Book review: HALLOWED by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)

Author: Cynthia Hand

Series: Unearthly

No. of pages: 403 pages

Book blurb: 

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

MY REVIEW

    “Our purpose on this earth is not one single event, an accomplishment we can check off a list. There is no test. No passing or failing. There's only us, each moment shaping who we are, into what we will become.”

I'd consider this book as one of my top favorites. I LOVE it. I just do, no more explanations. The quote stated above is one of my favorite lines. It's not really a made-up quote for the sake of a book, rather, it's true. I strongly believe we all have our own purposes here on Earth, like Clara and the other angel-bloods. The only difference is that we don't have wings to summon whenever we need them and the glory to fight back evil.

In this book, Clara dealt with almost all the people around her, including her family. She was challenged and tested throughout the story, between love and her purpose, and on her relationship with her mom and brother. The pacing of the story is not slow, and not fast. It's just right. This is filled with friendship, love, mystery and secrets, which sums up why this is such a wonderful book to read.

    “I sneaked out to his house a couple times in the middle of the night to watch over him while he slept, just in case, I don't know, his comic book collection decided to spontaneously combust. This was dumb and admittedly creepy in an Edward Cullen kind of way” -Clara

I'm still team Tucker by the way. Christian is a sweet, kind guy but Tucker is just irresistible. I just can't help falling in love with every moment he had with Clara, even if Christian somehow made me blush. but Hallowed is not just about love and friendship; it's also about family and the most striking of all, loss. This made me cry until the end and I can't wait for the next installment: Boundless.

My Rating:

(Rating System)

 “I’ve learned that a storm isn’t always just bad weather, and a fire can be the start of something. I’ve found out that there are a lot more shades of gray in this world than I ever knew about. I’ve learned that sometimes, when you´re afraid but you keep on moving forward, that’s the biggest kind of courage there is. And finally, I’ve learned that life isn’t really about failure and success. It’s about being present, in the moment when big things happen, when everything changes, including myself.”

Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a great way to showcase books you've recently added to your bookshelves.

Here's the list of what's new in my haul:

Every Day by David Levithan

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

 Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott and Lynn Mesina

Cover Reveal + Teaser: The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram

Title: The Avery Shaw Experiment 

Author: Kelly Oram 

Publisher: Bluefields 

Format: E-book 

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance 

Release Date: May 4, 2013

Book blurb:

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

 Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.

 Teaser One - Avery

 Grayson finally noticed Aiden and I on the couch. “What are you two dorks doing?”

 “Learning about steroids,” I said cheerfully. “You should probably know that using them can cause acne, testicular atrophy, decreased sperm count, prostate enlargement and gynecomastia.”

Grayson looked rightfully appalled. “Gyneco-what-ia?”

 “Enlarged breasts in men,” Aiden translated. “So you should lay off the juice before you have to start borrowing Avery’s bras.”

I gasped at the mention of my underwear and whacked Aiden’s shoulder hard.

Behind me, Grayson laughed. I knew he was about to deliver a comeback, but I refused to look at him. Seconds later his breath was warm on my neck. He whispered just low enough that his mother couldn’t hear what he said. “I like my bras colorful and lacey, Aves. Not sure your collection would do it for me.”

Total mortification. Grayson may be as close as family to me, but he was still one of the hottest, most popular guys in our whole school. Him discussing my bras in that low sexy voice that could stop a girl’s heart on the spot made my lungs constrict. Plus, he was right of course. My bras were all of the plain white cotton variety.

Teaser Two - Grayson

I started to leave the room but she stopped me at the door. “Grayson?” Her tone tugged at something inside me. “You really want to take me with you tonight?”

She sounded so small and unsure of herself. It was how she always sounded at school and around strangers, but never when she was at home with us. I think my brother had really broken her. I was seriously going to have to beat him sometime.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I know I really freaked out on you earlier, but I promise I’ll be fine. Aiden’s right.” She swallowed back a lump in her throat. “I’ll manage without him somehow.”

“Aiden’s a tool. You can learn how to manage tomorrow. Tonight’s New Years Eve and for once in your life you’re going to spend it without Aiden or The Discovery Channel.

I knew I was making progress when she cracked a smile and asked, “What about Whootylicious in 7 B?”

I thought of the luscious booty I’d originally planned on seeing tonight and sighed. “That will be an unfortunate loss, but, like you, I will just have to deal.”

I winked and then decided I’d give her ten minutes before I came back and physically dragged her out of bed.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelly Oram

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.

You can also find her at:

Website † Twitter † Facebook † GoodReads

Book Review Tour + Giveaway: IDENTITY CRISIS by Eliza Daly

Title: Identity Crisis

Author: Eliza Daly

Publication Date: March 4, 2013

Available at: Crimson Romance ebooks | Amazon | B&N | iTunes
 

Book blurb:

When Olivia Doyle’s father dies under suspicious circumstances, rather than inheriting a family fortune, she inherits a new identity. She learns they were placed in the Federal Witness Protection Program when she was five years old. Her father was involved in an art forgery ring and testified against the mob. Brought up not to trust anyone, Olivia has a difficult time relying on U.S. Marshal Ethan Ryder to protect her, and to keep her secret. She fears her father may have continued his life of crime through her art gallery. She has little choice but to depend on Ethan when she realizes someone is now after her. Olivia’s search for the truth leads her and Ethan across country to a family and past she doesn’t remember.

At the age of ten, Ethan witnessed a brutal murder. He vowed when he grew up, he’d protect people in danger. Protecting Olivia is difficult when she won’t trust him. He soon realizes his desire to protect her goes beyond doing his job, but if his judgment becomes clouded by emotions, her safety could be jeopardized.

Can Ethan and Olivia learn to trust each other when they uncover secrets that will change their lives forever?

EXCERPT

Father Clifford slipped a yellowed envelope from the side pocket of his vestment. “Your father gave this to me many years ago. Asked that I give it to you upon his death.”
 
She took the envelope from his hand. The organ music faded and a desolate, eerie stillness fell over the church, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She tightened the shawl around her shoulders. She opened the envelope to find a letter and a newspaper clipping. 

She started with the letter. 

Dear Livvy,

First, know that I loved you more than anything in this world. That’s why I hope someday you’ll forgive me for what I’ve done. Telling you the truth while I was alive could have put your life in danger. Now that I’m gone, I no longer fear for your safety. They would only have hurt you to get to me.

The only way to keep us safe was to enter the Witness Protection Program when you were five. Leaving our friends and family was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I can’t stand the thought of you now being alone. I hope you’ll go back to our family, in the town where I grew up, Five Lakes, Wisconsin. I’d like to be laid to rest there, next to your mother. Please forgive me enough to grant me this one last wish. If you should ever encounter any problems, contact Roy Howard, the U.S. Marshal who relocated us, at 415-334-9076. I’m so sorry. Please believe you were the most important thing to me. You were my life. My Livvy.
 
Love, Dad
 
Olivia stood paralyzed, her mind racing, trying to comprehend the letter. Was this some kind of sick joke? For the past twenty-four years her dad had lived in fear that somebody would hurt them? What had forced him to leave behind everyone he’d loved? Everyone she’d probably loved, but obviously couldn’t remember. And if her mom wasn’t buried in San Francisco, whose grave had Olivia been visiting here all these years? She tried to hold the letter steady in her trembling hands. Of course it was vague. Her dad had been a man of few words. However, these few words expressed a lot of emotion, something he’d never been good at doing.
 
“Is everything all right?” Father Clifford’s voice penetrated her thoughts.
 
Concern creased the older man’s brow and from the curiosity filling his gray eyes, he had no clue what the envelope contained. Her dad hadn’t even trusted a priest with his secret. Her dad had been the only person she’d ever really trusted, and it turned out she hadn’t truly known him.
 
She merely nodded, unable to find her voice. She inhaled a deep breath. The scent of beeswax candles and incense did little to calm the panic racing through her veins. She unfolded a clipping from a Chicago newspaper, dated twenty-four years ago. The headline read Art Dealer in Bed with Mob Blows Whistle on Forgery Ring and Vinnie Carlucci. The article included a photo of police officers escorting her dad. She started reading the article. 

Prominent Chicago art dealer Andrew Donovan confesses to having sold more than a hundred forgeries...
 
Her stomach dropped. She slapped a hand over her mouth, certain she was about to vomit right there on the pew.
 
Her dad had been a criminal.
 
The nature of his crime made it all the more surreal.
 
She stared in disbelief at the papers in her hand. His name had been Andrew Donovan, not Alex Doyle. Her last name was Donovan. Was her first name actually Olivia? Instead of inheriting a family fortune, she’d inherited a new identity.
 
Or rather, an old one.

MY REVIEW

It's been a while since I read a book of this genre. I don't know but the first pages of the story, inside the gallery, reminded me of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. This book let the reader have a peak inside the art galleries, and it never failed to describe what's in it.

I sympathize Olivia, upon the death of her father. It would be really hard to accept two hard things when they come together, especially in her case. She wouldn't know who to trust, even her own dead father. Even the paintings, which she admired so much lied to her.

And then there goes this agent, who tries to gain her trust so he would be able to protect her in every way he can. I love the romantic twists in the story. It is well-written and things get more and more exciting as you read every chapter, without you realizing you're almost finished reading.

I recommend this book especially to the readers out there who just loves romantic surprises and mystery.

My Rating

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eliza Daly
 

Eliza Daly’s first attempt at creative writing was in fourth grade. She and her friends were huge Charlie’s Angels fans and she would sit in her bedroom at night writing scripts for them to act out at recess the following day. She was Kelly Garrett. Fast forward to the present, she’s still writing stories about beautiful women who always get their men. The journey from fourth grade script writer to published author wasn’t an easy one, but it was always an adventure and the final destination was well worth it.

When Eliza isn’t traveling for her job as an event planner, or tracing her ancestry roots through Ireland, she’s at home in Milwaukee working on her next novel, bouncing ideas off her husband Mark, and her cats Quigley, Frankie, and Sammy.

You can find Eliza on the web at:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY!!!

$20.00 Amazon/B&N Gift Card

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can view the rest of the tour here

It's Monday! What are you reading? #3

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey in which we plan our reading week!

This week, I'm reading only one book since it's my exam week.. I need to have a break from reading (which breaks my heart) and this book will be:

Identity Crisis by Eliza Daly

This is for my first ever hosting for a book tour this coming March 19 by Tasty Book Tours! :)

How about you? What are you reading? :)

I'm Not Sure If...

I'm not sure
If all the time here on earth
Is enough to spend with you
I'm not sure if the world
Will be enough to travel with you
I'm not sure if my hands
Are wide enough to offer you the biggest hug
I'm not sure if I
Am warm enough to comfort you
I'm not sure if my lips
Are sweet enough to give you the sweetest kiss
I'm not sure if my heart
Is big enough to give you all the love you need
I'm not sure if words
Are many enough to tell you how much I love you

But one thing is sure
My love is enough to make you feel loved

Gone Are The Days

Gone are the days
When you'd throw me into the air
And I just laugh like I didn't care

Gone are the days
When you'd kiss and tickle me
'Cause you wanted to make me happy

Gone are the days
When you'd sing me to sleep
Wishing I'm forever yours to keep

Gone are the days
When you'd give me lollipop
So that my tears would stop

Gone are the days
When you'd kiss my wounds when they bleed
Then I'd believe from the pain I'd be freed

Gone are the days
When you'd sleep beside me and pat my head
'Cause I'm afraid of the monsters under my bed

Gone are the days
When we watch the tv together
And spend long talks during dinner

Those days may be gone
But the memories will live

'Cause I'm still that 'lil girl you used to sing
'Til she falls asleep

Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a great way to showcase books you've recently added to your bookshelves.

Here's what I got for the week:
 

Revelations (Blue Bloods #3) by Melissa dela Cruz

Fearless (Fearless #1) by Francine Pascual

Bound To You by Christopher Pike

Hallowed (Unearthly, #2) by Cynthia Hand

Book review: UNRAVEL ME by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me

No. of pages: 461 pages

Book synopsis:

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

My Review:

“Sticks and stones keep breaking my bones but these words, these words will kill me.”

Unravel Me made me speechless. I can't find the words to describe how good Tahereh Mafi's writing is. I mean I can't move on from the story. I'm still stucked in the middle of its pages, without any desire of getting out. I feel like I'm living in the world of Juliette, making me feel what she feels. As if we were one, her emotions sucked up my feelings and filled my head with her thoughts.

“It's just a whisper of a kiss but something collapses in my skull. It's a feather-light brush of his mouth against my skin in a place I can't quite see. It's my mind speaking in a thousand different languages I don't understand.”

I don't know how Tahereh did this to me by just writing. She's a very spectacular author who will never disappoint the readers "i-want-to-feel-the-same-way-the-character-feels" need. So far, this book gave me the most chills. I just can't get enough that I consider rereading Shatter Me and Unravel Me over again while waiting for the third book.

 “Books are easily destroyed. But words will live as long as people can remember them”

Aside from emotions, it's also full of surprises, excitement, and twists. While reading, I was like "What?!" and "OMG!" because of the twists. I'm expecting for more! This makes my imagination grow wider as a flip upon the pages. Plus, there are quotes everywhere which made me love the book even more!

I understand how Juliette feels; that she cannot easily adjust with here environment. But somehow, she's a tough young woman who can still manage her senses despite of being locked up away from the world for years. And I can't also decide who to choose between Adam and Warner! :">

In this book, I found  Kenji as a friendly, witty, funny, adorable and attractive guy who's always there for Juliette (even though they don't have any special relationship). I also became curious on Kenji's past. Castle told us briefly on how he met Kenji, but I really want to know how Kenji ended up joining Castle's company. I'm looking forward to the answers on these questions that lingers in my mind as of now. I can't wait for next year!

My Rating

   (Rating System)

"Waiting On" Wednesday [2]: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3) by Cassandra Clare

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)
by: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices
Release date: March 19, 2013

Book Blurb:

Danger intensifies for the Shadowhunters as the New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy comes to a close.

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.

Other books in the series:

P.S. I haven't read Clockwork Angel  and Clockwork Prince yet because it's included in my TBR pile this summer and I want to read the three books simultaneously. :)

It's Monday! What are you reading? #2

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey in which we plan our reading week!

So, this week, I'm reading:

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Gaaaah! I started reading today, hoping to finish tomorrow or by Wednesday. I can't stop reading this. So many revelations and twists in each chapter!

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

If I finish Unravel Me just in time, I'm gonna start reading this next, which is the second book in the Unearthly series!

How about you? What are you reading this week? :)

Book review: UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly

Author: Cynthia Hand

Series: Unearthly

No. of pages: 435 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Book Blurb:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

My Review

I buy books whose cover are fascinating. And this one definitely has it to be considered 'fascinating', not only the cover, but the inside story as well. It impressed me so much that I wasn't able to track down time while reading it.

 “So often we only do what we think is expected of us, when we are capable of so much more.” 

It's about Clara, a part angel who's down to fulfilling her purpose on earth. Well, this was the first angel book I read and I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. I love the flow of the story, and the characters of course! I think I'm inloved with Tucker. He's sweet, and Christian too. But they are completely different and I don't hate Christian, I just prefer Tucker. The story has so many twists about Clara's family, her friends, and the ending? When I read the last chapters, I was like OMG!

“Tucker: "But she gave me the perfect gift."
Clara: "What?"
Tucker: "You.” 

I definitely can't wait to read the next one: Hallowed. I'm craving for more twists!

Book review: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me
No. of pages: 340 pages
Rating: 5 stars

Book synopsis:

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

My Review

This book is just amazing. I never read any dystopian books before except for Suzan Collin's The Hunger Games. Honestly, I bought this book because I heard that Tahereh Mafi will be having a Book signing event here in the Philippines. But when I heard her talk about the book, and how the crowd responded, it made me curious about the story. When I read the first three chapters, my wild imagination cooperated with me and then all I know is I couldn't stop reading it.

“He takes my hand. Intertwines our fingers. Offers me a smile that manages to kiss my heart.”

The case of Juliette is just unique. The fact that she cannot touch anyone made me think on how the other characters in the story would deal with her. In addition to this, being locked up alone for almost a year would definitely make me crazy! But she still has a hold of herself. Plus the romance between Juliette and Adam... and Warner(?) :3

“I peek up at his features, at the crooked grin i want to savor, at the color in his eyes i'd use to paint a million pictures.”

Although some parts of the story has similarities with The Hunger Games and Juliette's character would remind us of X-men's Rogue, it still managed to stand on its own and standout. Mafi's writing style is unique. The crossed out words are what she wanted to say, but couldn't say, the repetition of words, and the countless similes and metaphors. Some may have given negative feedbacks about this, but I the book certainly didn't disappoint me.

*I hate Warner. But some readers I met at Tahereh Mafi's book signing event told me to read Destroy Me (Shatter Me 1.5) (available as e-book only), a novella told from Warner's perspective. So I'm looking forward to reading it soon before reading the next book which is Unravel Me!

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a great way to showcase books you've recently added to your bookshelves.

New books to read! Yay!

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Ashton Brodi

Black Smoke: A Woman's Journey of Healing, Wild Love, and Transformation in the Amazon by Margaret De Wys

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

 

 Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi

 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine #1) by Ransom Riggs

 

Book review: Love Bites (Vampire Kisses, #7) by Ellen Schreiber

Title: Love Bites

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Page count: 179 pages

Rating: 5 stars

Book synopsis:

As a mortal girl dating a vampire, Raven knows that love isn't always easy. Now that Alexander's parents have returned to Romania, Raven and her dreamy vampire boyfriend are happy to resume their cryptic romance.

But soon another visitor comes knocking: Sebastian, Alexander's best friend, arrives for a stay at the mansion. At first Raven is wary, then thrilled--this is the perfect chance to learn more about her darkly handsome boyfriend and his past. Raven has been wondering whether Alexander will ever bite her and make their love immortal, and Sebastian could be her guide to the love habits of Alexander and his kind. But when Sebastian falls for a particular Dullsvillian, will another mortal beat Raven to the bite?

With suspense, danger, and a fabulous vampire party, this seventh book in the bestselling Vampire Kisses series continues the exciting nocturnal romance of Raven and Alexander.

My Review

 So here goes the 7th book in the series! Wee! Introducing a new sexy vampire, Sebastian! Sebastian is Alexander's bestfriend.. Oh how I envy Raven for being with two sexy vamps... I pity Sebastian since I can feel that his feelings were real; and that tiny blood incident with Becky? I guess he just can't control himself yet, and that he really doesn't want it to happen. 

I'm hoping for another love triangle in the story including Sebastian, Becky and Matt! But I know it might spoil the series because it should only be Raven having a love affair with a vampire. But sometimes, I don't know if I'm team Alexander or Team Trevor.. I like bad guys in series, but this time, the bad guy is a mortal so I'd still be more of team Alex! Hihi. Looking forward for the next two books:)