Review: Betrayed (House of Night #2) by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Synopsis: Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She's come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey's old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

Review

Plot: I was happy to finally continue this series and see if the series would go on a good path that the first book left us off with. I was, however, very disappointed with the second installment. I was hoping that we got to see Zoey grow up to be the Dark Daughers' leader and grow into her own. It was hard to see if any of that was happening with the many immature situations going on. I wanted to like this book as much as I liked the first installment, but I couldn't get over the teen angst that was evident in all of the characters. The plot line was intriguing and is very well-developed. I could definitely see issues that will pop up in the third installment and new tensions forming.

Characters: Zoey - There are so many characters, I'll stick with Zoey for now. I loved Zoey in the first book. She was very feisty and passionate about the ones she loved and helping others. It was nice to see a strong character and comfortable with herself. In this installment, I saw that Zoey start to diminish. She seemed to start lacking maturity or just thinking through her decisions. I'm hoping it will get better as the series goes on, but this book did not do her justice.

Cover: I love the series' covers. The intricate designs and dark hues truly make the reader grab the atmosphere of what House of Night is like. Plus, they do an amazing job with getting the models to look like the actual characters.

Overall Rating: I'm giving this book a two out of four. I couldn't get into it and was questioning almost every action Zoey or someone else made. I wish I could get into this series, but after this book, I don't think I can continue. The Casts do an amazing job with their descriptions and writing, but it wasn't enough to keep me drawn in.

Peace and Fangs,

Alisha

Review: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
 
Review
Plot: I've heard so much about this book and with the movie fast approaching, I decided I would give this a try. At first, when I started to read it, I didn't understand hype or anything. I was intrigued by what became of North America and how even though it is in the future, it doesn't seem like it by District Twelve. However, you start to understand why they don't have much cable or even water sometimes. The government controls everything and that is where the Games come into play, to make sure everyone stays in line. Once Katniss came forward in place of her sister, the ball started to roll...including with Peeta. It wasn't until we met Cinna where I started to get emotionally involved with the book. He observes Katniss and expresses her personality through her wardrobe and the outfits she describes sound so extravagant and glamorous that I can not wait to see what they look like in the film. As the Games start, I was clenching my teeth and hoping for the best for Katniss. While reading it, you are completely engrossed in the Games and start choosing the characters you like and which ones you could do without. And, Collins, is not shy not tell the details of someones death or the wounds on opponents. I could see myself cheering when Katniss avoided death or finally found water! The plot is centered around the Games, but you can see that there is more to come after the Games, including Katniss' rebellious moments.
 
Characters: Katniss - I was very wary of her when I started to read the book. She was a very closed off character and didn't acknowledge her emotions, which I had seen before. But, it was so hard for me not to love her. She had a hard life and was the bread winner of the family. Plus, she went in the place of her sister, so that gave a million check marks by her name for me.
Peeta - Peeta is very funny and a relief compared to the constant high stakes emotions Katniss has. However, I can not see him as a good fit for Katniss. He says the cutest things sometimes, but when it came to the action and helping Katniss, he fell flat. It was hard to see him just stand by while Katniss kicked butt and helped them survive. I'm all for girl power, but Peeta seemed to just keep getting hurt.
 
Cover: I love the Mockingjay pin. The description of them seemed to fit Katniss and her journey. But, I liked it mostly because it signified her district and that she was representing a group of people who are looked upon as weak.
 
Overall Rating: I am giving this book a three out of four. The plot is definitely enticing and I am even more excited for this series, but it had a slow start. It seemed to take forever for just Katniss to get to the Capitol. The book, however, is an amazing read and this is a great book to read if you're into dystopia and action. Plus, it has the romance that us love addicts want.

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha

Review: Interview with a Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles #1) by Anne Rice

Synopsis: Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force–a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write. Source

Review
Plot: I would have taken the synopsis from GoodReads, but that was way too long for a review. But, I have to say that I can see why Anne Rice is the unofficial goddess of vampire lit. This book had all the elements of an amazing vampire book and more. I absolutely loved the plot of the book. There wasn't a certain storyline to the book other than a vampire's recount of his vampire life. I've never actually read about a vampire's life. You just see a certain part of it and maybe they might recount a small touch of it, but never their whole life. I loved how it was a recollection, but it felt like you were really there with Louis. I could imagine Louis and Claudia sleeping in his coffin and Lestat teaching Claudia how to feed. Rice was amazing with descriptions. Sometimes, it was a little overwhelming when I would spend a few paragraphs reading what a cottage would look like, but I did love how it was descriptive enough to actually have me visualize the setting. The characters were clear in my mind and were so real, I wished that I could interview Louis.

Characters: Louis-Oh, Louis, how I love thee! He is the epitome of a tortured soul. Everything he has gone through and his greatest struggles happened centuries ago, yet he still mourns them. He was such an amazing character to have be the vampire that I'm glad he had his point of view written instead of third person.
Lestat-I have a love-hate relationship with Lestat. He is what you generally think of when you think of vampires. Lestat is so charismatic and evil at the same time. However, I did love how Louis could see that Lestat did not want to be alone and that Lestat still sort of love his father. I can't wait to see his point of view in the next book.
Claudia-Claudia was a unique character. I never read about an immortal child. I didn't realize how curious I was to see how an immortal child would turn out. Rice was amazing the way she created Claudia. We see her go from an innocent five year old to an 60 year old girl (still looking 5 years old). She sounds like a woman and her actions are very deviant. I loved her and Louis though, they were so great together, father-daughter wise. Louis still adores her even then in the interview.

Cover: I have the The Vampire Chronicles big book, it has the first three books (Interview with a Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned). So,there isn't much to the cover except for the gold background and a fence on the front. The font is a beautiful ancient look and is the color of blood red.

Overall Rating: I give this four out of four. It is a beautiful book and I recommend this to anyone, whether you adore romance, vampires, action, Western, comedy, classics, etc. Read it! It is something I think anyone should read. It is a one in a billion kind of book, you won't find nothing like it. So, please give it a try!

Peace and Fangs,
Alisha

2011 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge

This is my second challenge I will be entering, it is a challenge dedicated to helping you get through that tall "To Be Read" pile we all desperately need to shorten (especially me). The challenge is represented by Roof Beam Reader and it is held for 12 months for you to read 12 books in your TBR pile. The books have to be published before 1/1/10.

Here is my list for the challenge:

1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
2. Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
3. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
4. Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
5. Willow by Julia Hoban
6. Nightlight: A Parody by The Harvard Lampoon
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
8. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson
9. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson
10. Betrayal by P.C. Cast
11. Chosen by P.C. Cast
12. Untamed by P.C. Cast

Peace and Fangs,

Alisha