Waiting on Wednesday (26): Talon

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating. 

Book: Talon (Talon #1) by Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons. — (source)

Dragons, dragons, dragons. I just have to see this magic word and I'm all ears. Plus, this is Julie Kagawa we're talking about so I'm expecting greatness and fierceness. 

So what books are you waiting on?

Review: Ghost House by Alexandra Adornetto

Read (August 10-12, 2014)

Book: Ghost House (The Ghost House Saga #1) by Alexandra Adornetto
Publication Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Number of Pages: 320
Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

From the New York Times bestselling author of Halo comes the start of a beautiful and powerful new series.

After the loss of her mother, Chloe Kennedy starts seeing the ghosts that haunted her as a young girl again. Spending time at her grandmother's country estate in the south of England is her chance to get away from her grief and the spirits that haunt her. Until she meets a mysterious stranger…

Alexander Reade is 157 years dead, with secrets darker than the lake surrounding Grange Hall and a lifelike presence that draws Chloe more strongly than any ghost before. But the bond between them awakens the vengeful spirit of Alexander's past love, Isobel. And she will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who threatens to take him from her.

To stop Isobel, Chloe must push her developing abilities to their most dangerous limits, even if it means losing Alex forever… and giving the hungry dead a chance to claim her for their own.- (source)

Ghost House reminded me of The Mediator series by Meg Cabot, in the way the paranormal aspect was incorporated, and I was actually excited for a while until a crushing thought came over me: Ghost House and I are not a good fit. It's like trying to mix gasoline and water together. In hindsight, I should've seen it coming. Still, this was a risk I took, so I have no one to blame but myself and my apparent naivety.

The writing was all over the place. Metaphors and adjectives were used poorly and extensively. I still can't believe I survived it. Jarring and grating, I had to stop reading every now and then because I just wanted to cry in the corner and lament about how awful this reading experience was.

“The sky had changed color to a streaky mauve, scattered with stars like glittering rocks.”

“..the moon still hanging in the sky like a pale sickle, I knew it had to be the early hours of morning..”

“Her skin is the color of moonstones and the nails on her long fingers are polished gems.”

“Inside, dark wooden beams ran across the ceiling. In the stalls stood solemn horses with glossy coats and liquid brown eyes.”

— Are you scratching your eyes yet?

Chloe is one of those MCs you would like to forget immediately after reading. She's inconsistent and supercilious, two qualities that made for a highly aggravating character. She reprimands Alex because he called her friends harlots, but she'd be the first person to throw them under the bus anyway. Her modesty that's supposed to make her endearing, made her unbearable.  

“When our eyes met, the connection was inexplicable, overwhelming and impossible to ignore. It felt like there were currents swirling in the air, binding us together. Although though we barely knew each other and came from opposing dimensions, I felt strangely comfortable with him.”

— Yeah right. *ignores*

Do I even need to talk about the romance? I'm not going to pretend I'm disappointed with the instalove. It's bound to happen. If the over-the-top description won't clue you in while reading, I don't know what will. The attraction didn't make any sense and only served to provide drama and angst. I had to endure reading about a depthless relationship I couldn't even care about. 

“As I drank in the details of his face, I could feel the distance between us closing up. It might be imprudent and it might be irrational, but something was happening here, even if I couldn't find a label for it. Time and space dissolved around me, and I felt like I'd been waiting all my life for Alexander Reade to show up.”

— Please hold my hair while I gag.

Also, what is this thing about perceiving deep sadness just by looking at someone's eyes? WHY IS THIS EVEN A THING?

“...But his eyes were the most startling, the clearest shade of cornflower blue, with just a hint of sadness that couldn't be concealed.”

“He was tall and loose limbed with broad shoulders, the sort of guy who was comfortable in his own skin. I thought I could see a trace of sadness in his eyes, the sort of thing only I picked up when meeting someone for the first time.”

— What made you such a speshul eye-reading snowflake, Chloe?

The narrative was not the worst thing I've ever read, but the absence of any oomph factor was disappointing. It's uninspired and flat. It's such a shame because I do feel that the tragedy behind the ghosts of Grange Hall was actually quite interesting. It also goes without saying that the plot was predictable. Side characters were used if needed and the MC's ability made progress when it's convenient. The Harry Potter references that usually gets me fist-pumping, ended up being tacky and forced. Plus, don't get me started on how her mother's passing was just swept aside and brought up when necessary, the slut-shaming, and how Isobel, being alluringly evil, was the only one to blame for everything.

This novel did not aspire to break the mold and I could live with that. But what really set my teeth on edge was its painful attempt at a cliffhanger. I don't even know how I managed to finish this book and now I have to look forward to more installments? Ugh. I think I need a chocolate or something. 

Cupid's Verdict:

1.5 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpts/quotes are taken from the ARC and may change in the final copy.

Review: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Read from July 22, 2012
to August 8, 2012

Book: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Publication Date: July 31, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Number of Pages: 384

Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again. - From Goodreads

"I love you enough to never make you choose."

Pushing the Limits surprised me. It was an emotional journey all throughout and I loved every second of it.

Both coming from a troubled, imperfect life, Noah and Echo have a lot of issues. But in an unexpected turn of events, they crossed each others path and they couldn't deny the sudden, intense attraction they felt for each other. 

Boy, I wasn't expecting this book to be heavy. It was a can full of issues and predicaments that I am entirely in awe of McGarry for really making it work. It wasn't dreary, galling nor was it ever dragging. It was drama with all the perks. I think most of what I truly loved from Pushing the Limits was the characters. The main and supporting characters were fully rounded. They were solidly developed and they were utterly real. 

Noah and Echo had an amazing chemistry together. Suffering from great losses, they were pretty messed up but together they brought each other alive. I loved seeing them grow and accept what had happened to them. It was like watching a withered rose bloom again. The scars would of course stay with them for a very long time even forever but they gave each other hope. That everything would be alright as long they're together. It was I think one of the main reasons why they completely compliment each other. 

Hooking me right from the first page, Pushing the Limits is one of my favorite contemporary read this year. I must say I found myself sniffling and feeling this tightness in my throat. McGarry had created a novel that would surely stir something in our hearts. It broke my heart in many different moments and just so you know, I'm still quite on the mending phase. 

4 1/2 Cupids

An advance copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley

Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Book: Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter

Publication Date: March 27, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Number of Pages: 296

Genre/s: Young Adult, Mythology

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

Henry's first wife, Persephone. - From Goodreads

Being brave doesn’t mean never being afraid, you know. It means going for it anyway because you know it's the right thing to do.

You know you love or even like a book when a cliffhanger beats the hell out of you (Yes, I'm looking at you Daughter of Smoke and Bone). That happened in this book. So does that mean I loved it to bits? Hmm...

The first part of the book was really problematic for me. I'm irritated and annoyed at all the characters, especially the main ones: Kate and Henry. The drama, the whining and the angst was too much for me. But my problem really lies on the mythology itself. I guess they could say it's an original take on the book but I've read so many retellings that are highly imaginative but still preserves the "basics". I did enjoy The Goddess Test, the first book but come to think I've yet to process that one because I still haven't written a review. 

Besides that, The Goddess Interrupted was engaging especially on the latter half of the book. The characters became less annoying. I started liking Kate again, mostly because through her stubborness she started to talk to Henry rather than sulk in the corner, moaning about how she's only a replacement and second-best at everything. Henry begun to open up towards the end of the book. A bit late but we get what we can get. 

We are also introduced to Persephone. My, my, isn't Persephone something? First of all, I'm surprised at how she acts and talks. But personally, I appreciated what Persephone represented in this book. I think what her presence did was to help Kate and Henry. Kate sees her as a threat because Henry obviously still loves her but with doing what she did when she came back, Henry realize that what's in his mind and what's actually real was not the same. And by doing so, Henry acknowledges that although he fell in love with Persephone, she is not the one for him. 

As for Kate, all throughout the book she struggled to understand Henry while knowing that his issues will not disappear overnight. She's trying to overcome her own doubts about herself and if what Henry feels for her is real. With Persephone coming back, somehow the animosity between her and Kate and the feelings Henry still feels for her dissolved little by little.

The Goddess Interrupted also showcased Kate's strength and love, not only for Henry, but for her family when she became immortal. She has to toughen it up and find Persephone. Henry's first love and the ultimate reason why he's willing to just fade away. Then finally, on the last few chapters of the book, I get to see a glimpse of the future of Henry and Kate and I like it. Because even though, the issues were still there, I know together they will work it out. And isn't that what a relationship really means?

That's why I'm really conflicted right now. I do not know for certain whether I loved The Goddess Interrupted or not. But despite of the many flaws and my reservations with it, I could still say that it's a solid second-installment. I am definitely dying to read the next one.    

Cupid's Verdict:

3 1/2 Cupids

An advance copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley.

Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Read from July 15, 2012
to July 22, 2012

Book: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Publication Date: August 28, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Number of Pages: 288

Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself. - From Goodreads

Hate is...it's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.

Speechless spoke to me in so many levels. I believe this is one of the strongest contemporary novel I've read to date. 

Chelsea, for a lack of a better word, is a blabber. She's a gossip starter and she couldn't care any less whatever her gossiping might bring to the persons involved. She's doing it for Kristen, her supposed-to-be best friend and the most popular girl in school, and she's doing it for her social status. But everything went horribly wrong when the latest secret she shared almost cost the life of someone.  She ended up telling what happened to her parents, cops were called, news spread out, and just overnight, her social status came crashing down.

At first, I thought I wouldn't like Chelsea. I thought she was conceited and self-involved. But boy was I wrong! Not only did I love her but she and me connected in a way I never thought we would. I love her voice, I love being inside her head, and I love hearing her thoughts. When she took the vow of silence, she didn't know it yet but this showcased her strength and character. 

It's not an easy process, though. I saw her struggle to maintain her vow, how confused and frustrated she was that Kristen didn't take her side but only made her downfall worse. But with these came the realization that what she and Kristen had was an unhealthy relationship. New friends came along the way and she understood the true value of friendship. 

In the end, Chelsea became one of my most favorite characters. Her resilience is commendable and I admire her for growing up, owning up to her bad decisions, and learning to forgive herself. 

Speechless is my first Hannah Harrington novel and it definitely wouldn't be my last. I am very much looking forward to reading her debut novel, Saving June, and her future works. Speechless is out today. Don't forget to grab yourself a copy, I assure you it won't disappoint.

Cupid's Verdict:

5 Cupids

An advance copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley.

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Read from April 12, 2012
to April 28, 2012

Book: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Number of Pages: 485

Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal, Dystopia

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.


Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for. - Goodreads

Excerpt: "I wasn't prey. I was a corpse, a creature whose heart didn't race, who didn't breathe or sweat or smell of fear. I was dead."

I swear to myself that I would never read a vampire novel (except for the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward) again because of my disastrous history with the bloodsuckers. I haven't read the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa before as well, so this was my first encounter with Kagawa's writing. Fortunately, I might just have to read the Iron Fey series because The Immortal Rules kinda rocked.

There's only so much you can do in the genre of paranormal especially if they are about vampires. They're like sell-out creatures that once were feared but have been turned into a glam-up version that either watches you in your sleep or whore around. *snorts* And hallelujah to Kagawa because she did not used the sexiness and lure of the vampires to create yet another romance. 

What she did was very wise in her part, because she did not entirely focus on the love aspect but into the world-building. Allison lives in a world where vampire rules. Humans are pets and rabids are abound. Registereds have to bloodlet for the vampires and Unregistereds have to scavenge for food to survive. Allie hated the vampires because her mother died due to them but when faced with a situation between life and death, she chose death, at least technically. She became a vampire. 

Divided into 3 chapters, it provided a lot of direction for the book. It gave Kagawa a leisure time and space to establish her world. If you are into detailed worldbuilding, then The Immortal Rules will seriously blew you away. However, as I come to realize, I'm not that kind of reader. I love solid world-building but I love things to move a little bit while the author engages us with the plot and characters. Pacing is what I think lacked in The Immortal Rules. 

Everything else was splendid. The characters were fine. Allie is a predator and even rabids and forest alphas were minding to stay out of her path. I've never seen such a kick-ass heroine in such a long time. Her fight for humanity even if its against what she is showcases her strength and capability. The concept was inviting and interesting. The love when it appeared was a welcome distraction. I was like into the first-third of the book, and I was thinking about the seriousness of it all.  I kept thinking is there a love story in this? 

And voila, here comes Mr. Lover Boy, whom I think has the most interesting name of all, Ezekiel Crosse. But fret not, he was not just there to keep Allie company. He was an important part of The Immortal Rules. And him being around ignited the rest of the story to its completion. 

Another aspect of the book that really amazed me, was the concept of faith and how it was handled by Kagawa in The Immortal Rules. I tell myself all the time that I don't read books to look for underlying messages but it always awe me if underlying message or not, the book touches me enough to think and ponder upon it. The incorporation of faith and belief into something or someone even though there is only pure devastation around you and you feel like you were abandoned in a living hell, is something that is really believable in the story. I remember a teacher of mine telling us that when all is lost, faith is the only thing that a person can hold on to. 

The Immortal Rules indeed take the vampire lore into the next level and redeemed some of the existing taboo about them. Vampires were supposed to be feared, you are supposed to pee in your pants if you ever see them, you have to plea for your life if you unluckily met one. Despite my slight reservations with The Immortal Rules, the other good aspects outweighed it enormously. So go read and indulge yourself with a well-written dystopian/paranormal novel. On second thought, run, it's out already.

Cupid's Verdict:

4 Cupids

An advance copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley.

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

Read (February 4 - 5, 2012)

Book: New Girl by Paige Harbison

Publication Date: January 31, 2012

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Number of Pages: 304

Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary

Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back. - (source)

“We come into the world the furthest thing from alone. We come into the world with everyone fawning over us, and helping us. That's just how it is when we die. I don't know what's different. Maybe it's the fact that when you look at someone's dead body you see their entire live flattened, with an end point.” - taken from an uncorrected ARC 

I want to say this before this review turn into a rant. Reading New Girl was not a very enjoyable experience. By the time I was finished reading, I have a headache and I'm doing this squinty-eye thing I always do when I'm really irritated. That might sound harsh, but GAH reading this was very frustrating. 

Never once did I ever connect with the protagonist, which I will call New Girl, because, her name I think was mentioned only once and that was on the last pages of the book. I didn't even know why that's the case. 

See, New Girl wants to attend a boarding school much like in the Harry Potter series. She got in, only to find out she didn't really want to leave her friends and family and study in a school so far from home. But she went anyway and all hell break loose after that. The students were cold to her and her roomate, Dana was really nasty. She have no idea why, only to find out she was the replacement of a really popular girl named Becca, who had gone missing for quite some time.

New Girl was told in alternating voices by the New Girl and Becca. And as the story progresses, I learned more about Becca. She was an attention-hoarder, scheming, evil, and you know, the one that rhymes with beach. Yeah, that. Mostly, she's the reason why I really had a hard time with this book. But knowing more about her, I discovered she was extremely lonely and has this intense need to prove herself. To show them her worth. That's why she crave attention, I guess. Dana was really hard to take in as well. My first thought about her was she was mental and beyond repair. But she has problems about guilt that has to do with Becca's disappearance. And to cope, she has to project all her pent-up anger to New Girl. What do we call that in class? Oh yes, projection.  

Basically, the conversations went like this:
Everybody: *whispers and stares* Why are you here?
New Girl: What is everyone's problem?
E: We know you're not the reason why Becca's not here anymore. But you have to stop acting like her. Dressing like her. Because never in a million years will you replace her. So, just stop. B**ch!
NG: I'm not trying to be her. I'm just me. *huddles in the corner and cry*
E: (not listening) Becca blah blah blah. Becca is this. Becca is that. Blah. Becca!
NG: I don't know what you're talking about.
E: You're stealing everything from her. YOU NO TOUCH BECCA's PROPERTIES!!
NG: OK. I'll stay away. I understand.
E: Good.
NG: *talks with Becca's boy toys*
E: *whispers and stares* then ERUPT.. expletiveeee

Oh the drama! Goodness, it was insufferable. Harbison did well in creating this mean and a little psychotic Becca but I think she did it so well, it got really hard for me to connect with her. New Girl, on the other hand doesn't have any backbone. If people treat me like that, I'll sure tell them to back-off and find another person to bully.

I think what kept me from putting this down and marking it as DNF, is the intrigue factor. I just have to know more although the hate emanating within the pages of the book was extremely cringe-worthy. The love aspect was pretty infuriating, too.

With that I can still say I'm speechless about a lot of things. I could talk about the issues tackled here. Some were glossed over, some were really brought out into the open.  But I wouldn't though because I think some were too much for me. But I do believe it's a subjective feeling so I think you have to find that out for yourself.I thought I'd know more about the characters and after revelations after revelations it did happen but it was not enough. There's not a lot of closure as well and what we have to look forward to is the future. The effing future! And the lack of authority on this book was unbelievable. Knowing that it's a boarding school, it irked me that with all the partying, and jaw-boxing, and booze, and shouting and name-calling, the adults have no idea. If there's one thing I learned about New Girl, it is to think twice before sending my future kids to a boarding school. 

Pick this up, if you dare. And if you enjoy it, then bravo to you.

Cupid's Verdict:

2 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review.