Guitar Notes by Mary Amato
Release Date: July 24, 2012
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Summary: On odd days, Tripp Broody uses a school practice room to let loose on a borrowed guitar. Eyes closed, strumming that beat-up instrument, Tripp escapes to a world where only the music matters.
On even days, Lyla Marks uses the same practice room. To Tripp, she’s trying to become even more perfect—she’s already a straight-A student and an award-winning cellist. But when Lyla begins leaving notes for him in between the strings of the guitar, his life intersects with hers in a way he never expected.
What starts as a series of snippy notes quickly blossoms into the sharing of interests and secrets and dreams, and the forging of a very unlikely friendship.
Challenging each other to write songs, they begin to connect, even though circumstances threaten to tear them apart.
My Thoughts: I don’t know, I didn’t love this one. We meet Tripp and Lyla who are complete opposites of each other. Lyla is goal oriented and Tripp is really somewhat of a slacker.
Lyla plays the cello and Tripp plays the guitar.
Lyla and Tripp get to know each other through music and mostly leaving notes for one another at first. I liked reading the notes, I liked experiencing their music they make together but I just wasn’t in awe of this one.
Maybe because of the point of view its told in. I didn’t feel like I was really in either of their heads and I wanted to be in at least one.
Its a cute novel but just not right for me. I can see people loving this one. I can see music fans devouring it.
I also did like how one of them was called Even and Odd, you’ll understand this reference a lot better as you read through the novel. I liked the side characters and getting to know them.
Lyla and Tripp were both fun heartfelt characters who I’d love to get to know better.
Overall: Liked it enough. It was also a very fast read and cute. I really liked how we got to explore how stressful playing instruments can be, its a lot of pressure to be perfect for some.
Probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating for me!
Cover: Like it. It doesn’t have many colors but it still fits.
What I'd Give It:
Blink Once by Cyn Busby
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Summary: West is a high school senior who has everything going for him until an accident leaves him paralyzed. Strapped down in his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, West is terrified and alone. Until he meets Olivia. She's the girl next door-sort of. A patient in the room next to his, only Olivia can tell what West is thinking, and only Olivia seems to know that the terrible dreams he's been having are not just a result of his medication. Yet as West comes to rely on Olivia-to love her, even-certain questions pull at him: Why has Olivia been in the hospital for so long? And what does it mean that she is at the center of his nightmares? But the biggest question of all comes when West begins to recover and learns that the mysterious girl he's fallen in love with has a secret he could never have seen coming.
My Thoughts: Wow. When I started this, I knew something wasn’t right. It just didn’t feel right. Something was different. Something was weird.
We are introduced to West who is a popular guy. Everything is lined up for him. He’ll go to college. He has the popular cool girlfriend, and a nice family and best friend. Things are pretty good.
Until one day when West wakes up in the hospital. He’s paralyzed, he’s got a tube down his throat, so he can’t even talk.
Blink Once tells us West’s story and how things unfold. We get flashbacks, we get what is going on now, we get to see his family and friends come into the hospital to see him. The only way he can communicate, is to blink once or twice.
There is also a girl. There is always a girl. Her name is Olivia and she shares the room next door. Every night Olivia sneaks in to see West and they communicate in their own way, with her doing all the talking mostly.
I loved these characters. I loved West and seeing things from his point of view. We don’t know if he’s going to ever walk again or be his old self, but he has to have faith that he will.
Things are crazy. The ending, wow. I kind of knew something was up, something wasn’t quite right and in a way, I was right. It was kind of crazy the way things took that twist and I kind of knew something was going to happen that would change things drastically.
This is definitely a debut that should be on your fall reading list. Interesting, lovable characters that keep us at the edge of our seats.
Overall: Blink Once has romance, strength, and the true hope that something good can happen even when something bad comes first. I really enjoyed this one, and I think you might too.
Cover: Like it! Like the girl on it, she kind of reminds me of how Olivia might look.
What I'd Give It:
Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Candlewick
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Summary: After his older brother dies in Iraq, Matt makes a discovery that rocks his beliefs about strength, bravery, and honor in this page-turning debut.
Ever since his brother, T.J., was killed in Iraq, Matt feels like he’s been sleepwalking through life — failing classes, getting into fights, and avoiding his dad’s lectures about following in his brother’s footsteps. T.J.’s gone, but Matt can’t shake the feeling that if only he could get his hands on his brother’s stuff from Iraq, he’d be able to make sense of his death. But as Matt searches for answers about T.J.’s death, he faces a shocking revelation about T.J.’s life that suggests he may not have known T.J. as well as he thought. What he learns challenges him to stand up to his father, honor his brother’s memory, and take charge of his own life. With compassion, humor, and a compelling narrative voice, E. M. Kokie explores grief, social mores, and self-discovery in a provocative first novel.
My Thoughts: It took me awhile to get into this one. The first 50 or so pages I just didn’t feel into the story. But once I got through that, wow, oh wow, this was so good.
We are introduced to Matt who lost his brother T.J. in Iraq. He’s a mess. He’s failing in school and in life. He doesn’t know who to turn too since he sure can’t turn to his dad. His dad is a control freak, who wants Matt to enlist as well. He’s bent on Matt doing exactly what he says when he says it.
Matt thought he knew T.J. but once T.J.’s belongings arrive after the funeral, Matt goes through the lockers and gets to know his brother in a whole new light. He finds things out he never even imagined.
There is also a little bit of romance in this one between Matt and a friend of his. That made the story oh so more sweet.
This took me by surprise. It was a very emotional read for me. I felt like I really got to know Matt and T.J. in his own way too.
Personal Effects was a bit slow at the start but don’t give it up if you feel the same way. It gets so addicting to read because you want to know what happens and more about T.J. and who he really was. I felt like I really was in Matt’s shoes. Every emotion he felt, I felt.
Wow. Oh Wow.
Overall: A really great novel about loss, grief, and trying to overcome it in your own way. Matt was such a great character and I’m glad I read this one. I just can’t believe everything that happened, I’m still kind of surprised about it. And I never even saw any of T.J.’s secrets coming, which is unusual for me! Add this one to your debut list now!
Cover: Like it. It fits the book. Kind of dark yet enticing.
What I'd Give It:
Struts and Frets by Jon Skovron
Release Date: November 2009
Publisher: Amulet Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Summary: Told in a voice that’s honest, urgent, and hilarious, Struts & Frets will resonate not only with teenage musicians but with anyone who ever sat up all night listening to a favorite album, wondering if they’d ever find their place in the world.
Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend.
When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?
My Thoughts: Sometimes, I really enjoy reading novels from guy’s points of views, sometimes I do not. Struts and Frets was one that I did enjoy.
We are introduced to Sammy who loves music. He has a band that he loves jamming out with. They want to go in the big time. But, Sammy isn’t sure this is going to happen, they have a lot to overcome.
When he sees an ad for Battle Of The Bands, he decides it’s worth a shot.
Sammy and his band enter the contest!
Sammy also has a best friend who is a girl and their relationship sure does change, but is it for the better? I thought so.
I loved Sammy’s voice. I loved how he could make me laugh and make me feel things. I also liked all the side characters especially his grandpa. Man, that was so sad but I could see exactly how Sammy felt.
I thought Struts and Frets was really funny. I try to read novels about music, but it just doesn’t seem like there are that many out there that I really love.
I did have a hard time really getting into this one, but once I got into it, I finished it pretty quickly.
I liked this novel, but didn’t love it. I can’t wait to read more novels by this author though. Maybe another one will catch my eye and I’ll enjoy it more.
Overall: I liked it, but probably won’t read it again. It’s more of a one time read for me. It was funny and interesting and I liked Sammy’s voice and the way he looked at things.
Cover: Like it. Like how he’s holding the guitar.
What I'd Give It:
Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Summary: Wren can do things that other people can only dream of. Make it snow on a clear, crisp day. Fly through an abandoned tunnel. Bring a paper bird to life.
Wren knows her abilities are tinged with danger—knows how easy it is to lose control—but she can't resist the intoxicating rush. And now that she has Gabriel by her side, someone who knows what she can do—what she has done—she finally feels free to be herself.
But as Wren explores the possibilities of her simmering powers, Gabriel starts pushing her away. Telling her to be careful. Telling her tostop. The more he cautions her, the more determined Wren becomes to prove that she can handle things on her own. And by the time she realizes that Gabriel may be right, it could be too late to bring him back to her side.
My Thoughts: I liked Glass Heart but I didn’t quite love it as much as Cold Kiss. I’m not sure if it was my mood or I didn’t like the plot as much.
We are back with Wren and she is still dating Gabriel. A kid they know named Adam goes missing, and Wren feels like she needs to know more about it and why. She meets a few new friends including a guy named Bay and she thinks they might be behind it. They know more than they let on, and they want her to experience her magic with them. They can also do things as well.
Wren is also dealing with family dilemma. Her dad has been a topic of discussion a lot lately and Wren isn’t sure how she feels about that.
Wren has started using her powers more and experimenting but Gabriel doesn’t want her too and this puts some strain on their relationship.
Bay causes a lot of havoc and puts a curse on Gabriel. Wren must figure out a way to stop Bay and break the curse on Gabriel.
Honestly, I think my biggest problem here is that I didn’t feel like Glass Heart had enough of a plot. I’m happy to be back with some of my favorite characters but I just didn’t love this one as much as I thought I would. I still think you should give this series a try though. I loved Cold Kiss!
Overall: It was ok. Probably more like a 3.5 cupcake novel instead of just 3. I liked that we are back with all the characters, and we get to see what life is like for Wren after the whole Danny fiasco.
Cover: Like it! It’s just as pretty as the first cover!
What I'd Give It:
Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus And Giroux (BYR)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Summary:
“Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”- Michael Corleone,The Godfather
Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship.But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.
My Thoughts: We are back with Anya, you may remember her by her family or even as the girl who was dating Win. She’s pretty well known, as being a criminal.
We are thrust back into her life, as she is in Liberty Children’s Facility, serving out her sentence.
She’s released and gets to go back with her family for a limited time. She gets to see her best friend Scarlett who is dating her ex boyfriend. And then there is Win, sweet sweet Win who she must stay away from. Than she is thrown back into the system again. She must find a way out. She just can’t stay locked up, it's not right, especially since it's not deserved. She ends up getting out and leaving the country for a while. She meets a new friend named Theo. He teaches her a lot.
She comes back to the states and is reunited with her family again. But its not safe. People are trying to kill them. Anya doesn’t know quite what to do. She wants to be the head of the family and the chocolate business, but at what cost?
The second novel in the Birthright trilogy was pretty darn good. I wouldn’t say it was the best thing ever, but I did enjoy it a lot. There were a lot of twists and turns to keep me guessing. I also liked the new addition of characters, and the way they played out. I also liked learning more about Mouse and I hope she plays a major part in the next novel. I really do hope so.
Because It Is My Blood was a great read. I think it ties up a lot of unanswered questions from the first novel, and I loved where everything went in this novel. And the ending, pretty good. It really makes me look forward to the next one!
Overall: I really really enjoyed it a lot. A one day read for me. I did take a few breaks but finished it fairly quickly because I was hooked into the story pretty easily and fast.
Oh, Anya, how I love you as a character. You are so strong and smart.
Cover: Like it, but I don’t love it. Just feels like its missing something.
What I'd Give It:
Nerve by Jeanne Ryan
Release Date: September 13, 2012
Publisher: Dial Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Summary: A high-stakes online game of dares turns deadly
When Vee is picked to be a player in NERVE, an anonymous game of dares broadcast live online, she discovers that the game knows her. They tempt her with prizes taken from her ThisIsMe page and team her up with the perfect boy, sizzling-hot Ian. At first it’s exhilarating—Vee and Ian’s fans cheer them on to riskier dares with higher stakes. But the game takes a twisted turn when they’re directed to a secret location with five other players for the Grand Prize round. Suddenly they’re playing all or nothing, with their lives on the line. Just how far will Vee go before she loses NERVE?
Debut author Jeanne Ryan delivers an un-putdownable suspense thriller.
My Thoughts: For some reason, I had a lot of trouble getting into Nerve. Maybe it was just my reading mood or just something I didn’t find that interesting, I’m not sure.
We are introduced to Vee who gets to participate in a game called Nerve. Nerve is a game where people accept dares and complete them to win prizes.
It seems like Nerve knows everything about Vee and what she would want to win. Vee isn’t usually the kind of girl who would participate in this but she wants to think outside the box and her comfort zone for once.
She gets paired up with Ian, a superhottie who has his own dares to complete. Sometimes they involve each other, sometimes they don’t.
I did enjoy seeing which dares they had to complete and how they would do them, I also enjoyed seeing the prizes they won. But, I just felt like something was missing from this novel. It just wasn’t the best novel for me I guess.
Nerve was interesting enough and I’m sure there will be a line of people who will love it, it just wasn't the right thing for me. I did finish it and I did like it enough, I just don’t think it will be called one of my favorites of the year.
I am interested in what others have to say and how much they enjoyed it. Like, I said maybe it was just my reading mood. I just never really felt like I connected with the characters or plot. I am glad I finished it though!
Overall: Nerve was just alright for me. Will I try another book by this author? Yes, of course!
Cover: Like it, its pretty appealing.
What I'd Give It:
The Crown Of Embers by Rae Carson
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 416
Summary: "Carson joins the ranks of writers like Kristin Cashore, Megan Whalen Turner, and Tamora Pierce as one of YA's best writers of high fantasy."-Locus Magazine
In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.
Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.
My Thoughts: Another intense novel by Carson. If you remember, I really enjoyed The Girl of Fire and Thorns even though I usually do not like historical.
The Crown Of Embers is another adventure in Queen Elisa’s journey. She’s more confident than ever and is finally starting to believe in herself. She’s just learning the risks of being Queen and that everything has its power and price.
Someone is out to kill Elisa and she’s not sure why or who. She can barely walk alone or eat with being a little bit nervous about it. Elisa goes on an mission to find the Perilous, its the source of the Godstone’s power. She needs it to really be able to rule and straighten the kingdom.
Hector is still in the story which I loved and its more intense than ever between he and Elisa. There is a new character I really enjoyed. Storm. He’s mysterious and I loved getting to know him better. He made me laugh so many times.
Man, oh man, The Crown Of Embers was very excited and kept me interested. I stayed awake a few late nights to read this one when I knew I should be sleeping.
Overall: Cliffhanger! Man, I want the next novel now!!! So intense I wanted to bang my head against the wall! Gosh oh gosh. The Crown Of Embers was freaking fantastic. If you enjoyed the first novel, be sure to pick this one up as well.
Cover: Like it. These are definitely worth picking up in the bookstore just by the cover alone.
What I'd Give It:
Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336
Summary: An inspiring, bittersweet love story about making every day count.
Bryce remembers it like it was yesterday. The scent of chlorine. The blinding crack and flash of pain. Blood in the water.
When she wakes up in the hospital, all Bryce can think of is her disastrous Olympic diving trial. But everything is different now. Bryce still feels seventeen, so how can her little sister be seventeen, too? Life went on without her while Bryce lay in a coma for five years. Her best friend and boyfriend have just graduated from college. Her parents barely speak. And everything she once dreamed of doing—winning a gold medal, traveling the world, falling in love—seems beyond her reach.
But Bryce has changed too, in seemingly impossible ways. She knows things she shouldn’t. Things that happened while she was asleep. Things that haven’t even happened yet. During one luminous summer, as she comes to understand that her dreams have changed forever, Bryce learns to see life for what it truly is: extraordinary.
My Thoughts: I did not know what this book was about when I first starting reading it. I remember reading the summary a few months ago and knowing I wanted to read it, thats it.
I am so happy I read it! We are introduced to Bryce who loves swimming. She was 17 years old when this happened. She’s a diver and one day during competition she dives and never wakes up. She is in a coma for five years. Yes, you read that right, 5 whole years. She wakes up and everyone has moved on. Her best friend is dating her boyfriend, her younger sister is now 17 years old.
She wakes up, and is in a state of shock, but in my opinion, she handled the whole thing pretty well. She seemed very mature and ready to get back on her feet (literally). Her family has changed so much and her best friend and boyfriend have graduated high school, graduated college, and went backpacking, and are ready to start their lives together in another state. Everything is different.
There is also a new guy in Bryce’s life named Carter. He is attending medical school and he worked at the hospital. He really complicates Bryce’s feelings.
Bryce keeps having flashbacks and premonitions. She goes into a state of dreams.
I’m not sure what else to say about this, the ending was a bit off for me. It was confusing at first and took a minute to understand it. Maybe that was the point. I didn’t love the ending. But I got the point, I really did.
The characters were easy to like, and Bryce really made me feel for her. I understood everything she was going through and the challenges she faced.
Overall: I honestly loved this one, despite its few flaws, and yes there were a few. But it was still a beautiful story.
Cover: It’s very blue and I love that the girl is diving! This is the cover I would pick for the book, it really draws you in and makes you want to read it!
What I'd Give It:
Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Summary: A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.
My Thoughts: When I went into this one, I knew I was probably going to get emotional. From page one, I could see Butter’s struggles and how lonely he seemed to be.
We are introduced to Butter who is a really big guy. He’s obese and has trouble losing weight. He likes to eat. He’s always enjoyed eating and its taking its toll on him. He doesn't get made fun of too bad, people just ignore him. One day, he is put into an embarrassing situation and later comes up with the idea to eat himself to death. He thinks people will watch, it will get him some attention.
He starts a website. People go to the website. Kids that once teased him, mostly the popular kids are suddenly his best friends. Butter does like the attention even if its not for the right reasons. Its hard to go from being so lonely to getting invited to parties.
On top of all of this, Butter likes one of the popular girls, Anna. Anna was a nice girl but at times I didn’t like her very much. Sometimes she didn’t act all that much different from the popular kids and that bugged me.
Butter starts planning his last meal and things go crazy from there. He’s what people are talking about. He’s popular.
Butter was an intense story. I really enjoyed this novel but it was kind of morbid when you think about it. It has a good message, buried deep but I hated the way I felt reading this. I wanted to do something. I wanted to say something. This was an emotional read for me.
Please give Butter a chance. If you’ve ever been bullied, read this.
Overall: I really liked this one even though it was kind of sad and made me want to cry throughout it.
Cover: Like it. It’s not real colorful but I still think its appealing.
What I’d Give It:
Fang Girl by Helen Keeble
Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Summary: Things That Are Destroying Jane Greene’s Undead Social Life Before It Can Even Begin:
1) A twelve-year-old brother who’s convinced she’s a zombie.
2) Parents who are begging her to turn them into vampires.
3) The pet goldfish she accidentally turns instead.
4) Weird superpowers that let her rip the heads off of every other vampire she meets.(Sounds cool, but it doesn’t win you many friends.)
5) A pyschotic vampire creator who’s using her to carry out a plan for world domination.
And finally:
6) A seriously ripped vampire hunter who either wants to stake her or make out with her. Not sure which.
Being an undead, eternally pasty fifteen-year-old isn’t quite the sexy, brooding, angst-fest Jane always imagined....
Helen Keeble’s riotous debut novel combines the humor of Vladimir Tod with Ally Carter’s spot-on teen voice. With a one-of-a-kind vampire mythology and an irresistibly relatable undead heroine, this uproarious page-turner will leave readers bloodthirsty for more.
My Thoughts: This was a weird one. It was interesting enough just weird. It started off with Jane in a cemetery in her own grave, waking up. She starts to be dug up but her sire gets chased away. The first thing she does once she is out of her grave is go see her family. This could be quite scary but it really wasn’t. Can you imagine being dead and then going to see your family? What would they think or say?
Jane was a fun character. She’s a 15 year old girl who is sassy and thinks it's pretty cool to be a vampire, it sure beats being dead. And her adorable brother. He was so adorable. He basically thought it was awesome for Jane to be back.
A fellow vampire comes to Jane’s rescue and starts telling her that her sire is bad news and she shouldn’t trust her. She needs to trust him. His name was Ebon and he was very very old. He was really unique but I never really could relate to him very much. And, there was a vampire hunter named Van Helsing. Yep, that is really his name. He was out to kill all vampires including Jane, even if she hadn’t killed anyone yet.
Basically, Jane and her family must decide who to trust and who to try to get away from. Jane has a lot of tough decisions to make regarding her new existence.
Fang Girl was a funny novel but probably not something I would usually read if I wasn’t in the mood for funny. I’m more of a contemporary romance reader. There was a sprinkle of romance throughout the novel, so it kept me happy enough.
Read this novel, if you’re in the mood for something light and funny.
Overall: Fang Girl was an interesting book. It was very very funny. It was also kind of cheesy, but not really in a bad way. You have to go into this one with an open mind. I bet you will end up laughing a few times! Oh, and the Goldfish! Super cute! I liked the way this novel ended. Fang Me is probably a 3.5 cupcake novel for me. I didn't love everything about it, but it had its moments. I thought it was funny enough to make me laugh!
Cover: Like it. It draws your attention enough to want to read it.
What I'd Give It:
Entice by Jessica Shirvington
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Age Group:Young Adult
Pages: 464
Summary: Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.
Enticed is the second compelling book in The Violet Eden Chapters.
My Thoughts: I think I liked Entice more than I did Embrace. More action, more characters, and more drama.
We are back with Violet and her crush Lincoln. They are still having a problem with their relationship, or lack of one, while trying to deal with the other things in their life. Violet is starting to understand her power, and she’s finally embracing it.
In Entice, Violet and her gang are up against Phoenix and going after the scriptures. And Phoenix isn’t going to make it easy for them! Phoenix really likes to mess with Vi’s mind. He isn’t around as much but he’s still messing with her a lot. I actually missed him a bit. I grew to actually really enjoy his presence in Embrace, and Entice was lacking with Phoenix moments. This makes the love triangle, not really there anymore.
I really enjoyed all the new characters. A whole new set of Grigori! I especially liked Spence! He was really funny and such a neat character!
The chemistry between Vi and Lincoln is still pretty hot! I want them to just be together already. I know, I know, it can’t happen. They aren’t supposed too!
Entice was an enjoyable novel. I actually thought it was better than the first, and I hope the third ends the series with a bang! I hope to see more of Phoenix also, which from that cliffhanger, I think we will!!!
Overall: Loved this one! I can’t believe once upon a time, I was hesitant to read this series. But I’m so glad I gave it a chance. By the end of the novel, I was so hooked, I just wanted more!!!! Just love all the Grigori!
Cover: I really like this cover. It's kind of dark, yet kind of just perfect.
What I'd Give It:
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