Book Review: The Initiation and The Captive-Part 1 by LJ Smith

Being a fan of the early Vampire Diaries books(the first four), I thought I'd pick up Secret Circle. I didn't though, until I watched the show.

I have to say, I prefer the show over this. But, that's not why I review books. I will not compare the book to the show.

The Secret Circle basically is a secret society about witches. Cassie moves to New Salem, and ever since she arrives there, she notices that everything is weird.

This book was first publishes in 1990s. It's a little odd because I'm used to new YA books. The writing style is different. You can certainly feel that it's not a new book. But does that mean it's a bad book?

First of all, I'd like to talk about the plot. I think the plot is good. It has potential. It's about a girl who discovers she's a witch and the plot goes on well.

The writing style, however, isn't that great. Maybe it is because it was published in the 1990s but I don't think that is the issue. I think that LJ Smith should have put more details on certain things. Many things have really vague descriptions.

I was very absorbed with the author's fascination towards nature and plants. It played out really well in the story, being a story of witches.

Each book in a series is very short, which could be very nice, but sometimes you feel that part of a story that could've evolved and been better has been omitted.

Another thing I'd like to add, this bind-up is really great. It's a really nice collection and I like how they split the second story in two parts.

All in all this book was very enjoyable..

3/5

Book Review: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Son of Neptune. AHHH! Isn't that the MOST perfect and amazing title that Rick Riordan came up with?


I've been waiting ages for this book, and finally I've got my hands on this book and finished it.


When I got this book, I felt so happy and full of glee. The cover of the book that I have, the US edition, is awesome!


Anyway, here goes my review of the story:


The Son of Neptune, second book in the Heroes of the Olympus series, starts off like The Lost Hero. It is about a boy who suffers from memory loss. This boy is PERCY JACKSON! Yes, the one and only Percy!

I know, all of you have missed him. The whole book is about Percy :D!

I guess you're familiar with Rick Riordan's books, this book is no different. Maybe more epic.

The characters:

Along with Percy, we have two other demigods as well, Hazel and Frank.

Hazel's character was rather interesting. Her power wasn't exactly a good thing. Her backstory was amazing as well. I really like her character.

Frank is an Asian demigod. He's a very nice person. Funny and caring. His power, like Hazel's was interesting as well.

Ella, the harpy, was a very funny character. She brought lots of humor to the story.

The appearances of some old characters were very favorable. It was really awesome to see some of the characters from the Percy Jackson series.

The plot:


The plot, of course, is incredible. Percy doesn't remember anything. He and Leo are exchanged. He's in the Roman Camp.


The writing style:


I got used to the third person point of view and I actually really like it. I still prefer the first person point of view, but third person is essential for this series.


The ending:

The ending in this book is amazing. It ends with a cliffhanger! It's obvious who's in the ship, but do we really know? NO we don't! That's why I consider it a cliffhanger


Finally, torture starts! We have to wait ONE WHOLE year for the next book, The Mark of Athena.

Everyone, go buy this book. If you haven't read any Rick Riordan book, start his Percy Jackson series NOW!



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Book Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Before I write my review of the book, I want to emphasize on one point: I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF PARANOMAL ROMANCES!

However, this trilogy is different. Especially this book. It is the best one in the series. First of all, Maggie writes BEAUTIFULLY!

Second, the plot attracted me from the start of Shiver. The scientific ideas are great,as welll as the werewolf transformations ideas.

The ending was great too. It was perfect, not the perfect happily ever after, which I hate.

I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK :)

5/5

Book Review: Paper Towns by John Green

I absolutely loved this book! It really was amazing.
The book was full of suspense, it had amazing plot, and had an amazing ending.

The book is beautifully written and contains many morals.

READ THIS BOOK!
5/5 

Book Review: My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher

I LOOOOOOVED THIS BOOK! Deeply! It was very poignant. The writing style was unique and the characters were very likable.

The way Annabel Pitcher writes is spectacular. She uses amazing metaphors and creates an amazing flow of words.

Also, the discrimination theme was amazing and very related to the world we currently live in. I am glad that Pitcher thinks in the right way and is against it.

Do not hesitate to read this book, it is entertaining and stunning!

5/5 

Book Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Before I read any book, I check reviews online from Goodreads or other sources. As I checked reviews, I saw horrible ones, I barely found positive reviews. But then, my friend and some other people started raving about it, so I was confused. To read or not to read. That was the question. Eventually, I borrowed this book from a friend to read it.

It started off really weird. I kept thinking, was it a bad choice reading this book?
NO NO NO NO NO! And those who are accusing Clare of copying, they are wrong. YES, there are lots of similarities with other things. That does NOT mean she copied. I mean come on, people are being really rude. Like I said, you will find lots of similarities with other stories, but no story is COMPLETELY original.

Let's get on with the review.

City of Bones is about a girl, Clary who sees weird people called Shadowhunters. Shadowhunters kill demons. Basically, Clary gets involved.

The characters in this book are enjoyable. There's this thing that draws you to them. Some characters are clichéd though. There's lot of character development.
Jace is the main guy, the one who's supposed to impress the girls by being hot.
Clary reminded me a bit of Bella from Twilight. She was very helpless at times.
There are things that are revealed about the characters halfway through the book that will shock you. VERY unexpected. If you think you know the characters, then you're wrong.

There's lots of action and magic in the book, as well as different kinds of monsters.
The mythology in this book was very interesting. I was always curious to know more.

The best thing about this book was that it was a page-turner. It kept you on the edge of your seat.


This book has some negative things as well:

The book could've been a little shorter, but that isn't a major problem.
Some character identities were just disgusting. Pretty twisted.


All in all, this book was pretty fun read. I really am looking forward to reading the next book and see where the story goes on.

4/5

Book Review: Palace of the Damned by Darren Shan

I have been a huge fan of Darren Shan ever since I first read a book by him, which was Demon Thief. He's one of my top five authors EVER! Can you guess why? Well, this book is one of the reasons he's one of the best authors out there.

First of all, I have to add, this book was an improvement to Ocean of Blood. I'm not saying Ocean of Blood was bad. It was just a "slower" story.

This book picks off where it ended. Larten is not all alone. He's accompanied with the baby he rescued.

We further get to know about Larten's past.

The book starts mysteriously. The element of mystery lurks through every page.

The writing style has evolved even further, and you can know that Darren Shan is now writing for a more mature audience who has grown up with his stories.

For me, the best thing in this book,the series as well, is the appearance of characters we know from The Saga of Darren Shan series.
We get to know the identity of the boy Larten rescued.
We also get to know about Larten's love life and what happens.

There's lots of bloodshed, action, love, and hurt.
You never know what happens next in a Darren Shan book, or how the chracter ends up. Dead? Alive?

This book also had memorable quotes that exposed life experiences to us. My favorite one is:


"Loss affects each of us differently. Those who hate are doomed to become slaved of their hatred. It consumes them like a disease but it is an illness they cannot-or do not want to-live without."

This book was very enjoyable. Can't wait to read the final book in the series and say goodbye to Larten Crepsley.

5/5

Book Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

You know that feeling when you buy a book you're waiting for because the previous part left you hungry for me? I'm sure you do! Well, I felt the same way with The Power of Six.

First of all, I must say, this cover is the best one out of the three.

Okay, so the story:

It starts of where I Am Number Four left. Four, Six, and Sam have left Paradise.

The narration is exchanged between Four and a new character, Seven aka Marina.

Marina. Queen of the Sea. What an interesting name. We get to know her story throughout the book. Her character is quite interesting and intruiging. Theres this thing about her that makes you want to get to know her more. Her legacies are quite interesting as well. You might have guessed one of them by now.

The pacing in this book is a little slower than I Am Number Four because it is less action packed in the beginning. Towards the end though, it is just like I Am Number Four.

Let's move to Four

Four, Six, and Sam are on the run. If you're wondering, yes we see Sarah again in this book.
We have seen love triangles in many books, but are you ready now?

The ending. It ends with a cliffhanger so be ready!



All in all, I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to reading The Rise of Nine.

5/5

Book Review: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Before I read the book, I read really good reviews on the internet about this book, and the summary of the book seemed pretty promising.
I really thought I'd enjoy this book a lot.


BUT
I didn't care much for this book. Let me write the negative and positive aspects of this book.

NEGATIVE:

The point of view. I've always preferred first person over third person, but some books that are narrated in third person are my all-time favorite books. The third person in this book was hard to get into and bored me.

The pacing was bad. About half the book I wanted to get over with the book and I wasn't enjoying chapters at all.

The characters were OVERLY cliched. How many times are we gonna see the same characters over and over again?

The character names. Seriously? Nailer? Nita? TOOL? Yeah I get it, the author tried to be unique, but I couldn't stand these character names at all.


POSITIVE:
The build-up of the senteces were great. They capture you!

The world building is amazing, makes your imagination go far.


All in all this book was not bad. I might/might not read the next book.

3/5

Book Review:City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

I know, I give lots of books 5 stars. This time I am NOT exaggerating. This really deserves the 5 stars. The book is mind-blowing.

First of all, why I liked this more than City of Bones is the characters. I got used to them and cared for them. When I read City of Bones I felt really weird about the character for certain reasons(most important their love relationships), but now I got used to it and find this different than other books.

We are back with the adventure of the Shadowhunters against Valentine. Mmmm Valentine, a character well written that I despise so much.

This time, Cassandra Clare managed to do this to me ":O". There were LOTS of scenes that I did not expect.

The "Mortal Instruments" are quite interesting. I'm very curious about knowing how each functions.

The book is pretty well-written. I also find how Cassandra Clare puts other quotes on the beginning of each part very fascinating.

Read this book EVERYONE, even if you didn't like City of Bones. It's really a great book.

5/5