Review: The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

Title: The Walking Dead
Author: Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard
Series: Comics 1-12
Pages: (unpaged)
Publisher: Image Collins
Format: Hardcover Vol 1.
Genre: Graphic Novel/Post-Apocalypse
Source: Bought


Synopsis:
An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months, society has crumbled: There is no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. Rick Grimes finds himself one of the few survivors in this terrifying future. A couple months ago he was a small town cop who had never fired a shot and only ever saw one dead body. Separated from his family, he must now sort through all the death and confusion to try and find his wife and son. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally begin living.

My Review:
This was my first ever graphic novel! Yay! I mean I've read a few before, but mostly I got bored or irritated at all the drawings and ended up quitting before I really gave them a chance. I guess I just like to read actual words and picture the story myself instead of having to see all the illustrations...and am not a visual person. I find diagrams and pictures to be more distracting than helpful, so graphic novels tend to be a challenge for me. Still, I HAD to read The Walking Dead for class and was pleasantly surprised with what I found. I was a little daunted by the size at first, but didn't take into account that pictures take MUCH less time to read. I finished the massive tome in about an hour, which was a relief because I started it about an hour and a half before class *shame-face* It was surprisingly good and the AMC series follows it relatively well up to the point that I've read to. I really enjoyed the tv-series and I liked being able to compare the two, though a lot of stuff happens in the comics that are completely different. I think the zombies are scarier in "real life" than they are on the pages of a comic, but they were still creepy enough to make me have terrifying zombie dreams all night.

 From violence, to bloody-gore, to humans going crazy under the pressure, The Walking Dead has everything you want in a zombie book. The show has been hailed as a really great portrayal of the human characters, not focusing so much on the dead, but more on the living. The comics follow the same path very well. The dead aren't present for a lot of the time. Sure they cause a random bite, or attack, or what not...but the book revolves around how the characters interact with each other and the dead now that they have been faced with the end of the world. It was great to watch how each character struggled with their humanity and ethics to deal with the death and destruction.  As twisted as it sounds, I really liked watching characters like Shane go quietly crazy until they completely snapped.

Because the format is mostly pictures, I feel the need to share a couple particularly terrifying, disgusting, or awesome ones. I apologize in advance if they cause disgust, nightmares, etc. This one is when a member of the group turns zombified and attacks another member...sucks doesn't it? Or should I say bites?

These are very gritty and dark pictures...as you can imagine for a zombie apocalypse type of book. There is a really cool depth of emotion to them paired with the sketchy, black and white print that makes the whole book seem so desolate and creepy. I love it!

Kirkman hasn't really revolutionized the genre of post-apocalypse zombie literature, but he definitely makes an enjoyable story. He doesn't need to be inventive or innovative because let's be honest people, this stuff works. We like seeing shambling hordes of rotters go after people we care about. We love the tension, the suspense, and the terror of a rotting undead army descending upon us. We just like zombies...at least for the time being...and we want to revel in our shambling, gory, friends. I will say, that you shouldn't get hung up on details. There are a lot of things that don't fit or are slightly unreasonable...or completely unreasonable. But if you suspend your belief for the short hour or two it takes to finish, you will definitely get a kick out of the books.

I give The Walking Dead 3.5 Keys. It is a pretty great zombie book, and it was a super quick read. I didn't get as much character development as I wanted, but I can kind of see that being caused by my reluctance to enjoy graphic novels. I liked the plot and the dark twistyness of it all will appeal to any supernatural reader. I read it for class, but I think I'm going to continue on with the series because it was definitely fun. And now I'm curious to see where the series goes because it's a TON different in some aspects from the AMC show.  So yep...thanks for stopping by!

Review: Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

Title: Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark #3
Pages: 359
Publisher: Pocket Star
Format: Paperback
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Source: Library

Synopsis:

Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed -- until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, a powerful sorceress from the Louisiana coven of witches. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.  Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It's rumored that no one can tempt Bowen's hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul -- or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?

My Review:
With the Immortals After Dark series, what you see is what you get. The covers and synopsis's (synopsii?) are a tad cheesy and extremely on the cliche romance novel side of things...but they are amazingly fun and totally hot! :) I hate to admit it, but I am a little embarrassed to be caught reading these books in public. I love them, and I know that they have fantastic witty banter, hilarious characters, and pretty awesome plots...but when friends or even random strangers catch sight of the covers...I can't help but feel like they are thinking..."that chick is totally reading vampire porn right now..." lol...especially with a title as raunchy as Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night...which, now that we're on that topic has NOTHING to do with the story...they spend half their time in Guatemala for goodness sake...anyways, despite the embarrassment, I would still read the IAD series anywhere, because they are definitely some of the best paranormal romances you can find and Kresley Cole is a very talented and entertaining writer. :)

The plot of Winter's Night picked right up where No Rest for the Wicked ended. In fact, it goes into detail about events that occur in the previous book simultaneously so it was great to get a different perspective of the events that were so climatic in the last one. Where we left Mari, Bowen had locked her in a tomb, thinking that she could get out because she's this all-powerful witch. Little did he know that her powers are VERY unstable. So unstable that she blows up her target 99 times out of 100 tries. He also happened to forget the fact that there were centuries-old evil incubii that lived in the tomb, oh, and Mari is mortal so if she is left there longer than a few weeks, she will die from starvation, exposure, and thirst. Bowen is appalled to find out this information...three weeks after he locked her in. He can't figure out why he feels so strongly for Mari...his mate Mariah died centuries before, and the lykae are supposed to only get one mate, one true love, for their entire lives. But Bowen can't stop thinking of Mari, and despite his hatred of witches, he feels compelled to risk his life to guarantee her safety and return to her coven. They have to travel through a war-torn South America with two demons as their companions, to get home before the witches bring about a war like none of the lore have seen for centuries to get their "awaited one" back. Definitely fun stuff :)

Mariket and Bowen make a super adorable couple. Both of them have their insecurities and their strengths, but they work really well together. My heart goes out to Bowen especially. Cole knows how to create the perfect mixture of insecurity, tormented past, and alpha-male hotness in a man to create pretty much the ultimate paranormal hottie. Bowen is especially tormented by the death of a woman he thought he loved, which makes him all that more attractive. The other men who have been featured have lost family, or were tortured, but none of them lost the love of their lives and I think that definitely gives Bowen an edge. As much as I loved Mari and Bowe together, they seemed to click a little to quickly for tastes...they hated each other at first so when they were all the sudden like...ripping each other's clothes off I was a little like...wait...what just happened???

Individually, both of them were fantastic lead characters as well. I really liked Mari, just because she is a little different from the Valkyrie who were featured in the first books. Where most of the Valkyrie have been alive for centuries and already honed their powers, Mari is still figuring out what to do with herself and trying not to blow things up in the process. It was also nice to read about a witch for a change. Witches are some of my favorite paranormal characters and I feel like I rarely get a chance to read books featuring them. They just aren't as popular as vampires and werewolves right now...*sigh*...But Mari was totally kick-ass and is an amazing combination of power and instability so she's this constant tension throughout the book because you don't know how her powers will strike out. I do wish we could have learned a little more about Mari's coven and the witches in general. We find out SO much about the Valkyrie and their crazy, hectic, sorority-house of a family that you really want to see something similar or at least equal to the Valk's awesomeness.

I HAVE to keep saying that this is a series that you should definitely read in order. Although you are apparently(according to author website and Goodreads, Amazon, etc.) able to read them in any order you want, I feel like I would be super confused if I read them out of order. All of the characters from past books make cameo appearances in this one, and they reference events that happened in their own book so I would definitely recommend reading them in order. Plus...if you hadn't already read about Kaderin and Sebastian, Lachlain and Emma...etc...you wouldn't be able to giggle and fawn at their total epic cuteness in the following books.  I would also read these books as close together as possible because I found myself really confused with the different characters after I read the books a month or so apart.

I give Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night 4 Stars. I'm grading this purely on a genre standpoint. No it's not intellectual or containing earth-shattering revelations about the human condition, but it is an excellent example of paranormal romance. You get super hot love-scenes, dramatic fights with supernatural fuglies of all sorts, and of course magical adventures of the paranormal sort.

This book qualifies in the Witchcraft and Witches challenge at Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

In My Mailbox

Here's a special thanks and shout out Dahl's Doll who is one of the best friends and sisters a girl could ask for. Thanks for being there for me and for giving me all these great books! She just started her blog so check her out and see if you like what she's about!

The Girl in the Box Blog Tour!

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the Sheila Dalton's tour for her new book The Girl in the Box! This tour was a lot of work and I commend Najla at Unputdownable Books for her commitment, dedication and of course, putting up with all of us frustrating bloggers (especially me and my flip flopping on dates and random stuff...sorry Naj!). For my part of the tour, I have a review of Girl in the Box! It was a truly compelling book that was terribly tragic with a dark beauty that left me thinking about it for weeks! Check out my review below to learn more or check out an excerpt here.

Make sure to check out the other stops on the tour as well!

9.1.2012 - http://unputdownablebookies.blogspot.com/ - Review

10.1.2012 - http://beyondwordsblog.blogspot.com/ - Guestpost

11.1.2012 - http://www.theapocalypsegene.com/cy-chi/ - Review + Guestpost

12.1.2012 - http://www.frellathon.com - Excerpt + Guestpost

13.1.2012 - http://michellefayard.blogspot.com/ - Guestpost

14.1.2012 - http://www.JJiReads.com - Interview + Review

15.1.2012 -  FREE

16.1.2012 - writersandauthors.blogspot.com - Guestpost

17.1.2012 -  http://www.cncbooks.com/blog - Guestpost

18.1.2012 - FREE

19.1.2012 - http:/tolstoyismycat.blogspot.com - Guestpost + Excerpt

20.1.2012 - http://www.ya-aholic.com/ - Guestpost + Giveaway

21.1.2012 - www.tc-bookedup.blogspot.com - Review

22.1.2012 - http://unabridgedandralyn.blogspot.com - Review 

23.1.2012 - http://melissaseclecticbookshelf.blogspot.com/ - Guestpost

Thanks for checking us out and I hope you all love Girl in the Box! 

Review: The Girl In the Box by Sheila Dalton

Title: The Girl in the Box
Author: Sheila Dalton
Series: N/A
Pages: 384
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Format: E-book
Genre: Mystery/Psychological Fiction
Source: Copy provided for touring purposes

Synopsis:
Caitlin Shaughnessy discovers that Inez, a traumatized young Mayan woman, has killed Caitlin's psychoanalyst partner, Dr. Jerry Simpson. Simpson brought the girl, who may be autistic, back to Canada as an act of mercy and to attempt to treat her obvious trauma. Caitlin desperately needs to find out why this terrible incident occurred so she can find the strength to forgive and move on with her life. Inez, whose sense of wonder and innocence touches all who meet her, becomes a focal point for many of the Canadians who encounter her. As Caitlin struggles to uncover the truth about Inez's relationship with Jerry, Inez struggles to break free of the projections of others. Each must confront her own anger and despair. The doctors in the north have an iciness that matches their surroundings, a kind of clinical armour that Caitlin must penetrate if she is to reach Inez. 

My Review:
The story is told in alternating perspectives between Jerry, the man who rescued Inez from Guatemala, and Caitlin, Jerry's lover. I found dealing with the multiple perspectives confusing at first because there didn't seem to be much difference in language and dialogue between the two characters. Typically when there is more than one narrator, you can tell who is speaking just by the cadence of their voice or the rhythm of the narration going on, but with Caitlin and Jerry, they sounded exactly the same. Of course, that kind of confusion was cleared up when the two started narrating different years altogether. Jerry is narrating the years when he first discovered Inez, and Caitlin is narrating the time after Jerry dies. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of this style. You know almost all of what is going to happen to Jerry before he even gets a chance to tell you about it so I found myself losing interest in the chapters where he was speaking. I did enjoy both narratives though, and the story grew on you the longer you read.

The story is very peculiar. Jerry, a psychoanalyst from Canada is on a trip to Guatemala. He obviously loves the country and it's people and he's saddened by the war and bloodshed going on. He manages to come across a refugee girl who is being forced to live in a small shed, and is chained up inside. Her parents beg Jerry to take her away, and being a kind-hearted man, he does. Too bad for him, Inez turns out to be a little more distraught than anyone knew and she ends up killing poor Jerry. You find yourself wondering at what is really going on in the story. What drove Inez so off the deep end? Who is really the villain here? Inez? Or the traumatic and terrifying life she was living in Guatemala. It's a very challenging and thought provoking story that is filled with intensity and suspense.

What I found really interesting about Girl in the Box was all the psychology in it. You could tell that the author has really done her homework! From the use of hallucinogenic drugs in patients to the symptoms of autism, everything was spot-on when it came to the analysis and description of disorders and treatment for patients. For me, this was great! I've always been pretty interested in psychology and why people act the way they do, so it was really cool to see all of the different disabilities and problems fictionalized in a way that makes them way more enjoyable than just reading a text book about them. Jerry however, drove me nuts with his constant psychoanalyzing of Caitlin. If I was her, I would drop him in a hot second because when they are having an argument, he throws out all her issues like her mother abandoning her and her insecurity when it comes to Inez. That is just wrong. I think that's why I tend to stay away from the psychologist types in real life.

Inez is a truly wonderful character. She's hauntingly beautiful, and is a jumble of mixed up emotions and personalities. I was caught off-guard by her simple mannerisms and quiet inner strength. You are all confused about what to think of her because 1) she's been abused and damaged so you feel sympathy 2) she has the elegance and innocence of a child playing so you want to love her 3) she killed Jerry...so you want to hate her. You never know where you stand when it comes to the girl. Is she a conniving murderess? Is she just a sheltered girl who has dilusions? What? You get caught up in the mystery surrounding her so that she is this constant driving force in the book. Both Inez and Caitlin struggle with personal demons throughout the book and even though both of them have huge faults, you can't help but rooting for each of them to get their happy ending.

I give The Girl in the Box 3 Keys. It is a compelling and tragic mystery that will leave you haunted and thinking about it for days to come. It is a very smart book with lots of deep meaningful reflections and determinations about life. It is the story of three personal journeys towards self discovery and what it truly means to be okay. Girl in the Box has complex layers of emotion that leave you literally drained at the end, but you leave the book feeling satisfied that you got through it.

January 17: Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read X

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because of their love of lists, and I myself love lists as well. Everyone is welcome to join in, and don't worry if you can't think of 10 - just do as many as you can. And of course, be sure to link back to TBATB (and leave me a link here too!) on your post!

The Top Ten Books I'd Recommend to Someone who Doesn't Read Steampunk/Dystopian Novels.

Oh this is a fun question. I ALWAYS get people trying to get book recommendations from me. The problem is, unless they are book bloggers themselves and actually know what kinds of books I read, they get kind of weirded out by what I tell them to read. I really enjoy thinking back to when Twilight was little more than a time of the late afternoon/early evening. I actually ordered a 1st edition Twilight out of my Scholastic book order...seriously...scholastic book order. I was in love from page one and I immediately read it like, 3 times in a row. But I found something odd...at the time...people didn't WANT to read vampire books *gasp*. I distinctly remember my friend Anna laughing and saying, "Seriously? There is no WAY I'd be caught reading this" and giving it back...well HA Anna...what now???

Anyways...the point of my ramblings is that my friends and family rarely, if EVER, initially like my book recs. I read almost exclusively Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Dystopian novels...and variations of the above such as Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, etc. So if someone who doesn't read these types of books picks up a book that I told them was awesome and realize it's about a fairy princess hooking up with 6 bodyguards who are also fairies...they tend to call me up asking WTF? But I truly think about the books that I hype. If I told you to read it, I think that you will like it! I'm not trying to get you to read the same freaky stuff that I read...I want to give you books that I enjoy that seem like you will love...SO READ THEM ALREADY! Here are 2 Steampunk books and 1 Dystopian that I highly reccomend...

1. The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
If you are new to Steampunk, and you like paranormal or urban fantasy books, I feel like this is a great starter for those looking to try something a little Steamier (ha..sorry...bad pun...) The Parasol Protectorate has fabulous characters, a very good plot, and really interesting takes on supernaturals and Steampunk itself. It's also more of a comedy of manners than anything and you will be laughing out loud as you watch the characters traipse about Europe in their undergarments while they try to maintain high manners and dignity.

2. The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
The Iron Duke is for the seasoned Steampunk reader. It is a lot more complex than the Parasol Protectorate series, but it's complexity is what makes it so absolutely fantastic. However, I wouldn't recommend it for someone whose never read Steampunk. There's a lot to grasp, and if you aren't used to the gadgetry, the bizzare, and the mechanics...you will probably very easily get lost. But don't let that discourage you, The Iron Duke is in my top 3 books that I read last year, and it's literally one of the best Steampunk I've read ever. There are just so many interlocking and inter-weaving plot lines and the characters are absolutely fascinating. There's romance, adventure, intrigue...plus sexy man-candy...everything that a reader wants. ID is Keeper Shelf material...for sure.

3.The Hunger Games
Hands Down. The BEST Dystopian is the Hunger Games. I recommend it to every single person I know. There is no person on this earth who shouldn't love and appreciate the awesomeness of the Games. It's terrifying. It's badass. It is THE best Young Adult book of all time. Katniss is an extremely strong character who ISN'T trying to fall in love. Romance is more a matter of circumstance and isn't the focus of everything which is AWESOME, because so many YA books seem to be obsessed with hooking up our heroine and getting her to her "happily ever after" with her prince than on the heroine defeating evil. The next two books were also good, but nothing, even the sequels, compare to the awesomeness of The Hunger Games

Yeah, I know...so it's only three.I'm slacking lately...I know...I'm sorry my lovely followers...I'll make it up to you soon. I promise *winks*

Dirty Little Secret

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us! To participate in the meme all you need to do is:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions.
3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.
4. Then add your link below.
Non-bloggers: We want to hear from you as well!!! Let us know your answer in the comments!
We hope you join us and let us know your Dirty Little Secrets!

This week's question:

Do you prefer Dark and Broody? or Blonde and Boisterous. 

Um...why can't they be Blonde, Broody AND Boisterous? In a perfect world where I land the guy of my dreams it would definitely be Jax from Sons of Anarchy. He's all of the above...and he is sexy as HELL....rather than describe him with mere words...I will just rock your minds with these seriously mouth-watering pictures. Sorry if any of you faint. He's that shocking.

You're welcome. 

My Book Boyfriend (16) Kishan

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme hosted by Missie of The Unread Reader. Its a chance to pay homage to the hotties that haunt the pages of the novels we love. The men who stay in our thoughts late at night, who plague us during our long hours at work, who cause us to stare off into the starry night and sigh, because we want them here with us. Yes ladies, its the Book Boyfriend.

~~~

This week's book boyfriend is...

Prince Kishan from Colleen Houck's Tiger Saga Series!

A few weeks ago, I featured the gorgeous Sahid Kapoor as Prince Ren from the Tiger Saga...however...I seem to have jumped the gun on who I'm in love with for the series. Ren's brother Kishan is just as gorgeous, and just as wonderful as Ren is...AND he's a tad darker and more dangerous than Ren. Your heart has to go out to a guy who's lost his lady-love to his big brother not once but TWICE. He's amazing, and strong, and romantic in his own kind of way...Ren may get Kelsey in the end, but if Kishan is looking, I'll be his new lady love! lol

“Okay, then I’ll just say I love you. There is nothing in this world more important to me than you are. I’m only content when you’re near. My whole purpose is to be what you need me to be. It’s not poetry, but it’s from my heart. Will that do?”

“I’m not the kind of man to bottle up my feelings, Kells. I don’t sit up in my room pining away, writing love poems. I’m not a dreamer. I’m a fighter. I’m a man of action, and it will take all of my self-control not to fight for this. When something needs to be done, I do it. When I feel something, I act on it. I don’t see any reason why Ren deserves to get the girl of his dreams and I don’t. It doesn’t seem fair that this happens to me twice.”

To play the part of my gorgeous, dark, angsty Kishan, I chose the Bollywood actor John Abraham. Sure, he's a little too old to pass for 17, but really...do you mind? I sure don't. He's suave, he's sexy, and he can pull off a black tiger with ease don't ya think? Check out Colleen Houck's Tiger Saga to see more from Kishan, and my old book boyfriend Ren...It takes a lot to get two book boyfriends with equal amounts of awesome from the same series, but Colleen definitely succeeds. I gotta love these two sexy Indian princes :)

January 10: Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because of their love of lists, and I myself love lists as well. Everyone is welcome to join in, and don't worry if you can't think of 10 - just do as many as you can. And of course, be sure to link back to TBATB (and leave me a link here too!) on your post!

Top Ten Authors I wish Would Write another Book

Jane Austen
Jane is the ONLY classical author that I have any success reading. I suppose its because I'm s sappy-mushy-romantically inclined fool at heart....but let me tell you...if you love the twilighty kind of "I'll love you until we both DIE" angsty "I love you but we cant be together" *SOB* You should try Jane Austen's Persuasion. SO effing angsty...but I loved it. I love all things Jane...the movies, the fan-fictionalized remakes...everything.

George Martin.
I have a feeling Mr. Martin will be on a lot of people's lists. I love it when authors are successful in their lives and careers and such...as long as it doesn't interfere with MY reading schedule! lol. It drives me absolutely crazy when an author says they will have a new book on a certain date, and then falls through. I get that deadlines are crazy and you want the story to be great...but COME ON...either say "I don't know when I'l be finished" or don't say anything at all! Martin has failed to complete the next volume of The Song of Ice and Fire series at ALL within the last few years.

J.K. Rowling
I'm not saying that she should write another Harry Potter book...as much as I would so totally love that...but she is SUCH a great writer and I enjoy her work so much that I would ADORE anything she puts out. I know she has a boy-detective series in the works but she is so overshadowed by the awesome behemoth that is Harry Potter, she doesn't seem to want to release it because she's afraid it might not measure up. Still...even if she released it under another pen name until it stood on it's own...I REALLY want to read more J.K. Rowling

That's really it...There are so many books out there that I haven't read yet that I can barely even consider books that aren't written that will never be written, that I will never be able to read.  It makes me sad to think about books that I can't read...I don't like thinking about it...it hurts my heart. 

Review: Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Title: Tiger's Quest
Author: Colleen Houck
Series: Tiger Saga #2
Pages: 479
Publisher: Sterling Publishing
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Paranormal YA
Source: Library

Synopsis:
Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them. 

My Review:
I'm not too sure why I read this book. At the end of the first one I was so hopelessly frustrated with the main character Kelsey that I couldn't wait to wash my hands of the entire thing. But something weird happened...When it was late at night, or while I was doing chores or when I had nothing else to do but think, I found myself remembering Ren, Kishan, Kelsey, and wondering what happened to them. Even though Kelsey drove me nuts, and Ren seemed to be a pushover...I just NEEDED to know how their story ends. Then I got Tiger's Quest and I got the same impression as the first one. It was a hopelessly annoying book that you just couldn't stop reading. It's like that cursed book that Ron was talking about in Harry Potter where you're forced into reading it for all eternity, bumbling around trying to do all the other stuff you need to do while still reading. No matter what stupid choices the MC's make, or how messed up a plot-line is, you just can't put the thing down.

Like the first book, there was a lot of plot points that either didn't make sense or were totally unrealistic. Things were just way too easy for the MC's to deal with. Sure, there were the "trials" that Kelsey and Kishan had to face, but fortunately they just so happened to pick up a magical gourd or magical water or whatever that showed them what they had to do just in the nick of time.  They also meet almost no adversary from other people along the way. The people they encounter just instinctively know who Kelsey and Kishan are and go out of their way to help them. I thought this was completely ridiculous...especially with people in politics and other important professions. Now, I'm not saying that there aren't politicians who help people out of the goodness of their hearts, but most of them are vicious or conniving jerks who are only out to further their ambitions. And here these guys are, bending over backwards because Kelsey is "so nice"...um...okay...Also, and though it isn't too relevant to the story, Kelsey got dates way too easy for a "plain" girl who doesn't talk. All these guys are chomping on the bit to take her out, but for no real reason. She doesn't talk to them, she doesn't wear interesting clothing, she doesn't DO anything outside of go to class...so what exactly is the draw for these guys? Not to be totally down on the members of the opposite sex, but the only way any girl would get as many dates as Kelsey got in ONE DAY was either she was trying to get them, or she was wearing nothing but a bubble wrap bikini.

I really enjoyed getting to know Kishan better in this book. To be honest, his type of character calls to me a little more strongly than Ren's type does. Don't get me wrong, romance is great, but part of me craves that darker wildness that Kishan just oozes by simply being himself. I am almost positive that this series will end with Ren and Kelsey getting together, but deep down in my heart I am totally rooting for Kishan. He's gotten the raw end of the deal twice when dealing with love, and you just want him to get his happily ever after. He's fierce, he's protective, he's dangerous, and he's totally gorgeous. He's got all of the qualities I like in my tiger-men...and he just seems so much more interesting than Ren does. He's got the dark and twisty qualities that make you want to reach out and heal his wounds while chasing away the darkness of his past. And he's funny...he's got this sarcastic witty humor that has me cracking up half the time. Yes...I definitely enjoyed getting to know Kishan a little more. *smiles*

 The writing style was almost too descriptive and lyrical for me. It wasn't that any of the analogies or descriptions were bad, it was just that there were too many of them and they were kind of...bizzarre, as far as analogies go. For example, " My heart was a flower, bursting open in the sunlight of Ren's love."...Um...okay...that quote in itself isn't that bad (thought it is a tad cheesy for my taste), but quotes like that would be followed by 3-5 sentences of figurative analogies of the same style...you kind of get to the point when you're like...enough already. Eventually there's so much lovey-dovey-ness or later in the book, sickeningly detailed descriptions of the jungles and forests that you just feel weighted down. I'm not sure how much sense that makes to you, but that was how I felt. There was so much irrelevant information that actually reading the book got to be sluggish and felt more of a burden than something fun. I would have had a much better reading experience had the descriptions been kept to 1-2 sentences max...and it would have shortened the monstrous size of this almost 500 page book to something a little more manageable.

I can't decide if I liked all the references to classic novels, myths, and poems or if they bugged me. Part of me really enjoyed hearing about the contrasting mythologies and how they coincided with the story, but at times there was just too many different threads going on and the additional side stories began to annoy me. I think it was the same situation as the analogies, there was just too many of them. The first half of the book was kind of a courtship between Ren and Kelsey,and every other page there were quotes from famous poems or Kelsey would go into detail about some myth or story or something. It left me wondering if any of the poems or stories were relevant. One or two seriously romantic and swoon-worthy poems would have been great, enhancing the cute factor of Kelsey and Ren's relationship, but the sheer amount of poems and romantic quotes actually cheapened them. Instead of one or two seriously meaningful moments, I just felt swamped with references and poems and didn't feel at all affected by them like I was supposed to.

I give Tiger's Quest 3.5 Keys. This series has SUCH potential...There is so much good! The setting of exotic India is fantastic! There's so much interesting mythology to delve into that you could get lost in the possibilities. At the same time, I am constantly bombarded by irritations with the writing style and the simple fact that I don't believe that a lot of the story is even remotely believable. Despite all of my grievances and irritations, I am probably going to go out and get book three. It's such a compelling story with such depth and potential that you just can't resist following it to the end. I almost wish Colleen Houck would have written this series later in her career so she could gain some more writing/editing experiences before writing this series.

Review: In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer

Title: In the Belly of the Bloodhound
Author: L.A. Meyer
Series: Bloody Jack #4
Pages: 538
Publisher: Harcourt
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Historical Fiction
Source: Purchased (Pre-Ordered)

Synopsis:
The British crown has placed a price on Jacky's head, and so she returns to the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston to lay low. But laying low isn't in the cards for a spunky lass who finds trouble even when she's not looking for it. A school outing goes awry as Jacky and her classmates are abducted and forced into the hold of the Bloodhound, a ship bound for the slave markets on the Barbary Coast. All of Jacky's ingenuity, determination, and plain old good luck will be put to the test as she rallies her classmates to fight together to avoid being sold on the auction block in this new installment of the Bloody Jack Adventures.

My Review:
I don't need a reason to read this series. In fact, I constantly look for excuses to take a break from my TBR pile and settle in with one of my favorite Jacky moments. The Bloody Jack books are my books of choice when I need something to get me out of a book slump or to read when I'm feeling a little down because without a doubt, Jacky is the most hilarious heroine that I have ever had the pleasure to read about. I am featuring the Bloody Jack books over at Ruby's Reads next week for her Book Bully Event, and I realized that I haven't reviewed some of the books in the series! *Gasp* Well, I'm not going to get to review them all before my feature goes up, but I can use it as an excuse to get my fill of my favorite salty sailor lass!

As for In the Belly of the Bloodhound (henceforth to be called IBB) has got to be the best Jacky Faber/Bloody Jack book yet! When we last left Jacky, she was sailing through the bloody and war torn seas of the Battle of Trafalgar, having just witnessed several of her friends being killed by war and leaving her love, Jaimy, on the deck of a smoking battleship. Somehow, our darling Jacky manages to get herself back to Boston where she resumes her studies at the Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls, so that she can hide from the British officers who would take her to England...she is after all worth 100 pounds sterling to British Intelligence. However, things don't go as planned when Jacky gets home (when do they ever for this crazy girl) and she and her sisters-in-arms are kidnapped by the very people that have promised to keep them safe.

Oh my god. WHAT an amazing book! I thought I'd seen the best from Jacky in Under the Jolly Roger (Which is in fact, one of my top 3 YA books of all time) but believe me, this series goes to a whole new level in IBB. Those tearful, gossipy twits from The Curse of the Blue Tattoo? GONE. Well not at first, but eventually they grow out of their frail "female" forms to become these dramatic, ferocious, amazing harpies that I can really love and respect. There is such a dramatic amount of character growth in this book that you wouldn't recognize the girls if you took a picture of them at the beginning and end. Even Clarissa Worthington Howe, the villain from CBT has her redeeming moments and you actually *gag* start to like her. My favorite thing about this series is that all of the characters are three-dimensional. No, they aren't all important, and they don't all get a lot of screen time, but when they are front and center, they all shine as individual characters. From the lowliest cabin boy to the Captain of the ship, each person has goals, drives, desires, and PERSONALITY. I love it. It's almost impossible to describe because I seriously haven't found such animated and truly life-like characters in any other book or series to date. ANY of them...ok...maybe Harry Potter...but I can't think of anything else that even comes close.

And the plot! The plot is so fantastic! It's so clever and original! How many historical fiction novels feature upper-class American girls being kidnapped to be sold into slavery? Exactly! Then when you think about it, it is a totally believable and terrifying premise! I thought IBB did an excellent job portraying the horrors that slaves had to face as they crossed the Atlantic while bearing the abuse of the slave-owners. At the same time, the book isn't depressing or dark. It acknowledges the pain of the past and tries to help heal some of the damage that had been done, all the while keeping you alternating between laughing so much your stomach hurts and wanting to literally carve out the slaver's eyes with spoons. I also loved that Jacky got to share her life story with the other girls of the Lawson Peabody. The main reason they fought in the second book was because they had no idea what she had gone through and how hard her life has been. It was great to see all of the girls going through such hard times together and having them grow to be friends. Okay...maybe not friends in some cases...but at least polite frenemies instead of cat-fighting brawlers.

L.A. Meyer continuously amazes me with the depth and intensity of his writing style. He can switch from spirit-lifting joy to soul-crushing sadness in the space of a paragraph, all the while creating characters so life-like that you know them better than you know your own family. It's impossible not to identify with Jacky as she capers about, bumbling through life and using her wits and charms to better her situation. She's so REAL and down to earth. She's unlike any other female character I've come across. You want to laugh at her when she's whining...instead of strangling her like most YA MC's. She's just so like-able that you want her as your best friend, your confidant, and probably your downfall. As Jacky says "I am so very hard on my friends." But that's okay Jacky, we love you anyways.

I give In the Belly of the Bloodhound 5 Keys. It's the best Jacky yet in my opinion, and that is saying a lot because of how much I loved the last one. I am getting down on my knees people. It doesn't matter if historical fiction isn't really your thing. It usually isn't really my thing either. Yet despite the fact that this is the last thing I would normally pick up, Bloody Jack remains the most memorable and certainly one of my favorite series of all time. If you ever get into a rut and need something to pick you back up, try this series. It's one of the greats people. It's worth dropping whatever it is that you're currently reading, because no matter what it is, it won't be as good as the Bloody Jack series...except perhaps if what you're reading is the Hunger Games...then by all means, please continue...but If you don't at least give Bloody Jack a chance then you run the risk of missing out on some of the most epic Young Adult literature of our time.

Review: XVI by Julia Karr

Title: XVI
Author: Julia Karr
Series: XVI #1
Pages: 325
Publisher: Puffin/Speak
Format: Paperback
Genre: Dystopian
Source: Library

Synopsis:
Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay. Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past. But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure...For Nina, turning sixteen promises to be anything but sweet...

My Review:
Where oh where to begin...Well, I suppose we can start with why I decided to pick this book up in the first place... First of all, it starts with an X! I am trying to get all the tough letters out of the way early this year for the ABC challenge, so of course I picked up an X book. Second of all, you guys know how much I love Dystopian novels. They kick total booty when it comes to terrifying future worlds. I also had heard a lot of buzz earlier in 2011 about XVI and I remember that a lot of the hype was great. I remember a lot of people saying that it was "the next Hunger Games" and stuff like that. Well...I didn't really think so. Just because something is in a similar genre and has a similar feel doesn't make it "The Next __________". I wish people would stop comparing things to Harry Potter/The Hunger Games/Twilight etc, unless they really mean it. XVI was cool, but nowhere CLOSE to the earth-shattering greatness that is The Hunger Games.

The book starts off really great. The main character Nina does a great job getting you accustomed to her current predicament and the state of the world she lives in. A lot of Dystopian novels leave you confused to the time/location/etc of the world you just entered so it's hard to actually create that movie in your head. Despite having lavish descriptions or cold and calculating plot movements, some dystopians fail to ground you by leaving out key details that help you deal with this strange world. XVI tells you all the information you need to know without dragging it out or making unrealistic comparisons. I loved that the cities and towns were still recognizable, and by that I mean somewhat as they are today. Chicago is still gritty, beautiful, and windy. There's just more technology and a heck of a lot more social problems. I love that the technological advancements in this world were so realistic as well. There are logical jumps from where we are today, like cell phones, to where these characters are, like PAV's (Personal Audio/Video device) and nothing comes off as too unbelieveable...well...other than the XVI tattoos...

One of the main hooks of this book, or I should say the synopsis, is that girls are tattooed with an XVI on their wrists when they turn 16 so that the world will know they are legal. I say that is is a hook for the synopsis because I feel like the book wasn't so much about turning "sex-teen" as it was a struggle against the overbearing Governing Council. Sure there is a lot of talk about sex-teens and sex, and just growing up, but it sounds so much worse in the synopsis and on the book cover. On the front cover of my book it literally says "In the future, Innocence expires at XVI"...that sounds literally like 16 year olds are banded up and methodically raped or something. In the book, it's true that girls seem to have less rights than men, especially if they are sixteen, but it's far from the desolate and raw sex-topia that the cover and synopsis make it out to be.

And while we're on the topic, I feel like this XVI thing was one of the most unbelievable concepts of the book. The human race has been through so much to gain equality, I highly doubt that it would ever become an issue where girls were branded like cattle so that guys would know it's okay to have sex with them. It's true that Nina kept herself from sounding like a history lesson when describing the new world, but to be completely honest, I would have liked the history lesson. There's just not enough information to take me comfortable from today's (pretty-much) equal America to a world that justifies prostitution and rape. Where are all the crazy feminists? How does race fit in? WHY is it okay for XVIII's (eighteen year old boys) to have sex with XVI's even if the girl doesn't want to? Though the story and writing style were really excellent, there were just too many holes to keep me from being completely happy with how the sex and class thing was dealt with.

For the most part, the supporting characters were pretty strong. Sal makes a good love interest, but I really hated how Nina whined about how he could never want her and blah blah blah. I thought Nina's best friend Sandy was a really interesting character, and even though she was brainwashed into being slutty, I kind of admired her for being so in control of her sexuality so that she could better herself. oI did find myself really getting bored with Nina's whining about being a "sex-teen" while Sandy was so excited for it and I got really upset with the way Sandy was treated. It was just like the horror movies in the 70's and 80's where only the virginal girl-next-door lives while the girls who were sexually aware of themselves(also known as sluts and whores) were murdered. I felt like the book kind of undermines women's progress. Instead of making it okay for women to be sexual, this book takes us back to wanting to be virginal and chaste...Personally, I don't agree with that. I don't want girls to be forced to be sexual, but if they are in control of themselves and their own bodies then I don't see the problem with them grabbing the bull by the horns...or so to speak...To be honest, it would be interesting to see Ms. Karr's religious views and if they are the "purity ring" kind of views or if they are a little more modern...

I give XVI 3.5 Keys. It was a very good book with a very strong writing style and great characters. Nina was complicated and pretty smart, and (most of) the supporting characters held their own. I disagreed with the central premise of the book so I do think it was kind of a challenge for me to get through. The romance was very cliche and I practically shot myself in the face when Nina started on and on about how "a great and handsome guy like Sal could never like me"...*vomits*... but still, XVI was a pretty great dystopian novel and I will be reading the sequel...I just won't preorder it or anything.

XVI satisfies the requirements for quite a few challenges. I will be using it for: