[Book Review] 33 Ermine Street

33 Ermine Street

Harvey Lincoln

Young-Adult, Contemporary Fiction

Rating:

★★★★★

33 Ermine Street is an ordinary account of an extraordinary courage of a British immigrant of Chinese descent. 

Story-wise, the beginning was somewhat dull. Shen, the protagonist, is as every bit as ordinary. I didn't find myself connecting with him within the first few chapters of the story because he seemed a little too sheltered. Sure, he's had brushes with unpleasant people, but he was mostly raised within the confines of the protective bubble of his parents. 

When the traumatic experience happened, it was only then that I understood why Shen was portrayed as a sheltered young man. Had the incident happened to a more experienced young man, he would not have been affected as much as Shen was. I think it would be safe to say that the incident at the bus was a catalyst for Shen's growth.

Character-wise, I really liked Sandeep and Alfred, because I thought they were the most distinct ones even though they were merely side characters. Malik comes close because of his developed background. 

It was also interesting to read a Filipino character being portrayed in a novel by a foreign writer. The names are too much though, in my opinion. The name Amihan is classically Filipino, but I draw the line at the name Bayani. 

If you ever meet immigrants of Filipino descent, or any Filipino for that matter, you'll know that they don't usually name their children obvious Filipino names. The most common male names in the Philippines, quite surprisingly, include John and Michael (which are not very Filipino-sounding).

The writing is raw at best, but for a debut novel, it's a decent one. The thought that kept occurring to me while reading this story is this: "Show. Don't tell." (May I suggest checking out this LINK to better understand what I mean.) 

My problem with the way the narrative is written is that everything was 'told' by the omniscient speaker. And if isn't given away by the narrator, it is conveyed through dialogue, which somehow, seems blocky and unnatural. The narrative also sounded too formal, and with very little distinction from the different characters.

All in all, I think this is a decent debut novel. I give it 3 stars because of Sandeep's wisdom, Alfred's change of heart, and Shen's courage.

LINKS:

Goodreads // Amazon

[Book Review] The Naturals

The Naturals

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes

November 5, 2013

Young-Adult, Mystery, Thriller

The premise and book description were interesting. These were what drew me in. I love serial killer books, have been a long time fan of Criminal Minds, devoured The Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay (all seven books) with gusto, and even breezed through the Dexter TV series (all eight seasons of it). This is the reason why I gave this book 4 stars.

The protagonist is likable enough, even though she could be a little too ideal. Sometimes, she's a bit bland, or mundane, but when she starts doing her thing, that's what sets her apart from all others. I would have loved to see her with more layers of personality though.

The serial killer aspect was a nice twist. I totally did not predict who was aiming for Cassie until it was revealed. I had a gut feeling it was within the group, but I had no way of knowing if it was one of the teens in the program, or not. This added to my enjoyment of the story.

I also like how being a teenager complicated things for the major characters. There were personalities clashing, hormones raging, and emotions flaring between the teenage game-players. This is even aside from the attractions that were slowly building up between characters. Admittedly, I belong to #TeamDean on this one.

What bothered me though, was the reason why these teenagers had these preternatural abilities. Are they really just THAT talented? Why? Genetics, maybe? Bio-lab experiments? What's the cause for these abilities? I need a credible and plausible back story for this.

All in all, I really enjoyed the mystery-thriller bit. #TeamDean all the way!

LINKS: Goodreads // Amazon // Barnes & Noble

[Feature Filipino] Book Review: Plain Vanilla

Plain Vanilla

By Ines Bautista Yao

February 12, 2016

Young Adult, Romance

Despite its length, I think this is one well-written story about young love. This is actually my second young-adult story from Ines Bautista Yao, and she remains consistent in keeping her voice young and relatable, which is something I really appreciate.

Truth is, I got a little confused with the story when I began reading because I thought 'Plain Vanilla' meant something else. LOL. The fault was entirely my own, and partly because FSOG has given the term 'vanilla' a different meaning. It was funny because I got confused and thought, 'how in the hell is there going to be a love scene in this story?! WTF?!' When I finally recovered, I had the urge to smack myself senseless for my sheer stupidity. haha!

Anyway, I really enjoyed this Valentine offering! Tempest (Pesty! Great nickname, by the way.) is a really charming character even if she thinks she's boring and normal. I'd rather describe her as stable and grounded. She might not see herself this way, but I think her cousins did a great job at keeping Pesty from the brink of depression and hopelessness.

I don't have a crazy family as Pesty, so I can't say I can relate, but the way her family was described in this story was downright hilarious. I couldn't help but chuckle and smile while I was reading.

All in all, this was a really great story, which I wished my tween self could have had an opportunity to read.

[Feature Filipino] Book Review: Just A Little Bit Of Love

Just A Little Bit Of Love

(Short stories set in the world of 

Only A Kiss)

By Ines Bautista Yao

November 18, 2016

Short Story, Young-Adult, Romance

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thought, why not? I find short stories delightful because they're quick reads, and for a compilation like this one, you get several stories in one book. It's practically a steal!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the stories. I was reminded of my own high school days; football especially. Only that I wasn't a fan, I was a player, and I played against guys. It was really effective in bringing out nostalgic feelings of high school and early College years.

What this book contains are well-written tales of innocence and young love. I would have loved for the stories to be longer because I would have loved to read more. Also, I appreciate that the characters actually sound like teenagers. This is a little tricky to pull off, but readers won't have a problem with the characters in the stories. (*nudge* Full length young-adult story, perhaps? *nudge* )

All in all, this is a pretty solid compilation as far as young-adult short stories go, and I highly recommend it to everyone, who would like a quick read, or two. 

[Book Review] Mafia Girl

Mafia Girl

By Deborah Blumenthal

March 1, 2014

Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

I very rarely rate books with 1 star, because I understand the amount of effort and patience put into writing and producing a book. Let me just be honest and say that I didn't like this book at all. I didn't like the heroine. I struggled in finishing this book because I was hoping it was going to turn around from the downhill slope it was rushing into.

Plot-wise, I have no idea what this book was trying to do or what message was it trying to convey. The gist of it all is that Gia, the mafia don's daughter is different from her family in that she's going to be someone outstanding. She'd be different in the sense that her life has a different direction from the crime family that she has. This is a struggle because she's used to being the mafia don's daughter and has a reckless nature to boot. It's a search for her own identity outside of her crime family background. Basically, she's a brat with a good head on her shoulders, or so she thinks.

In my opinion, she's a boy-hungry brat who gets by with her father's connections, and actually enjoys a life of crime and recklessness. I mean, come on, if you had a good head on your shoulders, and you truly want to be different from your family, you'd think twice about stealing a vehicle and going past a speed limit while you're a minor. Hello, that's common sense. But you don't. And what's worse? She even hits on the police officer who arrests her. I wanted to bang my head on the wall while reading this part, and the subsequent parts thereafter involving Gia and Officer Hottie. There is a limit as to how many times you leave your actions to the dictates of your hormones. Also, Gia, how can you say you're in love with Michael when you call your best friend's older brother (whom you occasionally make out with) just to see his reaction about the dress you're wearing? And don't even get me started on your best friend/cuddle buddy who is not gay.

In conclusion, I did not like this book at all.

[Feature Filipino] Book Review: When Cocoy Became Kikay

When Cocoy Became Kikay

By C. P. Santi

March 25, 2015

Middle Grade, Young-Adult, Contemporary

I'm amazed at how much I actually related to Cocoy as a character. Reading about her friends and her complicated relationship with Jaime transported me to a time when I experienced something very eerily similar.

Before I started reading the story, I thought that this was a classic make-over trope -- something I'm neutral about. I don't particularly like it, but I don't hate it either. When I started reading about Cocoy's boyish ways, she reminded me of myself. I was a tomboy in high school, and even up to College. I was on the basketball varsity team, and most of my barkada were guys. I was even suspected of being involved in same-sex relationships when the high school administration made a crackdown. When a teacher asked me to my face, I looked at her incredulously. This was an experience that was awkward as hell, but still makes me laugh to this day. What I'm trying to say is that, saying I relate to Cocoy is an understatement. What she experienced was something I experienced, too, which was why this story hit too close to home for me. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who experienced, or is experiencing something similar.

Cocoy has a solid and strong voice. She knows her Art of War tactics very well, which is something I also really liked about her. She's my kind of girl! I also really appreciate her friends who were very discernible from one another. You will not get confused about who is who. I also really liked that, for such a short one, it packs so many things that I'm very sure a teenage-reader would be able to relate to. It's all about being comfortable in your own skin, never having to say sorry for who you really are, and to chase after your dreams no matter how hard it may seem. It's about not dulling your shine simply because people aren't comfortable with what you can do. 

The only downside though, is that, I think it needs a glossary for the Filipino words. This is for the benefit of international readers, who are not familiar with the setting and the Filipino jargon. All in all though, I think this was a very pleasant read, and I would recommend it to everyone.

[Book Review] Boy Meets Boy

Boy Meets Boy

by David Levithan

August 1, 2013

Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Gay/Lesbian

Links:

Goodreads // Amazon // Barnes & Noble

This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.

When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right. 

This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.

[Book Review] The Truth About Letting Go

The Truth About
Letting Go

by Leigh T. Moore

February 21, 2013

Young-Adult, New Adult, Contemporary Romance

Links: Goodreads // Amazon

Book Info:

Ashley Lockett has always followed the rules. She's always done the right thing and played it safe until her ideal life is shattered when her dad dies suddenly.

Fueled by anger and grief, she vows to do everything opposite of how she lived before. Then she meets Jordan. He has big dreams, he's had a crush on Ashley for years, and he's a great kisser. But he's also safe.

Enter Colt. He is not safe, and he's more than willing to help Ashley fulfill her vow.

Rating:

★★★★★

[Book Review] Kojiki

Kojiki

Keith Yatsuhashi

April 19, 2013

Musa Publishing

Young Adult, Fantasy

Links:
Goodreads // Amazon

Book Info:

When eighteen-year-old Keiko Yamada’s father dies unexpectedly, he leaves behind a one way ticket to Japan, an unintelligible death poem about powerful Japanese spirits and their gigantic, beast-like Guardians, and the cryptic words: “Go to Japan in my place. Find the Gate. My camera will show you the way.”

Alone and afraid, Keiko travels to Tokyo, determined to fulfill her father’s dying wish. There, beneath glittering neon signs, her father’s death poem comes to life. Ancient spirits spring from the shadows. Chaos envelops the city, and as Keiko flees its burning streets, her guide, the beautiful Yui Akiko, makes a stunning confession--that she, Yui, is one of a handful of spirits left behind to defend the world against the most powerful among them: a once noble spirit now insane. Keiko must decide if she will honor her father’s heritage and take her rightful place among the gods.

Rating:

★★★★★

[Book Review] Taliesin Ascendant

Taliesin Ascendant

(Book 2 of the Children of the Blood)

by Megan Joel Peterson

July 27, 2013

Young-Adult, Fantasy

Links:
Goodreads // Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Book Info:

The war isn't over. 

And new enemies await.

Life on the run hasn't been easy, but so far, Ashe has survived. But now Carter has ordered her to leave the Hunters and find her family's people – an order she can't refuse, no matter how much she wants to stay.

Following his command will bring her into an unknown world, however – a world filled with new enemies and old prejudices that will demand more of her than she can imagine, at a cost higher than she'll ever be willing to pay.

Rating:

★★★★★

[Book Review] A Really Awesome Mess

A Really Awesome Mess
Author: Trish Cook, Brendan Halpin
Date Published: July 23, 2013
Publisher: Egmont USA
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Book Information:

Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy. 

Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom. 

Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook. 

Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends. 

A funny, sad, and remarkable story, A Really Awesome Mess is a journey of friendship and self-discovery that teen readers will surely sign up for.

Rating:

★★★★★

[Book Review] Shredded

Shredded
Author: Karen Avivi
Date Published: April 19, 2013
Publisher: Karen Avivi
Source: ARC
Genre: Young Adult

Rating:
★★★★★

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Book Information:

Drop into the world of girls’ freestyle BMX for an action-packed summer road trip adventure.

Shredded by Karen Avivi is more than a teen girls’ sports book or a BMX biking book; it’s a motivating push-your-limits story for anyone who refuses to overlooked.

[Book Review] Crossing

Title:  Crossing
Author: Stacey Wallace Benefiel
Date Published: May 8, 2013
Publisher: Write Free
Source: ARC
Genre: Young-Adult, Contemporary Romance
Rating: ★★★★★






Links:
Goodreads


Book Information:

Due to heavy subject matter, Crossing is recommended for readers 17+. 

He stole her lipstick…and her heart. 

Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands. Still, she lets go of her insecurities and falls for Liam, despite feeling like he’s holding something back. 

When Dani finally discovers Liam’s secret, she must learn the true meaning of accepting the ones we love for who they are, or risk losing the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

Review:
A fair warning: this book is not for the narrow-minded.

Every girl probably has a body-image issue or two. Maybe it's the flabby love handles or even the uber-wide forehead (which I have, by the way). I have never met a girl who doesn't have body-image issues. I guess, as girls, we can't help it. We're too critical of ourselves, and it translates into how we deal with other people. Especially in today's society where stick-skinny women are constantly objectified and marketed as the definition of 'beauty'.

In this book, we find a relatable female protagonist in the person of Dani Walker. She's not stick-skinny, she gives as good as she gets, she's hilarious and she has a smart mouth. Let me just say that I applaud this book for having a chubby heroine rather than stick to the conventional beautiful woman. That in itself is proof of the realism that is depicted within the pages of this book.

Dani is chubby. Her weight has become a baggage that it interferes with her love life. She's the kind of person who would settle for a one-night stand just because it's the only thing that most guys would be willing to give her. They don't want her as a girlfriend because well, she's not hot. In short, she settles for something way lesser than she deserves. And as a reader, instead of hating her for it, I actually understand what she's going through.

Secondly, THE TWIST! I love the twist! It wasn't something I expected and it definitely blew me away.

When I started reading this book, I was expecting another conventional contemporary romance, something sweet, light and predictable. Boy, was I so wrong. Not only does this novel have an unconventional heroine, it also has a very unconventional male lead on par with the heroine! And it tackles lots of common issues!

The male protagonist is Liam. He's way out of Dani's league and coincidentally, they became acting partners in class. The amazing thing was, even if Liam was way out of Dani's league, he was able to keep up with Dani's self-deprecating humor and wit. I love witty banters and the exchange of sarcasm and wit between Dani and Liam was something I thoroughly enjoyed.

When Dani and Liam actually became involved with each other, I was cheering for them. Sometimes, I wanted to whack Dani's head for her failure to see just how awesome she was, but then Liam would do something amazing for her, and that in turn, keeps my hand off the virtual ultra-dimensional mallet of doom I keep in my pocket. Everybody happy.

But then, like I said, the twist in this story was something that blew me away. I hate putting spoilers in my review so I'll just say that it was something both Dani and Liam had to deal with.

In the end though, I love how they both accepted each other whole-heartedly; quirks and faults included. The ending was also satisfying despite the fact that the ride itself was bumpy.

Just one thing though, I would have given this book 4 stars if it weren't for the fact that it wasn't explained why Liam turned out the way he was. It didn't give an ample back story as to why Liam had such a weird hobby. That was the only question which ran around inside my head after I finished reading the whole book.

[Book Review] Touching Melody

Title: Touching Melody
Author: RaShelle Workman
Date Published: May 14, 2013
Publisher: Polished Pen Press
Source: ARC
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young-Adult
Rating: ★★★★★

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon

Book Information:

Maddie Martin's first weekend at college is nothing like she's used to. It's wild, like the wilderness on which the University of Bellam Springs sits. Roped into going to a fraternity party, she literally runs into Kyle Hadley. The boy she's loved since she was nine. The boy she promised all of her firsts to. But that was before his father killed her parents. 

Determined to stay away from him, she throws herself into her music. Practicing piano eases her heavy heart, calms the sadness, and pushes away images of Kyle's face. 

Until it doesn't. 

Her music professor asks her to play a duet for their annual Winter Gala. Doing so means she'll be assured another full ride scholarship. It's an opportunity she can't pass up. 

But Kyle is the other half of the duet. And that means hours and hours of practicing. 

Weeks of seclusion - just the two of them. And it's more than just music. It's passion like Maddie never believed was possible. 

The inevitable happens. She falls in love with him all over again. 

But, will loving him be enough to erase all the hate in her heart for his father? Can she look at him, and not see the evil in his family tree? 

And maybe it's all a set up. Maybe Kyle is only pretending to care so he can finish what his father started, and kill her too.

Review:

This is one of those books which has great premise but lacked a lot in execution.

Maddie is a level-headed girl on the outside. To most people, Maddie is mature and responsible, someone who has a bright future ahead of her. But on the inside, Maddie is completely out of sorts, and the only thing that keeps her grounded is pain. She keeps a plethora of tattoos signifying the seven stages of grief under her clothes to remember her parents and her horrific loss.

Then there's Kyle, her first everything. Maddie knows that she should avoid Kyle because he reminds her of the grief she felt when her parents were killed. But then fate had other plans for the two of them.

Story-wise, RaShelle Workman has mentioned that this story was inspired by true events. I'm a little amazed by this because of how the story actually turned out in the end. And you just have to read the story to actually find out why I'm sort of amazed.

Anyways, the development between Maddie and Kyle seemed a little unnatural. I do understand that they had history and chemistry, but the romance aspect between them seemed bland. I also found the writing a little unrefined because some of the scenes were merely put into the story for the sake of having a scene, and not because it's in any way significant.

At the last quarter of the story, that's where everything fell into place and where the loose ties were finally fixed. It was a little unexpected, but nothing that really blew me away. 

All in all, the reason I gave this story three stars is because it was inspired by true events, and because of the ending twist which I really didn't foresee.

[Book Review] Untimed

Title: Untimed
Author: Andy Gavin
Date Published: December 17, 2012
Publisher: Mascherato (Indie)
Source: ARC
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble


Book Information:

Charlie’s the kind of boy that no one notices. Hell, even his own mother can’t remember his name. And girls? The invisible man gets more dates. 

As if that weren’t enough, when a mysterious clockwork man tries to kill him in modern day Philadelphia, and they tumble through a hole into 1725 London, Charlie realizes even the laws of time don’t take him seriously. 

Still, this isn’t all bad. In fact, there’s this girl, another time traveler, who not only remembers his name, but might even like him! Unfortunately, Yvaine carries more than her share of baggage: like a baby boy and at least two ex-boyfriends! One’s famous, the other’s murderous, and Charlie doesn’t know who is the bigger problem. 

When one kills the other — and the other is nineteen year-old Ben Franklin — things get really crazy. Can their relationship survive? Can the future? Charlie and Yvaine are time travelers, they can fix this — theoretically — but the rules are complicated and the stakes are history as we know it. 

And there's one more wrinkle: he can only travel into the past, and she can only travel into the future!

Review: 
Are you looking for adventure? Pick this one up!

Whoever said that indie-published books aren't well-packaged, well-written and well-made probably hasn't read and seen the details inside the pages of Andy Gavin's Untimed.

First off, let's take a second to admire the beautiful cover. Hee. It was photoshopped by the Author himself, mind you. I read it on the very last page of the book, on the Author's Acknowledgements. And yes, just to set the record straight, I read about Authors, too. It helps in understanding how the book and story came to life.

Second, I love the illustrations that were painstakingly arranged inside the pages of the book! It's perfect for young readers, and it really shows just how much work was put into this book.

Third, awesome adventure for the storyline. I love time-traveling stories, especially ones which take the reader on a whirlwind of situations that test the character's courage and wit. With that said, I really liked Charlie as a protagonist. He's resourceful and a bit naive, but he's also smart and quick on his feet.

I also love how the Tocks were designed! And the plot-device where they cannot change the status of things such as moving a door or something was really creative. It was one of the things that gave Charlie an advantage.

The premise and the way the story was delivered was also fascinating. When I was reading, I felt like I was in the middle of a history lesson with a few twists that made everything a bit more interesting. It was fun reading about Benjamin Franklin, too!

The only thing that I didn't approve of in this book is the part about Yvaine. True, her personality and background was well-suited for a flawed but believable and interesting character, but I don't really approve her relationship with Charlie. At fifteen years old, I think Charlie is just deeply infatuated with her. And the parts where they were behaving intimately was a little uncomfortable for me. (Yes, I am a little conservative.)

All in all, this book is a solid adventure packed in 385 pages! Perfect for people looking for engrossing reads and very interesting characters!

[Book Review] Ink

Title: Ink
Author: Amanda Sun
Date Published: June 25th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: ARC
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Rating: ★★★★★ 

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

About the Book:

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench. 

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness. 

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine. 

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building. 

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets. 

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Review:
Great premise, great potential, but failure in delivery - this is what sums up everything I think about Ink.

I had huge hopes for this book because it is set in Japan - the land of the rising sun, anime, manga, cosplay, J-dorama, Kendo, samurai and everything weird to normal folks. I confess that I'm an otaku, and I don't consider that as a negative thing. So when I received an ARC of Ink, I just couldn't contain my joy! I just had to read it! Then imagine that joy being sucked out little by little when I started reading the book.

The biggest thing which became a huge turn off for me in this book is the heroine. Let me be blunt and just say that Katie Greene is one annoying little prick of a stalker. I do not like her. I know I sound mean, but in all seriousness, never has a heroine ticked me off this way.

While I was reading the book, I groaned multiple times because of how annoying Katie was. Sure, she was this gaijin (outsider) and she's supposed to be broody and all unfamiliar. That's normal. Being thrown in a completely foreign environment makes a person vulnerable. I understand that perfectly. What I don't understand is why she just goes out of her way stalk Tomo. This is not something I could imagine a foreigner, who's all broody being in Japan, would do.

The irony is this: At the beginning, Katie laments being different, being a foreigner living and studying in Japan. She even wants to leave and looks forward to nothing but leaving Japan, but then, she goes out of her way to stalk a guy who looks and acts dangerous. Curiosity? I don't think so. Try annoying stalker-tendencies.

Second annoying thing about Katie: she's like a love-struck unicorn in heat (Yes, I can be colorful even when I'm saying something negative). They barely know each other and she suddenly says she can't live without him. Wow. Just wow. I didn't even know Insta-Love could be as instant as this. And let me just say that the forbidden-love plot device between Katie and Tomo was also another turn off.

Next, Tomo - broody, violent and mysterious hot guy. Basically, imagine a hot anime guy and you get him. Nothing fascinating about him really, except his cool powers. I also don't relate to him that much as a character at all because he's two-dimensional.

All in all, you know that feeling when there's great premise and a promising blurb in a well-packaged book, but then those things are all overshadowed by cliche and two-dimensional characters? This is exactly how I feel. I know that the premise is great. It has potential to be something really awesome! But then the characters are all very annoying and the premise is wasted. What a tragedy really.

[Book Review] Dance of Shadows

Title: Dance of Shadows
Author: Yelena Black
Date Published: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Source: ARC
Genre: Young-Adult, Paranormal, Mystery, Horror
Rating: ★★★★★

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

About the Novel:

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts... 

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames...  

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed...

Review:
After the many contemporary romances that I've read, I was hungry for a bit of mystery-thriller combo, so I leafed through my TBR pile and found Dance of Shadows.

I'm more of a singer than a dancer, but I have to admit that I like watching ballet. There's just something mesmerizing about watching the fluid and graceful movements of a ballerina that makes it hard for me to tear my eyes off. Plus, from what I know of ballet, it's a kind of craft that masks the pain to show only what's beautiful and ethereal through movements, so I was curious to read about the hardships of ballet students in Yelena Black's Dance of Shadows. It also doesn't hurt that it has a mystery vibe going on for it.

First things first! Let us take a second to admire the beautiful poster! LOL.

Now, we go to the review proper. Heh.

Story-wise, I'd have to say that incorporating a ritual dance in ballet is something unexpected. Nonetheless, it was a great plot-device. Everything started out great, but half-way through the story, I don't know what happened. And I really think that this story had something going on for it, I just don't know why there was a downhill.

As for the characters, well, let's just say they became a little too stereotypical. Vanessa, the wide-eyed freshman to an elite ballet school. Zep, the mysterious and gorgeous upperclassman, and Justin, the guy who seemed to have an agenda of his own but stalks Vanessa for some unknown reason.

Oh, and I'll just have to say that the love line in this story is absolutely incorrigible. It's one thing to have a crush and be infatuated, and it's another to be in love. I really cringed at the part where Vanessa's whole world just seemed to revolve around Zep aside from ballet, even though he's always missing in action. And how can she be in love with someone she barely even knows?

All in all, this one is a lengthy story which started out great but slowly fizzled out.

[Book Review] The Stereotypical Freaks

Title: The Stereotypical Freaks
Author: Howard Shapiro
Date Published: November 4, 2012
Publisher: Animal Media Group
Source: ARC
Genre: Young-Adult, Graphic Novels
Rating: ★★★★★ 

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon

About the Novel:

THE STEREOTYPICAL FREAKS

Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school's battle of the bands. Sharing a love for playing rock and roll, the members name the band "The Stereotypical Freaks" because they feel stereotyped by their classmates - smart kid, geek, star athlete and quiet weirdo… when in fact they know they are much more than those labels that have been placed on them. 

When one member reveals life altering news, winning the competition takes on more of a meaning to each member. Scared and angry, upset and yet still with a lot of resolve they set out to win one for the good guys… will they?

Review:
An uplifting take on the jungle that is high school! A positively heart-warming story about hope, friendships, cliques and teenage problems.

Here are a few admissions on my part: I used to be in a band as a vocalist. I love Paramore, and I'm a fan of Green Day. I read a lot of mangas (Japanese graphic novels) and manhwas (Korean graphic novels). These are just a few of the reasons why I was delighted to be given a copy of The Stereotypical Freaks to read and review.

The story opens up during senior year, the last hurrah for the seniors. Plot-wise, the beginning was nothing remarkable. We meet Dan and Tom, two seemingly ordinary high school students who are both part of the unpopular crowd. They express their situations and even a little hatred for the popular crowd.

Art-wise, all the characters look distinct from each other. Also, I love how neat each pane was. And what I liked best is that the first picture of Tom mirrors the last one, the only difference is that Tom at the beginning is young and the Tom at the end is the adult one looking back on everything they all went through.

What I like about the story is that it was simple and straightforward. There's no dilly-dallying and at the same time, all the bases are covered, such as how the friendship between Tom, Dan, Jacoby and Mark developed. The peer pressure and popularity contest was also smoothly showcased.

My most favorite character out of the bunch is probably Tom's Dad. He's hip and supportive without being overly embarrassing. And he actually rocks! Second to him is Jacoby, because he's an inspiration and a true friend.

I guess it would only be appropriate for me to say that this graphic novel is both heart-warming and bittersweet. I felt like there was a hole in my heart after reading. I don't want to go into details because I might spoil the story.

Also, I appreciate the fact that this graphic novel chose to tell a story that everyone can relate to. Most graphic novels I see nowadays almost always contain a super hero. This one is a nice break from the mainstream.

[Book Review] The Children and The Blood

Title: The Children and The Blood

Author: Megan Joel Peterson

Date Published: February 6, 2013

Source: ARC

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rating: ★★★★★

Links:

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

About the Book:

A forgotten life. 

A secret war. 

Eight years ago, an exploding gas main killed Ashley’s family and left her with a childhood she can’t remember. Eight years later, the forgotten past is behind her and life on her isolated farm is all she knows. 

Until that past comes looking for her. 

Until men with superhuman powers hunt her down in the night, determined to take everything she loves away from her again.

Review:

Riveting, suspenseful and action-packed!

The first thing I noticed about this book is its title. It has a sort of grim feeling to it. I mean, children generally depict innocence and when you combine that innocence with the connotation of the word ‘blood’, it doesn’t really paint a pretty picture. To be honest, I expected a horror story but was pleasantly surprised when the story told something different.

Upon reading the first few chapters of the book, I was confused because I didn’t really know what to expect. The apt description of what I felt during the initial stages of reading the book would be ‘lost’.

I was confused just as much as Ashley, Lily and Cole when tragic events started happening, but I gave it a chance because mysterious circumstances at the beginning of the book always lead up to an ‘Aha! Moment’ at the latter part. I’m glad I stuck to the story and gave it a chance.

At first, I thought maybe the children in this book were like those genetically modified people whose parents were the test subjects of experiments by mad scientists. As I went on though, I finally got to the meaty part of the story and learned about wizards, cripples and bloods. The background story is just as fascinating as the one being told about the three children involved!

What I really liked about this book was that it had no dull moments. Sure, there were pauses for breathing, but I consider them as those calm moments before a storm. The storytelling combines just enough pauses and tension to sustain a very engrossing read.

The characters are also multi-faceted and interesting. There’s Cole who tried to figure out things on his own and saved two lives in the process. There’s Ashley, who was forced out of her sheltered life to become a much tougher person, learning about her powers in the process. And finally, there’s Lily, a ray of sunshine and maturity at such a young age.

The only thing I really didn’t like about this book is its ending. It ended with a massive cliffhanger and now I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. As a reader, I’d say the cliffhanger was such a huge bummer, but then again, given that the author was able to elicit such a reaction from me only means that she was successful in luring me into a very engrossing story, her story.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to readers who would like to enter a world of wizards so different from those in Harry Potter!