Review of Betrayal by Lee Nichols

Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive-one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar-Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good.

As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.

Ommigosh, this is such a fun book! I'm beginning to think 2011 is the year of AWESOME YA books, because I have yet to read a book that I didn't adore.

Lee Nichols is such a great story teller. She can communicate so many different emotions in fun and realistic ways. And, in Betrayal she really shows it off!

*Mildly spoilery for first book*
For instance, in the first chapter we see our heroine, Emma, dealing with the outcome of the events that came to pass in Deception (book 1). As Emma tries to cope with the human loss of a friend (and the fact that others blame her personally for that loss) we read her inner struggle and dialogue with herself and they are all very real reactions a teen would have and think to themselves in similar situations. But, then we see how quickly a teens thoughts can shift when the guy she is head over heels in love with enters the scene. Let me tell you where Bennett and Emma are concerned, Lee Nichols writes some swoon worthy moments that had me blushing one minute and grabbing for the Kleenex the next. Their storyline is set up to be potentially EPIC. I don't mind saying that as a "Bennett lover" I am a tad worried about his character.;)

The action and mystery in this book is really great. I was guessing till the very end on who the "betrayer" was...within one chapter I had pegged three different people as being the bad guy (or girl, or ghost;)).

I also really loved the character development of the supporting characters. We really got to know them better and see how important their roles are in Emma's life. And, considering everything that goes down in this book...they will be very important in future books so it's good to have more insight.

I enjoyed Betrayal even more than I did Deception. The Haunting Emma series is fun, thrilling, romantic, and sometimes creepy without taking itself too seriously. These books are everything a YA series should be and I look forward to the next addition.

The only downside is...that's like a year away!!!

Peace & Love

This book was originally reviewed for Paperback Dolls. 

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Due for release March 22, 2011
*Review previously posted on Paperback Dolls*

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.
But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

The lead heroine in THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES, Annah, has been surviving on her own ever since her companion joined the recruits. Even before then Annah was forced to grow up rather quickly since she and her companion were separated from her twin sister in the Forest. She was horribly disfigured on one half of her body at a young age and feels as ugly as the world around her has become--Especially since being deserted by her only friend.

As Annah comes to terms with her situation she makes the decision to survive at all costs and try to find her past (her sister) in order to forgive herself for leaving her in the forest so many years ago. It's at this point that the plot really thickens and Annah meets Catcher who tells her that her companion, Elias is alive.

Annah at first is elated that Elias has not been killed or worse turned into one of the unconsecrated, but then she wonders why, if he is alive, he hasn't contacted her. The whole thing is very emotional and a story that anyone who has ever felt broken, unwanted by someone they long for, or less than perfect can easily relate to and the way it's told is touching. The author added just enough angst so readers could relate, but then she surprised me with how the characters didn't dwell on it as much as maybe others in similar situations would have. The way everything goes down with the characters and their feelings is very mature and I think it sends a good message of overcoming difficulties, realizing what is important and getting past the hurt.

Despite some of the underlying positive messages, The Dark and Hollow Places is dark, and it kinda has to be for readers to fully understand the world the author is writing. So much has happened since The Forest of Hands and Teeth, and not for the better. People in this story are desperate. Many of the soldiers that are supposed to be protecting the living from the unconsecrated have gone mad with the reality of death everywhere and do awful things to the very people they are to be saving. It's very sad and at times a little graphic.

All I can say is, what a crazy roller coaster this story has been! Carrie Ryan is one of those authors that doesn't simply tell a story with her words. She uses words in a way that grips your soul and forces you to feel the emotions of her characters. Being that this is a post apocalyptic dystopian fiction--some of those emotions are hard to swallow. At times I found myself reading through tear blotted pages and others clenching the book so tightly with my eyes wide. The reason for my excitement is not so much because of the story (though it's really good) but because of the characters the author created. With each new installment in The Forest of Hands and Teeth books I have grown attached to the main characters featured. At first it was Mary, Travis *sniff sniff* and Harry -- then I was all about Gabry, Catcher and Elias, but now I care more about Annah and Catcher than I did about any of the others. I believe it takes a talented author to captivate readers with so many different story lines in their books, and in my opinion, Carrie Ryan is one of the very talented!

Without a doubt, I loved this conclusion to the series. I think it leaves much to the imagination and I hope that the author is considering continuing the storylines of a couple characters because Annah is really amazing and inspiring and I would love to read more about her -- in fact, I would love to read more about what happened to Mary between The Forest of Hands and Teeth & The Dead Tossed Waves too. Yes, I guess it is safe to say I loved these books and would be ever so excited to have more of these characters!

~Peace & Love

Visit Carrie Ryan

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I Am Number Four review

*This review was previously posted on Paperbackdolls.com

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

First off let me say right away that I am one of those people that went to see the movie before reading the book and I pretty much saw it because of the hotness that is Alex Prettyfer Pettyfer. I mean, the guy is so unbelievable gorgeous and the camera seems to adore every line and feature on his beautiful face. That being said...I have wanted to read the book for a while, I just hadn't gotten around to it and the movie did the author a huge favor IMO and provided the push I needed to pick up the book and  just read.

The movie was ok. It served it's purpose and gave me and my friends an hour and forty five minutes of entertainment and eye candy. But, where the movie failed was in translating the characters personality and the connections and interactions between them. The movie just did not capture the magic that the author was able to put on paper.

John is number 4. He is an alien living on earth because his planet was destroyed by another race called Mogadorians. John and nine others are in hiding and scattered across the globe. Protected by a fellow alien named Henri.

I love Henri. Not only in the book but the movie as well. The problem though was his character seemed like two totally different people. In the movie Henri was young, handsome and generally cocky. In the book Henri was middle-aged and a very deeply written character. The way book Henri talked about how he missed his home planet, Lorien, was touching. The sadness he purged when revealing what really occurred during the war that ruined Lorien turning what once was lush and beautiful to a dying, gray planet was very poignant. Also, in the book Henri did what ever was possible to protect John, sometimes going above and beyond what one would expect. Book Henri took his job very seriously and you get the impression that he truly cared for John, and that sentiment was sorta lost on screen.

John...Oh, Man. John. Although John is a great guy with super alien powers, who can kick any ones butt. He didn't appeal to me as much as I thought he would. I guess it was the fact Alex Pettyfer's face was glued to my eyes when imagining John. Somehow I thought that would make him a better guy...I was wrong. He's nice and I loved John and Sarah together just...there is nothing extraordinarily magnificent about him personally, other than his other worldly abilities. 

I mentioned Sarah? Oh yes, Sarah was a fantastic character in book and movie. Sarah's character spoke to me. I liked how she wasn't a super butt-kicking heroine like most novels have nowadays. I also loved how she wasn't overly needy of John...sitting around and whining "Oh John..I need you.. Oh, John, I need your presence..." Blah, blah blah. I mean,  what the poo? No girl I actually know (or want to hang out with) does that. Girls don't need a guy to be individuals, and Sarah was a character who realized her value.  She loved photography and I think that strikes a chord with many young adults... especially since I've taken a recent liking to photography and taking pictures.

The plot was decent enough and with a healthy imagination anyone can get into the crazy world, but it is the characters that really sell this story. And, man...there are so many great characters in this book that didn't have near the development on screen as they had on paper. For example:  Mark, who has made it his mission to annoy John constantly; Sam, the nerdy bud of John (who I have a slight crush on); Berni Kosar the magical dog that...oops...I may be saying too much.

All in all, this was a great read full of up to date happenings, action, adventure and just enough romance to satisfy the needs of teen fans. The movie was good, but the book is better.

~Peace & Love

I purchased this book and the ticket to the movie. This is my honest opinion on both.

Books make me happy!

Despite all the crap and bad stuff going on in the world, I just wanted to say that I have such a feeling of well being going on right now-at this very moment.

It is Saturday, I am still wearing my pj's, I had gooey cinnamon rolls and bacon for breakfast, the sun is shining and I have some new books to read!

Yesterday night we boxed up nearly all of our books...with the exception of one book shelf in my mom's room (So it's a good thing my friends came before 5pm to borrow books for Springbreak vacations). What we didn't box up were the books that we were planning on reviewing soon or going to giveaway on Paperback Dolls. But there are some that came the past couple days that are just for me (okay, my mom too, but me first!). The books I am most excited about having in my paws are the following...

Wither By: Lauren DeStefano

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?

Betrayal by Lee Nichols

Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive-one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar-Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good.As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.

Look good, don't they? Having books on hand that I am excited about reading can really make me happy!

BTW- I am jamming to REM 's Shiny Happy People (holding hands) which probably has something to do with my happy fuzzy feeling:) And, Kate Pierson is another rockin' red head!!!

Ophelia by Lisa Klein - Review

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark...

but, it's not this book!

*This review was previously shared on paperbackdolls.com

He is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; she is simply Ophelia. If you think you know their story, think again.

In this re-imagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a plan to escape from Elsinore forever...with one very dangerous secret.

So you think you know how the story of Hamlet goes huh? There are always two sides to a story and with this re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic tale we see a different perspective and an alternative ending. The inspiration for Klein's Ophelia is taken directly from the famous tragedy by William Shakespeare. The original play is filled with death and suicide, madness, incest, and the supernatural. Hamlet's father has been murdered, which inspires a whole series of events--bent on revenge and destined to bring destruction to all. Ophelia has all the same factors as Shakespeare's Hamlet just with a twist!

In Klein's version we see Ophelia as a strong and spirited girl who is motherless and allowed to roam the kingdom wildly, climbing trees, swimming and doing the sorts of things well-bred young ladies should not. Because her father is a slimy wanna-be that only cares about his status he places his beautiful daughter (which he cares little for) in the castle as one of Queen Gertrude's ladies. His plan is to use his daughter for information to gain the King's confidence, but Ophelia grows very fond of Gertrude and wishes not to betray her queen. The queen serves as a mother figure to Ophelia and introduces her to romantic books to help the young girl know what to expect from boys.

The whole time that Ophelia is bonding with Queen Gertrude, young Prince Hamlet is out in the world experiencing all it has to offer. When the prince returns Gertrude is overwhelmed with joy and spends more time with her son, selfish for all his attention. Hamlets visits his mother regularly and takes notice of the more grown up girl, Ophelia. One evening Prince Hamlet and Ophelia bump into one another in the garden and the attraction is immediate. They scheme of ways to meet in secret with the help of Prince Hamlet's trusted friend, Horatio, and fall madly in love. But, the madness is not contained to just the attraction between Hamlet and Ophelia...once it is discovered that Hamlet's father has been murdered we see just how mad Hamlet really is...

I so enjoyed reading this book. It inspired me to really pay more attention to Classic plays and stories and to think outside the box. The romantic nature of the story was probably what kept me turning the pages. It was enough like Shakespeare's Hamlet that I was already familiar with it, but different enough that it kept me on my toes. Of course, it helped that the author gave her Ophelia strength and moxie and made her a smart and quick witted heroine.

I totally recommend this book to anyone that loves romance and history. It is a beautiful story with a surprising ending...you think you know, but you have no idea. Read it.

Peace & Love

Visit Lisa Klein's Website.

This book was purchased by Desi.