Review: Arson by Estevan Vega

Title: Arson
Author: Estevan Vega
Genre: Paranormal
ISBN: 9781615666034

Premise: Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can't shut it off. Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl--who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin--moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Dark, moody, and breathtakingly relevant, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated boy with unimaginable ability, is sure to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

So everyone knows, I received an e-copy of this book from Partners in Crime Tours, but the opinions about to be expressed are entirely my own. With that, let’s begin. First off, the cover of this book is sweet. The mask freaked me out a bit, but after reading the book I understand its significance. The book itself was a surprise to me. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was vastly different from what I got.  At first many of the characters confused and frustrated me. I couldn’t figure out why Arson loved his grandmother so much despite the blatant abuse she piled on him, and couldn’t get over just how crazy she is, going from one emotion to another in a matter of moments. There was also this elusive event that had taken place years ago that pegged Arson as a monster in his grandmother’s eyes, an event I got progressively more and more frustrated not knowing about. The beginning took a while to get going, setting up a lot of background information on the characters and their motivations, except of course that pesky event. Arson’s ability to start fires was actually used really well, never becoming overused or all-encompassing. It’s a very dark novel, showcasing human suffering in many different ways, from the pain of being a teenager who is very different from the norm, to living in a loveless marriage, to death. There were moments I had to take a break from reading due to the heaviness of the material, yet it was executed well. The characters were fairly well-developed, and their interactions, though frustrating at times, were realistic. The writing style felt a little juvenile at times, but it was outweighed by the insanity of the twists. My roommates kept asking me what was happening in my book, as I would often laugh or yell aloud while reading. I thought I had the ending pegged at least three times before the end, just to be dead wrong. My biggest frustration with the book was the end. I was so upset when I read the ending, as I felt it was more than unfinished. It wasn’t until I realized there is a sequel that my rage abated. The love story is adorable, and the next book is sure to make it even more interesting. But so far, all I can find on the new book is the cover, located here:  http://agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/2011/07/cover-reveal-ashes-by-estevan-vega.html

But I will definitely be grabbing the sequel to this atypical novel. 

 

Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Title: Falling Under
Author: Gwen Hayes
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN: 9780451232687

Premise: Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams. As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul. 

I am so happy I decided to read this book! I was back and forth for a few days about it, afraid it was another vampire romance novel full of cliches and vomit-worthy professions of undying eternal love, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out otherwise! Haden was not in fact the dreamy vampire I thought he was going to be. He was in a word, completely un-Edward. He was mean to Theia, though he had the whole, "I really don't want to hurt you" thing going on, there was also a realistic inner struggle with him, because he wants her so bad. His character was a totally believable paranormal entity. Anytime he said something that betrayed the fact that he was not seventeen years old, Theia called him out on it. It was used as a plot-driving device, not an annoying additive. Each of the characters, even those who weren't that important were developed very well, and their interactions were completely realistic. My favorite character was definitely Haden, as the two versions of him, the one in real life, and the one of Theia's dreams, interacted so differently with Theia. I also really liked Theia, as she wasn't a pushover like say, Bella Swan. She reacted genueninely when Haden did things to upset her, and she would call him out on it instead of thinking she deserved it. When he was mean to her and flirted with other girls in front of her in waking, and then tell her how amazing she was in sleeping, she got angry, and demanded to know from both Hadens what was going on. The plot of the book was totally captivating also. I brought the book to work with me so I could read it on break because I couldn't go more than a few hours without needing to know what happened next. Every time the book threatened to go into the "I've read this before" zone, something crazy would happen that made it completely unique. Theia actually does things that shows her love for Haden instead of just talking about it, and when the crazy plot twist at the end occurs, it is swoon worthy. My only disappointment with this book was that it ended, and I was unsatisfied. This of course was before I realized there was a sequel, and that it wasn't actually the end yet. I cannot wait to read the next installment of this series. I would seriously recommend this book to anyone who loves paranormal romances, but is sick of all the books being the same. This one is unlike any other I have read. 

Review: The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon

Title: The Twisted Thread
Author: Charlotte Bacon
Genre: Mystery/ Suspense
ISBN: 978-1401341503

Premise: When beautiful but aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning, prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core. Everyone connected to school, and to Claire, finds their lives upended, from the local police detective who has a personal history with the academy, to the various faculty and staff whose lives are immersed in the daily rituals associated with it. Everyone wants to know how Claire died, at whose hands, and more importantly, where the baby that she recently gave birth to is a baby that almost no one, except her small innermost circle, knew she was carrying.

I haven't read a good murder mystery in a while, so this was definitely intriguing reading. Bacon does a fantastic job of creating believable characters, both within Armitage Academy, and in the surrounding area. Prestige is a recurring theme throughout, and the idea of being privileged allows for some very interesting twists. Bacon was able to create teenage characters seen through the point of view of adults that actually made sense. The difference in dialogue between the young characters and the older ones is very noticeable, and that's something I respect in an author. She also did a wonderful job of keeping the reader guessing as to who the killer was. I was sure it was at least four different people before you actually find out who the murderer is. Unfortunately, the ending isn't as fulfilling as I would've liked, and the actual murderer and motive seems tame once your brain has been spinning with all these other possible reasons. Other than that, it was a very engaging novel that I would recommend to anyone who doesn't feel like sleeping for a few days.

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Sci-fi/ Dystopian
ISBN: 978-0439023511

Premise: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

Sadly, the final book in The Hunger Games trilogy was not as great as I had expected, given the excellence of the first two installments. Don't get me wrong, it was just as intense and captivating as the other two, but the actual ending seemed to be hurried and left a lot of unanswered questions. I was even confused after I finished the book, as I felt that at least one chapter had been removed from my copy, because there was no way Suzanne Collins would have left her book unfinished. But after talking with others who read it, it seems that all the copies were missing this chapter. Before this book, I was amazed at Collins' ability to do what needed to be done to her characters, but in this novel, I felt that she took it a little too far, disposing of characters in ways that didn't necessarily add to the story. One fatality in particular stood out to me as being entirely unnecessary. The ending of the love triangle doesn't seem like Katniss actually made a choice, but that it was made for her, of which I do not approve. Ultimately, I was just disappointed that it didn't seem as well done as the first two. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Though it had problems, it is still the only available conclusion for an overall wonderful series, and I think that the series as a whole is great enough to merit this book be read. 
 
 

Review: The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald

Title: The Anti-Prom
Author: Abby McDonald
Genre: Chick-Lit
ISBN: 978-0763649562

Premise: Prom is supposed to be the best night of your life. But given that life is unpredictable, this is never a guarantee. This novel chronicles the prom night of three very different high school girls. Bliss is pretty, popular and perfect, Jolene is the classic bad girl who gets arrested and smokes cigarettes, and Meg is the wallflower that no one ever notices. This one night brings the three unlikely friends together in a adventure to get sweet revenge.

Honestly I was back and forth about even choosing this book to read, as it seemed to be under my reading level, but something about the description kept drawing me back and I decided to take a crack at it. To my surprise, I ended up greatly enjoying it. It is a coming of age story in the feel-good Sarah Dessen style. Each of the girls has something to prove that night, and they each go through a transformation, ones you're not sure as the reader they're going to be able to accomplish, so it's all the more sweet when they do. The most fun things about the book was the interactions between the three characters. The bickering was so believable, it can be assumed the author has three personalities in her head. There's no other explanation for the diversity between the girls. Very light and fun reading, I would recommend it to someone looking for a simple book to waste an afternoon with.