BURNED
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Source: Library Loan

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (October 23, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416903550
ISBN-13: 978-1416903550

Raised in a religious — yet abusive — family, Pattyn Von Stratten starts asking questions — about God, a woman’s role, sex, love. She experiences the first stirrings of passion, but when her father catches her in a compromising position, events spiral out of control. Pattyn is sent to live with an aunt in the wilds of Nevada to find salvation and redemption. What she finds instead is love and acceptance — until she realizes that her old demons will not let her go.

Where do you even start in describing such an emotional and deep book?  I had no idea what to expect in this story and I was in no way prepared for the roller coaster that my emotions would travel on with the journey through the book.


Pattyn was a girl who grew up in a religious family that took their beliefs to the extreme.  Not only were the beliefs so extreme, but her Father was horrible as well.  I couldn’t believe how much the family suffered with his abuse.  When Pattyn moves in with her Aunt for the summer, her life begins to change and so does her beliefs in God.  When she encounters Ethan, she knows she has found her ‘forever love’. Can they still have a love filled relationship when he returns to college and she has to return to her family? Can they survive the abuse of her father if he finds out about them?


I cried so much near the end of this book. I literally felt sickened by the lengths Pattyn’s father goes to.  My heart broke for Pattyn and Ethan.  I haven’t cried so much with an ending in a long time and this book opened up the water well of tears for me.  The ending left it open for hopefully a sequel and I hope the author starts writing it sooner rather than later.  

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS

THE DARK-HUNTERS, VOL.1
Authors: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Art by: Claudia Campos
Source: Personal Purchase

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin; First Edition edition (July 7, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312376871
ISBN-13: 978-0312376871

In the war against vampires, mankind has only one hope: The Dark-Hunters. Ancient warriors who died of brutal betrayal, the Dark-Hunters have sworn themselves into the service of the goddess Artemis to protect us. 

It’s a pact with pretty good perks. Immortality, power, psychic abilities, wealth and a cool wardrobe. But it comes with a few drawbacks: fatal sun poisoning and a new, irreparable dental problem. But aside from the fangs and nocturnal lifestyle, it’s not so bad.  Until Kyrian meets the most frightening thing imaginable. An accountant who’s being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. If Amanda Devereaux goes down, so does he and no offense, he doesn’t want to die (hence the whole immortality thing). And he doesn’t want humanity dead either which is a good thing for us since he and Amanda are all that stands between us and oblivion. Let’s hope they win.  

From the wild imagination of Sherrilyn Kenyon comes the humorous and suspenseful manga debut of the #1 internationally bestselling Dark-Hunter series. The world of manga will never be the same again.

Let me say that I am in no way a huge Manga fan.  My daughter reads Manga and she is constantly trying to get me to try them.  I on the other hand, would rather have a book rich in words than a book rich in illustrations.  Call it the bookworm in me, but books are made to be read, not to enjoy an illustration with dialogue like a comic book.  So after constant nagging from my daughter, I caved into to reading a Manga novel.  I did have one requirement — it has to be a Manga based on a book by an author I know.  So decided to start my Manga journey with The Dark-Hunters series by Sherrilyn Kenyon.


While I wasn’t a big fan of the illustration — due to the fact that Kyrian looked too girlish —the writing was actually great.  Granted, author Sherrilyn Kenyon edited this book and it was from her voice, so it made it a better experience than what it would have been if done by just any Manga author I think.  I loved the witty dialogue throughout the Manga that was true to the authors voice.  I actually read it so fast that the book was devoured within an hour. 


If you are worried about reading Manga, I suggest that you do the same thing I did and read a Manga book from an author you love already.  Consider it an easier transition into the world of illustrated and comic book feel of books.

WHEREVER YOU GO
Author: Heather Davis
Source: Amazon Vine
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books; None edition (November 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 054750151X
ISBN-13: 978-0547501512

      Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend?

     As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?

Wherever You Go was supposed to be a heartfelt and sweet book about love lost, love gained, and emotional turmoil.  It indeed had all of that, but at times it was drawn out and dull.


I had a really hard time getting into this book.  The first half of it is so slowly paced that I could have read an entire other book while waiting for something interesting to happen.  Once I was about halfway through the story though, it did start to pick up and start to capture my interest.  Another thing that I didn’t like about the book was the swapped point of views from three different people involved with no heading to the switch.  Most books that are told from different points of view have a chapter header at least telling which characters head we are in.  This one just used little symbols and I had to keep back tracking in the story to figure out whose head I was in.  


The saving grace of this book is definitely Holly’s Grandfather.  He added the soft and caring touch that this book needed.  He is also the only one who can see Holly’s dead boyfriends ghost, Rob.  He made the story heartbreaking and touching at the same time.


Would I read this story again? Probably not.  Would other readers enjoy the book? Probably.  This is one of those books that you just have to read for yourself to know if it was a great read or just a mediocre read.  

POSSESSION
Author: Elana Johnson
Source: Amazon Vine
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1442421258
ISBN-13: 978-1442421257

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. 

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn. 

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

I am having mixed feelings for this book.  I don’t know if it is the fact that the hype built up my expectations, or the fact that the book was long and fast paced.  I just don’t know what it was exactly that burst my bubble for this book.

I wasn’t a fan of the characters.  How many more angry and angst filled heroines do we really need in a book? Fighting for what you want is one thing, but angry at everything is just overload for the reader.  I wished Vi would bring out her smile more often so we could see an emotion run through her besides anger.  I was also confused through much of the book.  It had me rereading more paragraphs than normal and made this book longer than what it needed to be.  It actually took about half of the book before I could get into a good reading pace for this story.  The set up for the world in which Vi lives in is also confusing due to the fact of not much of a history being told.  I wasn’t sure what their world involved and how it was established.  I just was left with that question mark above my head wondering why the beginning of the book couldn’t have explained things better for the reader.

I will admit to loving the ending.  It was one that left me excited for the next book in the series.  I just hope that the author can make the second book as great as the ending in the first.  This is one book that didn’t live up to the hype I had heard. I wanted more and didn’t get it until the end when it was too late. I also felt that too many things were left unanswered and that a few of them could have been wrapped up in this book to help satisfy the reader.

 
Okay book, but it left me wanting more! 3 STARS