Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published: July 7th, 2011

Date Read: September 24th, 2011

Blurb: For Nick Pardee and Silla Kennicot, the cemetery is the center of everything.

Nick is a city boy angry at being forced to move back to the nowhere town of Yaleylah, Missouri where he grew up. He can’t help remembering his mom and the blood magic she practiced – memories he’s tried for five years to escape. Silla, though, doesn’t want to forget; her parents’ apparent murder-suicide left her numb and needing answers. When a book of magic spells in her dad’s handwriting appears on her doorstep, she sees her chance to unravel the mystery of their deaths.

Together they plunge into the world of dark magic, but when a hundred-year-old blood witch comes hunting for the bones of Silla’s parents and the spell book, Nick and Silla will have to let go of everything they believe about who they are, the nature of life and death, and the deadly secrets that hide in blood.

Review: This book was amazing! I loved every word of it. The heartache, the fun, the love, the magic and the blood! The world that Tessa Gratton has created is brilliant and it had me hooked.

After the death of her parents Silla changed. Her looks and the way she lived her life. But then she found the spell book that used Blood as a key ingrediant and what she found changed everything and then she met Nick, the new guy in town with a past of his own.
Both characters had a POV as well as a person who wrote mysterious journal entries going through the years. These POVs kept me interested and whereas some people don't like them, i love them! We get the story from different angles and it offers us more information which is great in a book.

Nick and Silla had similar problems and both of their lives had been complicated by blood magic. Tessa Gratton made the book seem so real that it makes you want to try the spells out for yourself (not that i'd ever try it because I'm such a big wimp - can't even handle papercuts!) but that's what's good about this book. It makes you believe in the story.

The relationship of Nick and Silla was fast-paced and i enjoyed reading about them. It didn't seem unnatural for them to get together so quickly, especially when Silla is alone most of the time - and she really clicked with him.
Her brother...i wish i had a brother like him. One that would protect me and always be there for me. And the ending made me happy and sad. Readers, you will find out soon enough if you do end up buying this book. But trust me, you'll enjoy every bit of it no matter what.

I cannot wait for Blood Keeper to come out next summer (such a long time to wait) but i guess it'll be worth it :) I'd recommend this to anyone who loves books about magic and witches :) 4.5/5 stars!!

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published: September 1st, 2011

Date Read: September 19th, 2011

Blurb: It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen

Review: I thought that this book was an entertaining read and kept me turning the pages to see what would happen. Elizabeth's style of writing was really good and she got me guessing at some points. Sometimes the book was so intense that i found myself holding my breath.

But considering this is a paranormal young adult book, it actually didn't have that much paranormal in it. Of course there were the Furies (known to some of us through Greek Mythology - I for one had a little bit of knowledge on them before starting the book). I feel that because we only had snippets of the Furies every so often, it made it seem that I was reading a contemporary novel (not that that's a bad thing btw). I would have preferred to have some more scenes with them in.

I liked the character of Em - even though i thought she was pretty stupid kissing her best friend's boyfirend - but i feel that she didn't deserve what she got at the end and I hope that she kicks the Furies ass' in the next book! I found that I understood Em and felt for her.
Chase was good aswell and his story was quite shocking, especially when i found out about why Sasha (the girl in the prologue) jumped off of the 'Piss Pass'.

The plot for this book was good but i hope that in the next one there will be more supernatural scenes. And I really want Em and JD to get together. That I do want to happen!!
Overall this book was good and I'm glad I picked it up off of the shelves to buy. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves the greek mythology stuff (even though there isn't much in this book) but I feel that this series could have potential. Give it a go! I'm giving this 4 stars!!

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published: October 28th, 2010

Date Read: August 19th, 2011

Blurb: An electric combination of angels, mystery and romance, MERCY is the first book in a major new paranormal series.

There's something very wrong with me. I can't remember who I am or how old I am, or even how I got here. All I know is that when I wake up, I could be any one. It is always this way. There's nothing I can keep with me that will stay. It's made me adaptable. I must always re-establish ties. I must tread carefully or give myself away. I must survive.

Mercy doesn't realise it yet, but as she journeys into the darkest places of the human soul, she discovers that she is one of the celestial host exiled with fallen angel, Lucifer. Now she must atone for taking his side. To find her own way back to heaven, Mercy must help a series of humans in crisis and keep the unwary from getting caught up in the games that angels play. Ultimately she must choose between her immortal companion, Lucifer, and a human boy who risks everything for her love.

Review: This book was really good. It had me from the first page and it was a great opening as well. The idea that Rebecca Lim came up with was interesting and unique. I'd never read anything like it before. The character of Mercy -who is in Carmen Zappacosta's body- was good and i loved the mysteries surrounding her.

The Daley's were an interesting family to read about because their Daughter Lauren had been missing for two years and both parents thought she was dead but their son Ryan didn't. Mercy decides to help Ryan in search of the person who took Lauren.

I found that as the story progressed and the plot thickened, the book became better itself.
When another girl was taken, Jennifer, I found myself questioning a lot of the teachers at the school. But there was one that i didn't suspect who turned out to be the man who was taking the sopranos (soloists).

The last few Chapters of this book were amazing and fast paced. I found myself trying to turn the pages as quickly as possible to find out what was happening next. When Mercy was taken I was shocked.
When all of the girls were down in the cellar i found that i was so tense (biting my lip and everything). But when i found out that the actual taker had been the person i least expected I couldn't believe it. It was so unexpected but yet it had been under our noses the whole time.

What surprised me even more was when Mercy went out of Carmen's body and showed herself as what she really was (there wasn't much detail which leaves us wondering). I think that Paul deserved what he got (even though the pulling-the-eyes-out thing was a bit gross).

But this book actually surprised me because a few people had said it wasn't very good but i found myself actually enjoying it. I've always liked Angel books and this one is one of my favorite ones :D
Gonna give it 7.5/10 :) 4 stars!

Dragon's Oath by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published: July 12th, 2011

Date Read: July 25th, 2011

Blurb: Before Zoey is Marked and arrives at the House of Night… before she rises in power to confront utter darkness, and the House of Night is divided… there’s Dragon’s Oath, the thrilling story behind the House of Night's formidable fencing instructor and warrior – the love that will transform him, and the mercy that will come back to haunt him…

Review: I really liked this novella and it was interesting to learn how Dragon and anastasia met and fell it love. It was really sweet!! Another great story from the amazing P.C. Cast and her daughter Kristin :) I absolutely LOVE the HoN series so any book about any of the characters is interesting. Looking forward to the Nyx one they should be doing soon :D will be goooood!!

Dragon was a great character in the novels and in Awakened he kind of lost it a little bit and i think that this novella was a great insight into Dragon's Past.

This was a nice short read and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the HoN series!! :)
Out of ten I'm giving it 7/10 :) 3.5/4 stars!

The Iron Daugter by Julie Kagawa

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published: April 15th, 2011 (UK)

Date Read: August 27th, 2011

Blurb:Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review: I enjoyed this book. Took me a while to get through it all (started writing a new novel...again) but eventually i finished it and i loved the idea of this novel.

I feel that we really got to see Meghan at her best and i enjoyed Julie's style of writing once again. What i'm going to say next isn't a bad thing, necessarily. I feel that, because she writes in such detail, it can be a lot to take in at one time. That's why i think it took me a lot longer to read. I wanted to take everything in that she wrote.

The characters as always are lovely to read about. Especially Puck and i was really happy when him and Meghan kissed but i was even happier at the ending, which was pretty good :) So glad she chose to go with Ash but i have a feeling things aren't over between her and Puck yet.

I actually felt sad at the part with Iron Horse. It actually made me get a tear in my eye :(

Not a long review but still...Gonna give this book 8/10 :) Cannot wait until the third book comes out over here :) 5 stars!

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published:July 26th, 2011 (this cover edition)

Date Finished: August 30th, 2011

Blurb: Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Review: Ireally enjoyed reading this book! I thought that the idea that Andrea created was really good and she backed up everything with an explanation which i liked very much! The characters were good and there were quite a few twists and turns that kept me turning the pages.

I've seen that a lot of people are choosing Team Ren but to be honest with you i never warmed up to the guy. I liked the parts between him and Calla, don't get me wrong, but i didn't like him as much as i liked Shay. Maybe it was because Ren and Calla had to be together because of the laws or maybe it was just Ren as a character.
But i really loved Shay! So I am Team Shay The parts between him and Calla were so sweet and you can really tell that she likes him! What surprised me the most was when she turned him into a wolf to save her life after that spider bit her! It was shocking but i was so happy for them.

Andrea's style of writing is really nice and sucked me into this book so much. I haven't read many shapeshifter novels before and it was good to read this type of book. I really hope that she makes Calla go with Shay because i think that he deserves her more and doesnt just take her for granted like Ren does sometimes.

Overall this book was really good and i am giving it 8.5/10 :) 4.5/5 stars :)

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Reviewed by Gina
Published Date: April 5th, 2011

Finished Date: September 15th, 2011

Blurb: Clary is back in New York and life is good: she's training to be a Shadowhunter and is finally able to call Jace her boyfriend. But nothing comes without a price. When Jace inexplicably begins to pull away from her, Clary is forced to acknowledge that she herself has set in motion a chain of events that could lead to the loss of everything she loves. Even Jace.

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.
The stakes are higher than ever...

Review:Well...Surprisingly i found this book harder to get into than the other three. I think it would have been a good idea to have it as a trilogy as this 4th book wasn't necessary to the series but it was still good. I don't think it deserves five stars like the other ones but it was good enough for 4. It was slow moving until the last few chapters when the action started happening and all the story started to piece together. I thinkt he pace of this book is what made me read it slower and finish it later than i normally would.

i think it was good that we focused in on a few of the other characters instead of Clary and Jace. Simon was interesting with his 'non-exclusive' girlfriends. Although i have a feeling something might develope between him and Isabelle :) i hope it does! But he was kind of stupid with them both. And i actually felt sorry for him a bit with the Mark of Cain and him having to see those people die.
Alec and Magnus....I do like them and the relationship they have :D they are so cute and i really hope that they can find a way to be together without Alec dying of old age :)

It's always good to read a bit of jace :) love him even though he was a bit moany in this one. He had good reason to be but for some reason I kept getting fed up of him at certain bits.
Clary was kind of the same except that she kept putting herself in danger and causing problems. But i hope it gets better in the next one but i have a feeling it won't.

Talk about an ending!! What a massive cliffhanger and i actually got made because i do not know when the next book will be out :( but it better be good.
Overall I'm gonna give this 7/10 and 3.9/4 stars :D

The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Reviewed by Gina
Date Published: March 1st, 2010

Date Finished: September 4th, 2011

Blurb: In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Review: This book blew me away. it made me smile sometimes, i was scared for them, i held my breath waiting for the next bad thing to happen and i even cried when Travis died and became an unconsecrated (and i never cry so it shows how much of an impact this book had on me as a reader).
I've never read a book quite like this and it was a refreshing read. Carrie's writing just drew me in and i felt like i was living Mary's life and seeing everything as she sees it. I wasn't just reading this book, i was living it!

I thought that mary as a character was interesting and the problems that surrounded her kept me intrigued, even when she went into the sisterhood. It was good to read about a character who wasn't always obsessing over the guy she loves and who wanted to believe in something bigger, like reaching the ocean. The friends and family that surrounded her helped her make the decisions that changed her life.

i found the place it was set in, The forest of hands and teeth village, very intriguing and i loved reading about the paths and gates that they took to make their escape. Then the village that they went to (with a whole lot of unconsecrated)was great to read about. Especially the houses in the trees that whad bridges between them.
It was so tense when the unconsecrated broke into Travis and Mary's house and i found myself holding my breath to find out what happened.

The fire that happened even later was such a shock to my system. Especially what followed.
The death of Travis was so sad and i found myself actually crying for Mary because i felt her feelings as my own. That rarely happens to me and it shows how great this book really is. Then I couldn't quite believe it when jed fell into the river from the canyon and Mary washed up on the beach by herself.
She lost everything to get there but i have a feeling that we might see Jed again.

Overall this book was a great read and i thoroughly enjoyed it. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book, the dead-tossed waves, and i am excited to see what happens next in Mary's story :) I'm giving this 9.5/10!! As close to perfection as a novel can get :D 5 stars!!

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Reviewed by Gina
Published Date: February 10th, 2009

Finished Date: August 31st, 2011

Blurb:                        Bianca wants to escape.
She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.
Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.
"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."
But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

Review: I really enjoyed this book. The idea was really good and there were a few things that really shocked me! Claudia's style of writing was really good and her characters were brilliant.


I would never have guessed what bianca was! It was so shocking and the thing was that it was never hinted at it. I knew there would be vampires at the school and that it was a vampire school but I thought bianca was human! Very good way of desribing as to not give it away too soon. I loved lucas though. Except for when I found out what he was. I couldn't believe that he was a vampire hunter! But the good thing is that he still loves biamca and she still loves him :)
I also liked Balthazar. He was really kind to bianca and I think that sme thing might happen between them in the next few books.I don't think that Mrs bethany is telling the whole truth and I think that she is hiding something.


Overall this book was really interesting and I can't wait to get the rest of the series soon. I am giving this 8/10 :) I would recommend it to anyone who loves books about vampires! 4 stars

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Reviewed by GinaPublished Date: March 22nd, 2011
Finished Date: August 21st, 2011
Blurb: Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings.


Review: Wowww... This book was just breathtaking! It captured me from the beginning and i couldn't put it down for a second! Such a beautiful Debut Novel from such a talented author. Lauren's style of writing is beautiful. The way she describes scenes is magnificent be it the gardens of Linden's house or the dark and eerie parts that are haunting. I feel like i am there with Rhine, feeling everything she feels, noticing everything she notices.


The concept of this book was brilliant. The idea of females dying at 20 and males dying at 25 because of a genetic flaw was so interesting to read about. The charcter of Rhine was great to read about and i felt like i truly knew her and understood what she was going through; being taken away from her only family member -her twin brother- and forced into a marriage with three other girls.


All of the characters in this book were carefully thought out and i liked them all, the exception being Vaughn who i did not like. Cecily was bubbly and fun being only 13 years old and she was excited to be living that kind of life. Jenna resented Linden for taking her away from her sisters who were killed by the gatherers. And Linden...I felt sorry for him when Rose died and i could understand him, wanting the best for his wives.


When Jenna became ill I felt sorry for her because she was supposed to have a year left and i think in the second book we might find out what went wrong. But my best guess is that Vaughn did something to her that made her death happen quicker.


As the book progressed towards it's ending i could feel myself waiting for the moment that Rhine and Gabriel (one of the attendants at the house) would break free from that house. And i was so happy when they kissed and that now they are together. And when they finally did break free i breathed a sigh of relief. I love that there is hope at the end and that Lauren uses the lighthouse again (the first to show the way out) to tell us that they are unsure of where their freedom will take them.


Overall this book was magnificent and i enjoyed every word of it! I haven't read a lot of Dystopian novels before but i am starting to enjoy them a lot and of the ones i have read, this goes right to the top of the list.
The description was beautiful in this book and i especially loved the part about the hologram in the pool. And that when Rhine went to the bottom of the pretend ocean floor she felt the bottom of the pool. It showed that everything is fake and there is no escaping that fact, no matter how many illusions there are.


Lauren DeStefano is an amazing author and i look forward to her next installment in the Chemical Garden Trilogy :) This book recieves a whopping 10/10 5 stars!! :D

Hi there!

Welcome to my new blog where I will be discussing all the latest Young Adult books! I hope you enjoy my reviews and thanks for visiting!!


- Gina :) x