Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Title: Kill Me Softly
Author: Sarah Cross
Release Date: April 10th, 2012
Publisher: Egmount USA
Pages: 314
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Young Adult

Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

I was really excited to read this book, especially since I love fairy tales and I'm a little obsessed with the new ABC TV show Once Upon A Time, which is amazing, just throwing that in there.

I'm always on the look out for retellings of fairy tales, because I just love how people interpret them in different ways. In this story, some of the popular fairy tales that many of us have grown up with get retold in dark, twisted, haunted ways that leaves someone shuddering.

I loved the entire premise of the story and the setting, where an entire town of people is full of fairy tale characters, curses, and fairy godmothers. It was great.

Though, I did have my complaints, mainly Mira. I always love a stubborn heroine, because it shows that she's tough and can stick to her guns. But I also love heroines who have some sense of self-preservation, which is exactly what Mira lacks. If I have ever seen a love-sick girl before, I see it in her. I was really, really annoyed on how fast she fell for Felix and even her relationship with Blue got to me, because it was like, "Girl, you just met these guys. Stop it!"

And it really annoyed me how she treated poor Freddie, the only person in this entire novel, I feel, that had some actual character to him and wasn't mobbing and crying about things that can't be changed. Him and Jewel, I really liked Jewel and Layla. I understand it must suck to be on a curse, but half the time I felt like these character's were just trapped in their own little world of self-pity, Viv as an example. So, I liked Freddie, he was a really good guy and I wish that Mira would have seen that instead of being...herself.

But besides these little things, I really did like this book. It was creative the way Cross molded these characters to the fairy tells. And not to mention how funny it was. There were just some parts where I couldn't stop laughing, because some character's are so out there it's hilarious.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairy tale and unexpected endings, because I was not expecting what happened at the end. I thought my jaw would hit the desk when I read it, but it was so worth it.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine
Author: Bree Despain
Release Date: December 22nd, 2009
Publisher: Egmount
Pages: 372
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 5 Stars

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held. The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes. The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I read this book. I read the back and decided not to read the reviews so not to get any spoilers of what might be in it and I was really happy that I did that. The mystery that surrounds the whole book kept me going from page one. And after I finished I went and checked out the reviews and I was happy to see that a lot of people had the same thought I had: This book was amazing.

The idea of mixing religion with the supernatural was something I was afraid would come back to haunt Despain when it came to the readers, but I thought she did an excellent job in throwing everything together and making it fit. From the character's name to the plot-line the way religion had the chance to connect with the premise of the story fit perfectly.

And then there are the characters. They felt very real to me; I loved how I was able to connect with them easily. I also loved how all the character's had a specific personality that stuck out. Some character's I just wanted to hit, like April. She had good intentions, but I just could not stand her. But I guess that's what makes this book good -- the author gives readers characters to dislike, for one reason or another.

Daniel was such a mystery. I was getting frustrated with Grace as she tried to break the ice that surrounded him and I liked when things started to come clear. Jude was very frustrating and I started to understand him a little, but I like how Despain was able to bring out Jude throughout the book.

I was surprised by the supernatural element in here and I could not have imagined it, but I was super excited about how it all fit together and I'm glad that Despain didn't flat out say what it was and just kept the reader with Grace at discovering the truth.

This book was amazing; it didn't go too fast and it didn't go too slow. All the character's served a purpose, they were not just brought in for no particular reason and I was really happy with the way Despain had used that to her advantage by giving readers the chance to know the characters.

I would highly suggest this book and I am excited to read the sequel!

Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison

Title: Tris & Izzie
Author: Mette Ivie Harrison
Release Date: October 11th, 2011
Publisher: Egmount USA
Pages: 272
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 2 Stars

A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school

I have heard so much hype for this book. It's been all over the blogespher and people have it on their wish lists, and I was crazy excited when I got the opportunity to review this ahead of time. And of course with college, making time usually means having to stay up until three in the morning in order to read a book for fun.

But anyways, when I finally did get this book, even from the beginning this had been a great disappointment. In the beginning everything was going great, Mark and Izzie were all lovey dovey on each other and than all of a sudden she goes into her dad. I just think to myself, "What does this have anything to do?" I understand if the author would have placed this somewhere else, like when Izzie was at home or something, but putting that right in the middle of a Mark-Izzie moment was so random.

I felt like a lot of the book just had so many random moments, like the author was forcing the book to move forward. The character's were so flat, I felt like I was watching a bad soap opera. And then there's the whole love potion thing. I get it, this is a work of fiction, thus anything can happen, but when it comes to writing, even fantasy, there has to be some sense of reality. And then Mark goes from loving Izzie to being with her best friend like nothing happened. I was honestly expecting a lot more from them.

The character's moods change so rapidly, and I feel like there was no growth. They were very one dimensional, with no believable aspects to them.

I almost didn't finish this book. Now, I can't judge too harshly because I don't know the actual legend of Tristan and Isolde, but from what I could pick up here and there, I feel like the legend is for mature characters, which we didn't have here.

I gave this a two because this is one of those quick reads that you can have fun, because despite the fact that I keep bashing this book in, there were some fun moments, which should be taken into consideration, which tells me this author isn't lazy, that she was trying. And that's something that should be looked into.

Would I read this book again or even recommend it? I'm afraid not, but again, that's my own personal feelings towards it.

Blood by K. J. Wignall

Title: Blood
Author: K.J. Wignall
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Egmont U.S.A.
Pages: 288
Format: Electronic Copy
Acquired: ARC; Netgalley
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 4 Stars

I do not remember being bitten. I wish I did, for then I would know the creature who did this to me and I would have a purpose, to track him down and repay him for the poisoned gift he gave me. Back in the Thirteenth Century, Will was destined to be Earl of Mercia, although he never lived to inherit his title. In the centuries that follow, Will has led a lonely life, learning to deal with whatever the present day throws at him, always searching for answers but never finding any. Until this time, when he awakens after a 20-year-slumber, hungry for the blood that sustains his undeath, when it appears that he is finally getting a glimpse at why he exists. He does indeed have a destiny, and an enemy, but revealing that fate will be a matter of trust...

It took me a while to get through this book, I got it back in August and went through it way too slowly. It was hard to get into it because I was confused in a lot of places but I was glad that as the story went on that things started to clear up. At first I don't know what he meant by "sickness" and I'm just thinking through the first chapter what's going on and why.

As soon as I got what was going on I became intrigued. There was a lot of talk about prophesies and destiny, and I'll admit, I rolled my eyes whenever it was brought up, but I liked how the author made it so it didn't sound incredibly corny.

What I also liked was how he was able to tie the story together. A lot of authors bring in details in the beginning that nobody thinks about as the book finishes, but K.J. Wignall not only kept reminding us of the beginning and what happened, but tied it to the ending surprisingly well. Honestly, with the mention of burning witches a person would just want to keep thinking, "Who cares," but he keeps reminding us of this, and it becomes important near the end.

Eloise was fun. I liked her enthusiasm, and I wish that she had acted a little more shocked about the whole undead thing, and maybe had a different reaction to later things. I don't know why it bothers me how well she took a lot of it, but her fainting does give her some brownie points. I'm not so sure how I feel about Chris and Rachel. I almost want to trust them, but I also don't.

Another thing I liked about this author is how he didn't just stay with vampires. Sometimes you get the writers that center on just one theme, but in this story you have witches (maybe), ghost, sorcerers, and vampires. The ghost were my favorite part, I think.

And I won't lie the women spirits scared me a little, and there were a lot of moments were I was a little jumpy.

The ending has to be the best of the whole book. Like I said before, K.J. does a wonderful job of bringing things full circle in the sense that you start to get the picture of why certain details are so important, like the gang kid, and the witches, and even his own family history that gets repeated. And you feel sorry for Will because for so long he just thought it was him, and he hasn't had any real relationships because of his "sickness", as he refers it to.

Funny, original, suspenseful, and full of mystery and darkness of the paranormal world this could use some touch ups, but for the most part it's enjoyable.