Spellbound (Hex Hall #3)

Spell Bound (Hex Hall Series #3)
By: Rachel Hawkins
ISBN: 9781423121329
Length: 336 Pages
Reason: Final in the Series 








Reviewing a book that is final in the series is difficult, you must remain vague enough to not spoil the entire series and yet you must also provide details for everyone who is on this book/ or has already read it.


Good Reads Summary:

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Review:

Spell Bound, the final novel in the Hex Hall Series, truly lives up to its companion novels Hex Hall and Demonglass. I always forget exactly how sassy Rachel Hawkins writes until I am reading one of her novels. This trait is most seen in the main character, Sophie Mercer, her one liners really compel the stories forward. This is typically seen through her witty remarks in times of danger or high stress, which this book is full of.

Unlike most sequels this book begins right where we left our main character, Sophie. She has just traveled through a magical portal to the Brannick's compound, leaving London behind. She not only left London but she went through the portal without any knowledge of what has happened to her Father the Prodigium Council Leader, Archer the boy she loves, Cal the boy that loves her, and Jenna her vampire best friend. Right after a quick review chapter action begins very quickly. However, unlike the two novels, the twists and turns happen much faster. Sophie soon finds herself in places she would never expect.

This book was everything I expected. I was sad it ended, however, I was extremely happy with how it did end. I loved how the relationship between Sophie and all of her counterparts continued to develop through out this story. I was, however, a little disappointed in the lack of development of the Brannick's and The Eye. The book does fall short in one other location in my opinion, and that is in the final battle. The events leading up the this battle fell into place very nicely, this was understandable for the story line that Rachel Hawkins was pursuing. I just was hopping with such an easy path to the end, that the battle would have been more grand.

Overall I loved the novel, and I will continue to follow Rachel Hawkins as she continues writing. I cant wait to read her next book Rebel Belle!

I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Final Fridays

Final Fridays are my book reviews for my current book club read. This month it is happening a little earlier than normal, because of my vacation.

 

 

 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox

By: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Square Fish
Isbn: 9780312594411

Length: 265 pages
Book Club Month: June

 It has been awhile since I have had to write a review so bear with me on this one.

Good Reads Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox has just awoken from a year-long coma - so she's been told - and she is still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. But what happened before that? She's been given home movies chronicling her entire life, which spark memories to surface. But are the memories really hers? And why won't anyone in her family talk about the accident? Jenna is becoming more curious. But she is also afraid of what she might find out if she ever gets up the courage to ask her questions.

What happened to Jenna Fox? And who is she really?

Review:

I hopped on the dystopian train some time ago, just about as long as this book has been on my reading list. I am thrilled that I finally got around to this book. Again this book is a hard one to review without spoilers. There are none though.

The reader is instantly thrown into the mind of Jenna Fox, a year after the accident. Jenna has no memory of what her life was or currently is. Most of the time Jenna remembers basic information, dates and what words mean, however there are times where she has no recollection on what a basic word that most take for granted; such as time, identity, and odd to name a few. She even at one point calls her grandmother a dickhead because she just doesn't fully understand the meaning. Jenna's attitude is what really makes this character relatable to the reader.

Pearson weaves in pieces of Jenna's memory in the utmost natural way, most of the time items trigger a flash back that reveal a small portion of Jenna's life. The authors amazing use of foreshadowing allows the reader to jump to conclusions, however, leading them just slightly off course by emitting small details. This caused the twists and turns to remain a surprise for myself.

The use of biotechnology address many of societies issues today, from the limitations of science to the use of genetically altered creatures/plants. Pearson also addresses issues about sustaining life longer than nature intended, and how far a life can be taken before it is no longer considered human.

Overall this book was quiet good and reminded me of Neal Shushterman's Unwind with just a dash of Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy.

I give this book a 4 out of 5. Can't wait to read the next one.

July's Final Friday

Enchanted

By: Alethea Kontis

Oops...

School got in the way yet again. I will begin posting soon. I am going to turn my selection of reviews away from just books and towards more items. Such as my art, TV shows, Comics, and Movies. Whatever I can really get my hands on. I am going to start that back up starting next week. Not daily, at first, starting it slow and working slowly towards my goals of reviewing and reading more!

Flawless, 3 of 52

Flawless

By: Sara Shepard

Publisher: Harper Collins
Isbn: 978-0060887353

Length: 352 pages
Read: January 10, 2012 to January 17, 2012
Book Challenge: 3 of 52

I am not going to write much on here about Flawless though because it is the second in the Pretty Little Liars series. But first I off I most confess, that I am now slightly addicted to the series and show. Like the title states this book is really about how the four main girls (Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily) portray themselves as being flawless.

In flawless, like in book one, the reader still floats in and out of this girls everyday lives, while they are being threatened by the mysterious person known as A. However, there seems to be a bigger focus on Hannah and Emily rather than on Spencer and Aria. This I assume has to do with this novel being entitled Flawless. Not because Hanna and Emily are perfect, but because they are the two who are masking there "flaws" from the world.

We finally find out how Hanna magically became popular and beautiful over a short summer. As well as getting a glimpse into the inner workings of her home life, both through her mother and father.

As for Emily, who is not really flawed, she continues to think that something might be wrong with her, because of these strange new feelings she is experiencing for her new best friend Maya.

The girls friendship slowly begins to rekindle, as their darkest secrets from book one begin to surface. A does not leave anyone standing, and by the end of the book you begin to question who can really be trusted and who can not.

Sara Shepard does a fantastic job at keeping the reader guessing. While she leads you down one path, she keeps A jumping at you from another. And once you think you figured out who A is she sends a huge twist at you out of no where.

Next up:
A Million Suns
Beth Revis

The Future of Us, 2 of 25

The Future of Us

By: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Publisher: Razorbill
Isbn: 978-1595144911

Length: 320 pages
Read: January 8, 2012 to January 10,
2012
Book Challenge: 2 of 52

I know I said I would post more frequently, however life gets in the way at times and playing catch up at work, school, and posting here can be hard to do at times. I also wanted to wait to post my review on this book after the Bookclub I host met.

From the moment I read that this book was coming out I could not wait. I am a huge fan of 13 Reasons Why, Jay Asher’s first novel. If you have not read that book I suggest that you do.The book is just fantastic.

The book is set in 1996 and is told in alternating perspectives between Josh and Emma. Josh’s family receives an AOL disc in the mail, not having a computer he, takes it to his former best friend, and next door neighbor, Emma who just received a computer as a birthday gift. She later installs the AOL and logs in (through you guessed it dial-up!), when she is finally connected a website called Facebook appears on her screen. Here she is able to read status updates and posts from her future self, 15 years from now.

I always show a little hesitation towards books that have co-authorships. I tend to be able to pick out where the authors switched, and dwell over it. I just do not like it. Most the time you can tell that authors disagree on a plot point or a way a character should act. Sometimes you can almost read the disagreement. This time though I was surprised. I really think that the alternation perspectives helped blur the line between Carolyn and Jay, and not just the authors but with the main characters as well.

Normally I dislike books that overly abuse pop-culture references, almost beating the reader into the time period. The seamless integration was amazing. Once the tone was set I found myself missing the references to my childhood and wanting them back because they truly added something personal to the story.

I enjoyed how the characters could not help themselves at times to change parts of their futures and would get emotionally attached to other parts. It was fantastic how the authors portrayed the ripple effect in life, how spilling a vase of water on the ground could change who you are married to or how simply smiling at the person you will one day marry could change the location in which you vacation 10 years down the line.

This book does lack in some locations though. Towards the middle of the book you start to feel disconnected from Facebook, not to say that it is a bad thing, I just found myself wanting more. This goes the same way with the pop-culture references. I found myself also looking deeper into the meaning of everything, the way I did with 13 Reasons Why, however I often came up empty handed. Hough in the end I was left with a warm feeling and wanting yet again to read more by Jay Asher.

book 1 of 52

Pretty Little Liars

By: Sara Shepard

Isbn: 978-0060887322

Length: 304 pages

Read: January 1, 2012 to January 8, 2012

Book Challenge: 1 of 52

Like I stated in my previous post on ya-bookends that I would be picking the blog back up and posting reviews on the books I have read. I am also starting a personal challenge that I think will help me keep up with posting. Every week, for this year, I will read a book and post a review on it. I am starting a little late, sadly. I have already read 3 books and I just have been struggling with getting time to type out my reviews. I am finally getting a moment to post about book 1 of my challenge.

I admit I would have never read this book if I had not watched the show first. I was not a fan of the covers (the plastic barbie-like girl on the cover and on the back a real version of the doll), I just found it a little creepy, and lets face the facts I am a cover snob. I admit it, I do judge a book by it's cover. However, I was able to pass this because I enjoyed the show quiet a bit.

The book starts off rather slowing following the lives of four girls; Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields. All of the girls share a common thread, their best friend went missing three years ago, taking a deep and dark secret with her, one secret from each girl. Now all the girls are attending and elite school in Rosewood, Penn. They each begin to receive messages from A, the messages all contain hints at past lies and secrets, as well as hints of new ones that are quickly forming.

Once I started to get into the book, I quickly discovered that this book is a nice mix between Veronica Mars, a sassy television detective, and Gossip Girl, a book series about Manhattan's teen elite. Since the girls were the queen bees of their school a lot of product reference is tossed around, normally this bothers me but it really helps the reader understand each girl deeper, and also allows the reader to understand each families financial status.

Another amazing surprise of the book was how it show cased the imperfections in life. How the perfect can even go into a downward spiral because of one lie or mistake. Each of the girls is dealing with a situation that is difficult for most adults, not to say they are smoothly getting through life but they are dealing with life as it is. This is nice and refreshing, compared to most young adult novels.

Over all I would say this book has a little bit of everything. I was laughing and scared for the girls all at once. I suggestion both the show and book for ever who wants a fun series. Though please if you read the book and start the show or vice versa, please do not let the characters physical traits through you off, they look complete different.

2012 Challenge

Ok, oops I forgot to post on here. My bad I got very busy with school work. However it is a good time for me to start challenge of the year, read a book a week. I have taken to finding links between the books I read whether it is a location, character name or something else. Mostly because this seems to always happen, the book I was reading and my new current book are always some how linked.

Let's see if I can find a way for all 52 to be linked without struggling

First book down Pretty Little Liars by Sarah Shepard. I will post a review later.