IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: April 24th 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Rec: Older teens, for bloody and violent scenes
Source: Publisher

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for

My thoughts on The Immortal Rules:

When I saw Julia Kagawa's name on that book cover, I knew this book was going to be a winner. Though I still have not finished the Iron Fey series (I need the last two!) I loved Iron King and Iron Daughter. Though I was a bit skeptical when I picked the first book up. Fairies really? I though. But Julie Kagawa did a flawless job with the fairies, bringing then to life in a way that no one has ever done before.

And she does just the same with the vampires in The Immortal Rules. I thought that the vampire thing was already too overdone but fortunately I was so wrong. This book isn't about a pretty sparkling vampire, this is about a girl who becomes something she lived her whole life hating and has to live with her decision. There were times in this book when I had to close it and breathe in and out because when you think the worst has happened, Julie Kagawa seems to want to prove you wrong. In fact, she does, multiple times, in many heartbreaking ways.

Allie is such a great character, she is not a sweet little doe eyed girl. She has lived a hard life, she is tough and courageous.  She loses her humanity and she tries so hard to keep the small bit of it that she has a hold on. She is the monster the everyone fears, she is the creature not the one running away. It is definitely something different and refreshing.

The futuristic  world that Julie Kagawa created is so detailed and three dimensional, just as she created the faery world that Meghan Chase was introduced to. The relationship between Zeke and Allison is confusing and heartbreaking for both the characters and the readers. I think it might have been the relationship that saved Allison from turning into a completely unattached monster. This is not a sappy romance novel, they are both struggling inwardly, they are complete opposites. Allison is the monster that Zeke was warned about as a child, and Allison is trying hard to keep hold of her humanity even though it is not there. I am excited to read more about their developing relationship.

I wish I could go through all of the things I loved about this book (i.e. brilliant plot, dialogue and character development) but it is a 500 page book, it would take a while. The Immortal Rules is a great first installment to a now very anticipated series.


RATING:

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen

Beautiful Days (Bright Young Things #2) by Anna Godbersen
Release Date: September 20, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Library

Summary:

For the bright young things of 1929, the beautiful days seem endless, filled with romance and heartbreak, adventure and intrigue, friendship and rivalry.

After a month in New York, Cordelia Grey and Letty Larkspur are small-town girls no longer. They spend their afternoons with Astrid Donal at the Greys' lush Long Island estate and their nights in Manhattan's bustling metropolis. But Letty's not content to be a mere socialite. She is ready at last to chase her Broadway dreams - no matter the cost.

Cordelia is still reeling from the death of her father at the hands of Thom Hale, the man she thought she loved. Now she is set to honor Darius Grey's legacy... and take her revenge.

Promised to Cordelia's half brother, Astrid is caught up in a world of dazzling jewels and glittering nights - and the sparkle is blinding. Charlie Grey is a gangster playing a dangerous game; and for Astrid, Cordelia, and Letty, the stakes could be deadly...

The roaring twenties is one of my favorite eras in the 1900's-- seriously I was born in the wrong decade. I love reading about the 20s. The glamorous dresses, the parties, the prohibition, everything.

I picked up Bright Young Things about a year ago, and I loved that first book. It had everything-- murder, romance, secrets, revenge, all the thrilling things necessary in a good book, it had it. This book (Beautiful Days) was not exactly a disappointment, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting from what I have read on the first book. It was much slower paced, there was a lot of opportunity to bring up the unresolved matters of the first book that needed to be solved. I don't know if the author is planning on addressing those matters on the third book, but that is my prediction.


What this book did bring was new characters, and the characters that were introduced on the first book, were developed in this one. Particularly Max, the handsome pilot that Cordelia saved from a plan crash in the first book. But I expected more of Cordelia as a character, she is my favorite character, and I expected her to really take revenge on the death of her father, but as I recall she did almost nothing.  I hope she can do something in the next book.


Again, it all comes back to the first book or the third book. To me, this book was just a book to explain everything and to increase the suspense, but it fell a little bit short. However, I will definitely be reading the third book, I cannot wait to find out what happens to the bright young things. Anna Godbersen's hypnotic historical writing will keep on amazing me, how vivid the historical scenes come to life with her animated writing. You  can visualize the feathery headbands, hear the music, and immerse yourself in the glamorous world she has created.


Review:

Sequel: 

*All links and summary from Goodreads.com 

WINNER!

THE WINNER OF THE FRACTURE ARC IS...

brookea_2006

Congrats!

I already contacted them, so they have 48 hours before I pick another winner!

Stay tuned for my next giveaway coming up soon.

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If you are a reader, blogger, author, and you also have school, children, and work to deal with outside of bookish demands, this blog post is for you!*

I want to do a feature where I interview different bloggers with different responsibilities outside of blogging. If you have a hectic school life (like me) and have a lot of homework, I want to interview you, and see how you make time to read, review, and keep a book blog running! If you are a blogger and a mom, I would also love to interview you! You do not need to be a blogger to be featured, if you read or you are an author, I want to know how you make time to read and write between jobs, classes, children or other responsibilities.

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Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood
Release Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Souce: LibraryThing Early reviewers!
Age Rec: I would recommend this book for ages 12 and over.
Reader Rec: Recommended for fans of Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters series.

Summary*:
Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave.

Review:  Read this book. Read it right now, read it in ten years, read it tomorrow, I don't care when, just read it! 

The message above is for people who I know won't read the entire review, its alright,  just read the sentence above!

For those of you who like to read the whole review (thank-you),  prepare yourself for some major gushing. I started Born Wicked with no major expectations, I really love it when  fantasy and historical fiction mix, so I was intrigued.

From the beginning, it was all secrets and magic. I was flipping the pages madly, trying to find out what happened next. This book was action, mystery, fantasy and forbidden romance. It was just that good.

Cate Cahill was such an amazing and strong character, she has two sisters to look over after her mother's death. She puts them first, she would give anything for them. She is really an awesome character, Jessica Spotswood does such a good job at writing up lovable characters that you just cannot help yourself and fall in love with Cate and wish she was your best friend.

Finn, he is more than just the love interest and dream boy, he is brave and humble. I just love everything about this boy. I need more of him on the next book, please!

The plot of this story was amazing, the twist and turns were just making this but IMPOSSIBLE to put down, just when you think things cannot get any worse, they do, and the ending just about broke my heart

I started the year off really good,  I am glad I chose this book to be my first read of the year, because this book will probably in my top books of 2012. That is just how good Born Wicked was.

Also, I will be posting the book trailer too, because I just LOVE it so much! Great book trailer for a great book!

Rating:

Trailer: