Review: Split Second by Kasie West

Split Second by Kasie West
published by Harpercollins Publisher (HarperTeen) in February 2014

Life can change in a split second.

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too... but not without a price.

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that.

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories... once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her.

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot... and a future that could change everything.

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Series: Pivot Point, Book #2

The Story: Addison Coleman lives in a top secret, paranormal compound where people have advanced mental abilities. Addie's ability is called 'divergence,' a kind of unique clairvoyance specific to herself. When faced with a choice, Addie can do a 'search' and see the two possible outcomes. In Pivot Point, after her parents' divorce announcement, Addie did a search to decide whether to live with her mother and stay at the compound or follow her father and live in the Norm world. In the end, she chose the former and asked her best friend Laila, who is a Memory Eraser, to erase her memories of the search.

When Split Second starts, the events that Addie had seen during her search has unfolded. Addie can hardly believe this was the future she chose. Her boyfriend Duke turned out to be a jerk, dating her only so he could make use of her ability to find out which path he should choose to further his football career. Her best friend betrayed her by making out with the jerk boyfriend. The worst though was that Duke was actually a mood controller and altered both Addie and Laila's feelings to make them fall for him. Oh and they almost all died at the hand of one of their classmates, Bobby, who turned out to be a psychopath.

After everything that has happened, Addie is happy to leave the compound behind and visit her father in the Norm world for the holidays. She needs a break from all the drama... and some distance between her and Laila won't hurt at this moment because even though Laila's betrayal wasn't entirely her fault, it doesn't mean it hurts less. However, this vacation isn't shaping up to be what Addie was expecting. First, Addie is  developing a new ability - to slow time - and has been getting horrible headaches whenever she's using her divergence... She's afraid that her encounter with Bobby has changed something within her. Then, it seems her father, whom she always could count on, has been keeping secrets from her. And of course, there is a boy, Trevor. Addie keeps bumping into him and is attracted to him. However, he's her new friend's ex and it doesn't seem like her new friend is over him... and what would happen if he learned about the compound?

Meanwhile, Laila is back at the compound and anxious at the distance between her and Addie. She's afraid she's losing her best friend. To make up for her betrayal, Laila decides to make one of Addie's wishes a reality: to restore Addie's memories about the search. In order to do this, Laila needs to advance her ability and that means rubbing elbows with some unsavory people. Luckily, one of her classmates, Connor Bradshaw, seems to have elected himself as her protector... but are his motives really pure?

My Opinion: Last year, I read and looooved Pivot Point, so much it was my favorite YA read of 2013. You know how some books just hit the right spots for you, well that was Pivot Point for me :) I was sooo happy to find out there was going to be a sequel! Although frankly, I did not really know what to expect from Split Second at all. How was Addie going to reconnect with Trevor? Would she?! As soon as I got my copy of Split Second, I devoured it to find out... and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised with the direction Ms West took :)

First and foremost, what was so great about Split Second was that it wasn't a repeat of Pivot Point. As much as I loved the concept of Pivot Point, to have a second book all about Addie making a search, seeing two futures unfold and make a choice would simply have been a retread/rehash. Kind of like Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins where you have the feeling of reading the same thing again. Also, there wouldn't have been a storyline to the series ^_^; Instead, Split Second was a real continuation of Pivot Point where Addie had to deal with the consequences of the choice she made even if she was unaware for most of the book. That is in large part what made Split Second so interesting and engaging :) And really, I have to give credit to Ms West for this gutsy move because it's not easy to mess with something you know works! What's more, she turned it into a successful move with her writing, her characters and the story :)

The best change Ms West made to Split Second was adding Laila's POV to the story in my opinion. As Addie's best friend, Laila was an important character in Pivot Point... After all, she's the reason Addie chose the future she did and so, it was nice to get to know Laila better. It was also interesting because really, in almost every aspect, Addie and Laila are complete opposites - different family situation, different personalities, different views on their abilities, etc. As a result, we got contrasting opinions and insights :) I have to say, I wasn't a huge fan of Laila in Pivot Point as I found her too brash... However, getting her POV really changed my opinion of her. I loved her devotion to Addie, how much their friendship meant and mattered to her. Knowing her family background also made me understand her better and I couldn't help but feel for her. I also really enjoyed Laila's romance with Connor. Once again, it was a big contrast with Addie's romance with Trevor. To a certain point, it was a more mature relationship in my opinion because both Laila and Connor had more baggage and they had to deal with it, grow... but it made for a solid relationship and I'm glad that Laila has someone supporting her.

Not surprisingly, I still very much enjoyed Addie and Trevor's characters. In some way, with everything happening, I feel Addie and Trevor got the short end of the stick. I guess because their romance was pretty much the focal point in Pivot Point, it wasn't as developed in Split Second which was unfortunate :( I definitively could have used more scenes of them together... they were just so sweet in Pivot Point! Still, Ms West was able to re-capture their personalities in this book. I felt Addie and Trevor in Split Second were the same characters that I got to know and love in Pivot Point, so I can imagine a lot of sweetness for them in the future :P

What was interesting in Split Second was seeing other characters in a different light such as Stephanie and Duke. It seems that Ms West's message is that a lot depends on what perspective you see them. I have to say, I'm glad that Duke wasn't portrayed has an evil villain. Instead, he was a young man who made poor choices... Hard to like, but not unforgivable. While it was nice to revisit characters, I did also enjoy the new ones Ms West introduced. I mentioned Connor whom I really liked for his maturity and his heart-breaking baggage... I'm also giving two thumbs up to Laila's younger brother, Eli, who was a nice addition the cast in an upbeat fashion :)

While there was a lot to enjoy in Split Second, the book was not perfect. One of my issues was one of the plot lines... the one which created a drift between Addison and her father. I don't want to go too much into details, but I thought that plot line was a bit over the top. I understand the need for it because it added some excitement to the book and it moved the storyline forward at a brisk pace. I even understand the characters' motivation behind it, but I felt that these people pushed it a bit too far. Also, at times, it made the story quite confusing and difficult to follow. Also, I'm not totally sure it was necessary to the book... and if it was, there might have been different alternatives. However, what it showed was that the compound even with its advanced mental abilities wasn't a perfect world which is something important to me. I really liked that Ms West showed that the two worlds were flawed, that none was really better than the other... it made it realistic to me.

According to Ms West's website, this series ends with Split Second :( Unfortunately, I feel there were quite a few loose ends and questions unanswered. It feels like Ms West has written a HEA ending "for now" instead of a permanent one. It's not necessarily a bad thing, because it means Ms West could easily write more books in this series if she chooses to in the future, perhaps with different protagonists... but for a reader like me, I like my books to be wrapped up a bit more neatly. I wish there'd at least been an epilogue...

My Grade: B+. To me, Pivot Point was unique and will probably always hold a special place in my heart :) As a result, I'm not surprised that Split Second didn't measure up because Ms West had set the bar oh-so very high. Still, on its own, Split Second was a very good and enjoyable book with only some minor flaws. I feel had the intrigue been tighter, those flaws would have easily been overlooked. In any case, I really hope Ms West will choose the revisit this series in the future because I sure wouldn't mind reading more about the world and characters she has created :)

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Pivot Point by Kasie West
published by Harpercollins Publisher (HarperTeen) in February 2013

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier...

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through... and who she can’t live without.

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Contemporary
Series: Pivot Point, Book #1

The Story: Addison Coleman lives in a top secret, paranormal compound where people have advanced mental abilities. Around their tween years, each individual starts Presenting with one ability from a wide and varied range: telepath, telekinetic, mood controller, mass manipulator, perceptive, persuasive, etc., which is then nurtured to full potential. While Addie's ability is classified as Clairvoyance, it is actually a lot more specific. Called Divergence, which means extending in different directions from a common point, it allows Addie to see the future - the two possible outcomes when faced with a choice - when she does a Search. And her future is the only one Addie can see.

At the beginning of Pivot Point, Addie's parents announce that they are getting a divorce and Addie must choose with whom she wants to live. The catch is that her father has decided to leave the compound to live among the "Norms" as a FBI agent. Addie is much closer to her father, but does that mean she can leave the life she knows and her best friend Laila behind? In order to make a decision, Addie makes a Search six weeks into the future... But what she is about to learn is that even knowing what the future holds for you, some choices are hard to make... and sometimes, sacrifices are needed.

My Opinion: I was checking out the upcoming releases for Breezing Through's New Releases posts when the cover of Pivot Point caught my attention. Then, once I read the blurb, I knew it was my kind of books :)  I really love books about psychics and ones that deal with time manipulation. Therefore, Pivot Point was definitively on my radar and I am sooooo happy that I picked it up, because Ms West's debut novel turned out to be a winner!! :) Woohoo! LOL.

Needless to say, I loved Pivot Point. I thought it was an excellent book and I enjoyed everything about it - the world building, the characters, the story and particularly the writing. First, I really liked the premise of the book. It's not time traveling per se, but time manipulation and for some reasons, I like that LOL. It's just like Forgotten by Cat Patrick (which I enjoyed a lot, but haven't reviewed - oups ^_^;) where the heroine see the future, but forgets the past. I like that things can change, that they are not stagnant and as such, it just made Pivot Point interesting for me :) I also thought Pivot Point was refreshing, different because it pushed the boundaries of genres. For example, Addie's day-to-day routine was very contemporary; the paranormal compound was well, paranormal; the "time manipulation" aspect would be sci-fi, etc. It seemed to me Ms West had an idea, had a story to tell and she just did. And because she mixed so many elements, it stopped Pivot Point from being usual, stereotypical and made it refreshing :) One of the element that was crucial for that feel was the world building and I really enjoyed it. I liked Ms West's take on the mental abilities. When you think about it, these mental abilities are very akin to psychic abilities... and what Ms West did was take those and put her own spin. I liked what Ms West came up with like the Perceptives which are the ones that can change what you can perceive, usually visual, and etc. It feels like Ms West put a lot of thoughts into it to come up with the abilities and the designations and it really pays off. Also, I liked that the people have control over their abilities - to a certain extent. For example, Addie can do a Search when she wants. And because they have control over their abilities, they can improve it, hone it. Also, advanced mental abilities often translate into advanced technology and it was the case in Pivot Point. I thought it was really cool to have kind of two worlds occurring in parallel. It was like having a present and future worlds going on at the same time :) In the future where Addie chose to live with her dad, she had to get used to turning on lights, to DVD machines and so on. So it was fun and again, unique :)

As I mentioned above, I enjoyed the world building, the characters and the story. So let's talk about the characters and the story :) I actually really loved Addie and I thought she was a great heroine. What I liked most about her is how individualist she was. She was comfortable in her own skin and didn't care what other people thought, said or did. Pivot Point wasn't a story about a heroine finding herself because Addie had already done that. She knew what she liked and who she was. When she started high school in the "Norm" world, she wasn't interested in becoming popular or finding a boyfriend and again, I found that refreshing. The fact that instead, she was looking for a best friend, I think that made her relationship with Trevor ultra-sweet :) As for Trevor, I really liked him as well. I liked that he has moved on. Of course, there was some bitterness over his injury ending any potential career as a quarterback - who wouldn't have any? But it wasn't his whole world, he didn't hang onto it and that showed me how mature Trevor was. A lot more mature than many characters I've seen in sport romances ^_^; He was also very attentive and observant. That scene where he told his mother stuff about Addie, again, very sweet :) All in all, Addie and Trevor made such a cute couple and I loved reading their storyline. I also enjoyed the secondary characters a lot such as Addie's parents and her best friend, Laila. It was nice to have parents that were present and their dynamics with Addie were very interesting. As for the story, it's kind of hard to talk about it without spoiling it, but it was good LOL.

Seriously though, what stands out for me about Pivot Point is how well thought out the book was. Not only the world building, but the storyline as well as the narration. What Ms West did was basically tell two possible outcomes of a same future in one story and not only did she succeed, but she did it seamlessly, with brilliance and without confusion. I mean, I'm not even sure I manage to explain it without confusion here ^_^;, so imagine writing it! LOL. What I also loved about the story Ms West wrote is that these two possible outcomes didn't go into two opposite directions, but instead they inter-crossed. No matter what future Addie would have chosen, they were events that would have happened. True, they would have happened in a different way, but they would still have occurred. For example Addie meeting Trevor, the football match between the two high schools, the prank on Poison, etc. It was really interesting to see how the two possible outcomes unfolded, but also how they actually connected :) Another aspect of Pivot Point that made it stands out was Ms West's writing; I was really impressed by it :) The way Pivot Point is written, Addie's two possible futures are told simultaneously with alternating chapters. Not only was it was clever, but also very effective because Ms West avoided bogging the story down with re-writes of the same scenes in the different futures and the readers were always aware of the timeline. In addition, it kept the story balanced as you had equal numbers of chapters of Addie in the paranormal compound and Addie in the "normal" world. As much as I enjoyed the characters, the world building and the story, there's no doubt in my mind that it's the execution of the book - Ms West's writing and planning - that made this book a winner :)

My one and only complaint about Pivot Point is a small one and that is the rushed ending. Or actually, I should say the climax in one of the possible outcomes. It just felt a little too rushed. The foreshadowing was well done in my opinion, but it just felt that things fell into place a bit too conveniently for the climax to occur. As for the real ending, I was really satisfied. At the end of her Search, Addie had a really tough decision to make. Actually,  not so tough... Which future to choose was obvious, but it wasn't without sacrifices. And I guess that's the message of the book, knowing the future doesn't necessarily make a choice easy. Also, given that Pivot Point is the first book in a series, Ms West has accomplished a rare feat: no cliffhanger!! How awesome is that? LOL.

My Grade: A. It's really been a long time since I've read such a well balanced book where every element was so strong. Pivot Point just worked for me and I  strongly recommend it to everyone! I'm definitively going to re-read it while I wait for the next installment! Really looking forward to it :) Lucky for me though, Ms West has another book scheduled this year, The Distance Between Us, which is a contemporary YA and it should hold me off ;) I'm also very curious to see how she handles another genre :)

Week-End's Minis XVI: Revived by Cat Patrick

Hey everyone! How are you doing? It was great to have a 3-days week-end last week, but ugh, it derailed my blogging mojo! Not that it takes a lot, I know LOL. At least, the good news is my reading finally picked up! Yay! Now, I need to build up my read books pile a little, so I can offer you a choice for the WEM feature :P In the meantime, well it'll still be up to me :) And this week, my pick is Revived by Cat Patrick :) I know, I know, I've been reviewing a lot of YA lately... but what can I say, I got into a YA kick late April, beginning of May :P Hope you enjoy!

By the way, what are the good books you've read recently? :)


Revived by Cat Patrick

published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette) in May 2012

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/contemporary
Series: None

What do you need to know? First, if you were going to skip this book because of the sci-fi element, don't, because while it is present, it is a very small part of the story. In fact, to be truthful, I felt Revived read more like a contemporary YA :)

Basically, Daisy is one of the 21 patients part of a long-term clinical trial for a drug, Revive, which essentially does what its name indicates. As long as the subject doesn't have cancer or a mortal injury such as a broken neck or something lodged in the head, the drug should be able to bring the person back to life. All the candidates for this clinical trial were in the same bus crash, which occurred about ten years ago, and were all re-located along their families and given new identities. Since Daisy was an orphan, she was placed under the custody of agents in the program.

In the subsequent years, Daisy has died four more times - the latest from an allergic reaction to a bee stung. Each time, she and her guardians were re-located and this time around, they end up in Omaha, Nebraska as the Wests. Daisy is looking forward to this fresh start. She realized that as Daisy Appleby, she had isolated herself, not daring to make friend. As Daisy West, she doesn't intend to make the same mistake... and when she meets Audrey McKean on her first day of school, she doesn't let the opportunity pass. Very quickly, Daisy becomes best friend with Audrey and develops a crush on Audrey's older brother, Matt.

Everything is perfect... but it doesn't last very long. Soon, Daisy notices some strange behaviors from Audrey and it doesn't take long till she learns that Audrey is sick - very sick - and doesn't have long to live. For the first time in her life, Daisy realizes how final death is... At the same time, Daisy is starting to get suspicious about the Revive project when she runs into an acquaintance from her previous life and this acquaintance suddenly disappears... and a new case is introduced into the project.

Why this book? I really enjoyed Ms Patrick's debut novel Forgotten (although I have yet to review it ^_^;;). I like her blend of contemporary/sci-fi YA and that's why I picked up Revived :)

What I liked? In Revived, I still enjoyed Ms Patrick's writing very much. Her style is very enjoyable and easy to read, she has a nice voice and I think she blends contemporary and sci-fi very well :) And because there is some sci-fi element in her books, the story is kept away from the high school drama which seems to have become a requirement for my contemporary YA books LOL.

What I liked best in Revived was the contrast between Daisy who have died 5 times without real consequences and therefore, doesn't see death as threatening, and Audrey who will die. It made Daisy really think about the finality of death and I think she will see it differently.

Aside from that, I liked the characters in this book: Daisy, Audrey, Matt and Daisy's father figure, Mason. I also liked her friendship with another candidate, Megan. I liked the "normalcy" of Daisy's life despite being part of such a project. I also enjoyed Daisy's friendship with Audrey and the romance with Matt was sweet. And the ending worked for me :)

Any issues? I enjoyed the contemporary part of Revived, but I didn't think it was enough to make this book really stands out. Technically, that fell onto the sci-fi part of the book, but it wasn't developed enough to meet the expectations. The concept was actually quite interesting and had a lot of potential, but Ms Patrick failed to exploit it. First of all, it should have been more integrated to the story in my opinion. As it is, I felt the contemporary and sci-fi aspects of the book were very separate. In fact, it felt like Daisy had two separate lives: one involving everything about Revive and the other with Audrey and Matt. I think this stemmed from the fact Daisy knew so much about the project, that she was involved. The way Mason raised her, he was very honest and didn't withhold information. As such, Daisy even had access to the project files! In a sense, that's pretty cool for Daisy. However, I think if Revive and the whole project had been more mysterious, it would have worked better for the readers.

Also, everything seemed to be so easy in this book. The way Daisy opened up to Matt and revealed the secrets about Revive. I know she fell in love with him and I know that Matt is trustworthy, but to see her open up so easily... It was just weird. You'd imagine such a project would be more secretive. Also, how she discovered about the new case and uncovered the truth. All she really did was connect the dots, but those dots were in neon colors. This should have been the thrilling, the exciting part of the book, but it failed because it was so straightforward.

The last thing that bothered me about Revived was the villain's pseudo-obsession with Daisy. Why was she a target? Was it because she died so many times and therefore attracted attention? Was it really because she was an orphan? That part still puzzles me.

My Grade? C. I did enjoy Revived, especially the contemporary part of the book. However, truth be told, Revived wasn't as good as Forgotten and it is mainly due to the sci-fi aspect feeling incomplete :( It's unfortunate because I had high expectations for Revived and really wanted to love this book. Still, I'll be picking up Ms Patrick's next book because I did enjoy her writing and I hope she'll continue this style of YA :)

Review: Chimera by Rob Thurman

Seriously feel like my blogging mojo is coming back! I mean, those incubation times are just great :) So, guess what? I have a review up at Breezing Through! Wooohooo! It's Chimera by Rob Thurman which you can find here, and with it, I'm a step closer to catching up on all my reviews :) Hopefully, I'll be able to catch up in the next few weeks :)


Chimera by Rob Thurman
published by New American Library in June 2010

Ten years ago, Stefan Korsak’s younger brother was kidnapped. No one knew who took Lukas, or why. He was simply gone. But not a day has passed that Stefan hasn’t thought about him. As a rising figure in the Russian Mafia, Stefan has finally found him.

But when he rescues Lukas, Stefan must confront a terrible truth – his brother is no longer his brother. He is a killer. Trained, brainwashed, and genetically transformed into a flesh-and-blood machine with only one purpose: assassination. Now those who created him will do anything to reclaim him.

As Stefan grows closer to his brother, he realizes that saving Lukas may be easier than surviving him...

Review: Grimpspace from Ann Aguirre

Lots of buzz about this book, which is why I got it... I had a feeling though about that book and turns out I was right. Sometimes, I should just trust my feeling ^_^; There's also been a lot of mixed reviews, so here I am, adding my two cents :)


Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
published by Berkley in March 2008

By all accounts, Sirantha Jax should have burned out years ago…

As the carrier of a rare gene, Jax has the ability to jump ships through grimspace—a talent which cuts into her life expectancy, but makes her a highly prized navigator for the Corp. But then the ship she’s navigating crash-lands, and she’s accused of killing everyone on board. It’s hard for Jax to defend herself: she has no memory of the crash.

Now imprisoned and the subject of a ruthless interrogation, Jax is on the verge of madness. Then a mysterious man breaks into her cell, offering her freedom—for a price. March needs Jax to help his small band of rogue fighters break the Corp monopoly on interstellar travel—and establish a new breed of jumper.

Jax is only good at one thing—grimspace—and it will eventually kill her. So she may as well have some fun in the meantime…

Genre: romantic sci-fi
Series: The Jax Series, book #1

The Story: The book blurb is a good summary.

My Opinion: This book didn't work for me. I had two problems with it: the heroine and the world building.

Let's start with the lesser problem. The world building. I found that the readers were just propelled in the world and given information as we read; however, it wasn't enough. The world in this book is very complex... it's not just the spaceship/planets, but also lots of different races and the politics... and I felt lost. I was trying to figure it out, imagine it and I just couldn't. Same thing about background information. For example, the hero, March... what is he? Is there more like him? What's all his motives? I find we were given just the strict minimum. Perhaps it's because this story is a series and those issues will be addressed later...

Biggest problem for me? The heroine, Sirantha Jax. Sorry, but I didn't like her. My favorite kind of characters are the ones that are selfless, that will sacrifice themselves for others. It wasn't the case with Jax. I'm not saying that she's selfish... but she's not selfless either. Some thought it made her more human and real, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like how she was sleeping with her pilots when she's still married. Okay, she's not in love with her husband anymore and it's been years she hasn't seen him. How hard is it then to just ask for a divorce or something? I didn't like that there was little camaraderie and loyalty between her and the rest of the crew. I understand why... it's not like they wanted her on board, but still... little efforts were made. I didn't like how she thought of abandoning March. Least you can do is check whether he really is dead or not. I know that she has her own demons and she just lost her pilot and etc. Still, the way she acted, I wouldn't want to have her own my team.

Aside from that, *sigh* the romance didn't work too well for me. I can't see when they'd feel attracted or could fall in love with each other. As for the story, it was okay... except for the last part. I thought the bounty hunter was unnecessary and the hostage situation, ridiculous. Especially the way it ended. I'm wondering whether or not there'll be repercussions on March. I sure hope so, because otherwise, it doesn't make any sense.

Any positive? Lots of action. The 1st POV didn't bother me, neither did the present tense. Writing style is okay. The whole storyline, it was okay, but a bit cliche...

My Grade: D. I originally graded it as a C+, but now that I'm writing the review... I see little that I liked ^_^; so I'm down-grading it.

Week-end reads

Hey everyone :D

So how was your week-end? must have been busy or relaxing, since blogland was real quiet :P My parents woke me up at 7am on Saturday, so we could go line up at Costco to change our tires (ugh - you know, I really don't care whether I'm driving with winter or summer tires at that hour)... however, afterwards, didn't do much except reading. However, either I'm coming down with the reading slump syndrome (god, I wish not!) or all the books I've read were meh to bad ^^; So here we go with some quick reviews:

The Dare by Susan Kearney: 2/5

I really had a hard time getting into this book and finally, I decided it wasn't worth it and so, I skimmed through the ending...

Dora is a sentient computer who wants to become human in order to have sex with Zical, the only human being she found special among a billions. Dora gets her wish (as in, she becomes human), but adapting to life is not as easy as she thought...

And that about sums up the book. I don't know, after reading the blurb on the back of the book, I was really interested... but once I start reading it, it just lost me. Perhaps because this is the second book and I'm missing info on the world building. It just confused me a lot. Also, dare I say it's pretty stupid for a computer to become human simply because she wants to experience love-making?!? I mean, if she wanted to become human because she was in love, that would have been more interesting... in this case, she's so dense (so much like a real human) that she doesn't realize that she's in love with the guy. Euh, hello!!!! As for Zical, well he's well bleh... Didn't really like him, I mean, he's not very memorable, he doesn't sound yummy... he has some personal issues that keep getting in the way with his relationship with Dora, but at the same time, I thought the issues weren't that important and he was just running away... and there was all this mission about saving their planet that I really didn't get... sad no? Anyway, didn't really enjoy the book nor the characters... the story basically didn't grab my attention.

Nine Lives by Sharon Sala: 2.5/5
**EDIT on April 1, 2012: Jeez, I think I was really harsh on that grade. Because I actually really enjoyed the story and the book from what I remember, and I did get the rest of the series. I think a fair grade would be 4/5 (B).

I'm a fan of Sharon Sala ever since I read Out of the Dark. I usually really enjoy her books, but it seems to me she usually has better characters...

Cat Dupree lost her mother at the age of 6 in a car accident, and her father at the age of 13 when he was murdered. In both events, Cat was present and could have died as well... However, she survived and decided to become a bounty-hunter in order to avenge her father. Cat has only one close friend which is Marsha whom she met in a forster home, but when Marsha disappears and Cat suspects that she's dead, Cat becomes obsessed... Luckily for her, there is fellow bounty-hunter, Wilson Mckay, to help her out and support her.

Can I say I was majorly disappointed with this book? Really, first I thought that the book would focus on Cat finding her father's murderer, but it wasn't. Then, Cat as a character is not very likeable. Basically, Cat is this tough chick and is socially inept. She's been on her own for a long time and is pretty independent. I mean, I get that her past is a sad one and I understand why she's tough, but that's really not a reason to treat Wilson like crap. Poor Wilson, but then, the guy is really looking for emotional torture. He's quite okay as the male lead... I mean, a man that's thoughtful, protective and caring... What I didn't understand is why Wilson kept coming back? I guess he's really smitten, but still... *shakes head* The romance was kept minimal and at the ending is an open one. I mean, Cat is still pushing Wilson away, so you don't really know if it's a HEA. I'm trying to think whether or not there'll be a sequel to this book... I'm not sure I would want to read it, unless Cat really makes a 180 degree turn-about. What I did like about this book is the villain... He's quite the everyday man who commits a murder, because he's afraid that Marsha will ruin his life, and think he can walk away without being discovered. I also liked the fact that both Cat and Wilson kept bringing in bail-jumpers (altho it looked so easy) and didn't drop everything to investigate. All in all, the story was quite okay, but it's Cat character that ruined it for me.

A Holiday Spirit by Kay Hooper: 3.5/5

Two years ago, Antonia broke her engagement with Richard, heir to the Duke of Lyonshall, creating quite a scandal. No one knows why, except for Antonia. Two years later, Antonia's grandmother creates an opportunity for both Antonia and Richard to reconcile in the Castle of Ware...

As you well know by now, I'm quite a fan of Kay Hooper... so when I saw this anthology coming out, I jumped on it. This story was nice, but there's one problem: too short. Well that was to be expected from a novella. Although I find it stupid for Antonia to have ended her engagement that way, without confronting Richard, I can understand. I didn't thought much of Antonia, but I really liked Richard :P For once, someone's that is not a rake!!! Quite refreshing :P Anyway, if you're a die-hard fan of Kay Hooper, get it. If not, you can skip.


Surrender by Lisa Kleypas: DNF

It's quite sad really... the prologue was so promising with Jason Moran determined to get Laura Prescott as his wife as soon as she would be grown up enough... but then, when the first chapter started, I was like put off. Jason acted like a primitive man and Laura was, well not whiny, but weak and a coward. Obviously, both of them love each other, but they just didn't tell each other... So Laura thinks that Jason bought her (well he told her that... her father needed money) and Jason thinks that Laura married him out of family duty. So both are disatisfied and added to that Jason's inferiority complex because he's a Scot and came from a bad background... I might have read it if Jason wasn't acting like a brute. I can handle cold and calculative, but not brute.

I'm reading Winterset by Candace Camp right now... Actually, I was going to review it now, but realized that I only read half and I should continue before reviewing it (bright no? :P)

So yeah, didn't read anything really interesting this week-end (well except for Kay Hooper novella, but it wasn't enough)... By the way, I'm proud to announce that I haven't bought a book for a week! Personally, I think it's quite an achievement... but it'll be nothing compared to Jennie if she really doesn't buy anymore new book till 2007 :P Still waiting for the new Indigo to open, sigh.

Have a nice day :D

The books of this week-end...

So, once again, I spent almost all my week-end reading :P I really should be doing so lab work, but I'm a born procastinator. So I read :D

Day of Fire by Kathleen Nancy: 2.5/5

Day of Fire is the second book of the 2176 series, which consists of books written by different authors. My favorite so far is Power of Two by Patti O'Shea - it was really good :D So let me try to summarize the series...

The UCE: In the 21st and 22nd centuries, the United States changed and grew. Now the United Colonies of Earth dominate the globe. But a mysterious voice is broadcasting treason, inciting revolution and referring to the "Ideals of 1776"—and to an enigmatic figure named Banzai Maguire.

Banzai Maguire and her co-pilot are from the year, actually, I'm not sure, but they are from before 2000... they crashed during a routine exercise somewhere around North Korea. Scientists found their bodies and geo-crystallized them.... almost 200 years later when the world has changed, Banzai Maguire's body was revived... Founding herself in a different era, she starts hearing a voice, the Voice of Freedom, which tells them that they have to revolt in order to free themselves from the dictatorship of the UCE... and so, the series is 5 books about 5 different women during those perilous times.

Day of Fire is Day Daniels' story. Day is a Canadian Mountie whose mottos are Be it All, Do it All. In the year 2176, Canada has been cut off of the world, because bioterrorists have unleashed smallpox, ebola and other viruses during the year 2070. Abandonned by the world, Canada has to survive on their own... even today, in 2176, Canada is still in quarantine until they can prove that they are virus-free. Anyway, this quarantine period has given rise to the plague hunters, doctors - doctors in charge of eradicating and treating any epidemics. They are not well-loved as their presence usually indicate the presence of virus and it usually creates panic among the population. Anyway, Day Daniels is investigating the death of her partner, Luc Robicheaux, and has to partner with Julian Firebird, a plague hunter. Day Daniels is unhappy, because she is by the books while plague hunters are known to do whatever they want, whenever they want... however, she doesn't have a choice if she wants to find out Luc Robicheaux' murderer, because on Luc's Mountie hat, they found DNA of a new strain of smallpox. So basically, days before the announcement of the virus-free Canada, some ppl plan to release a new virus. Both investigate hard to try to stop this from happening, but it becomes more complicated when the all clues lead to the Shinook, a native tribe... whose leader is no one else than Julian Firebird.

Okay, first embarrassing admission... I might be Canadian, but I have no knowledge of the Mounties... in fact, you don't have many of them here. Anyway, that Day is a Mountie or regular cop, I don't really care. The original idea was a clever one, I have to admit... however, the book is completely ruined by Day in my opinion. At one point, I really wanted to tell her that the world doesn't revolve around her... sheeh. As the main character, she wasn't really likable... She kept jumping to conclusions even though she was told not to, she kept doubting Julian and both things were annoying as hell. And although she wasn't supposed to be, I thought she was conceited. Whenever they learn something, she had to thing how it affected her first. As for Julian, he was okay, but somewhat forgettable character. I also had difficulty to assimilate how Banzai and the whole Voice of Freedom thing and revolution was linked in this story... sure, it was mentioned... but why would Canada, who has just regained its status in the world would involve itself in the revolution? no idea.



Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas: 3.5/5

This novel is part of the Wallflower series... I haven't read any of them beside Devil in Winter and I wasn't planning to, but this book received so much praise that I was curious, so when I came across it at the used book store, I got it. I also got It Happened One Automn, but I kept reading how Lillian was not likeable in the Spring book, so it didn't make me want to read it... sigh.

Anyway, most of you already know the plot, but if you don't... it goes along the line of: Evangeline Jenner is a shy red-head who stammers. Her mother was the youngest of the Maybrick who as her rebellion, eloped with Ivo Jenner, a boxer from a lesser class who later found a club. Unfortunately for Evie, her mother died in childbirth and she was sent back to the Maybrick, as a club was nowhere to raise a young lady. The Maybricks are basically ashame of Evie lineage, so they've treated her badly (beat and starve her)... She also couldn't find a good match; however, Ivo Jenner is about to die and Evie is now an heiress, so the Maybricks plan to marry her to her cousin in order to profit from her inheritance. Evie knows that if this happens, she will probably die and so she runs to the rake, Viscount Sebastien St-Vincent who she knows need an heiress and makes him a proposition: he marries her so she can escape from her family, he gets lots of $$... they make love once, so the marriage is consumated and can't be annuled and after that no more. He will put a large amount of money aside for her and allow her to take care of her father for his last few days. Sebastien is in dire need of money and so he has no choice and accepts. So they get married, Ivo dies, the Maybricks try to get Evie back, Sebastien takes the rein of the club and Evie and Sebastien fall in love with each other.

All right... well, Devil in Winter was a good book, but I think I miss something somewhere because I don't understand the buzz it received. Evie is a great heroine tho... she's not stupid, she knows what she wants which is a great improvement from helpless heroines. She is gutsy and stubborn, so yeah, basically great. Sebastien on the other hand was okay... I didn't care much about his arrogance, his opinions and ways of thinking... and I got all confused by the way he was depicted. I mean, he is depicted one way, but then all his actions contradict his personality - I'm talking mainly about him managing the club. Okay, his friend Westcliff did say that his action was unlike him but why? because he loves Evie, is that why he's managing the club? or because he needs money? I believe it's more the latter... and then, the half-sibling plotline was SOOO obvious... Maybe I didn't want to like this book and it affect my opinion on the book or maybe it's because I prefer contemporaries... but still... it was an okay read, nothing really spectacular.

By the way, historicals lovers - don't you think the: "I can't believe he is kissing me down there" is a bit tiring... I know that they don't know... but not every author needs to have this generic scene in their books.

I see you by Holly Lisle: 4/5

So at least, one good book :D This was in my TBR pile after reading Tara Marie's blog :D It was her July TBR challenge... I thought it sound good, so I got it :D Yeah, I'm like that... few good words for a book and I want to own it ^^;

Dia Courvant is a paramedic and almost lives for her job. She's saved alot of lives, but has also seen a lot of deaths in her life ; however, the death that affected her most must have been her husband... Mac was also a paramedic, but one night, his ambulance was in an accident because the driver tried to avoid a kid and her team was dispatched for the rescue, but there was nothing she could do for him. Four years later, there are a series of bad car accidents and the worst is that someone is causing them. Detective Brig Hafferty is assigned to the case. He and his partner go to the EMT and there, he sees Dia whom he already met during the crash... both are drawn to each other: they're both each other type, although neither is looking and neither want a relationship. However, when Dia is being stalked and start receiving death threats, she calls in Brig for help and their attraction leads to combustion. So who's stalking Dia? Who wants her dead?

I thought the author handled the suspens part well and the book was indeed a bit freaky... all those messages appearing on the mirror, the dreams and the bits of paranormal elements. The only thing tho, it was kind of evident that it was one of Dia's friend ^^; Also, I was going to say that the car explosion was a bit far-fetched, but then I thought of the Plum books... and I though, no... actually, it could have happened :P Brig and Dia's relationship went fast... the first time they had sex, well I thought - wow, that was really really fast. I knew they were attracted, but it had be good if they waited a bit. Other than that, everything was pretty good. The spooky events, the murder, how everything was connected. However, I disagree with Tara Marie... This book did contain a fair amount of romance as we got to see a lot about their relationship and how it evolved.

That's it for today :D

ps - I see on Amazon that there is only 5 copies left of Ravyn's flight... what to do? should I order it or not? i'm actually going to Boston next week-end, maybe I could get it there... And how come Chapters and Indigo didn't get more copies?

Review: Eternal Nights by Patti O'Shea

Okay, so just to let some of you know, I successfully reserved Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase at the library (lucky me that they had a copy!) and it'll probably be returned by the end of the month. :D

Now onto the review - you guys will have to excuse me, it might be 8 a.m., but I'm exhausted. I've been staying late at the lab and staying up late to finish the book, so my mind is a bit sluggish, my body aches and I should already be on my way to the lab ^^;

All right, the review. Did any of you find an author with a style of stories you just loved no matter what? I mean, yeah, I'm a fan of Kay Hooper and Kelley Armstrong, but that's mostly because they write very well. As for Patti O'Shea, I'm not telling that she doesn't write good books, far from it... it's just that I LOVE her books (okay, there's not a ton... only 3 and I've read 2 - not counting this one) unconditionally. I discovered her through Through a Crimson Veil. It got mild reviews while I thought it was fantastic, so maybe it's just be... something in her books just appeal to me.

Eternal Nights by Patti O'Shea: 4.25/5

Wyatt Montgomery and Kendall Thomas are lovers... soulmates... from a previous life. However, only Wyatt remembers their previous life as Berkant and Zoalianna. Wyatt and Kendall are both captains in the army and are presently stationned in the Old City of J Nine, a planet lights away from Earth. Wyatt immediately recognizes Kendall as Zoalianna, but she is a completely different person, but this doesn't stop him from falling in love. Meanwhile, Kendall is afraid of love relationships and treats Wyatt as her best friends, cos friendship lasts forever while love...

Wyatt knows that something's been bugging Kendall, but the girl is closed-mouth. So he asks a friend/soldier, Catfish, to keep an eye on Kendall while he is out on the field. Why is Kendall so nervous? Because she's stumbled over a smuggling ring. See, most people on J Nine are there as archeologists to investigate on the vestiges of the Old City + the army to protect the civillians. Kendall is somewhat attracted to the Old City and particularly its temple (that pyramid on the cover). So she's been gathering evidences of the smuggling ring and when she went to colonel Alex Sullivan to inform him, he blows her up because he's been called to the murder scene of... Catfish. Meanwhile, Kendall is being pursued by the thieves and take refuge in the temple where Wyatt will join her. Both get stuck in the temple - lost with pratically no food and no water - and they have to find a way out of there, avoiding if possible the smugglers and once outside, tell colonel Sullivan so he can stop the smugglers from escaping free.

Okay, as I said, my recap of the story is not that good - blame it on the mush brain. However, I can tell you I like the book a lot! There are basically 3 storylines :

1) Wyatt and Kendall : I really liked the fact that it was Wyatt that really went after Kendall. He knows that Kendall's childhood has made her wary of love and that if he tells her he loves her, she'll bolt. So he takes it slowly, as much as he can, he's very patient and considerate. Another thing I like was that he fell in love with her... no in lust. And he might have recognized Kendall as Zoalianna; however, she's a completely different person - physically and personality wise. As he said, Berkant loved Zoalianna and Wyatt Montgomery loves Kendall Thomas. Really sweet. Oh and I liked how he was the one having memories of their past lives and she had none and that they didn't recognize at sight.

2) Berkant and Zoalianna: basically, their love was forbidden. I don't want to talk too much about their relationship because it would spoil a lot about the book. Basically, you get pieces from Wyatt and the bulk from Kendall's dream. Ever since she met Wyatt, Kendall has had these bloody dreams which makes her worried that she's endangering Wyatt. Then, as they enter the temple, she starts to remember the past as dreams.

3) Alex Sullivan and Stacey Johnson: Alex is the colonel and he's pretty much the single-minded man that most army soldiers are depicted as. He's been in a relationship with Stacey for 3 years, but not even once did he tell her he loves her. After 3 years of doing all the work in the relationship and finding out that she's pregnant, Stacey has had enough. He doesn't love her enough and he won't be a good father... so she decides to break up and return to Earth. Meanwhile, Alex has issues of his own, but he's going to win Stacey back for sure.

So I like the book: the love relationships, the action and everything :D (Maybe I'm biaised)... However, there are still some flaws and that's why the grade is only 4.25.

Flaws:

1) The book has the same settings as Ravyn's Flight which is the only book I didn't read... However, this book is supposed to be a standalone. In that case, I found that the author didn't put enough background in the settings for readers who have not read Ravyn's Flight to completely understand.

2) oh yeah, (I blanked during a moment trying to remember)... J Nine is another planet right? Berkant and Zoalianna were inhabitant of J Nine 3000 years ago. So what, their past lives were as alien? That just bugged me a little, because well, you know... alien.

3) Wyatt and Kendall have only known each other for 4 months in this life. When I read 4 months, even factoring the previous life and all, I thought: that's a bit too short. Make it half a year or a year and it would have been more believable.

4) her nickname... Wyatt calls her Bug. Where does that come from?

So that's it :D a really good read if you guys like a bit of fantasy/paranormal. If you like her other books, don't miss this one. I'm so looking forward to her next story - a continuation of Through a Crimson Veil with Kimiko Noguchi and Nic as main characters, basically Mika's cousin and half-brother. The only bummer is that it's going to be in an anthology of the Crimson City series (Shards of Crimson) so that means it won't be full length :( On the other good news is that she seems to have a contract for 2 more books coming out in 2007 and 2008 (yeah for me)!