Review: Burn Mark by Laura Powell

Title: Burn Mark
Author: Laura Powell
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Summary: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Rating: 2 stars


*Obtained from Netgallery and Publisher for honest review


Summary: Glory is from a family of witches and lives beyond the law. She is desperate to develop her powers and become a witch herself. Lucas is the son of the Chief Prosecutor for the Inquisition—the witches’ mortal enemy—and his privileged life is very different to the forbidden world that he lives alongside.

And then on the same day, it hits them both. Glory and Lucas develop the Fae—the mark of the witch. In one fell stroke, their lives are inextricably bound together, whether they like it or not . . .

Review: I don't know what it was exactly about this book but I just couldn't get into it. The plot sounded interesting enough but when I sat down to read it I...just didn't like it.

I'll admit: I really feel in love with the cover. Of course the plot sounded just as good but it was the cover that really made me want to read this book. So maybe I'm a victim to judging a book by its cover. But the thing is, the plot was good but boring at the same time. It felt like things were being stretched out. You know that feeling where you feel like it takes ten pages to explain something that should have only took two? That's how I felt. 

Characters: Lucas and Glory are nice character, I like them. Glory is a really strong young girl and I liked that she stood up for herself a lot. Lucas has good morals. Considering the situation he's in I feel like he really tried his best. I didn't like him at first; thought he was one of those rich, privileged snobby kind of guys but as I continued reading he grew on me.

Overall, I didn't really like this book. I don't want to tell you not to read it because you might enjoy it, but I'd say read with caution. 

Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Title: Sweet Evil
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: Harper Teen
Summary: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Rating: 5 stars


Summary: Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Review: Sweet Evil is one of the best books I've read this year! I've heard so many good things about Sweet Evil and I expected to like it but never did I imagine falling in love with this book.

From the very first page I was hooked and had some serious problems putting this book down for one minute. I loved everything about this book, even the sad parts that mad me want to cry. Anna is probably one of the most innocent characters I've ever read. Shes's really honest and so GOOD, it almost seemed too good to be true.

Kaidan is definitely the boy your daddy warned you about. He's sex and temptation rolled into one. He's so seductive and hot it's almost impossible for any girl to say no to him, even Anna. But what I really loved about Kaidan is that deep down he's a really good guy who desperately wants to do the right things. 

I also loved how each Nephilim is given a certain sin they are to focus on. The role for these angels is to influence humans to do bad things instead of stop them. And if you don't do your job? Let's just say you're a dead man. The angel dukes are very strict and scary; and disobeying them isn't an option. I felt really bad for Anna and all of the other Nephilim because they don't have a say in their own life and have to do things they don't want to. Bad things. 

Sweet Evil is a must read! It's possibly the best angel book out there right now, and that's really something considering how popular angels have become recently. Well worth you're money and time, you won't be disappointed!

Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

Title: Fated
Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: St. Martin Press
Summary: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Rating: 4 stars

*Received by Publisher in exchange of an honest review


Summary: 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.

Review: If you were one of the people who were scared to read Fated because of her previous series then don't worry because this series is on a whole different level then The Immortal series. 


I really enjoyed Fated but I won't deny that it was a little hard to get into at first. It's not that the plot and setting weren't intriguing-because that alone attracted my attention- but it mostly had to do with Daire, the main character. I know what you're thinking and trust me it gets better. I found Daire extremely hard to like in the beginning but thankfully she matures a lot. 

The whole point of the story is basically good verses evil; knowing right from wrong. Paloma, Daire's grandmother is probably one of my favorite characters in the book. The grandmother? Really? Yes, the grandma. She's so nice and caring and GOOD. I really hope Alyson Noel doesn't try to make her into the bad guy later in the series because I will be really upset. She's extremely patient with Daire leading her through her quest to becoming a Soul Seeker and helping her become a better person. When I think of Paloma I think of one of those all-knowing grandmother that always seem to know exactly what you need to hear and the things you want to know but are afraid to ask. 

The only thing that was a little disappointing was the lack of romance. It was there but it was more of a background thing. I understand why it may not have been a big factor in the first book since there are more important things to focus on but still. I felt like Daire kept talking about how connected she felt with him but it didn't feel believable to me considering she doesn't even talk to him until half way into the book. It's not a major thing but it'll be something I'll be looking for in the next book. 

In My Mailbox(7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. For more information, click here.

Won:

• Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Won this in the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop @TheBookishBabe

For Review:

• Fated by Alyson Noel 
• Awakened by P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast

(Big thanks to St.Martins Press for the advanced copy!!) 

Review: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Summary: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Rating: 4.5 stars


Summary: the cold.
Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why.

the heat.
Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now.

the shiver.
For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

Review: WOW. I'm honestly speechless right now because for the first time in a long time a book proved me wrong. This hasn't happened in...forever!

OK so first off I just want to say that I really didn't think I would this book. And if it weren't for me being completely bored in the library I probably never would've picked this book up. But I did and I've never been more happy about it then right now. This book is AMAZING! I know I've said this before but I really didn't expect to like this book. The cover just didn't catch my interest at all and the first 80 pages or so I really thought about giving up on it. But its almost like the book knew I was losing interest because suddenly it captured my attention and I couldn't put the book down until I finished it. 

Grace. At first I didn't like her that much. Well I liked her but she just seemed a little too obsessed with the whole werewolf thing and it really started making me question if she even had a personality outside of it. But luckily character growth is seen a lot in this book. And as for Sam? I loved him from the first moment I read about him. What's even better about this book? We get to read some chapters in his point of view! I love that I got to see thing in his perspective and not wonder what he was thinking and feeling throughout the book. If anything it probably made the depth of this book so much more real because of the switches in point of views. 

Another thing I loved about Shiver? I felt like I've never read any story like it at all. I know its probably not true but Maggie Stiefvalter's take on werewolves was honestly something I've never read before and while it took some getting used to, I quickly fell in love with it. 

I don't really know how else I can explain how much I enjoyed the book without either A) Telling the whole plot or B) Repeating the same things over and over again. So I'll just end this review since I'm pretty sure the majority already read this book and totally understand where I'm coming from (hopefully). Of course if you didn't love it as much as I did I would love to hear your opinion about it. But back to the point: Shiver was well worth my time and I can't wait to pick up the next book!!

Review: Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James

Title: Forbidden
Author: Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Publisher: Harper Teen
Summary: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Rating: 4 stars


Summary: She should not exist.

He should not love her.

Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she's desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there's no way she's going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she's been having or the creepy warnings that she's in danger.

Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn't factored Claire into his plans. . . .

Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire's unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

Review: I liked Forbidden, I really did. But at the same time I couldn't help but feel like I've already read this story before. The plot was really great but there were a lot of parts where I kept comparing it to other YA novels. And that just doesn't sit well with me.

For one, that whole twilight scene where 'Edward saves Bella from the van' happens in the book and while I enjoyed Twilight I don't want to read things similar to it in this book. I know its hard to find a book where you don't see some kind of similarities of Twilight but considering this is about angels and its been over 5 years since Twilight first came out, I thought we moved from that stage. Anyway it only happens a few times but I just felt like I needed to point it out. Moving on now. 

Things I loved about Forbidden: Everything else. Seriously. The characters, plot, the way each chapter changes point of views between Claire and Alec, just everything. Despite what I said before this book really does have originality. I love the the history behind the angels and how certain angels have certain abilities. 

And the best part? I didn't hate the characters! I enjoyed every single character and never once found myself wishing they would disappear...well except the bad guy who tries to ruin everything. Claire is so nice and really tries to adjust herself in every possible situation and I love that she wasn't one of those whiny characters who always sit around waiting for everyone to solve their problems. And Alec? Perfect in every sense of the word. From the first chapter in his point of view I fell in love with him. How could I not? He's everything every girl wishes for in a guy that's almost impossible to find. 

Overall, Forbidden is an enjoyable read. I'm glad I gave it a shot and continued to read it to the end and I highly recommend you do the same. 

Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Summary: Goodreads
Buy: Amazon
Rating: 4 stars

*Obtained from Netgallery and Random House Children's House in exchange for an honest review.




Summary: Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.


Review: Considering I've haven't heard many good things about this book I was expecting to hate it, in fact that's what really stopped me from reading this book earlier but I'm happy I gave it a shot because I actually really enjoyed it.


First thing: If you're expecting some Disney version of mermaids and all that happy stuff then maybe you shouldn't read this. This novel introduces a whole new definition to mermaids and from other reviews I get the feeling not many people were happy with that. But I find it refreshing. Why would I want to read something I've seen a million times? Lies Beneath shows us the dark side to mermaids and how getting a mermaids attention is not always a good thing.


I'll admit, the whole killing other people to survive thing was a bit shocking but its not like its overly gory or anything. But Calder's sisters are a different story. You would think that because their girls they would be the ones with the sweeter heart and forgiving nature but its in fact the complete opposite. All I'm saying is I would never want to mess with his sisters, actually I would never even want to meet them. They show almost no mercy and when they want something they don't give up till they get it no matter the consequences. 

One of the things I loved about this book was the male POV. I loved seeing things through Calder's eyes and really getting the full mermaid experience. I liked Calder from the beginning but I was a bit hesitant about him at some parts. I loved that nothing seemed rushed and everything went at a good pace, especially the love aspect. Lily wasn't even interested in Calder at first and it was refreshing to see the girl finally push the boy away. But then they get to know each other and slowly they develop feelings for each other. 

If there's anything I can make absolutely clear about this book its not to believe every bad things you've heard about it. Read this book with an open mind and I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did.