{ARC} Book Review ---> Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day

By:  Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published By:   EgmontUSA

Published Date:  December 27th 2011

Pages:   Hardcover 352

Read:  October 2011

Book Cover Rating:  5

Tags:  Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural, Fantasy Fiction

Why the Mad Scientist read this book:  I actually thought that this was going to be a contemporary read.  It did have a time glass on it... Who knows what I was thinking?  

Concoction of a Review:

I just completed a book review of Bite Me which had a Vampire Hunter/Slayer now I venture not far to Demon Hunter/Slayer.  Contemporary, pft we can through that out the carriage and stomp on that right away!


Slayer books need something new.  This books offers up the idea of demons and such creatures as being endangered species.  Just like the bald eagle they are protected by the government.  What is one called when they are against government rule?  Terrorist.  Kali D'Angelo is just that... Every Other Day.

Here is how I picture Kali D'Angelo:  As Michelle Rodriguez... 

Every Other Day she switches between a crude demon killer and young girl who attends high school and tries to cope with living with only her father who is not... a mom. Kali does not understand where and why she has power to kick supernatural derriere.    When she is human we get to see how shrewd and intelligence during dangerous circumstances.

I heard the telltale sound of scales scraping against metal -- a light swoosh, a tongue flickering out to taste that stale and humid air.  Whatever it was, my prey was tasting for me.

As one would expect our protagonist to be a misfit at school.  Yet, she is faced with a decision to save one of her school mates.  Wait, she is not power vixen at the moment.  Will she do the right thing and risk her life?

One of the turn offs is her down and out attitude.  Sympathy was to be had at first but it would not stop.  However, I admit she did end up with a great band of misfits.  

Left with nothing but my own bloody fingertips, I let out a war cry of my own, raked my nails over its face, and fought like a girl.

*Free ARC from NetGalley which did not impede on my Mad Review.  It is completely honest and full of my thoughts on the book. *

Every Other Day was fast paced nonstop heroine action that was packed around a complex scheme!

4 Kisses


Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

{ARC} Book Review ---> Legend by Marie Lu

Legend: 
     (Legend #1)  

By:  Marie Lu

Published By:   Putnam Juvenile

Published Date:  November 29th 2011

Pages:   Hardcover 336

Read:  August 2011

Book Cover Rating:  4

Tags:  Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance, Fantasy Fiction, Apocalypitc, Adventure 
Why the Mad Scientist read this book:  Signed ARC from BEA 2011.  It sounded like a wonderful fun adventure. 

First Lines:   My mother thinks I'm dead.

Concoction of a Review:

Legend is an action packed book set in future Los Angeles.  The United States is no longer United... or better known as the Republic.  The commander is cruel, lethal, and I would like to see where she fits into the story more with book two.  I believe that if a country and it's government thinks they are amazing and doing right by all of their people I would have to say, "what is the catch?"  I mean who doesn't love blackmail and corruption?!?  *Shakes head*


When the Republic is not busy being corrupt they are off at war with the Colonies.


The inky goodness here alternates between June & Day.  I admit the Mad Scientist loved the gold lettering.

June

A 15 year old prodigy who had a perfect score on her trial.  (Futuristic SAT basically.)  She is also a serious kick-butt chick.  June is excellent at military activities such as expertly handling guns & scaling buildings in record time, nonetheless, she has a feminine wardrobe that made me envious of our little hero.

She was rich thing but very humble about it.  How could you not enjoy her?

Her life is tossed upside down when Metias, her brother was murdered.  She was pulled out of university to fulfill her military duties...  Including the capture of the Republics worse criminal  ---> Day.  She was happy to take this job knowing that she could not let Metias's killer walk around.

Day


Day had the Mad Scientist from the very beginning.  Poor, caring, blue eyes, and well, just too interesting to not enjoy reading about him.  Darn my little heart swooned for him & felt sad when the worst was going on.  Why Day?  *tear*


He was from the poor area of the Republic where things just were not kind.  Illegal fights, starvation and plague was to be had on the streets.  Yet, our handsome 15 year old endeared without carrying one of those ugly chips on his shoulders.


He was very found of his family even if they thought he was dead.  He tried to protect them in every way possible... one day it meant doing the most incredible thing!


Tess was a poor girl that he ended up befriending.  She was medical wonder as well.  Strong yet vulnerable at the same time made her a wonderful side character.  I adored her greatly.  Day protected her and she looked after him just the same.

Here is how I picture Day:  As Emile Hirsch...

**Side Note:  Mad Scientist is specifically thinking of the longish blonde hair from the movie, Lords of Dogtown.  His long hair flowing as he skateboarded down the ramp is perfect for this book!**

The Clash


June was wondering about in the poor sector doing undercover work, looking for the murderer.  Just so happens everyone thinks it is Day.  She ended up getting into an unfortunate predicament when protective Day swooped in and saved her even though she was a stranger.  He fell for her and she... You will just have to read to find out *wink wink*


From then on their lives are woven together.  From opposite sides of society and trying to make it in the world.

---

Overall, *pops parasol* let me be honest here.  Legend nhas scandal, murder & adventure.  However, I did set this book down half way through for a day or two.  I did not feel the desperate need to get back to it.  Although, Day did bring me back.  Curiosity will kill the Mad Scientist one day.


I also admit that I loved the second half of the book!!  I'm so glad I did not forget to finish this one.

*Free ARC from BEA 2011 which did not impede on my Mad Review.  It is completely honest and full of my thoughts on the book and the very persistent young man inside. *

A dystopian book that the Mad Scientist actually enjoyed.  I'm hooked on Day and await book Two!  
4 Kisses

Originally Posted at Steampunkery & Book Reviews.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity (Clarity, #1)

By Kim Harrington

Publisher: Point, 2011

242 pages, hardcover

Date Finished: 7/6/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Fantasy

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?

This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: " 'You don't want to kill me,' I said."
~Last Line: "Hopefully I'd never have to know my own limits."

Review: Harrington instantly pulled me in. A family full of crazies seems pretty interesting to me. I can definitely say that I wasn't disappointed. Clarity was great!

Clarity "Clare" Fern has the gift of [insert big R word] (retrospective?) pyschometry. LOL. I can never remember what the word is! But anyway, when she touches things, she can sometimes feel traces of people, and thus see memories of things that happened to those people earlier. The powers, like any other, are extraordinary. I loved reading the pages where Clare used her gift.

Clarity's oceanside tourist town has just witnessed a murder. Her brother, Peter, is one of the people police are looking at. To help her brother, and the rest of the town, and just because she's a good citizen, Clarity agrees to work on the case with Justin (her ex) and Gabriel (the new guy in town). It might be great, but Gabriel doesn't feel very joyful working with a psychic. His attitude towards Clare isn't exactly a hopeful one that she'll find anything. Actually, he doesn't think she'll help at all.

Gabriel's character was so romantic at some points, but then either (1) Justin popped up, or (2) something about the case occurred that needed to be handled. *shakes head* oh well. That's why they make sequels :). He could also be pretty mysterious at some moments in the book. He and his father don't exactly have a wonderful past, but they deal with it the best they can. Respectable, in my opinion.

Clarity was just absolutely amazing. I can't wait for Perception to be released next year!

Quotes from the book:

"Yummy's specialty was fresh seafood, which doesn't appeal to me. Yes, I live on the Cape and don't eat seafood. It's a crime, I know."

They exchanged a look and grinned at me.
'Sorry,' the blond one said. 'We didn't expect you to look so . . . '
'Frankly,' the dark-haired guy picked up, 'we thought you'd be an old hag.'
'Oh, that's my mother.'
They eyes widened as Mom came in on the heels of that line and then we all had a good laugh."

The Dream Crystal by Mark O'Bannon

The Dream Crystal by Mark O'Bannon (The Dream War Series, #1)
Published by: MEOw Publishing 2011
Pages: Kindle-392
Received for review by Mark O'Bannon (Thank you so much for the awesome book Mark!)
Buy The Dream Crystal for your kindle here- Amazon
Reviewed by Kate
All of the world's dreams are about to die. The Shadow People have come. Always near, they linger in the darkness, ready to devour dreams, hopes, aspirations and desires. . .

Aisling, having lost her dream of becoming a fashion designer, learns that she's a Faerie changeling. Disquieted by the fact that her faerie parents are kidnappers, she has decided to rescue the human child she was exchanged for, but her "sister" is no longer among the faeries, having been taken by the Shadow People. Ith, the Lord of Shadows, is trying to control the dreams of mankind, which are under the protection of the faeries, so they're at war.

Aisling, who doesn't believe in dreams any longer, is falling in love with a handsome, mysterious stranger - one of the Shadow People.

Recommended To- Anyone who loves a fast paced fantasy story with some serious action scenes, a beautiful world, and some romance.

Have you read a serious fantasy book lately? And I'm not talking a paranormal book, I mean fantasy. This book is the epitome of fantasy. O'Bannon creates a beautiful world full of fairies, unicorns, elves, and the dangerous shadow people. Oh, and there's a ton of fashion. Plus a neat Irish spin on the characters and story in general, which was a cool addition to the story. Everything that everyone loves right? But we all know that without a good plot and some great characters that all of these fantasy creatures and characters will be easily forgettable. Mark O'Bannon does a fabulous job to make sure that this story is unforgettable!

We start the story following Aisling, an aspiring fashion designer through her struggle to fulfill her dream. Unfortunately there's been some kinks in her plans, there mostly little until she gets kicked out of fashion school and her best friend is almost killed by something only she can hear and see. Then things get a little more complicated, and send Aisling to a whole new world and life. Something she could have only dreamed of. As I said before, the world that O'Bannon creates  a beautiful world that I want to go live in! Aisling quickly discovers this beautiful world and all the magic that this world holds. There is a lot of amazing magic that I would also love to have. But don't be fooled by the beautiful fairy world and cool magic, these fairies know how to kick some butt. The action starts almost immediately and continues to almost the last page. And I'm talking some serious fighting here, with good old fashion swords and a battle of wills. It's really awesome, and refreshing, to have a character, Aisling, that really can hold her own and doesn't need anyone to do anything for her. She's completely independent. She's a character that we need to see a lot more in books. In fact, O'Bannon really writes great characters! All of Aisling friends were completely loyal and always there for her, which I really admired. They knew when Aisling needed to do something on her own and when they needed to be there for her. Did I mention the loyalty thing yet? They're completely loyal, even when Aisling is kind of shunned by her own people. And they know how to kick some butt too!

I mentioned that this story is fast paced, it really is! Even though it's almost 400 pages it's an easy and fast read. All the action and suspense keeps you reading until the end to know what's happening. Oh, the end, well, let me just say that I thought O'Bannon was brilliant with the ending he gave us. The saying "It only gets worse until it gets better" comes to mind, but I'm not going to elaborate much more. It just wasn't your typical ending which I really liked. And it leaves a whole lot more that's going to happen in the second Dream War book. I can't wait for the next book! Until then, this book was definitely a good read!

4.25 Kisses!

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires, #2)

By Rachel Caine

Publisher: New American Library, 2007

238 pages, paperback

Date Finished: 29/4/2011

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Action, Coming of Age

Claire Danvers faces more challenges from both college and the undead in this second entry in the Morganville Vampires series.
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "It didn't happen, Claire told herself."
~Last Line: "Claire opened the draw and found a pen."

Review: Caine has definitely won me over. There's no way I won't be speedily finishing the Morganville Vampires series. Corny, full of action, and fun enough for any teen to understand, The Dead Girls' Dance takes Claire and her roommates on yet another journey.

Now that Claire knows why Michael disappears every sunrise, she isn't curious and desperate to learn more about him. But she's till got lots to learn about the way things work in Morganville, Texas. To add one more thing to the list of bad occurrences, Claire's parents decide to come to town to visit her at the college. As you've probably already mumbled, this was not a good thing for Claire.

Then something very unexpected happens -- Brandon, a vampire, is murdered. Everyone is shocked, even Claire and her roommates, who didn't exactly like him. The main vampires blame Shane's dad for the crime, but as his dad is MIA, they imprison Shane himself. I mean, personally I don't think it's fair, but they found his dad in the end. He and his gangster-helpers (LOL not really; they're bikers) broke Shane out of jail. That's when the vampires use Claire as bait. I know right? Just marvelous. . .

But anyway, this novel was an awesome sequel to Glass Houses, and I'm once again happy that I started this series :).

Quotes from the book:

"The heat was making her feel slow and disconnected. She wanted to pour the cold water over her face, but realized just in time -- again-- about the makeup. Stupid makeup."

Are You Going To Kiss Me Now Review

Are You Going To Kiss Me Now by Sloane Tanen
Published by Sourcebooks Fire May 2011
Paperback 355 pages

High school junior Francesca Manning is an outsider, an aspiring writer and secret devourer of celebrity gossip mags. A fake essay to Seventeen wins her the celeb-schmoozing opportunity of a lifetime, but after the plane crashes, she's stranded on a desert island with five of the most clueless, self-involved headcases to escape Hollywood. Happily skewering their foibles in witty observations on her iPhone proves surprisingly educational for Francesca. The group must work together to survive-if they don't insult each other to death first.

Recommended for: If you are looking for a light read that will have you laughing so hard that should not read it in public, (Unless your good with having people stare at you, I know that's not something I'm good with but if you're good with that go for it!), then this is your book! A great fun overall enjoyable summer read!

I hope you all like my new recommendation part of the review. Since I tend to be a little bit of a rambler I hope this will give everyone a shorter piece of what I'm trying to say. Back to the book. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to everyone who loves a good laugh. This book had me laughing so hard that I really couldn't read it in front of everyone because I knew they would look at me and it would just be weird. And yes, it did happen once and I learned from that one time. I honestly think that this is one, if not, the funniest book that I have ever read. Every single character had me laughing my head off and they were all relate able, okay maybe not everyone and if you ever read the book you will know why. But seriously, the funniest book ever! The only problem I had with this book is the ending. It felt rushed and not complete to me. I would have liked to have known what happened after everything, I mean we get an epilogue, but it was short and personally I didn't feel that it gave me much of an ending, or at least the closure I wanted. (This review is starting to feel more like a relationship than a book huh?) Back on track, it just didn't feel complete to me and wish there would have been more of a satisfying ending. I wasn't 100% satisfied! The beginning took up a decent portion of the book and I just wish that Tanen would have given us more of definite ending and a few details of what just happened. I just felt like with the beginning we deserved more of an ending. Besides the end I also didn't like one of the characters 180, and it's not because of the obvious change but his change in personality. He was such a strong and assertive guy before and then became this big ball of whiny and moping and......I just did not like the change in his personality. Okay I rambled a lot about the ending, but do not let it determine whether or not to read this book. Overall, an enjoyable read. It really is a great comedy story that I think everyone can get a good laugh out of. Read it if you love, like, or even hate to laugh! But either way I promise that you will laugh.

4 Kisses