up faster and mature because it's "Lady like" or "classy" which is what my Momster and Aunt always nag at me.  There's also the in between state where you can see that us women can do whatever we put our minds too! HECK YES!

   A big part I very much enjoyed in this book was the mother-daughter relationship between Wendy and Elora, it was small and monumental because it made me think about my own Mother (a.k.a. Momster; my lil' nickname for her XP) and then it hits me while I'm reading.....I love my Mother and I don't know where I'd be without her. Amanda Hocking doesn't describe Elora (Wendy's Mom) as some vicious witch, but more kind-hearted and wise, I liked that, because nowadays, Mother's of the hero or heroine of the book are usually placed as cruel and unloving, or there's some kind of distance placed between the two, I don't typically always enjoy that scenario. Moreover, I actually very much enjoyed this book and absolutely recommend it to anyone that has a thing for Fantasy, Romance, and an intense battle raging against the Tylle and the Vittra. 

Our Thoughts on Plagiarism

   As many of you might already know, there was recently an event of plagiarism in the blogging community. It had nothing to do with our blog, but it was something that is well known and we thought that we had to share our thoughts on this topic.
   Obviously, this is definitely NOT a good thing and we are both very against it. Most of the time, the person who has been plagiarised doesn't even get the credit for their work, and it really is a shame.
But, we feel that people should always get second chances. This might sound cheesy, but everybody makes mistakes and soon enough, they grow out of their child-like behaviour. What I don't understand is why everybody starts attaacking the plagiarist. Of course, they should be called out on their behaviour and an apology from them is always nice, but I feel as if everyone starts assuming the worst of that person and automatically start jumping to conclusions about that individual. Okay, they plagiarised, everybody gets it... but it was a mistake. And most of the time, the plagiarist, recognizes their mistake.

 All we're saying is, don't completely boycott the person because they made a silly mistake. Of course, if you feel differently, LEAVE A COMMENT! We would love to hear everybody's thoughts on this. And.. don't hate on the way we spell "behaviour" and such. We're Canadians, its how we spell <3

In My ||Our|| Mailbox (IMM) #2

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It's pretty much just an awesome way for blog followers know of some of the books that we got this week :D

So here are the books we got this week! They're some pretty sweet titles and can't wait to strike up a review for you guys!

Number 1. 

Unraveling By Elizabeth Norris

Source: Bought

Number 2.

Messy By Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Source: Hachette Book Group (ARC)

Release Date: June 5, 2012

Number 3.

Pretty Amy By Lisa Burstein

Source: Bought

Number 4.

The Calling By Kelley Armstrong

Source: Bought

Okay rad people, so that is all we got this week. But we must say that we really do appreciate and enjoy the books that we receive. It is actually the most heart-warming feeling.

We look forward to finishing these books and putting them up for review so ya'll can see what we thought of them :D 


Post a comment or a link to your blog so we can see/know what you guys got in your weekly or monthly book haul! XP

Insurgent By Veronica Roth Review

Available at Amazon


Source: Bought

Author: Veronica Roth

Publisher: Harper Collins

Description: 


   One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Chaos' Review: 

    As per tradition now, lets begin with the cover. It reflects the story, but I felt the cover didn't do the story justice. Of coarse it is gorgeous but I'm just not getting that draw towards it, it just doesn't stick out for me like Divergent did, with the burning Dauntless symbol and all. 
  Now on to the story. As with all sequels, it gives a short review of past events. Thank goodness, because I read Divergent a year ago and could hardly remember a thing. My memory never falters like that, its crazy, but now that I think about that, it's because the names of the characters were just so normal. Like Peter, Susan, Marcus, and Christina. All those names are so average, which brings to why I could hardly remember who they were once I started the book. Anyways, Tris, the protagonist made me very weary, and I must admit that while reading about her depression -I- in turn felt depressed because of it. It wasn't a very appealing feeling. I gradually began to feel agitated of the book because it was constantly based towards how Tris was mentally unstable. Tris wasn't the same kick-butt protagonist that we all met in Divergent, it literally drove me insane. I understand that she was badly damaged after killing one of her best friends due to certain circumstances and the death of her parents drove her over the edge, but I thought it would somehow push her into trying harder in order to avenge their deaths. I was kinda of disappointed by that, because the majority of the book is a continuous reminder of how she now has suicidal tendencies. It wasn't towards the end did I get a hint of Tris' previous personality in Divergent. Other than that, all the publicized hype for this book increased my hopes, which probably explains why I was disappointed a bit. Honestly, Veronica Roth is a terrific writer and I send all high praise to her, and I did increasingly enjoy Divergent VERY much! But Insurgent just wasn't up to my expectation, but I look forward to the third installment of this trilogy, because the very ending gave me a slight 'The Maze Runner By James Dashner' feel, and I liked that, so I look forward to what Veronica Roth has in store for us readers. 

ARC Review: Fated by Alyson noel

  Description:

The first book in a magnificent new series about a girl who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead by #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël.

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy

Calamity's Review:

Lets start with the cover, it is BEAUTIFUL! Call me superficial, but that is mostly why I wanted to read it. BUT... the book was slightly disappointing. I expected it to be better considering how many people were excited to read it. The blurb was interesting enough and the storyline was good, but the writng style was not for me. The book was slow and took forever to actually get to the point. I felt as if I were waiting for something the the whole time I was reading.
The main character, Daire, was very realistic and it was easy to relate to her. She was really outgoing but shy at the same time. I got tired of reading from her point of view though. She would do the opposite of what the readers would want her to do and started to get irritating.
The book was good but honestly, the writing style was just not my cup of tea and I found it slightly repetetive.

I rate this book a 3!

                                                                                        

Partials By Dan Wells Review

Available at Amazon or The Book Depository

Description:

   The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic-in-training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws have pushed what's left of humanity to the brink of civil war, and she's not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will find that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Chaos' Review:


    As always, lets start with the cover, it is simply gorgeous and eye catching. I adorrrrre it! The quote "The only hope for humanity isn't human" adds the perfect dash of mystery, and because of it, I HAD to pick this book up. 
   The beginning is the calm introduction of the characters, setting, plot, and everything else. It was interesting but first chapter was slightly boring because now a days, books start off with a rapid bang, and BAM you're in the middle of some kind of fight scene. However, in this book, its casual and invites the readers because its still keeping its poise of mystery. 
   The protagonist is Kira, she's intelligent and can basically care for herself, other than depending mainly on others, AND she WILL ask for help instead of going on some stupid deathly mission and becoming some kind of killing machine that saves the world all on her own. No, Kira is independent, but she see's things in a different perspective than our usual heroines that go out and try to get themselves killed because, heck, they think they're the only one's that can save things. Kira ASKS for help and knows how to get things done with EVERYONE'S help! I love it because that makes her seem more *HUMANE* since she is pushing her limit with the assistance of her close friends, to find a cure to save the dying babies. 
   Now the antagonist is hard to explain, because even I don't know who in the world it could be. Plus if I tried to explain, it will spoil many things. Therefore no can do! LOL! 
   Once you get past the first few chapters and begin to understand the characters and their roles, plus the setting and background story on the situation, it is NON STOP ACTION! It was awesome, and I could no longer put this book down. I literally felt heart broken because the book ENDED! I'm living off hysteria because I need the second book NOW! Literally, this book was filled with diversity between the characters and it was remarkable. Dan Wells literally took my breath away with this book! I praise his work and impatiently await for the second! 


           

Waiting on Wednesday (#1)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection for Calamity is:

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) by Moira Young

I CAINT BREATHE! I NEED this book in my hands. I need more of Saba and her awesomeness and her beautiful language. This is the second installment to the Dust Land series. The first one is Blood Red Road and it was one of the, actually no, the BEST book of 2012 so far. I cannot explain how much I enjoyed reading that book. Anyway, I look forward to the next one... check out the description on Goodreads

Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

Release Date: June 12, 2012

I admit it, I mostly want to read this book beacause of Dimka, but I am also really looking forward to seeing more of Sydney. She is obviously not a "Rose"  but she is unique and I want to know more about her character. I think that the reason I'm so drawn to this book might be because it is a spin-off of Vampire Academy and I really fell in love with all the characters in that series. The description can be found here

I hope you enjoyed my (Calamity's) picks for this week :)