Origins (#2 The Vedeine Saga) by Ashley Strachan

Rating: 9/10

  

Summary: Amelia Powell is heartbroken after the plane transporting her grandparent’s back home crashes and kills them instantly. After witnessing this she is even more shocked to learn her mother died during childbirth. While Christopher and Marius are taking care of her, her husband Robert calls her a slut and runs away. After working through some tough times, Amelia finds out that her sister is having trouble at home. She picks up her sister from Canada and moves her to Portland with her and Christopher.  While things are still complicated a new threat is discovered against the Vedeines; Angels are teaming up to eliminate them. Although just as she has given up on love, she meets Kaius. Will she pick love or survival of her species?

                                              

My thoughts: This book was even better than the last. I really felt for Amelia through her initial struggle. Loosing 3 people you cared for at once is extremely hard and her reaction was exactly how I would picture myself reacting. I could not for the life of me, understand why Robert acted the way he was, after saying you would stick with your partner through thick and thin, sickness and health. One day later he calls her a slut and runs away? Wow what a jerk. I definitely began hating him with a passion. Although I was secretly happy he was going to have a smaller role in the novel, his character I found was annoying and too childish.

As the title of the book announces, the story gives you some good background information on Vedeines; who they are, where they came from, why they can do certain things, and why they are being threatened. This was definitely necessary in understanding the threat that is now plaguing their species, and is a great set up for the upcoming two novels.

The story progressed nicely and had its own twist to it that separated it from the first. Many of them were unexpected and twisted the plot line in a new direction. Ashley had a few similar twists in her first novel, and with even more in the second, I was even more pleased. As I had mentioned in the last review, I absolutely love being surprised, and when an author can provide that in their writing, my appreciation of them grows threefold.

My only small problem with the storyline is the love triangle. So many stories out there are adding this in their novels and I feel it is being a little overplayed now. Most Vedeines do not find their soul mate for decades and centuries, yet within a few months she has found 3 men who are all her soul mates?? Wait, did I say 3? Yup! We have Robert, Marius and Kaius.  Personally, that is a little unbelievable, maybe it wouldn’t be if the story was played out over a few centuries.

I still recommend to all you YA paranormal fans out there to pick up this series and give it a go. Revelations, the third in the series is now expected to come out in early 2013, and the fourth, Judgement, is expected around mid 2013. 

Quote p.104: “‘It’s not like that, though,’ she explained, ‘it isn’t hunger or even rage. It’s almost like a… like a feeling of doom and bitter cold.’

Nodding his head, Christopher let out a slow breath. ‘Keep your mind open then and see what you can find. Let me know if you experience anything similar to… well, like you felt this morning, alright?’ He placed a hand on her back as she stepped off the wall”

River of Ruin by Jack DuBrul

Rating: 7/10

Summary:  The book focuses around Philip Mercer: a geologist who near the beginning of the book buys a rare diary about the creation of the Panama canal. Immediately after the auction, the action begins and Mercer and a few other characters find themselves constantly in trouble and on the run from Chinese assassins who are trying to get the book in order to advance their plan to change the world’s balance of power. 

My thoughts: This book was okay, I enjoyed the action, however, as most action books the good guys always seem to do better then the expert military groups, where after the third impossible victory you are left with the feeling of.. “Right…. everybody is superman saving the day.”  All in all, if you like action this book is still worth the read.

As much as the author did a great job weaving the characters individual stories within the plot, and the constant action throughout the book, I was slightly disappointed, usually after taking a break from reading my mind starts going crazy thinking about what could happen next, how I think the book will end, and so on and so forth. This book, however, did not provide me with hours of speculations which was slightly disappointing.

Even though, if you are an action-adventure book junkie, and you haven’t read this one, I do recommend it.

Quote p.190: “The Surreal game of cat and mouse was played amid the folds of the earth and the rain-laden clouds of the tropical storm, two areas any sane pilot would avoid. Instead Carlson flew deeper into both, dogged by the Gazelle. Fifteen minutes further into the chase, with the canal another ten minutes away, submachine-gun fire was added to the equation.”

In Full Bloom – Caroline Hwang

Rating: 6.5/10

Summary:  The story revolves around Ginger a Korean-American working at a fashion magazine. Right at the beginning, with barely any chance to take a breath, Ginger’s mother arrives in town to find her a Korean husband. Wanting only to further her career, she finally agrees to allow her mother to find her someone suitable.

As the story evolves, so does Ginger, trying to understand being a Korean, born and raised in America, and its challenges within the family infrastructure. Not only are we taken for a ride in her personal and family life, we are equally immersed in her daily tasks at the fashion magazine.

My thoughts: Definitely a girly book, great for a summer read or to bring along on a vacation. When you need is a small glimmer of fashion, love (or lack of) and comedy.

The author adds more than enough comedy to keep the book light and interesting, and on your toes wondering what Ginger will decide at the end.

Quote p.214: “ – “It wasn’t a mistake,” I said to reassure her, wanting to stamp it in her brain that it would never be a mistake. Maybe I was reacting like a child, but my pact, my resolve, depended upon her being single too. “I would still be the way I am – except I’d probably like Korean men less.”

My mother jerked up. “You don’t like Korean men?”

I swallowed hard. In all of the morning’s deep reflecting, I hadn’t come to terms with that.

Devoted (#2 in the Elixir series) by Hilary Duff

Rating: 5/10

Summary:  Clea Raymond, is back for the sequel, we see a more depressed and emo side of her as her soul mate sage has been kidnapped. Through her efforts trying to find Sage, she meets a ghostlike family who is in part affected by the Elixir. With the help of the youngest “ghost” Clea turns to Cursed Vengeance, a group intent on destroying the Elixir to release the curse affecting them.  (This is as much as I will describe since the rest will tell you too much.)

My thoughts: This one is a little hard for me to rate, I did enjoy Elixir, and definitely enjoyed Devoted, however I was disappointed with the turn the story took. While Hilary Duff’s writing and creativity definitely shines in this book and has greatly improved, I was completely disappointed that her search for her father which was the main focus of Elixir, completely took the back burner in this novel, as she is utterly devoted to finding Sage. As much as I understand the need for romance and wanting her soul mate, this neglected thread in the story really affected my final opinion of the book. I was also a little annoyed that Clea became depressed and obsessed about Sage, it reminded me a little too much about the 500 pages of Bella (Twilight series) constant whining.  On a more positive note; the addition of the new characters, such as Amelia’s family and Cursed Vengeance created a more complex universe affected by the Elixir and offered the reader more options to relate to characters and feel for them. The end was slightly disappointing, but in a good way, as it finishes with a slight cliff-hanger (if cliff-hanger is the term to use) for the third book which will follow.   

While my rating is low on this book for many reasons, I still enjoyed the series so far and will read the third when it comes out.

 Quote p.222: “He knew me so well. Even better than Sage, in some ways. He knew details—like my favorite brand of energy bar, my favorite tea, my favorite place to sit on an airplane, and a million other favorites. They were the kinds of things anyone who spent enough time around me would know, if they cared enough to pay attention, and Ben had. Sage wouldn’t know any of those details, but he knew me. He knew my darkest places and deepest flaws, and he loved me not despite them but for them.”

Elixir Series:

1. Elixir

2. Devoted

Elixir (#1 in the Elixir series) by Hilary Duff

Rating: 5/10

Summary:  Clea Raymond, famous due to her parents is an avid photographer. After her fathers mysterious disappearance she begins to notice an eerie figure of a young man in every single one of her pictures. A man she has never met before.  Fate soon entwines their lives together and an intense bond is immediately felt between them. Together and with the help of her trusted friend, Ben, they try to solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance and understand the bond between each other.

My thoughts: Although many have strong negative feelings about this book, it roughly seems to revolve around 2 main ideas. One; they don’t like it because Hilary Duff is the author, Two; they believe it to be too similar to the Evermore series by Allison Noel.  I am neither a fan nor a hater of Hilary Duff and have yet to read the Evermore series (I do plan to someday).  But think of it, aren’t most paranormal YA books following the same structure; A love triangle, an immortal, and soul mates? This combo tends to make for good reading; therefore many, many, many authors will continue to write books around those themes. This book is not horrible! Let me repeat this, Not Horrible! So stop people can stop their whining. The beginning of the book was a little choppy and definitely had the feel of an author’s first book, with the progression of the book, the writing improved and the story became more realistic and easier to follow. The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading and considering I finished her book within two days, it kept me captivated.

One thing that could have used improvement was the characters description. I feel like I know more about the secondary characters than the main character.  All in all, for an author’s first book, it’s a good start.

Quote p.228: “Fine, I know, you don’t like that word. But you can’t possibly deny that you have a deep, powerful soul connection. By definition you have that. You said yourself, he found you in four different countries and four different times. Out of all the people in the world at any given time, he found you. The only possible way he could have done that is if your souls were connected. He’s a soul-seeking missile.”

Elixir Series:

1. Elixir

2. Devoted

Divided Souls (#3 Darke Academy) by Gabriella Poole

Rating: 9/10

Summary: Cassie Bell attends her third semester at Darke Academy, who once again moved to an exotic location. From its first semester in Paris, to New York and now Istanbul, the scenery may be different but the dark secrets and the smell of death only follow the academy wherever it goes. With a more romantic twist mixed in this semester, Cassie continues to struggle between friends, the Few, and romance, without forgetting to watch her back with every move as a killer is ticking off the Few one by one.

My thoughts: The third book involved a more romantic side for both Cassie and Isabelle. I often feel like authors add in romantic scenes and storylines to fill more pages, however, Gabriella Poole wove the romantic threads so well that without them, the story would not have made much sense. Also, unlike many love triangles, I often choose one over the other for who I prefer, in this book I would jump from one to the other just to go back and root for the first one again.

As a series, I must admit this is one of the best series I have read in a long time. It was captivating, well written and different from many other YA novels out there.

Quote p.214: “Cassie knew how much Isabella loved Jake. She knew her friend’s ferocious, burning loyalty, and how violently she defended those she loved; it was just that she’d never been on the receiving end before.

But there was more. Isabella was hiding something.’’

Darke Academy series:

1. Secret Lives

2. Blood Ties

3. Divided Souls

Blood Ties (#2 Darke Academy) by Gabriella Poole

Rating: 9/10

Summary:  In the sequel, Cassie Bell returns to Darke Academy for her second term, now located in New York. She is no longer the innocent scholarship girl but one of the Few. She is strong, important, and very dangerous as she is the host to an extremely powerful spirit that needs constant feeding. Throughout the term she must decide whether she will save her friends which will ultimately destroy her, or vice versa.

My thoughts: This sequel is much darker than the last. With Cassie a member of the Few and host to a very malevolent spirit, we see her struggle to maintain herself and not let the spirit rule her body. It was refreshing to see the main character struggle with difficult emotions yet not appear whinny. I really felt for the character and kept wishing her the best. On the other hand, I was a little disappointed with the turn Isabelle took since she allowed Cassie to feed off of her quickly with no questions and not outweighing the consequences. To me she was just unnaturally over trustworthy.   

The characters where once again very well developed, and the change in city’s which the school does with every term does in no way hinder the flow of the story.

 Quote p.202: “‘No!’ Cassie scrambled back, pressing herself between the bed and the nightstand, and raised her hand, palm outward, to keep her friend at bay. ‘No, Isabella, don’t! I’m – I think I need to feed.’ Isabella hesitated, blinking at Cassie’s outstretched palm. Then she clasped it, hauling Cassie to her feet and gripping her shoulders.”

Darke Academy series:

1. Secret Lives

2. Blood Ties

3. Divided Souls

Secret Lives (#1 Darke Academy) by Gabriella Poole

Rating: 9/10

Summary:  Cassie Bell, is a regular girl chosen to attend a very prestigious and mysterious school that moves to a new city around the world every term. Unlike the rich that attend the school, Cassie is given a scholarship. She finds herself in Paris for the first term at this elite school. While she has a hard time fitting in, her roommate, Isabella, does everything possible to make her feel included and comfortable. Throughout the semester, she discovers that Darke Academy is more than just a school; it holds a dark and dangerous secret. Knowledge is power, however it can also be a curse, and Cassie has discovered a little too much about the secrets the Few are guarding.

My thoughts: With a slow start, this book still had the makings for a great story, after pushing through for about a third of it, I was pleased to see the story evolve and be a truly interesting read. Gabriella Poole has created a unique way of incorporating the real world with a little bit of fantasy, with a twist. Unlike the thousand vampire novels out there (don’t get me wrong, I do love myself some vampire books) this one was very unique with a well built plot with twists and turns as I haven’t seen in awhile.  Book 1 of 3, this is definitely a series that kept me enthralled and enjoying every moment of it.

Quote p.61: “Cassie studied him. So this was the legendary founder of the Darke Academy? The portrait was a modern one, his angular face defined in deceptively casual brushstrokes. His eyes burned with vivid intelligence, their colours melding into grey but glinting like mica in granite. His silver-streaked dark hair grew in a perfect widow’s peak, one stray strand of it curving down his forehead like a thin blade. He had been painted at his desk, a book open beneath his hand, and he was watching the artist with an expression of cold, probing curiosity. Cassie felt he was looking straight into her brain and soul.”

Darke Academy series:

1. Secret Lives

2. Blood Ties

3. Divided Souls

Mockingjay (#3 The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins

Rating: 9/10

Summary: After Katniss is rescued by District 13, she finally agrees becomes the “Mockingjay” symbol after she is rescued from District 13. However idolized as she is, she has not forgotten about the other victors who helped her along the way and asks the president of District 13 for their immunity in exchange for being the symbol.  Peeta, who is captured and brainwashed by the Capitol, creates yet one more problem for Katniss and the Rebellion. Nonetheless, the rebels work together to regain the districts control.  Upon their arrival at the Capital, their plans go wrong and Katniss must once again choose between some of the hardest choices she has ever been faced with.

My thoughts: The third in the series, definitely took a different spin by staying away from the Hunger Games and focusing on the resulting war caused by the rebellion. This book was my least favourite of the three. I found most of the scenes forgettable.  I did enjoy the evolution of the rebellion and the message in which the symbol of the mockingjay continues to reinforce the population and remains the image of hope.

Please don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed this book, and consider it amongst some of my favourites, I just preferred the first two.

Quote p.236: “Several sets of arms would embrace me. But in the end, the only person I truly want to comfort me is Haymitch, because he loves Peeta, too. I reach out for him and say something like his name and he’s there, holding me and patting my back. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay, sweetheart.” He sits me on a length of broken marble pillar and keeps an arm around me while I sob.”

The Hunger Games series:

1. The Hunger Games

2. Catching Fire

3. Mockingjay

Catching Fire (#2 The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins

Rating: 10/10

**Spoiler Alert** Please read book 1; The Hunger Games, before reading on. 

Summary: After Katniss is back from the Hunger Games, she quickly learns that uprisings and rebellions have started in many of the districts. Many of the districts see her as the symbol to the rebellion, however, with this year upcoming Hunger games being the 75^th, the Capitol has an idea that to turn things into their favour. They host the Quarter Quell, where old victors from each district must go back once again to fight. Being the only girl victor, Katniss is automatically chosen. Alliances are formed with a few of the old victors, who are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to save Katniss.

My thoughts: Amazing sequel, the description of the arena, although different from the last is very well constructed. The characters have been extremely well developed, and Katniss’s character has lost little of her personality since the last book.

Having adored the first book, I could not possibly phantom how this author could keep this story captivating without repeating everything from the first book. To my surprise, Suzanne Collins is an amazing author capable of great things. Not only did she manage a way for them to re-enter the Hunger Games, but made the rebellion, which started at the end of the first book, remain the priority of the sequel.

Again I know this is a book review, however, I must mention the movie. While not released yet, I am once more petrified that the movie will not hold justice to the book. Gary Ross, the director to The Hunger Games, did a terrific job in keeping the movie as accurate and generating the right emotions at the right times. However, I do not know Francis Lawrence, the new director for the sequel, and can only hope that he will do just as well as his predecessor. 

Quote p.375: “My prep team. My foolish, shallow, affectionate pets, with their obsessions with feathers and parties, nearly break my heart with their good-bye. It’s certain from Venia’s last words that we all know I won’t be returning. Does the whole world know it? I wonder. I look at Cinna. He knows, certainly. But as he promised, there’s no danger of tears from him.”

The Hunger Games series:

1. The Hunger Games

2. Catching Fire

3. Mockingjay

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

Rating: 10/10

Summary: Katniss Everdeen is a 16 year old who lives in district 12 of Panem, governed by the Capitol. Each year, the Capital hosts The Hunger Games, a televised battle in an arena where 26 contestants fights for their lives and only one makes it out alive. Each district is to send two contestants, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 to 18 who are chosen as part of a lottery; however one may volunteer himself for this dreadful position. Katniss is the only one in the history of district 12 to volunteer her self.

My thoughts: One of the best books I have read in a long time. This story portrays the world of child soldiers, who are raised and trained to fight, although the author blended this idea with the idea of a reality TV show. Part of our world still train children as soldiers and force them to fight for a cause they have yet to understand. The portrayal of the districts having no choice but to choose two contestants every year, shows the greediness and power of those in charge and how little the people affected by them can do about it all.  Not only has she toyed with this idea, Suzanne Collins, incorporated the idea of Reality TV shows, a form of entertainment our generation is so mesmerized by. Big Brother is watching!! By blending these two aspects together and weaving a story of courage and determination while staying true to your self, the author created a series that is both compelling, eye opening and very captivating.

I know this is a book review; however I must also mention the movie which recently came out. I must admit, I was extremely scared when I heard this movie was to be the next Twilight (don’t get me wrong, Twilight was interesting and true to the book), I was petrified that producers would turn it into a lovey dovey and fight for your honour movie and forget to include the horror and negative aspects this story is meant to portray.  Having loved the book so much, I knew I would never be satisfied until I saw the movie. I was definitely pleased with it, and feel that the producers did a wonderful job portraying the right emotions at the right time. Still, I would recommend reading the book, although for those you know who don’t read, the movie still holds a strong message and is worth seeing.

Quote p.281: “For a moment, the cameras hold on Peeta’s downcast eyes as what he says sinks in. Then I can see my face, mouth half open in a mix of surprise and protest, magnified on every screen as I realize, Me! He means me! I press my lips together and stare at the floor, hoping this will conceal the emotions starting to boil up inside of me.”

The Hunger Games series:

1. The Hunger Games

2. Catching Fire

3. Mockingjay

Also a movie!   

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Rating: 8/10

Summary: Sally and Gillian Owens are two sisters who chose opposite ways of escaping their childhood. Brought up by their aunts in a house where superstition, premonitions and a hint of magic surrounds them, in their adulthood, both of them, in their own way, run away and get married.  When Sally’s two daughter’s reach the teenage years, Gillian shows up with a problem she believes only her sister can help with. Things then escalate and turn everyone’s world upside down.                                            

My thoughts: What a wonderful book. The author has an amazing talent to wrap up an entire childhood, adulthood and its children into 50 pages while not loosing the reader’s interest and understanding. After giving us the background information of their childhood, the book leads you into the second part. This section gets a little more intense as you see the consequences of the decisions made and how they impact every member of the family.

As much as this book is on my recommendations list, I did find the second part slightly more annoying as it jumped from character to character. I feel like the narration of the book was not precise enough and could have used some more work.

Quote p.27: “Sally nodded. She could not begin to express how deeply she felt about this matter, since being like everyone else was her personal heart’s desire. At night Sally dreamed of ranch houses and white picket fences, and when she woke in the morning and looked out to see the black metal spikes that surrounded them, tears formed in her eyes. Other girls, she knew, washed with bars of Ivory and sweet-scented Camay; while she and Gillian were forced to use the black soap the aunts made twice a year, on the back burner of their stove.”

Also out as a movie :) 

Hidden by Kelley Armstrong

Rating: 10/10

A Novella about the characters of the Otherworld series. ** I would only read if you have read the series, as this portrays characters that are only met near the end.

Summary: Clay and Elena spend Christmas with their 4 year old twins in a small cottage in Canada. The kids have yet to know that there parents are werewolves. When a mutt comes by the house to introduce him self, the parents call in members of their pack and start investigating the mutts in town.                                             

My thoughts: I was super excited when I noticed this novella was finally available on ebook format, considering the novella itself was limited edition.  This story definitely did justice to my patient waiting. I devoured it! It was a wonderfully constructed short story. I was pleased at how many characters the author was able to include within the story.

If you are a Kelley Armstrong fan, and have read the Otherworld series, I would definitely recommend reading this novella, however if you haven’t read the series I would recommend reading it in its entirety. You may still find this short enjoyable without doing so although the story has very little character descriptions as the reader would probably know it already. There are a few pictures throughout that will give you an idea. I loved the pictures; since I spent many books with my own built up image of the characters the pictures did complete justice.

Quote p.112: “Logan gave me that look that has me convinced he’s a fourteen-year-old trapped in a four-year-old’s body. “We know not to go in the woods, Mamma. Kate’s just looking. I’m watching her. It seems…” He gazed wistfully into the forest’s dark depths. “Nice.””

The Host by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 6/10

Summary: An inner battle of wits between Melanie Stryder and the alien “soul” that has taken possession of her body. The soul’s name is Wanderer, and it has already lived on 8 other planets. These souls invade the human body and erase the original host. However Melanie has not been completely erased and fights for her life to remain a part of her body and find other humans who are still free of the aliens.                                          

My thoughts: This was an interesting book, the idea and concept behind it was very sci-fi and was refreshing to see a paranormal book that did not involve creatures, witches or vampires.

The first third of the book was however a little hard to get through. After wanting to give up a few times, I forced myself to continue and was pleased to see the turn of events. The inner debate between the human and the invading soul is well constructed and very realistic.

Now I wouldn’t have ever expected this book to be turned into a movie, but what can you expect when the author is Stephanie Meyer, the one who created Twilight. Of course from now on, they will probably recreate any book she ever writes into a movie.  Well if you care, the movie is expected to come out March 29 2013. Considering the majority of the book is based within Melanie’s mind, I am very curious how they plan of making this movie interesting.

Quote p.474: “Vultures, we call them here, though more for their personalities than for their looks. They were… not kind. Then we discovered that we could bond with them just as we had with our original hosts. Once we controlled them, we made use of their technology. We took their planet first, and then followed them to the Dragon Planet and the Summer World–lovely places where the Vultures had also not been kind. We started colonizing; our hosts reproduced so much slower than we did, and their life spans were short. We began exploring farther into the universe.…” ”

New Moon (#2 Twilight series) by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 8/10

Summary: Bella is living some of her darkest moments. After getting a paper cut during her birthday which sent Jasper into a crazy uproar, Edward is now convinced the best way to protect Bella is for his family to move away from Forks and Bella.

Jacob, eases Bella’s pain by being a friend and keeping her busy and out of trouble. However, Bella’s depression grows more strongly with every minute. After Jacob grows distant from her, Bella realises that Jacob is a werewolf. During one of Bella’s stunts, Alice’s vision shows a portion of the truth that leads Edward to believe that she is dead.                                            

My thoughts: The story for this one was good and dark, however, at times I was getting a little annoyed to read her depressed state and her constant inner crying about how in love she was.  

The development of the characters where nicely done, and you could see the progression of Bella’s depression grow with every page. As for Jacob, I really liked his progression, being in love with Bella himself, yet knowing that she cannot reciprocate. He tries really hard to stay a good friend and slowly turn her towards him.  After learning he is a werewolf, it was nice to see him distance himself away from her, and how he too wants to protect her and not hurt her. 

This book is definitely a lot darker than its previous one and its writing has also greatly improved. She seems to have found a style of writing that is more descriptive and dark than the previous one that had a more faerie like appeal to it.

Quote p.112: “I drifted in and out of alertness. I heard Charlie whisper thanks to the volunteers as, one by one, they left. I felt his fingers on my forehead, and then the weight of another blanket. The phone rang a few times, and he hurried to catch it before it could wake me. He muttered reassurances in a low voice to the callers.”

Twilight series:

1. Twilight

2. New Moon

3. Eclipse

4. Breaking Dawn

Twilight (#1 Twilight series) by Stephanie Meyer

Rating: 8/10

Summary: Isabella (Bella) Swan, moves to Forks with her dad and falls in love with a very secretive boy, Edward Cullen, a 104 year old vampire. But when another clan of vampires visit the town, will Edward be able to protect Bella.                                           

My thoughts: I have to begin by explaining the back-story of how I came to read this book. I had heard a lot about the series. Having seen one of her books at the grocery store on special, I proceeded to buy it and read it. I could not understand why people liked it as much as they did; I was confused about the characters and the plot. Finally after finishing the first section, I put the book aside and decided that I could not continue to read this.  My friend showed up one morning before work and saw my copy of Breaking Dawn. She exclaimed!! “OH the fourth book of the series!!! Can I borrow it?” And that’s when I realised why this book made no sense to me.  Now, having started the book from the beginning my thoughts on this have changed.

I found the book to be very interesting and completely compelling. The idea of vampires hiding themselves amongst are world and trying to be as human as possible, is a romantic notion that seems to please the hearts of many young girls.

The characters were pretty good and I enjoyed the contrast between Edward and Jacob. You can sense that Jacob likes Bella, and the jealousy emanating from Edward.

I also enjoyed the addition of James, who after meeting Bella and see the protective stance of Edward, hunts Bella as a sport. This was a nice little twist to see the reaction of Edward, and what he would do for Bella.

Be aware, that the writing is still very simple and the author has not yet found her definite style of writing yet. The writing is however, still enjoyable.

Quote p.234: “I sat quietly, dazed, my thoughts incoherent. My hands were folded in my lap, and I was leaning weakly against the back of the seat. He still had his face in his hand, and he was as still as if he’d been carved from the stone his skin resembled. Finally he looked up, his eyes seeking mine, full of his own questions.”

Twilight series:

1. Twilight

2. New Moon

3. Eclipse

4. Breaking Dawn

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (#5 Harry Potter) by J.K. Rowling

Rating: 8/10

Summary: Harry Potter is back for his fifth year at Hogwarts. Things drastically changes this year as Dumbledore is suspended and the ministry of magic takes over the school. Professor Umbridge creates thousands of rules that forbid almost everything. However, Harry and his friends are determined to learn how to protect themselves from the ever growing attacks from Voldemort’s followers.

My thoughts: Not my favourite book of all. I did enjoy the secret group Harry creates to help his fellow classmates learn and the darker spin she takes in this book was good as it progresses the book forward with Harry’s maturity.

I did not particularly like the character of Professor Umbridge, I found it very annoying reading about her. Although I know she is supposed to be hated, I feel that her character was only half constructed as if JK Rowling was in a hurry to finish the book.  I also found that this story, compared to the previous ones had a plot that kept fishtailing to smaller plots that seemed unimportant to the grander scheme of things and just dragged this book along.

Quote p.230: “Harry walked triumphantly to Defense Against the Dark Arts with Ron and Hermione, each looking forward to their Animagus lessons. The class started going by quickly, with everyone finishing up perfecting their shield spells. By the middle of class, Harry could produce a shield that deflected all the hexes that Mrs. Figg tested on them. Once each of them had been tested and passed, she made an announcement.”

Harry Potter series:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers (Philosopher) Stone

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows