Review 261. Brittany Cavallaro – A Study in Charlotte.

Title: A study in Charlotte.
Author:  Brittany Cavallaro.
Pages:  321.
Published: March 1st 2016 by Katherine Tegen Books
Sort: First book in Charlotte Holmes.
Source: Edelweiss and publisher, thanks!

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar. From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

It was quite obvious in the beginning that I would not get along with this book. It's definitely a case of "it's me, not you" because this book has a lot to offer. For some reason though, I did not connect with the story, the characters or the writing.

Jamie Watson got a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, where Charlotte Holmes goes to school as well. The two of them meet and he is immediately impressed by her; Charlotte less. She likes to be by herself in her laboratory, but Jamie feels an attraction to her and the two of have to work together when they are being set up. A student dies under strange circumstances and they are both seen as suspects – and only Charlotte's intelligence can clear their names.

I liked the fact that Holmes is a girl now. She is smart, impulsive and confident, three trades I normally really like in a character. With Charlotte it was the opposite; I disliked her, could not connect with her and most of all, I had a hard time accepting her drugs abuse. She got on my nerves more often than I wished and even her hard times did not make me like her more.. The way she looks at life and treats certain situations just did not work for me.

I had the same with Jamie. He felt blank to me and I never had the feeling I was connected to him. There was no sparkle for me and the two lacked the chemistry I see in the TV show and movies. I guess it is because they only work together, because someone is trying to frame Charlotte and Jamie is pulled under as well. 

The way they put the clues together was kind of fun, but the overall mystery was not that exciting to me and the lack of emotions made this a failure for me.

Let it go | A mix of different books.

Sarah Strohmeyer – This is my brain on boys.
1.5/5. Contemporary.
eARC from Edelweiss/publisher.

It went from: OH this is really fun and I love Addie! Girls as scientists are my thing! She is such a smart cookie and I love her experiment. To: oh.. This is exactly not good. Addie was a little too serious for my taste. She was a bit like Sheldon in that way and it did not work on the paper for me. Like the scene where someone told her someone 'fell from the face of the earth' and she tells him without blinking that 'the earth does not have a face.'

No shit, Sherlock.

I also did not appreciate how Kris treated his (ex)-girlfriend Kara. He should have stepped it up and simply told her it was over. Instead, he keeps dragging it around and while I did not like the girl at all, I could understood her accusation.

The whole experiment was lots of fun. Addie has this theory that you an make two people who have nothing in common, fall in love when they are in an intense situation. Kris has to make up for something, so now he is part of the experiment (without knowing what is going on) and Addie decides to at some point to make herself a subject too. From the point of view of a scientist, this is something you should NEVER EVER do, because it influences the way you look at the experiment. Being objective is the most important part, so I did not buy this.

I liked Addie's spark with Kris, but things could have been more polished to make this work better for me.

Elizabeth May – The vanishing throne.
4.5/5. Paranormal.
 
I was blown away by The falconer the first time AND second time. May has written a series that ticks off all the elements I look for: a kick-ass heroin, action, fast-paced plot, amazing writing-style and swoonworthy romance. We learn more about Kieran in this book, someone who stayed quite mysterious in The falconer. Aileana is in a pretty messed-up situation and she is such a brave, strong girl. The ending was brutal, just like The falconer, and it makes me want to pick up the sequel right now. It was a brave move from the author, because it could have turned into the worst twist ever, but it worked really well with the story.

V.E Schwab – A gathering of shadows.
ALL THE STARS. 
Fantasy.
 
Schwab is a genius. I don't think I will ever dislike anything she writes, because she is a magician with words. I reread A darker shade of magic and I think I fell in love with it even more. The intriquite world-building, the spectacular characters and the well-crafted villians, I love everything about it. I have lost my heart to Lila, who is now sailing the seas, and Kell, who feels locked up. READ THIS SERIES. I could not find the right words to express my love for this series, so you just have to pick it up and see for yourself.

Let it go | Massive edition.

Let it go is my feature, where I will spotlight all the books I DNF and the ones I've read and just want to talk about. The name is based on the wonderful song from the movie Frozen, hence the the reindeer. This feature is based on several other DNF features.

I want to get rid of all the reviews I have yet to post on my blog before 2016 starts, so I'm going to throw them all together in this post. You can scroll through all the categories and select what you want to read. They go from best rating –> worst rating. There are no spoilers for the books or sequels in the series. Here we go:

Fairytale retelling.

Marissa Meyer – Winter.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5.
It was fantastic and I read more than 500 pages in one sitting, but the ending still left me with a little disappointed feeling of I want more. It feels like there was still some story left to tell. Perhaps in the novella bind-up with the Epilogue to Winter? I HOPE SO. The main story is wrapped up neatly, so perhaps it's because I'm just not ready to let go of all the characters I fell in love with throughout the series. I could read about them forever and I'm satisfied with all the ships and the overall conclusion of the story. My only problem was the fact I didn't like how villainous Levana was and how I couldn't care about her 'reasons' for all the things she did.

Shannon Hale – Princess Academy.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5.
Miri lives in the valley near the mountain where everyone works to collect linder (stone). The prince is looking for a new bride and she will be picked from the girls in her village. They are all sent to a special Academy to be trained, so they can impress him. Miri is spunky, yet a bit insecure and she has a quick mind. She has a way with words and she is definitely not waiting to be trained for a prince. I loved how her family played a role in the story and how it stays away from the cliche story line. Don't let the promise and the fact that it is middle grade fool you.

Virginia Boecker – The witch hunter.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5.
This book caught my attention when it was pitched as magic from Graceling meets political intrigue from Game of thrones. While I don’t agree with those comparisons, I sort of liked it. Elizabeth is one of the best witch hunters. until she is accused of witch craft herself. She is sentenced to death, but saved by someone who was her biggest enemy: the powerful wizard Nicholas.
Elizabeth was okay. She is by no means a perfect character and I think I will forget about her soon, but being able to look in her head wasn't so bad. She is trust into a confusing time and I liked how she dealt with the situation. She is struck between her old life and the new information. I could understand how hard it was to change her believes, but she switches rather quickly. The writing-style was engaging. I don't know what it was, but it made me keep reading. I also think I ended up liking this book more because of my low expectations. I was left to believe it would be a boring, terrible book, but I don't think it was THAT bad.

Alethea Kontis – Dearest.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5.
Naked guys are sleeping in a room. Friday finds them and falls in love with one of them right away. Because…. Not for that reason ;) but I thought it was rather strange that she is standing there, observing this boy and wondering what color his eyes are. Okay guuurl. I am left disappointed by this series. The first book was stunning. I loved the combinations of fairytales and how it made me guess which stories she included. The second book was already less interesting and I found myself a little bored by this book. The characters in this book were a bit bland, although I did like the approach of Six Swans. I have high hopes for the next one, because I think I will like Princess Thursday much more.

Dakota Chase – Mad about the hatter.
RATING: 1 out of 5.
This book was simply too much. The author tried SO hard to make everything sounds funny and hilarious, that it felt too forced. I understand that she tried to copy the whimsical feeling from Alice in Wonderland, but to me, she failed to deliver it. I loved that the romance is between Hatter and Henry, brother from Alice, but it went incredibly fast. Hatter went from 'what an annoying boy' to 'oh, such luscious lips, I want to kiss them!' The same with Henry, who went from 'I must be crazy, this can't be real' to 'what a delicious man.' The story itself is also pretty much wandering around Wonderland, because Hatter must take Henry to the Queen of Hearts. I liked the addition of the King of Hearts and the talk about abusive relationships.

Review 239. Betsy Cornwell – Mechanica.

Title: Mechanica.
Author: Betsy Cornwell.
Pages: 320.
Published: August 25th 2015 by Clarion books.
Sort: Stand-alone, fairytale retelling.
Source: Netgalley and publisher.

Nicolette’s awful stepsisters call her “Mechanica” to demean her, but the nickname fits: she learned to be an inventor at her mother’s knee. Her mom is gone now, though, and the Steps have turned her into a servant in her own home. But on her sixteenth birthday, Nicolette discovers a secret workshop in the cellar and begins to dare to imagine a new life for herself. Could the mysterious books and tools hidden there—and the mechanical menagerie, led by a tiny metal horse named Jules—be the key to escaping her dreary existence? With a technological exposition and royal ball on the horizon, the timing might just be perfect for Nicolette to earn her freedom at last.

Rating:

LOOK AT THAT COVER. This has to be the most disappointed book I’ve read this year, because I was expecting so much. Even after some negative reviews I kept holding on to the hope that I might like it after all, because we all know how much I love my fairytales. And again, that cover is stunning, so I was hoping the story would live up to it. Now let me go sit in a corner and weep, while you read my review of this book with potential - and managed to blow it.

Review 283. Amy Ewing – The Jewel.

Title: The Jewel.
Author: Amy Ewing.
Pages: 358.
Published: September 2nd 2014 by HarperTeen.
Sort: The lone city #1.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring. Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life. Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Rating:

*stab, stab, stab* was my initial reaction when I finished this book. I just wanted to break something out of frustration, because this book features one of those dreaded insta-loves – and it’s really, really bad. The other aspects of the book weren’t amazing either, but I could deal with those until I reached the ending. The story just fell apart after the introduction from the ‘romance’ and it’s just not okay to finish a book like that. The more I think about this book, the more I start to hate it. I initially gave it 2 stars on Goodreads, but after finishing my rant I have to give it 1 stars.

Review 271. Alex Mallory – Wild.

Title: Wild.
Author: Alex Mallory.
Pages: 448.
Published: July 8th 2014 by HarperTeen.
Sort: Stand-alone, fairytale.
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher.

The forest is full of secrets, and no one understands that better than Cade. Foraging, hunting, surviving— that’s all he knows. Alone for years, Cade believes he’s the sole survivor. At least, until he catches a glimpse of a beautiful stranger… Dara expected to find natural wonders when she set off for a spring break camping trip. Instead, she discovers a primitive boy— he’s stealthy and handsome and he might be following her. Intrigued, Dara seeks him out and sets a catastrophe in motion. Thrust back into society, Cade struggles with the realization that the life he knew was a lie. But he’s not the only one. Trying to explain life in a normal town leaves Dara questioning it. As the media swarm and the police close in, Dara and Cade risk everything to get closer. But will the truth about Cade’s past tear them apart?

Rating:

Words to describe this book? Horrible. Disgusting. Terrible. Tagline? A failed attempt for a Tarzan retelling.

Review 265. Lisa Ann O’Kane – Essence.

Title: Essence.
Author: Lisa Ann O’Kane.
Pages: 243.
Published: June 3rd by Strange Chemistry.
Sort: Stand-alone, Dystopia.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

Autumn escaped a cult, but now she realizes she's fallen into another. Growing up in San Francisco’s Centrist Movement, sixteen year-old Autumn Grace has always believed emotions—adrenaline, endorphins, even happiness—drain your Essence and lead to an early death. But her younger brother’s passing and a run-in with a group of Outsiders casts her faith into question. Ryder Stone, the sexy, rebellious leader of the Outsiders, claims Essence drain is nothing more than a Centrist scare tactic -- and he can prove it. Autumn follows Ryder to his Community of adrenaline junkies and free spirits in Yosemite National Park, and they introduce her to a life of adventure, romance, sex, drugs and freedom. But as she discovers dark secrets beneath the Community’s perfect exterior, she realizes the more she risks in search of the perfect rush, the further she has to fall.

Rating:

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book when I started, but I have good experiences with other books published by Strange Chemistry – so I decided to give it a try when I saw it on Netgalley. I only knew I wasn’t expecting such a horrible story with annoying characters and a boring plot line.

Review 246. Katherine Ewell – Dear killer.

Title: Dear Killer.
Author: Katherine Ewell.
Pages: 368.
Publication date: April 1st 2014 by Katherine Tegen Books
Sort: Stand-alone (BETTER)
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Rule One—Nothing is right, nothing is wrong. Rule Two—Be careful.
Rule Three—Fight using your legs whenever possible, because they’re the strongest part of your body. Your arms are the weakest.
Rule Four—Hit to kill. The first blow should be the last, if at all possible. Rule Five—The letters are the law. Kit takes her role as London’s notorious “Perfect Killer” seriously. The letters and cash that come to her via a secret mailbox are not a game; choosing who to kill is not an impulse decision. Every letter she receives begins with “Dear Killer,” and every time Kit murders, she leaves a letter with the dead body. Her moral nihilism and thus her murders are a way of life—the only way of life she has ever known. But when a letter appears in the mailbox that will have the power to topple Kit’s convictions as perfectly as she commits her murders, she must make a decision: follow the only rules she has ever known, or challenge Rule One, and go from there.

Rating:

You guys.. Sometimes I read books that make me wonder how they get published. I hate being mean, but this book was just plain horrible. Let me tell you that I went back four times to take certain sentences away and this is the best curse-free, less snarky review I could come up with. There is no way to enlighten it with some positivism, because there was not a single thing I enjoyed. If you don’t like rants, you better skip this. 

Review 238. Lauren Oliver – Panic.

Title: Panic.
Author: Lauren Oliver.
Pages: 416.
Expected publication: March 4th 2014 by HarperCollins
Sort: Stand-alone (luckily..)
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Rating:

I think it’s time for me to acknowledge that Lauren Oliver isn’t my type of author when it comes to YA books. This book was a failure for me and I had the same troubles with the Delirium series. This story suffered from another incredibly annoying character and I’ve spotted some inconsistencies. Her MG books are more captivating to me, with adventure like The Spindlers and heart-warming friendship in Liesl & Po.

Review 233. Amalie Howard – The almost girl.

Title: The almost girl.
Author: Amalie Howard.
Pages: 416.
Published: January 7th 2014 by Strange Chemistry.
Sort: Stand-alone.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

Seventeen-year-old Riven is as tough as they come. Coming from a world ravaged by a devastating android war, she has to be. There’s no room for softness, no room for emotion, no room for mistakes. A Legion General, she is the right hand of the young Prince of Neospes, a parallel universe to Earth. In Neospes, she has everything: rank, responsibility and respect. But when Prince Cale sends her away to find his long-lost brother, Caden, who has been spirited back to modern day Earth, Riven finds herself in uncharted territory. Will Riven be able to find the strength to defy her very nature? Or will she become the monstrous soldier she was designed to be?

Rating:

If you read the blurb, you've practically read everything that was interesting about this book, so I made it shorter. The only reason I finished it was because it’s an eARC and I was far enough to feel like ending it. I don’t recommend trying to do the same. I was bored and annoyed at the same time.

Review 232. Rick Yancey – The 5th wave.

Title: The 5th wave.
Author: Rick Yancey.
Pages: 457.
Published: May 7th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
Sort: Part one of ‘The fifth wave’

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Rating:

This book failed to impress me. Whether it were my high expectations, the hype surrounding it or just this story, I had a hard time reading it.  It’s a shame that I wasn’t able to connect with the characters, because I still think it’s an unique setting and promise. I like the story that is created, but the plot  could have used some interesting twists.

Review 228. Megan Shepherd - Her dark curiosity.

Title: Her dark curiosity.
Author: Megan Shepherd.
Pages: 368.
Expected publication: January 28th 2014 by Balzer+Bray
Sort: Part two of ‘The madman’s daughter.’
Part 1: The madman’s daughter.
Source: I received an ARC from the publisher .

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.
Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her. As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again. As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

Rating: 

I wish I could say ‘I’m not sure where it all went wrong,’ because I know. This book suffers from the most horrible love-triangle I’ve seen last year and it contains irritating, annoying characters. Juliet is probably one of the worst characters of 2013. The good writing-style and overall interesting and unique storyline go to waste - and that is a true shame.

Review 217. Suzanne Weyn – The diamond secret.

Title: The diamond secret.
Author: Suzanne Weyn.
Pages: 240.
Published: June 2nd 2009 by Simon Pulse.
Sort: Part of the ‘Once upon a time’ series.

Nadya is a mischievous kitchen girl in a Russian tavern. Having nearly drowned in the Iset River during the turmoil of the Revolution, she has no memory of her past and longs for the life she cannot remember. Then two young men arrive at the tavern and announce that Nadya's long-lost grandmother has sent them to find her. Yearning for family and friendship, she agrees to accompany them to Paris for the joyful reunion. Nadya eagerly embarks on her journey, never dreaming it will be one of laughter, love...and betrayal.

Rating:

Most of the things I know about Anastasia comes from the lovely movie (which is not made by Disney, but by Fox animation studios. I hear that mistake often) and this book is pretty similar, but misses the magic. Where I absolutely love the movie even if it's not 100% accurate, this book had too many flaws to really enjoy.

First of, I couldn't connect with the characters. The two guys (already forgot their names, I'm sorry) are looking for a replacement of Anastasia because her grandmother offers a huge amount of money. There are rumours that she survived the murder on the Royal Family. One of the guys worked in the palace at that time and he saw how Anastasia was killed in front of his eyes. He is very sceptical about the rumours, but they come across a tavern girl called Nadya. Her looks are remarkable and her amnesia about most of her past is very convenient. The only thing she knows is that she was taken from a mental institution. On their way, they change her appearance and help her adapt to her possible new future. Nadya doesn't know that the two guys are in for the money and she falls in love with one (bet you didn't see that coming?)

I just didn't feel it. Everyone is so distant and I didn't really care for Nadya. She is naive and she believes the guys without thinking about it. The reunion with her possible grandmother didn't touch me and meh. Didn't work for me.

The second thing is the fact that everything comes together SO easily. They HAPPEN to stumble across her. And no, like I said, the movie has something magical and here it's just bland. BUT, with this book, I finished the complete Once upon a time series which consists of 19 books! You can find all my reviews over here: Once upon a time series label.

Review 209. Robin Bridges – The gathering storm.

Title: The gathering storm.
Author: Robin Bridges.
Pages: 386.
Published: January 10th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
Sort: Part one of ‘Katerina’.

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue. An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn. The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Rating:

The person who wrote the blurb did a great job in lying. It might sound like an interesting book, but believe me, it’s not. I’m still not sure how I managed to read this book. There were several moments where I wanted to DNF it, but I was hoping it would become better. So I continued and I must say, the ending made it a little bit better. In combination with a not too bad protagonist: 2 flowers instead of 1.

Review 202. Lauren Oliver – Requiem.

Title: Requiem.
Author: Lauren Oliver.
Pages: 391.
Published: March 5th 2013 by HarperCollins Children's Books
Sort: Conclusion of ‘Delirium.’
Part 1: Delirium.
Part 2: Pandemonium.

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past. But we are still here. And there are more of us every day. Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings. Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it. But we have chosen a different road. And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose. We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Rating:

This book is so unsatisfying it makes me want to rip my hair out. It’s Rise all over again. What is up with all these horrible open endings? The first thing I thought, and I wrote this down on Goodreads: wait? What? Where the hell is the ending? :| Crap. That is still the best way to describe this book. Keep in mind that there are spoilers if you haven’t read the other two books.

Review 197. Nancy Holder – Spirited.

Title: Spirited.
Author: Nancy Holder.
Pages: 225.
Published: November 9th 2004 by Simon Pulse
Sort: Part of the ‘Once upon a time’ series.

In May 1756 war is formally declared between the British and the French. During this highly dangerous time, Isabella Sevens is travelling with her father to the British stronghold Fort William Henry. In the forest, Wusamequin, the young and handsome medicine man, looks to avenge the death of his wife and child at the hands of British soldiers. When Wusamequin spots Isabella and her father, he alerts his warriors to capture them. But Wusamequin is quite taken with how bravely Isabella battles. He orders the warriors to spare her and her father, and they are dragged back to their village. However, many members of the Mohican tribe still want them to be killed. In a desperate plea to Wusamequin, Isabella vows to stay as his hostage if he lets her father go.

Rating:

I must admit that I wasn’t very excited to read this book in the first place. My first book from this author was The rose bride and I gave it two stars in the end. My main problem with that book also happened here in Spirited: I was bored. The story seemed to go on and on. I also wasn’t invested in the shallow plot or the annoying characters.

I actually started to skim most of the pages towards the ending and that is a bad sign for such a short book. It just didn’t work for me and it irked me. The beast in this story is a beast because he is a Native American. I didn’t like that. The way Isabella portrays him was annoying and the beastly features in the real story is what makes this so magical. Wusamequin is a healthy, good-looking guy, so the whole true nature of the story fell flat to me. Isabelle isn’t ‘Belle’ worthy. Where I absolutely love the original Belle, Isabelle annoyed the heck out of me. She is whiny, arrogant and stupid. The way she thinks about these people as less, because ‘they have never been into a house’.. And she keeps saying ‘Mahwah’ and it’s pathetic when you find out what that word means.

There is also something off about the writing-style. It’s overly descriptive in the beginning and that made the story drag. Add the unlikable characters and I’m done. Definitely try to skip Nancy Holder’s books in this series and I don’t think I’ll read any of her works in the future. Not my thing.

Review 193. Michael & Katherine – Eve and Adam.

Title: Eve and Adam.
Author: Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate.
Pages: 291.
Published:  October 2nd 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
Sort: Stand-alone.

And girl created boy… In the beginning, there was an apple—
And then there was a car crash, a horrible injury, and a hospital. But before Evening Spiker’s head clears a strange boy named Solo is rushing her to her mother’s research facility. There, under the best care available, Eve is left alone to heal. Just when Eve thinks she will die—not from her injuries, but from boredom—her mother gives her a special project: Create the perfect boy. Using an amazingly detailed simulation, Eve starts building a boy from the ground up. Eve is creating Adam. And he will be just perfect... won’t he?

Rating: 

But who’s the say what’s perfect? (quote book)

I’m not sure how and why I finished this book. It gave me many feelings, but not the right ones. Instead of feeling connected to the characters and excited about the sci-fi elements, I was frustrated, annoyed and I couldn’t care less what would happen to any of them. There was a twist I liked and it was a quick book, but that’s all. I’ll be using many quotes to illustrate the dumb and irritating characters, so be aware of my rant. I hardly rate books with 1 flowers, but this..