Review- Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

 BOOK SUMMARY:

A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy. 

Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

Release date: July 1st 2014

Published by: Scholastic Press

Page numbers: 357

REVIEW: 

I was extremely excited to read Sinner from the moment I saw that Maggie Stiefvater was writing a story for Cole St. Clair. I absolutely love her The Wolves of Mercy Falls series. I read the books at a time when I didn't write reviews, so I will take the opportunity to say now what I couldn't at that time. Although I barely remember much, what I do remember is that this series had me absolutely, completely and totally engrossed. I didn't just read it, but I lived it. I felt so much while reading it. The powerful impact of the author's writing made me fall in love with the characters and the story and The Wolves of Mercy Falls is undoubtedly at the top of my most favourite Young Adult paranormal reads list. So it was but obvious that I was eager for Sinner and I had high expectations from it. 

While Sinner didn't live up to the first three books of the series, in its own way, it was a great read. Maggie promises on Goodreads that the book is "very full of Cole and Isabel" and obviously, she knows what she's saying and she's absolutely right. From the first page to the last, this story is about that destructive, unimaginable and almost I-hate-that-I-love-you pairing. We met a bunch of people before, but this book only focuses on two individuals. Of course there are other people involved and they were all lovely in their own way. Also, in a way, they were all needed to make Cole and Isabel realise that they were, in fact, contrary to thier own belief, meant to be. 

I was slightly disappointed with Sinner since- and I can say this on the part of the many fans of The Wolves of Mercy Falls series- it didn't make me feel what the series made me feel. I wasn't into it, you know? The writing wasn't as magical and poetic as it was before but yes, it's Maggie and she writes beautifully. It's just that it wasn't as beautiful as what I've read previously from her. Also, I found myself getting frustrated with Isabel more times than one. My simple point was if she's so intent on being indifferent, there was no need to care even the slightest bit. And if she did care, then she could have done it without pretending to be indifferent. Another thing was the epilogue. For me, an epilogue provides a kind of a closure- if not to the characters, then to the story at least- but clearly, this epilogue left me wondering what even happened there. It all ends well, yes, but I didn't "get" the epilogue. 

What I did love about the book was Cole. It was all about Cole and I loved every bit of it. He is fighting a battle between his past and present to make his future and it was portrayed beautifully. Isabel wasn't always with him, but when the two were together, they made for a fire-crackling pair. While there are quite a few aspects that get a bold and bright tick from me, there are also many aspects that get a simple and straight cross. My loyalty to the series and Cole St. Clair are the two things that have made me wrap up and say that Sinner was a great read, although not all that great. 

Buy the book: AMAZON

Review- Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Goodreads Summary:

tick

tick

tick

tick

tick

it's almost

time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.

Shatter me Series:

My review of Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

My review of Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)

REVIEW:

Shatter Me was insanely good, Destroy Me was insanely better and Unravel Me- oh my God!- Unravel Me is insanely and undoubtedly the best book so far in Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series. 

The twists and turns of this book have left me appalled and gratified. There was so much going on and it was just so psychotropic that I found myself screaming WHAT THE F*** at the end of almost every chapter and seeing as there are 73 chapters... Oh damn! I've cursed a hell lot. Oops. 

I knew I was in for a jolty ride with this one. Just when I thought that the shockers couldn't get any more shocking, Tahereh Mafi goes all BOOM!!! and throws something much much more shocking our way.  I could almost picture the author rubbing her palms together and grinning wickedly at readers. Seriously. This book gave me so many shock attacks I am still trying to put the pieces together and process the puzzle. 

In Unravel Me, everything changes. Really. Everything. 

We got to see so many sides of everyone. The sweet and sensible Adam became cool and distant. Warner... Oh God! Warner whose name isn't even- Okay. No spoilers. Just like in Destroy Me, he was impeccable. He was swoon-worthy. Both the boy's relationship with Juliette was simply stunning. Juliette is one kick ass protagonist. She knows how dangerous she is and she wants to protect everyone. She knows what she wants, but she finds herself... Okay, that's it. No spoilers. Speaking of change, the gorgeous and fun Kenji became strict and serious and when not serious, his banter with Adam and Juliette was hilarious and his relation with Adam's younger brother James was so sweet. 

Now onto the writing. Tahereh Mafi's writing is simply beautiful. It's beautiful beautiful beautiful. It's so beautiful that I don't really see any point in highlighting quotes, because if you were to choose the most beautiful lines, you'd end up highlighting the whole damn book. 

Unravel Me is just so so so good that it makes it difficult to get out of the tick tick tick phase and it drives you crazy and leaves you wanting more and oh please! Book #3, come out ASAP. 

RATING:

Review- Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Summary:

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong...

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.

Vampire Academy series:

Sarika's review of Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)

Janhvi's review of Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)

Sarika's review of Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3)

Janhvi's review of Blood Promise (Vampire Academy #4)

REVIEW:

The fact that Spirit Bound is Janhvi's favourite Vampire Academy novel makes it a little difficult for me to write this review. Not because of what she will think after reading my review, but because maybe I won't be able to do it as much justice as she would and perhaps I won't give it as much praise as it deserves. 
Like the other Vampire Academy novels, Spirit Bound also started out really slowly and seemed very dragged out to me. But there comes a certain point in these books where everything comes crashing down at once, the plot thickens, the book becomes rapidly unputdownable, you want to know what's going on and poof- it ends on a cliffhanger! Spirit Bound starts off with Rose and Lissa graduating from St. Vladimir's Academy and they actually step out into the read world and a death threat/love letter sent to Rose. By now we almost know how Rose's mind works with all the crazy ideas. And yet, she surprises us with her spontaneity. She and Lissa are staying at the Royal Court and so many things happen in the book that it's hard to say anything without giving away everything. 
Rose was her usual kick ass and awesome self. She's so hot and cool at the same time and it really is hard not to like and admire her. Lissa was just as amazing. She's really sweet and kind, a perfect contrast and match to Rose. Lissa's boyfriend Christian is amazing as well and he and Lissa are perfect together. I'm so glad they made up in this book.  I wish I could just say 'screw being Team Adrian or Team Dimitri, I wanna be Team Christian', but Adrian and Dimitri are just as beaut and just as good. Adrian is... He's got spunk, he's really cool. And Dimitri is simply excellent. The side characters in Spirit Bound were all just as important as the main characters and even though I like some and don't like some, they're all really good and well portrayed. 
Author Richelle Mead's writing, as always, is first class. She makes me want to know more and more. Rose's voice is awesome just like her. The way in which Rose reads through Lissa's mind is described meticulously. 
It's been a long time since I read a proper series made up of a solid six books. Like with all series, as excited and desperate I am to read Last Sacrifice, it's also sad that it's now the last book and the series will come to an end. Luckily, there's Bloodlines so hopefully we'll get to see all these rocking Vampire Academy people once again. 

RATING:

Review- Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Summary:

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.

Vampire Academy series:

Sarika's review of Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1)

Janhvi's review Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)

REVIEW:

I must admit that the third book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, Shadow Kiss seemed pretty dragged out to me, but honestly, that ending... The book was worth it all. I loved it. 
Shadow Kiss starts off with Rose seeing the ghost of Mason, her friend/ boyfriend who died in the Spokane incident in Frostbite. Rose is going through a hell lot in this one and with so much happening, she's so busy trying to protect those she cares about the most that she tends to forget herself and her feelings. I love her friendship with Lissa. They both rock, like seriously. They're awesome. 
When Lissa's uncle Victor Dashkov makes a reappearance in Shadow Kiss, I felt pretty scared for her. She comes across Adrian who also happens to be very much like her and they both set out to research and discover the power and use of the element of spirit. One of the best things that happened in Shadow Kiss is a lot of Adrian Ivaskov. Adrian is funny, smart, good looking and so cool. And we got to see a lot him. I loved him. 
When the senior Moroi at St. Vladimir's Academy get assigned a senior dhampir as their guardian for the dhampir's field experience, Rose is assigned Christian Ozera, Lissa's boyfriend. Although not the best of friends, the banter between Rose and Christian was great and they did care about each other, which was visible and obvious. Christian is amazing. He's so sweet and so crazy in love with Liss. I really really love that guy too.
There's also another person who is super sweet and that's Eddie, Mason's best friend who is assigned as Lissa's guardian. Rose, Lissa, Christian and Eddie, and Adrian as well, when together, were fun and I loved reading those parts. 
Rose's love interest and trainer Dimitri Belikov was again his beaut self in Shadow Kiss. He is strong and sensible. When the school is attacked by Strigoi, Dimitri performs  really really well, so well that... well, let it be. 
So we have Mason, Adrian Christian, Eddie and Dimitri.  Is it just me or are all the guys in this series swoon-worthy! 
The ending of Shadow Kiss was perfect but very sad, even for a cliff hanger and sad ending lover like me. But there obviously are three more books to go in the series, so I know for a fact that things are going to change for the better in the books to come. 
Author Richelle  Mead's writing is really excellent. Rose's voice is easy to understand and she is one kick ass girl. I am totally into the Vampire Academy series and I can't wait to know what happens next. 

RATING:

Review- Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Goodreads Summary:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

REVIEW:

After reading the Twilight saga and the first 7/8 books of the House Of Night series, I had, out of choice, taken a break from vampires because it was getting too much and too similar. Then came the Bloodlines series and news about the Vampire Academy movie adaptation and Janhvi and I decided to dedicate an entire month to reading the Vampire Academy series. 
The first book in the series, Vampire Academy was so good. 

Author Richelle Mead's writing is just excellent. The character buildup and plot progression is simply outstanding. Details of the Vampire Academy vampire world are not given at the beginning but come into picture as and when required and it is so easy to understand and picturise everything.  There's a lot of humour and some really sweet moments to go along with the general darkness and dangerousness that comes with vampires. 
Vasilisa Dragomir (Lissa) is a Moroi Vampire Princess and her best friend and guardian Rosemarie Hathaway (Rose) is a Dhampir. The two escape from school and are living in and enjoying the human world when Lissa's appointed guardian, Dimitri Belikov is sent to bring the two back to their school. 
Rose was an absolutely cool and kick ass girl. I loved how she put Lissa's safety ahead of everything else and was keen on protecting her. Lissa was kind and warm. She is an exceptional vampire who can do things only a handpicked few have been able to do before her. Together, Rose and Lissa were inseparable. Their friendship is really thorough and strong and has been portrayed beautifully. 

As for the guys, Dmitri was beaut. Although I'm too fond of him, he is hot and smart- a dashing combination. His training sessions with Rose were full of chemistry that was hard to miss. Lissa's love interest, Christian Ozera, who, like Lissa, is a royal Moroi and was simply stunning and sweet- he was amazing. 

The villains in the story weren't the typical scary villains but some unexpected and completely off the beaten track ones with an intelligent and practical purpose in mind. 
Vampire Academy might seem like most other vampire books that have been written, with a vampire school, kick ass heroines and hot heroes and a groovy plot filled with sizzle to keep the story going, but it's so much more than just that. It is gripping and sizzling alright, but one of the most impressive aspect of it is the writing, particularly Rose's voice which is easy and stunning. 
I'm glad I finally started with the series. The hype surrounding it is all worthy and deserving and I can't wait to pick the next book up. 

RATING:

Review- Supernatural Freak by Louisa Klein

Goodreads Summary:

When paranormal expert Robyn Wise is offered an outrageous sum of money to cure a boy who is turning into a dead tree, she's very sceptical. A politician ready to pay that much to make his son stop growing branches instead of hair? Come on! She's more likely to be abducted by aliens. This is a trap. Or much worse. And, of course, it's much worse.

The child is turning into a dark portal, created by a powerful entity determined to absorb Fairyland's power. This means that not only queen Titania and her court are in danger, but the very balance of the magic fluxes.

Robyn'd rather stick a pencil in her own eye but. to learn how to destroy the portal, she has to sneak into the Wizardry Council, a place full of wizards who are hiding something—though it’s certainly not their dislike of her.

There, she discovers a terrible secret that could help to overthrow Fairyland's enemies for good, but puts her in the midst of an ancient and deadly war, and not as a bystander, but as the main target.

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Supernatural Freak from author Louisa Klein in exchange for an honest review. We thank Louisa for the book! 

As a child, Robyn Wise has been called weird by her peers and wherever she goes, she stumbles upon some paranormal activity or the other. She calls herself a Supernatural Freak. Robyn can see ghosts, goblins, elves, werewolves, vampires and all kinds of paranormal creatures. She uses this ability for the better. When she gets a call to help figure out the mysterious disappearance of a politician's child, Robyn has no idea what lies ahead of her. It's only then that she discovers who she really is. 
As a protagonist, Robyn was cool and totally kick ass. She seemed like a strong and independent woman and I liked how she handled all the mess that came tumbling down on her. She was fierce and bold and yet there were those rare moments when we got to see a fun and light side of her. She did have a terrific sense of humour. 
For a paranormal book with a creepy and scary cover, the jokes in Supernatural Freak were quite risible. 
The secondary characters in the story were well defined. The ghost Sir. William and Robyn's uncle Uncle Terry were both really good gentlemen. Robyn's friend Susan was lovely, her older brother Stephen was alright but her younger brother James was just too good. Robyn's housemates Al and Guido were simply cool whenever they made an appearance. 
I struggled through the first 40% of Supernatural Freak. It took me weeks to finish off just that much. For some reason, I just didn't feel like moving ahead with it. But once I actually got into it and the plot started thickening, it was only a matter of a few hours within which I basked the remaining 60% of the book. 
I enjoyed reading about the London Wizard Council, magic, elves and the Dark Six. It was really cool with so many magical creatures and so much of magic.  
Author Louisa Klein's writing is quite good. I did notice a few editorial mistakes, but other than that, it was neat and understandable. Although Robyn's POV was a little confusing, I quite enjoyed reading about her personal experiences and incidents. Supernatural Freak was a good read that fans of paranormal thrillers will definitely find interesting. 

RATING:

Review- Spectral by Shannon Duffy

Goodreads Summary:

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian... and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along. 

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

REVIEW:

I had been seeing Spectral around a lot when it came out. The moment I saw the words witches and magic, I knew this was one book that I had to read no matter what. Add to that a gorgeous cover and an intriguing summary. I won the book in the Indie Author giveaway hop. Unfortunately, I just didn't get the chance to read it even when I had the copy. Then came the Spectral Read-a-thon hosted by Nicole @ Tribute Books whom I'd like to thank and it was so much fun chatting with her! I knew this was my opportunity to read a book I'd had on my TBR pile since ages. The best part for me while reading Spectral as part of the Read-a-thon was being able to interact with author Shannon Duffy and get these really interesting inside snippets into what went into writing Spectral. It has been a really lovely journey. I mean, just imagine how cool it is, as an avid reader, to be able to read a book, talk with the author, ask them questions and get some really awesome extra info on it? It is a blast and I know that I am going to miss the Read-a-thon and chatting and discussing the book endlessly with all the new people I met. 

Now, onto Spectral. It was simply amazing! The book took me back to my Twilight days but maybe that's only because the Read-a-thon posts had some pictures from Twilight  and even though it did seem a bit predictable at times, what I loved most was the fact that it had been a long time since I read something so magical and stupefying, and so I enjoyed every page. And trust me, it was not all that predictable after all. It was an engrossing read that took all I had to not ditch the schedule of the Read-a-thon and finish it in a few sittings! 
Spectral is the story of Jewel, whose family keeps shifting from one part of the world to another which makes her believe she is part of the Witness Protection Program. She doesn't question it and her parents literally make and break her by deciding what she should wear, how she should live, what she should do, what she shouldn't do and all that. Jewel doesn't question anything and sincerely goes with the flow. In her current situation, her family has decided her fake name will be True. Jewel has no idea what her family has in mind for her or even who they actually are. She has no idea that turning seventeen is going to be one huge step and a total hurdle in her life.  
As a protagonist, I really admired Jewel. She was strong, a little naive but absolutely smart. Though a little confused about why her life is the way it is (which is totally understandable), she is determined and knows what she wants. There are two guys in the story and the best part about Jewel was that she doesn't kiss one because she knows it is the other who she likes. Confusing, I know, but really rare and beautiful and I don't know how to elaborate that without giving away any spoilers. 
The two guys, Roman and Chase were both interestingly opposite. Roman has dark hair and is the intense, mysterious, sexy guy, while Chase has blond hair and is simple, kind, helpful and down-to-earth. It was captivating reading about them. I have to admit that I have a soft corner for Chase, but even then, Roman was his own self and a very likable character. 
Jewel's little brother Jayden was adorable and an absolute joy to have around. I loved the relationship between the two of them. They were playful and thoughtful with each other. Jewel also makes a new friend, Taylor in her recent town and Taylor was really awesome. The two friends do what any normal friends do and their banter was fun to read and added a light-hearted touch to the book. 
There are plenty side characters in Spectral who come from various witch covens of the world. Even though it was a little confusing for me  to remember them all, they have all been well portrayed and elucidated by author Shannon Duffy. They each play an important role in either helping or destroying Jewel.  Spectral has a very absorbing  plot that pulls you into it. It's like journeying with Jewel. There were times when I myself was confused about which guy I like better or what to make of a particular situation when  Shannon told me that it's bound to happen because I am with Jewel on this quest of finding who she really is. Spectral is a bewitching read and I know I've said it before but I'll say it again. I loved read reading it. Who doesn't enjoy a gripping read about magic and witches? Author Shannon Duffy's writing is striking, easy to understand and fun to read. It was absolutely impressive and a spectacular read and I think it's high time I stop now, because I can go on and on and on praising Spectral and gushing about how cool it was to talk to talk to Shannon. Spectral is a different and riveting story with a new concept that's not only outstanding, but also really cool, magical and splendid. 

RATING:

X 4

Sarika