Immortal City by Scott Speer

Immortal City by Scott Speer
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336



Summary: L.A. Candy meets the mystery and romance of Fallen in this sensational debut

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He’s days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone’s obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect—everyone ex- cept for Madison Montgomery.

Maddy’s the one girl in Angel City who doesn’t breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn’t recog- nize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love.

Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson’s scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi—and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels’ wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat ... and this time it’s up to Maddy to save Jackson.

My Thoughts: I haven't read too many books based on Angels so when I come across one that sounds interesting, I jump right on it. I've seen more and more angel books floating around though lately.

We are introduced to Jackson who is an angel. He's not just any  angel, he's going to become a guardian soon. What this means is he will get a person to protect and he has to do everything in his power to protect the person. It isn't a choice, its selected by someone above him and people pay angels to protect them. Jackson is used to being in the media. In this city, Angels are popular, they are considered royalty basically. Everyone follows who the angels are and what they are up too. The person they protect also sees his/her time in the limelite.  Of course Jackson also comes from a popular family, everyone knows them.

Than we meet Maddy. Maddy is pretty ordinary. She lives with her uncle Kevin and helps him run his dinner. She waitresses to help him out since he can't afford to hire another waitress. She even gets up before school to help him with the morning rush. She doesn't follow the angel news at all. She couldn't care less. She doesn't see what all the hype is about. Now her best friend Gwen is the opposite. She always knows whose dating who, who each angel is, etc.

One day Maddy and Jackson meet. He comes into the dinner while hiding out and he instantly feels something with Maddy.

He wonders who this mysterious girl is and why she doesn't really like him. She doesn't care who he is, she wants nothing to do with him and this just makes him want her more.

Of course there is more to the story, someone is killing angels. First they are ripping off their wings, than murdering them.

While the stakes are high, someone is out to kill all angels and Maddy and Jackson are in danger!

Immortal City was a pretty good book. There were a few parts that drag on that I had to tell myself to keep going because at times it did get slow. I really liked Jackson even though he was popular. He didn't always act like he cared. He was just himself. Now, Maddy, of course I liked her. She was so ordinary and yet she was special and didn't even know it. I also liked all the side characters, like Mitch and Gwen. They both are so opinionated.

Immortal City was an enjoyable read and it was a great introduction into angels for me. Not everyone will agree probably because if you absoultely hate reading about celebrities and living life in the light you probably won't enjoy this one as much.

Overall: I really enjoyed it! I loved the characters, and I loved the story. As for the bad guy, in the back of my mind, I did have my suspictions about who it was but it still played out pretty good. I'm glad to see how much Jackson and Maddy cared about each other and how it did take a while for them to like each other. They didn't automatically like each other as in some novels. All in all, I really enjoyed Immortal City.

Cover: I like it enough, I love his wings behind him. And his arm has a nice tattoo.

What I'd Give It:  

Slide (Slide #1) by Jill Hathaway

Slide by Jill Hathaway
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 256


Summary: Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

My Thoughts: I have heard good and bad things about Slide. But I really enjoyed it a lot.

We are introduced to Vee who lives with her father and little sister. Her mom died when she was young from cancer and it’s been just the three of them sense.

Vee used to hang out with the popular girls but now she's just a loner. She keeps to herself and hangs out with her best friend Rollins. Vee's sister Mattie is more into the popular crowd now.

As Mattie's friends start to die, first Sophie and than Amber, Vee starts to wonder what is going on, especially after she has seen mysterious clues to what has happened.

The most interesting part is how Vee has seen them. She can slide. When she touches something somebody valued, a possession of theirs, she can slide into their minds and experience whatever they are doing or have done. Freaky right?

With a new guy named Zane in town taking an interest in Vee, she starts to wonder if his appearance is connected to the murders.

Honestly, Slide has a very promising premise. I would love to have the ability to slip into someones mind and see what they see. Can you imagine doing that? I thought Slide was a good book. Yes, its somewhat short but its a fun mysterious book.

Overall: All in all, I really liked Slide. I can see how it might not be every one’s cup of tea though. Personally, I enjoyed it a lot and thought it was a wonderful debut.

Cover: Like it! Like how we can just see her shadow basically, and not her whole face or body.  Also love the purple background.

What I'd Give It:  

Life Is But a Dream by Brian James

Life Is But A Dream by Brian James
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel And Friends
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 240

Summary: Alec and Sabrina are crazy in love. Problem is: Sabrina’s really crazy.

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? Her decision may have fatal consequences.

My Thoughts: Oh gosh, we jump right into Sabrina's head and realize she isn't exactly normal. She is diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been taken to the Wellness Center to get better. Sabrina doesn't actually think she's sick. She doesn't really understand why everyone thinks she is even if she does have dreams and sees things differently from the way they really are. In her mind, this is normal. We also experience flashbacks throughout the novel, giving us insight into Sabrina's world.

We than meet Alec who is also in the Wellness Center. He's in there for a little different reason than Sabrina. At first you figure he's pretty harmless but than you start to wonder if that is true when you learn more about him.

Sabrina and Alec see the world a lot alike. They also feel like everyone else are the different ones and society are the ones that want to conform everyone to be the same.

Sabrina and Alec are a good pair, sort of. I'm surprised they didn't try to keep them apart more though.

Honestly, I'm not going to say much else about this one. I just wanted to write up a few quick sentences. Life Is But A Dream just wasn't the book for me. Probably because its not all rainbows and sunshine. I prefer my romance books to be all about the epic battle to be together and the sweet moments. This book was rough in a few ways. I also felt sorry for Sabrina and I didn't like seeing her struggle with her battle. I didn't like the way the doctors treated her but I do understand why and they were just doing their jobs.

Overall: This book was just ok for me. I think if you like the kind of books focusing on illnesses than you'll enjoy it more than me. It was also very very detailed and at times I wanted to skip ahead because I just felt myself not really caring too much. This book was alright but not for me but I did finish it at least. To sum it up, it was just alright, I didn’t hate it, but I also didn’t love it.  Hopefully you like it more than me.

Cover: Like it. It's very pretty. Like the way the girl is laying.

What I'd Give It:  

Croak by Gina Damico

Croak by Gina Damico

Release Date: March 20, 2012

Publisher: Graphia
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.

He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.

Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer.

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

My Thoughts: When I started reading Croak, I wasn’t too sure about it. Sure, it has an interesting plot line (reminds me of Dead Like Me tv show) and it sounds like it could have a little bit of romance on top of the interesting plot line.

To sum it up, Lex gets shipped off to her uncle’s house thinking it’s going to be a boring uneventful summer. Boy, is she wrong! Not what she was expecting at all.

First, lets talk a little about the characters. First, there is Lex. Lex is going through a rebellious stage, always getting into trouble unlike her perfect sister. Lex is just going through a bit of a stage where she doesn’t really care about much anymore.

Next, there is her uncle Mort. Mort kind of came off as creepy at first. I wasn’t sure what to think about him, but after a while he’s easy to warm up too. He has a bit of the same personality as Lex.

Than there is Driggs. Driggs was such a fun character. Between his constant bickering with Lex, he sure is a riot to have around. He was probably my favorite out of the whole book. There are also a lot of other characters throughout the book including all of the other Junior Grim Reapers. Each one has his/her own story and contributes to the novel in some way.

Croak was a different kind of story for me. It was such an interesting concept, I knew I had to at least give it a try. I would have liked to see more romance between Driggs and Lex but I always knew deep down there was something special there, even if it wasn’t always on the outside.

Overall: I really enjoyed Croak. I didn’t love it as much as a 5 cupcake book but it was definitely interesting and kept my interest. It was such a weird plot that it was hard to resist reading it. I’m sure a lot of people will put this on their 2012 TBR pile! It’s fun, snarky, and has some cool characters.

Cover: I’ve seen a few different variations of this cover and I like each one the same. I love how she has the big knife looking thing behind her. Also love how her hood is up on her head.

What I’d Give It:

Pretty Crooked (Pretty Crooked #1) by Elisa Ludwig

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368

Summary: Willa’s secret plan seems all too simple: take from the rich kids at Valley Prep and give to the poor ones.

Yet Willa’s turn as Robin Hood at her ultra-exclusive high school is anything but. Bilking her “friends”—known to everyone as the Glitterati—without them suspecting a thing is far from easy. Learning how to pick pockets and break into lockers is as difficult as she’d thought it’d be. Delivering care packages to the scholarship girls, who are ostracized just for being from the “wrong” side of town, is way more fun than she’d expected.

The complication Willa didn’t expect, though, is Aidan Murphy, Valley Prep’s most notorious (and gorgeous) ace-degenerate. His mere existence is distracting Willa from what matters most to her: evening the social playing field between the haves and have-nots. There’s no time for crushes and flirting with boys, especially conceited and obnoxious trust-funders like Aidan.

But when the cops start investigating the string of thefts at Valley Prep and the Glitterati begin to seek revenge, could Aidan wind up being the person that Willa trusts most?

My Thoughts: This debut novel was pretty funny and snarky. We are introduced to Willa who has just moved to a new city and a new school. She's always been kind of poor and has attended public school. Now, her moms is making the money from selling her art and has gotten Willa into a private school and they don't have to watch every penny they spend.

Willa starts the new school and meets a few new friends. They are called The Glitterati. More or less, they are the popular girls. They have enough money to go on major shopping sprees and a few of them even make fun of the lower class class members.

Willa also meets a guy named Aiden. Aiden is popular, irresistible, and funny. There is also another guy who Willa goes to for advice named Tres. Both guys are so different from each other and each have their own appeal.

Granted, you can tell Willa has some feelings for Aiden and some platonic feelings for the other guy, Tres.

Willa decides she is going to do something about the girls getting picked on. She's going to start to rob from the rich and give to the poor. Willa starts off slow by stealing  some cash and gets into the big time by breaking into a house.

Things don't go as planned for Willa and everything blows up in her face. Things can't be perfect and Willa has to realize this.

Pretty Crooked was a fun debut. It was full of fun, snarkyness, and it was very entertaining.

Overall: What a fun hilarious book! Willa was such a lovely main character. She was so funny and she had such a neat personality. She was very bright and she was a fast learner. She had a very big heart and knew just the right thing to say to people.

Cover: I'm not sure about this cover. I think it might throw some people off and make them not want to read it. It almost seems too girly or too fashionable. It's cute but I think its not really the perfect style for the book.

What I'd Give It:

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books For Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352

Summary: It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

My Thoughts: Whoa, what a book! I haven't read Hubbard's debut yet but once I saw this I knew I needed to read it.

We are introduced to Bria who just graduated high school and will be starting college soon. For a while now the plan was to go on a trip with her two best friends but at the last minute her friends bail on her telling her she's not ready. Bria has been mopping around for a while now because of her boyfriend or should I say ex boyfriend. He and Bria really love Art and they were going to go to Art school together but his jealousy got in the way of that and he broke up with her.

Bria decides she's had enough, she's taking this trip because he said she'd never do it on her own and if her best friends want to bail, oh well, she's going anyways. Nothing can stop her.

She signs up to be in a group to tour Central America but once she's in the group, she decides its not the group for her and joins some other backpackers. She ends up meeting Rowen and his sister Starling. Starling is kind of a loud mouth and Rowen is quite the bad boy. Honestly, he really isn't that bad........anymore. Starling and Rowen are the perfect pair to show Bria what living life is really about, to appreciate the scenery, and to just enjoy herself. They teach her not everything is perfect and thats ok.  Starling doesn't stick around too long before Bria is left all alone with Rowen to finish her trip.

Bria has only about a month to travel and I just didn't think it was long enough. I wanted her to go on more adventures, I wanted more time with her and Rowen. Even at 350ish pages, I wanted more. I wish this was one of those 600 page books, hehe!

As Bria and Rowen get closer, we never know what is going to happen. Both of them are so secretive, never wanting the other to really know them, its hard for them to get closer to each other and let their guards down.

I loved the traveling. I felt like I was really there. I was inside Bria's head on the buses, the water taxis, the restaurants,  the internet cafes, I was there.

Wanderlove was a fantastic novel. Definitely one that you need to read as soon as possible. It was beautifully written. It was real. It was full of traveling, romance, friendships, self discovery and so much more.

And the drawlings were freaking awesome! Loved them so much! Especially the ones of Rowen.

Overall: Amazing book! Way worthy of 5 cupcakes! Probably even more if I could give them! Wanderlove was a book I loved with all my hearts desire.

Cover: Its really cute. Not too many details but still attractive.

What I'd Give It:

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Harpercollins
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 384


Summary: Lauren Oliver captivated readers with Delirium, the first book in a thrilling dystopian trilogy in which Lena Haloway dared to fall in love with Alex and escape the cure, the government-mandated procedure that renders a person immune to the disease of love. Lena and Alex staked their lives on leaving their oppressive society, but only Lena broke free.

Pandemonium continues Lena’s gripping story. After escaping from Portland, Maine, Lena makes it to the Wilds and becomes part of an Invalid community, where she transforms herself into a warrior for the resistance. A future without Alex is unimaginable, but Lena pushes forward and fights, both for him and for a world in which love is no longer considered a disease. Swept up in a volatile mix of revolutionaries and counterinsurgents, Lena struggles to survive—and wonders if she may be falling in love again.

Full of danger, forbidden romance, and exquisite writing, Lauren Oliver’s sequel to Delirium races forward at a breathtaking pace and is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes action of The Hunger Games and the bittersweet love story of Romeo & Juliet.


My Thoughts: DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ DELIRIUM. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????

Uh, I'll start this review off with what I wrote on goodreads as soon as I finished.

If you thought Delirium was great you will be blown away by Pandemonium. I wish I had the next book. OMG. I want to both cry and scream right now.....

Why, why, why did I read this so soon? LOL

I had a feeling it was going to end like that but to actually have it happen is going to drive me nuts now since I don't have the next book.

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

So, that was my initial thoughts when I updated my goodreads status.

Do I still feel that way? Yes, Yes, Yes.

We start off in the Now part of the book. For 2 pages, than we are thrown into the Than part.  Confused yet?

We are reunited with Lena. She has escaped to the Wild's without Alex. Oh, I'm sure you remember that dreadful ending in Delirium and Alex is still nowhere in sight. Lena suspects he's dead even though she doesn't want to say it out loud. She imagines he's still with her and goes out on her own.

She ends up being on her own for a few days until a group of others come across her and take her in, nursing her back to life. Let me tell you about my favorite characters. There is Raven, who seems to be a few years younger than Lena, but has become one of  the leaders of the group and takes care of everything. Than there is Blue, who is just a little girl. I really liked Blue but she reminded Lena too much of Grace. Next up is Hunter. Hunter's a sweet guy who is friendly to Lena from the start. Than there is Tack. Tack is independent, strong willed, and tough. He always has a scowl on his face.  Of course, there are many more characters but these are just a few of my favorites.

Lena survives in the wild with the group for a while. She learns to get supplies, learns to wash clothes by hand, to carry water buckets, how to cook, the whole nine yards. She does what she must to survive and stay a part of their group.

Than we are thrust into a whole other world. The future tense. What is happening NOW. Lena is working with Raven to take down the DFA. They are the ones who want everyone to be cured. We meet Julian right away. He is the son of the person who thinks love must be cured. He is due to have his procedure soon.

Lena and Julian end up getting captured during one of the meetings and thrown in a room together. They spend days in that room, getting to know each other slowly and awkwardly.  They think they have nothing in common at first except that she has been cured (she lies) and he is to be cured soon. He wants to know what it will feel like, will all temptations be taken away? Will he feel like a different person?

Lena and Julian end up escaping and make their journey to find Raven and Tack. In the process, Julian is taken back by his father, and set to have his procedure. Of course Lena doesn't think its right to make him have this procedure. He should have a choice, a real choice.

Well, I don't want to give away anymore spoilers. That was already a few and I didn't want to give away any!  

Do we ever see Alex again? Let me just say this, the information we find out about Alex and Lena's mom is insane. It was crazy intense. This whole book was so great. It was full of action, fast paced, and just a wonderful story. I wish I had the third book now.

The Than and Now back and forth chapters were a little confusing at first, but I got right into it. The bad thing is, I didn't like skipping back and forth because Oliver pulls you into one than you want to know what happens in that situation, than your thrust into the other situation. I'm sure that was her point, but I was on pins and needles the whole book. (Which is a good thing HAHA)

I loved Delirium and I was left crying at the end. I loved Pandemonium even more, and I was left wanting to cry but at the same time, wanting to tell her how genius she is!

For all you Alex fans out there, you won't be completely disappointed however you won't be happy either. I was totally in love with Alex but throw another guy in the mix, and I'm as confused as ever. Love Triangle anyone?

Overall: Oh My Gosh. I absolutely loved it.  Can I marry this book? This was one of my favorite books I've read of 2011!!!

Cover: Really like it. Delirium had a cool cover, but so does this one.

What I'd Give It: