The Pretty One by Lucinda Rosenfeld

Title: The Pretty One: A Novel about Sisters
Author: Lucinda Rosenfeld
Info: Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 320
Format: Electronic
Acquired: Netgalley
Age Group: Adult

Perfect. Pretty. Political. For nearly forty years, The Hellinger sisters of Hastings-on-Hudson-namely, Imperia (Perri), Olympia (Pia), and Augusta (Gus)--have played the roles set down by their loving but domineering mother Carol. Perri, a mother of three, rules her four-bedroom palace in Westchester with a velvet fist, managing to fold even fitted sheets into immaculate rectangles. Pia, a gorgeous and fashionable Chelsea art gallery worker, still turns heads after becoming a single mother via sperm donation. And Gus, a fiercely independent lawyer and activist, doesn't let her break-up from her girlfriend stop her from attending New Year's Day protests on her way to family brunch.

But the Hellinger women aren't pulling off their roles the way they once did. Perri, increasingly filled with rage over the lack of appreciation from her recently unemployed husband Mike, is engaging in a steamy text flirtation with a college fling. Meanwhile Pia, desperate to find someone to share in the pain and joy of raising her three-year-old daughter Lola, can't stop fantasizing about Donor #6103. And Gus, heartbroken over the loss of her girlfriend, finds herself magnetically drawn to Jeff, Mike's frat boy of a little brother. Each woman is unable to believe that anyone, especially her sisters, could understand what it's like to be her. But when a freak accident lands their mother to the hospital, a chain of events is set in motion that will send each Hellinger sister rocketing out of her comfort zone, leaving her to wonder: was this the role she was truly born to play?

With The Pretty One, author Lucinda Rosenfeld does for siblings what she did for female friendship in I'm So Happy for You, turning her wickedly funny and sharply observant eye on the pleasures and punishments of lifelong sisterhood

So, when I first started reading this, like back earlier in the year, I was having a hard time relating for a lot of reasons. The main reasons were: Age, Experiences, and most importantly Sisters. I only have a brother and I can relate absolutely nothing with him, since he's much older than me and we have different interests. But then, I joined a sorority and I got over a thousand sisters overnight, except for my three line sisters who I spent 78 days and 8 minutes with each and every day talking with and doing something. And it was through that experience that I got to see a little bit more about what it's like to have sisters.

Obviously, sorority sisters vs. real sisters is completely different, but there's a main core to it: There's fighting, there's laughing, there's crying, and in the end there's just a heck of a lot of loving, and that's something that I found as a consistent them in this novel.

All three sisters are very different and I found that Rosenfeld did an excellent job in highlighting these differences. I know how hard it can be to find a voice for every single character, because they are supposed to feel real, and real people are just so different from each other. But I think that she pulled out of really well. All their voices came through, even that of the secondary characters.

I like how each sister interacted with each other and the people around them. Yes, they had their differences and they had a lot of faults, but they also had each other and that made the novel even cooler to read as they worked it out.

This novel was funny, witty, heartfelt, and very realistic. It pulled the reader in and didn't let go!

If you are still looking for some nice summer reads, check this one out for sure!

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Pages: 592
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first. 

I loved this book I hated the main character. Does that make sense? I don't know, but that's how I feel. If there was ever a moment when I really wanted for a character to disappear it is now. Evie is probably the most selfish, self-centered, careless, reckless, uncontrollable, loud character that I have ever read. But, I did love the story.

I continued to read it because the story was original and it was good. I loved the style that Bray used and how she formatted the story. It was interesting seeing the different story lines that went on and how they later ended up connecting.

The different characters added so many colors to the story. And by the time I was done I was already speaking like them. Glad I got rid of that though.

Bray must have obviously done a lot of research and it shows. The entire story came to life with all the historical facts and not to mention the mystery that was involved.

I can't wait to read more! The only disappointment that I have is Evie's lack of growth. There wasn't much character development. She was still the same bratty kid that started in the story. I was hoping for a little more but I guess that'll just have to wait. I wasn't expecting though the way things ended up for Evie, but I'm kind of glad.

It was a great story and I am so glad I read this!!

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Title: Days of Blood and Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Info: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Release Date: November 6th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 517
Format: Hardcover
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Others in the Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Age Group: Young Adult

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

I am speechless. I am completely and utterly speechless. Not really, since I do have stuff to say about this book, but wow.

When I read the first book I thought that nothing could ever top this. Taylor as such a way with writing, there's this poetic nature to it, and I think that's the initial appeal to me about that book. So, when I read this book I could not believe how well Taylor kept the voices of Karou and Akiva alive. Her poeticness traveled across and held strong.

I was so mad at Akiva and Karou. I wanted the best for them but at the same time I knew that wouldn't be possible because of all that happened between them. Still, I have hope. And hope is the main theme of the series. It spreads across the pages, dancing into the minds of the readers as they soak in all that occurs.

What I found interesting is that I can't be mad at one or the either, I have to be furious at both. They both did things that were unpleasant but they felt were necessary or at least tricked into thinking it was necessary. They were both placed into difficult situations that neither were prepared for. And the events that played out, the foreshadowing of what will most likely happen in the last book, and the revelations that occurred just took me by surprise.

I was not expecting so much. There was never a moment when I wanted to put the book down and never pick up again. Action occurred on every page and brought the story to life.

The sacrifices that were made, the heartache, the sadness, the hallow victories, the choices - everything fell into place. There were so many moments when Taylor took me by surprise; jaw-dropping moments, to be more specific.

I didn't want to the story to end. The atmosphere that Taylor creates in her world takes hold and never wants to let you go - and to some extent you don't want to leave. I know I didn't. And even though Karou and Akiva are anything but fully human, they make choices and mistakes just like us; they have failures and heartbreaks, and I'm sure that this is the only reason why they seemed so alive. Taylor creates memorable, realistic characters/world.

And as for the surprise twist? I love how they didn't just come out of nowhere; the moments were coming and the readers knew. Just not knowing exactly how things would play out.

Honestly, Taylor has probably written my favorite book of the year. I am so glad I finally read it. When is book 3 coming?!!!! I need it now!!!!

Readitreaditreaditreaditreadit!!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Info: Website | Twitter K | Twitter M | Facebook
Release Date: December 1st, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Pages: 563
Format: NookBook
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Before this summer I had bought this book a thousand times...in my head. I have seen it every time I go to Barnes and Noble or a book fair. I have picked it up each time and walked around with it for half an hour to an hour (I don't know why I do this; it's not like I'm imagining owning the thing or anything, I just make my rounds with it) and before I hit the check out line I always end up putting it back deciding my money is better spent on something else, and by three or four books and tell myself, "Next time." And for the record, I do this with just about every book that I think looks really interesting and I hear everyone talking about. 

Well, the day comes when I feel like I need to have more books on my Nook, because I don't have enough titles sitting on my little machine waiting to be read or anything, and I decide to get and the sequel. (Also, I was a little pressured to want to get caught up in this series before the movie comes out, which I will be watching) and you have no idea how upset I was with myself for not getting to this book sooner. 

Reading from a male's point of view, to me, is always interesting, because in one sense I get to finally see the inside of a guy's head (unterritory for many females) and for another its different and a little refreshing. Ethan would be the type of guy I would have a crush on. I don't know what it is about him, but even though he's considered popular, I found him to be the boy next door type of guy. 

And Lena, well, let's just say that she was everything I expected and nothing at all. A little mystery but a little obvious at the same time, if any of that makes sense. There's her mysterious past and even more mysterious parents, but there was also the obvious issues that she was dealing with being the new kid on the block. Dealing with bullying and being threatened to be expelled from school might keep some kids up at night, but for Lena, on top of that, she's on complete worry mood about her sixteenth birthday. Who she is and what she will become will be answered when that day arrives, but until than she's got to make it to her birthday because an evil Dark Caster going after her doesn't really sound like a birthday present she would want. 

Ethan is a boy who has lived all his life in Gatlin, South Carolina and he is a boy that belongs there. He has dreams of getting out and staying away. Lena is a girl who doesn't belong in more ways than one, and for some reason these two are bound together despite their vast differences. Suddenly, with Lena's appearance, Ethan realizes that there is more to his small town than he originally realized. While he has the everybody-knows-everybody-else's-business attitude, it turns out that this town is filled with more secrets than what could possibly fit in the whole state. 

I felt like there was a lot of clues that were laid out; so much that I had no idea where they were going with it. I originally thought that Ethan would have to deal with the arrival of Lena's sixteenth and maybe encounter her strange, colorful family members, but things are much more complicated. Suddenly there was a tangled web of lies, secrets, and danger that followed the pair. 

While I keep hearing that the biggest complaint about the novel is how it doesn't really capture the Southern feel that it supposedly expresses throughout the story (I'm a Yankee, so I really can't say Yay or Nay) but I found the book refreshing. With the supernatural on the rise and vampires, werewolves, angels, and ghost dominating the bookshelves, witches and the other supernatural creatures in this story are nice. Though, I can't really say 'witches' since that's an offensive term in this world, I meant Casters. 

Finding out how the clues fit together and honestly just wanting to know Lena's fate kept me going. The authors did an excellent job between the relationship between Ethan and Lena, and very realistic. I also found Ethan's attraction to Lena kind of nice; I haven't read a book yet from a male's POV where he obsesses over a girl and wants to promise her his undying love. 

This book unique, epic, and full of problems both supernatural and mortal. The way the two world's intertwined I found stuck out since it was so perfectly well done. 

I'm so glad that I have finally got to read this book and I am already getting the rest of the books because I know that I cannot get enough of the two. It looks like the next Harry Games at Twilight has arrived.  

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Title: Bitter End
Author: Jennifer Brown
Info: Website
Release Date: May 10th, 2011
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 359
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Borrowed
Age Group: Young Adult

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole -- a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her -- she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate . . . someone who truly loves and understands her.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her close friend Zack, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all her time with another boy? As the months pass, though, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose -- between her "true love" and herself

 When I first saw this book I wanted to get it, but I was also a little skeptical about it. I instead hopped over to the library to read it, and I have to say I'm a little glad I didn't buy it. 

I had only ever read one other book that dealt with this type of abuse and it was twice as short but two times better. I could feel the character slowly slipping and I could feel the power he weld over her, but in this book I didn't really feel it. In fact, it felt more like Cole was just the bully down the street. 

Alex and her two friends, Bethany and Zach, are tight and are even planning a trip. And then Cole comes along. At first he seems perfect but as usually things go wrong, fast. 

He does the predictable things and she says the predictable words, and I can tell that Brown did put a lot of effort into this book, but for some reason things were not as tightly put as they should be. For example, the book kept alluding to Cole being a stalker, but I was hoping that would be played up a little more, and instead found myself frowning since he wasn't really a stalker. But jerk, most defiantly.  

While I saw a rift between Alex and her friends it wasn't the way I expected. To be honest it didn't seem that Alex was under Cole's control as much as she should have been, and obviously red flags should have gone up for Alex when she saw the other girl that went through the same thing she did. 

Though her rationalization of all the events was as I expected, though a little weak. In all honesty I think that Alex was more stupid than anything else. 

I haven't read any other works from Brown yet but I do here that they are not as bad as this, so I'm hoping for the best when it comes time to get to them. Disappointed but I guess there was a little bit of hope for the novel, if the author hadn't worked so hard to force the problem instead of the problem naturally forming like a book should. 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Release Date: September 27th, 2011
Publisher: Little Brown & Co.
Pages: 417
Format: Paperback
Acquired: Bought
Interest: Series
Age Group: Young Adult

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

I had been dying to read this book for so long and when I saw it I knew that I had to have it. And I am so upset with myself for waiting so long. This book was like nothing I expected.

Honestly, I really never read the summary so I had no idea what to expect. I just knew the title and knew that I had to read it. At first, I keep thinking to myself, "What is going on? What's going to happen? Who is this Karou?" I never imagined what actually happened in this book.

Taylor is amazing. If you want to read a story that sounds a lot like poetry this is it. The entire story is original and moving. Karou is such a compelling character and I love that reader's get the chance to look at Akiva's point of view as well.

The story is hauntingly beautiful with angels, demons, and creatures that come out of a child's storybook. Creativity is high in this book where a story that starts in our world slowly transforms into a high fantasy world where Taylor takes you into a wild ride of forbidden romance, family, allegiances are made, and secrets are revealed that take this book to new heights.

Karou, an art student from Prague, is not like everybody else. She's special in many ways than one. She was raised by four monsters, but something about Karou is not completely human and when she has a run in with Akiva everything in her world changes.

This novel slowly turns from a book into a piece of artwork. Taylor is an artist that takes readers on an epic adventure that will leave reader's in a daze when they turn the final page. Book 2 needs to come out a lot sooner, because the way this book ended...yikes. It's a novel that you never want to finish.