Ratgirl, Song of the Viper, by Gayle C. Krause (A Book Review)

Ratgirl, Song of the Viper tells the tale of Jax Stone, a sixteen year old orphan in Metro City, a town where the majority of the inhabitants are forced to live underground in the sewers to escape the killer rays of the sun.  Her goal in life, besides staying alive, is escaping with her friends and little brother to Antarctica, the last place left where it is safe to live above ground.  Complicating matters is the corrupt mayor of the town and his evil scheme involving the town’s children.

Ratgirl is a futuristic, dystopic spin on the tale of the Pied Piper filled with action, betrayal, sacrifice and romance. All good things in my world. Jax Stone is my favorite type of girl, one who doesn’t depend on boys to solve all her problems, no matter how chiseled and swoon-worthy they may be. Jax is a strong leader in a desolate world, a good heroine in the YA world of literature.

Ms. Krause is skilled in the craft of writing and creates a tale that is easy and enjoyable to read. I downloaded the e-book onto my iPad, something I’m still new at, something that infuriates my children who like to “share” my technology. They were pleasantly surprised at how quickly I finished the book. So, Kudos to Ms. Krause for a story that kept me reading. My kids appreciate it too. ;)

Parental note:  Cussing and some mature themes.

          --Suzi Ryan

Divergent, by Veronica Roth (A Book Review)

Hunger Games fans rejoice! The Divergent series is the new dystopian hotness. The story takes place in a much altered Chicago with society broken into factions, each one representative of a particular virtue: Abnegation (these are the selfless people who put all others before them, in charge of the government), Candor (the honest ones who speak the truth at all costs), Dauntless (the brave ones who train to protect and kill, the military of this society), Amity (those devoting their lives to peace and farming), and Erudite (the intelligent, the geeks of the society, in charge of research). Once a year, all 16 year olds must choose their faction, the one they will stay with the rest of their lives. Do they choose the faction they’ve been raised in or jump ships to another, leaving behind their family forever?

Beatrice Prior makes her decision, one that surprises even her. Sealing her own fate, she then embarks on a quest to discover who she really is within the faction she chooses. The process is not an easy one with death as a possible consequence of failure to adapt. There is also the burden of knowing she could be cast out at any time, forever Factionless, poor and hungry. But Beatrice has a secret that she must guard well. One which others would kill her for. 

Divergent is a series filled with action, choices and consequences, betrayal and (thankfully) a bit of romance.

My overall impression is this was a very good book, definitely worthy of my hardback purchase. It had a few of my very favorite things: a girl with a secret, a girl who can take care of herself most of the time, and a boy who needs a good slap as much as he needs a good kiss. Ms. Roth has a writing style that is enjoyable and easy to read with well developed characters (even the ones you are rooting will meet a slow and painful death).

A teen that I know (who loooooooved this book, btw), excitedly grabbed my brand new copy, flipped open to chapter one and read aloud to me, “‘There is one mirror in my house.’ I’m telling you, I was hooked from the first sentence!” A teen, hooked from the very first sentence of a YA novel??  Kudos, Ms. Roth.  Kudos.

So…this one’s gonna be a movie, guys.  Check it out:

http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/divergent-scheduled-for-march-21-2014/

Read the book first, people!!

Parental note:  PG-13 violence and only one cuss word that I noticed.

Now, please excuse me whilst I go pick up my copy of Insurgent. In hardback, of course.

          --Suzi Ryan

Blood Red Road, by Moira Young (A Book Review)

Summary:  Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome for a new generation, only with a chick as the one kicking post-apocalyptic tail feathers.

The only world Saba knows is Silverlake, a dried up land where life is hard and food is scarce.  Strange, cloaked riders on horseback appear on the heels of a wicked dust storm, capturing her twin brother Lugh and stealing him away.  Saba, knowing almost nothing but stories of the world beyond her home, vows to get him back.  Her journey lands her into a world of violence and corruption.  She teams up with renegade Jack and a girl gang of insurrectionists called the Free Hawks.  Together they endeavor to rescue Lugh and depose a corrupt king. 

Sound the trumpets!  Fire the canons!  Cue the choir of angels!  It’s finally happened.  You have no idea how much I’ve longed for this day.  I’d almost given up.  But Ms. Moira Young has done the impossible for me—she created a female protagonist that I loved from the first page.  Saba.  This is not a story about a girl, quaking in her espadrilles, who sits back and watches the boy save her repeatedly while she nibbles on her cotton candy pink glitter nail polished fingertips.  Yessssssss!!  J

I loved this book, I loved this book, I loved this book.  Whew!  I feel so much better to have that off my chest.  Blood Red Road is now located in the very short stack of books I will read again one day.  I lost track of how many times I moaned and laughed out loud. I truly can’t remember having this much fun reading any book.  Ever.

All that gushing aside, there are a couple of things I should prepare you for.  This book is written without the use of quotations.  Glancing at other reviews, it seems to have taken some people a number of pages to adjust to this.  I confess, for me, it was easy and refreshing.  If you find yourself initially frustrated, I urge you to push forward. You’ll catch on.  This is a post-apocalyptic/dystopic world where no one goes to school.  They have their own verbiage, slight variations to English slang.  Perhaps a sample from the book to demonstrate?  Here goes:

He throws his head back an curses unner his breath. Stands up. Whatever I say now, he says, you ain’t gonna believe me. 

Alright, so one of the reasons I loved this book so much is that I am a Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome fan  (This admission will unfortunately clue you in to my age).  I have a sneaking suspicion that Ms. Young is as well.  I’d go so far as to suppose she has an old Beyond Thunderdome movie poster hanging up somewhere with a lipstick kiss on a youthful Mel Gibson’s cheek.  J  This story also involves a bit of cage fighting and I confess, any time I read a fight scene, a crazed crowd cheered from the recesses of my brain, “Two men en-tah, one man leaves.”

This is the point in my review where I offer up some tidbit of criticism, as no author is perfect and the art of writing is a continual refining process…nope, I got nothing.  This is  story with action, adventure, romance, drama, tension, tears,  plot and characters I can’t get enough of.  Fans of The Hunger Games will find plenty to get excited about here. 

Here’s the part of my review where I was going to implore Hollywood to add this to the list of YA fiction it scoops up for the big screen.  But then a little birdie whispered in my ear that my wish is already coming true.  Who you ask?  Why, Ridley Scott.  Oooo…I’m all aquiver.  Check it out:

http://pages.simonandschuster.com/bloodredroad

Parental note:  Some cussing.

As I end this book review, cue the guitar and keyboard.  Sing it, Tina Turner.  “We don’t need another heeeeero,  We don’t need to know the waaaay home.  All we want is—” Ms. Moira Young to write quickly.  I’m ready for the next book.  Like, now. 

            --Suzi Ryan

Popular by Alissa Grosso (A Book Review)

Hamilton Best is beautiful and perfect, the queen bee of Fidelity High, attended to by her worker bees, The Clique.  Her posted guest lists to her fabulous parties leave students either jubilantly bouncing off the lockered hallways or weeping and gnashing their teeth in the lav.  You know you’ve arrived when Hamilton takes notice of you.  But all is not well amongst the clique—Olivia, Nordica, Zelda, and Shelly.  Each has her own agenda and Hamilton is not on it.  But Hamilton has a secret, one only known by her boyfriend, Alex.  And it might just have the power to undo them all. 

Popular is told in first person through six people’s alternating points of view: Hamilton, Olivia, Nordica, Zelda, Shelly, and Alex.  I picked up this book at a conference and didn’t have the slightest clue what to expect.  All I could tell was that it wasn’t my typical read (not a bad thing, per se).  This is probably the most POV’s in one story that I’ve ever read and I confess, a couple of times I scratched my head and wondered if there was a point.  There is.  Go with it. 

What Ms. Grasso effectively manages to do is create a sense of impending portent.  I knew “something” was going to happen. That mood is what kept me turning the pages.  I guessed that it would be big and bad…though it ended up not being any of my initial imaginings. That’s a good thing.  Would it be bragging if I say I figured it out ahead of time, but barely?  (I am SO biting back a 1999 movie quote right now, it’s almost painful. But it could be a spoiler if you’re familiar with the movie…so I shall refrain.  But feel free to contact me if you’re curious)  ;)

A note of critical analysis, as always.  This story is told through a lot of first person internal narration. We’re camped inside the characters’ heads much of the time, not necessarily a bad thing but I thought that the “voice” of each of the characters seemed to be a bit mature, considering none of these kids seemed quite qualified to be pre-ordering a maroon Harvard hoodie.   

My favorite part of the book: It ended differently than it began (in a good way).  I love when music does that.  I love when life does that. A literary Sour Patch Kid. This was where the surprise factor came in for me. That’s the part I didn’t see coming.  But it ended the way I want all my books to end.  Me with a content smile on my face. 

Parental concerns:  Cussing.  A couple of non-descript kisses.  That’s all folks.  J

          --Suzi Ryan

Passion, a Fallen novel by Lauren Kate (a book review)

Passion is the third (but not final) installment in the Fallen series. The second book, Torment, ends with the protagonist Luce jumping into an Announcer (kind of a shadowy, past memory/time portal device), as she is frustrated with her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel, who won’t tell her anything about their past lives together or the curse that has plagued them for centuries, destining Luce to repeat her life, birth through age seventeen, again and again. Passion is almost exclusively a time jumping tour (feels a little like Groundhog Day goes island hopping), each trip taking her further back into the past with Luce learning a little more about the curse and the triggers that end her life each time, perpetuating her circuitous rebirth.

This is one series I look forward to, one that doesn’t merely get tossed on top of my teetering “To Be Read” pile.  Luce and Daniel are definitely one of the swooniest couples in current YA paranormal romance (anyone who knows me, knows I love my swoon). And this book has plenty…dare I say almost too much. Almost. I can’t believe I just said that! Excuse me while I wash my proverbial mouth out with soap. But alas, it’s true. I learned that even I  have a limit and this book took me right to the edge and dangled my ‘ruby slipper red’ pedicured tootsies over it. So, fellow swooners, rejoice. 

Ms. Kate seems to have had some fun with this book, imagining her characters in different times and parts of the world and how the social conventions of those would affect the couple’s relationship. World Wars I and II are covered. Also 1800 England, 1700 Tibet and France, all the way back until the years tick in reverse, 1046 BCE China and 3100 BCE Egypt. This novel is a bit of  a bonus for lovers of paranormal and historical fiction. 

At this time, I’d like to tip my hat to Ms. Kate for creating a male and female character I adore. Thing is, it’s not Luce or Daniel.  Supporting cast Arriane and Cam win that prize. Now for a deep, dark, secret confession few know: I generally don’t like female characters. Trust me, I want to be all girl power, but very few of the fictional fairer sex garner my admiration. Arriane is a street smart, tough cookie of a fallen angel, capable of kicking any guy’s tail feathers. We get to see loads of her in Fallen, one great scene in Torment,  and barely at all in Passion. L I’d have loved one big scene in Luce’s past life with Arriane, (perhaps while cast in the trappings of frills, lace, and a corset), seriously clocking someone.

So clearly for me…it’s all about the boys. And in this case, Cam, a superbly written character with a crystal clear voice. If Cam saunters into a scene, you know who is speaking long before the first dialogue tag. He’s a demon who’s a little bit sexy and a whole lotta sarcastic. My favorite combination. And we certainly get more of Cam in this book than the last (though I confess, I was still left uttering to Ms. Kate, “Please, mum, can I have some more?”). 

Parental note and potential spoilers: There is very little foul language, perhaps the only usage being H. E. double hockey sticks. All three books contain very descript kisses (Lauren Kate is one of the best writers of kisses) and some very non-descript wandering hands over fully clothed bodies. Keep in mind, Disney has optioned this series, so it would be a good ‘mom/daughter read together’ before it’s in the theaters (Dear Disney producer people: Think Pirates. This series is a bit dark. Respect it. Thank you. P.S. I’ll be there opening night). 

In closing, I say, read the books, don’t wait for the movies.  J

    --Suzi Ryan

The Lost Saint, A Dark Divine Novel by Bree Despain (a book review)

Daniel and Grace are back for the second installment of the Dark Divine novels.  The balance of power has now shifted.  Grace has freed Daniel of the werewolf curse passed down to him from his diabolical father.  In the process, she became infected herself.  She is now the one with extraordinary abilities and Daniel is left—well, normal.  Her family is crumbling from the disappearance of her brother, Jude, and a quest to find him is underway.  After a strange phone call, presumably from Jude, Daniel starts acting oddly, withdrawing from Grace and lying to her.  Left to fend for herself with the self-seeking call of the wolf within her, she meets Talbot.  Hunky and hot and a bit of a wolf himself, he picks up training Grace to use her abilities where Daniel left off.

I discovered this series through an Amazon recommendation for the author’s first book The Dark Divine.  Curious, I looked up her website and kind of fell in love with the path by which she became a published writer.  Check her out: http://www.breedespain.com/about.html.  I admit I was not optimistic about the first pages of The Dark Divine.  You see, the protagonist, Grace Divine, is a preacher’s kid.  I said to myself, “Here we go again.  Another piece of literature to bash Christianity.”  Growing up, my best friend was a PK and I had yet to see a realistic media depiction of my sweet, kind, and slightly naïve best friend.  But Ms. Despain surprised me.  With tears rolling down my cheeks from the unexpected parallel of the prodigal son (I am forever a sucker for a redemption story), I discovered this author has done the unusual—combined faith with the paranormal. And no, you will certainly not find this series in any Christian bookstore; nor will the majority of non-Christians be offended by her interjections of faith as she depicts a supernatural story affecting a pastor’s family.   

Now that I’ve unabashedly admitted my adoration for this series and author, let me point out a bit of constructive criticism, because—well, because I just have to.  The first book was a bit more…dark.  Let’s say it was a deep 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate.  Anyone who knows me, knows I like my paranormal with one foot in, and then out, and then back in, the dark side.  Star Wars meets the hokey pokey.  This book felt a little lighter to me, perhaps a lovely semi-sweet chocolate, palatable to a greater population of partakers.  Here the main character, Grace, has a self-seeking voice inside her head calling to her to act in a manner she would never normally act, like an imaginary little devil perched on her shoulder.  A perfect place for literary tension.  I would have liked to have seen the author wade into slightly deeper, murkier waters with the theme.  The title of the next release, The Savage Grace (currently slated for release December 2011), tells me I might just get what I’m looking for.

Overall, I’d recommend this series to anyone with an interest in the fantastical.  It’s a relatively clean read, especially considering the genre, with minimal foul language.  Ms. Despain has found a good balance in the paranormal world, combining faith, action sequences, suspense, and romance (with just a dash of steamy).  As with all fantasy, I strongly suggest picking up (or downloading) the first book first—The Dark Divine, then The Lost Saint.  Good beach reads.  Good series for adults to read along with their teens.  I myself am anxiously awaiting the next installment.  J

          -- Suzi Ryan

The Iron Queen, by Julie Kagawa (a book review)

Meghan Chase is half human/half summer fairy daughter of King Oberon (any other fans of A Midsummer Night’s Dream out there?).  She has also been infused with Iron glamour.  Yes, iron is still a very bad thing for full-blooded fairies here.  And she’s in love with a dark prince from the winter court, Ash.  The couple is an aberration and a disgrace to both of their families.  Ah, forbidden love (I’m SO there).  Refusing to renounce their relationship, they are disowned and ousted from the land of fairy to live out the rest of their days as outcasts in the mortal world. 

The problem for the land of fairy is the iron fey.  Neither summer nor winter can defeat them because of the poisonous nature of iron.  Help us, Meghan Chase, you’re our only hope (I swear I totally hear Princess Leia’s voice in my head right now).  Offering them pardons to return to the land of fey in exchange for a defeat of the iron forces, Meghan and Ash return as saviors, accompanied by snarky Puck (Robin Goodfellow), the other point in the love triangle (come on, what’s a romance without a triangle?).  Thus the stage is set for The Iron Queen, book three of The Iron Fey series, where Meghan must learn to wield the warring summer and iron glamour inside herself to save all of fairy. 

In the first two books, The Iron King and The Iron Daughter, I affectionately referred to Ms. Kagawa as the “Queen of Hyperbole”.  Lots of crying and screaming and gasping.  In this newest installment, Ms. Kagawa seems to have found her stride, toning down her over-enthusiastic writing style just enough. 

As it is with many YA paranormal romances, “the girl” starts out weak, helpless and clueless, depending solely on “the boy” to keep her safe.  In the good books, the girl develops, strengthens, and matures.  This is one that fits into the latter mold.  Meghan is not content to sit by and let the boys fight all her fights for her. Yay, girl power!  The problem (sorry Julie) I had was in suspending my disbelief, not of the endless array of fantastical characters, but in Meghan herself, who grew entirely too fast in her military prowess.  The boys, centuries old and battle tested, actually look at her and kind of go, “Well, what do we do now?”  Really?  And so, much of the book is Meghan bossing around the boys, turning them into lapdogs.  My grandmother  would have said she got way too big for her britches. 

The bottom line is Ms. Kagawa gives me the two things I want the most:  characters I can’t get enough of and dialogue so true to the characters that I can hear them in my sleep. 

I like that we finally get to see a relationship build here. Ash is no longer bound by the politics of the Winter Court and his super nasty mommy.  Part of me missed the moody, dark prince, but only just a tad.  There were scenes for me to swoon over and cry over.  (Okay, only two tears, but tears nonetheless). 

This is not the last installment.  The Iron Knight shall be next. Gone are the days of a good, old-fashioned trilogy.  Regardless, I am certain I will pre-order the next book, most likely pushing aside my current read when the UPS man knocks on my door.  J

Rating:  4 out of 5 hearts

        --Suzi Ryan

Entice, by Carrie Jones (A Book Review)

Never let a pixie kiss you

Zara White is back in Entice, the third installment of Carrie Jones’ Need series.  The town of Bedford, Maine is still under siege from rogue pixies, with teenagers disappearing regularly, victims of the pixies’ ‘need’.  Zara and her gang are still out to rescue her lost boyfriend (hunky, track star, werewolf) Nick who was killed and taken to Valhalla, a mystical place reserved for warriors (anyone up for some Norse mythology?).  Zara is willing to risk her life and the lives of those she loves to bring back her Nick.  She even willingly allows herself to be pixie-kissed, the painful process by which one becomes a super-strong, blue-skinned, sharp-toothed pixie.  And Zara becomes not only a pixie, but a pixie queen.  Try explaining that to your werewolf boyfriend when you find him. Thank goodness pixies can use glamour to make themselves look human.

These books are told through the eyes of protagonist Zara who comes off light and quirky, creating for the most part a quick, enjoyable read.  If I have to offer a criticism, it’s that this tone tends to come off a bit too light for me during scenes where bad things are happening.  I confess I’m into pain, literarily speaking, of course.  I want characters who care enough about their circumstances to hurt.  And Zara has plenty to hurt over.  The problem for me personally is I want the author to immerse me in that pain, not float me above it. 

For those who care about writing style, this author has nailed the elusive “voice”.  Anyone who’s heard editors or literary agents talk knows that the one thing they are looking for above all else is “voice”.  When you ask them what that means, they confess, they’re not exactly sure—they just know it when they see it.  Carrie Jones has one of the most crystal clear voices in current Young Adult Fiction.   Kudos, Carrie. J

I’m closing my eyes and cringing for what I’m about to say (please forgive me, Carrie).  Entice is kind of the New Moon of the series.  In Need we we fall for Guy A (Nick), and I confess, he’s one of my more favorite YA guys.  Then in Captivate we’re still loving our Nick, but intro Guy B (Astley)…and he’s kind of nice too.  And now onto Entice, Nick is lost, leaving us to fall hook, line and sinker for super nice guy Astley.  Who cares that he’s a pixie?  I mean, he is a pixie king, Zara’s royal complement, regally and completely worthy of oodles of gold-dusted swoon. 

Okay, so going with the whole Twilight thing, I never really gave a rat’s posterior about who was going to win Bella’s affection. I never felt torn.  But here?  Nick.  Astley.  Yep, I’m completely torn in half, bleeding in the snow of Bedford, Maine.  There can’t possibly be a happy ending here, can there?  I might be wrong…it wouldn’t be the first time…but Ms. Jones seems to be an awful lot like me, all sunshine and bubbles.  I imagine that she is every bit as much of a sucker for a happy ending as I am.  I hope I’m right.  Please, Carrie, let me be right.  Please end this series with an enraptured giggle, a sigh, and a generous spoonful of “awesome sauce”.  J

Bottom line:  Lovers of paranormal romance rejoice.  There is something else to read besides vampires and angels.  Though as usual, I suggest starting at the very beginning (a very good place to start).  Pick up Need and Captivate first. 

4 out of 5 stars

          --Suzi Ryan

Blood Ninja II: The Revenge of Lord Oda, by Nick Lake (A book review)

You had me at wakizashi.

Many of you know I am a romantic, a lover of fantasy/paranormal YA, a ‘give me a happy ending or I’ll hurt you’ kind of girl.  But…I have a deep dark confession.  Please refrain from snickering.  I am a lover of most things Japanese:  manga and anime (ninjas and samurai only please) and have spent hours of my life watching Naruto and Ninja Warrior on G4.  We’re all dorks about something and I suppose this is mine.  So reading the Blood Ninja books allows me hours of blissed-out Japanese dorkdom.  I also confess that ‘wakizashi’ is my most favorite word in any language.

The quest for the Buddha ball continues in Nick Lake’s follow up to his debut novel (Blood Ninja).  Male protagonist, Taro, born and raised as a peasant in a fishing village, continues to come to grips with the fact he is now not only a ninja vampire, but also the lost son of Lord Tokugawa, the most powerful daimyo of 16^th century Japan.  Accompanied by his most loyal friend, Hiro, and the beautiful wakizashi wielding princess, Hana, daughter of Lord Oda, the second most powerful daimyo, Taro continues on his quest to find his mother and beat the evil Lord Oda at retrieving the all- powerful Buddha ball.  

Mr. Lake follows the tried and true formula for fantasy:  a simple person (Taro) who is greater than he knows, who unwillingly gets caught up in the supernatural.  There is the best friend (Hiro), who would willingly die for his friend (ala Samwise Gamgee), and ah, the princess of course (Hana), rescued by Taro when her father orders her to commit seppuku (Japanese ritualistic suicide…I’ll let you google the gory details if you are unfamiliar).  It’s a formula that works and this author is gifted enough to work in some surprises along the way.   

I thoroughly buy Mr. Lake’s rules of vampirism, unlike Stephanie Meyer’s (sorry, Steph).  Sunlight and vampires don’t get along as a general rule, unless there is something special about them, like Taro.  Not all vampires are ninjas but all ninjas are vampires (say that ten times fast).  They have super human strength and agility, the ability to feed off of humans or animals to sustain themselves, and the capability to feed without killing.  These vampires have blood in their veins and you can only kill them with a good old-fashioned decapitation or sword to the heart (ah, the good ol’ days of Buffy).  Yes, they heal from all other wounds, but it takes time and they are not free from the pain of injury. 

Note to author and spoiler alert:  Nick…Nicky… may I call you Nicky?  You make me wait two whole books for a kiss and that’s what you give me? <I’m shaking my head affectionately at you> No, it was not the worst kiss I’ve ever read.  I was even thinking I’d get all sexist and say, “he’s a guy, of course he can’t write a good kiss.”  But dude—you wrote an entire paragraph of Hana just touching Taro’s hand.  Gorgeously written by the way, bordering on lyrical.  I swear I read it three times in a row because it was so beautiful.  And then you wimp out on the kiss???  Please…consult me on the next book for all collision of lips.  I promise to drop everything for you.  Email me, Facebook me, text me…call Cassie Clare or Lauren Kate, if you must.  Just please, write better kisses.  The Hogwarts kids are seriously getting better snogging action.  J

Bottom line:  An easy, enjoyable read.  Lots of blood and violence, but a bit of swooning and pining as well.  Do yourself a favor and get the first book first.  I myself am already waiting to pre-order the next one.  Oh, and every time you read the word ‘wakizashi’, I highly recommend shouting it out loud with your arms in the air like your favorite team just scored a touchdown (in my house that would be the Eagles).  Yeah…I’m a dork. 

          --Suzi Ryan

CRESCENDO, by Becca Fitzpatrick, a book review

Patch and Nora are back for round two in Becca Fitzpatrick’s second installment of Hush, Hush.  Patch is a fallen angel who wants to be human.  In order to fulfill that desire, he must kill Nora.  But he doesn’t.  He falls in love with her instead.  So now Nora has herself a sexy guardian angel…who kisses really well. 

The good:  Quickly paced and easy to read.  Mysterious and suspenseful.  Who really killed Nora’s father?  The question is answered in this book.  Becca’s writing style is a nice balance of dialogue versus description.  And my most favorite thing about Becca?  She has a degree in Health and she writes.  Super cool.  Perhaps there’s hope for me yet.

The bad:  Where’s the love, man?  In the field of paranormal YA, Becca pulls off sexual tension like few else.  I bought it in Hush, Hush—in the beginning.  Well, technically I salivated through the first half of the book, if you must know.  But somewhere along the way, their relationship turned into true love and I confess, I missed it…especially for him. 

Now we’re into Crescendo and I still don’t see it, or more importantly feel it.  Scenes of sexual tension laced with Patch’s innuendos quickly turn into a big fight due to Patch’s inability to effectively communicate with Nora.  Plus Nora is crazy jealous (not sure as I blame her…she has a super hot boyfriend who probably can’t count the number of women or angels he’s been with over the years and he does nothing but keep secrets from her).   They don’t seem to have anything in common and cannot even have one mature, semi-adult conversation.  Becca, if your goal was to bring together two people who have absolutely nothing in common other than physical attraction, ya nailed it, sister.   But if this is supposed to be a love story, we need more in the next book.  A lot more…though there’s a nice bit at the end of this book I could count as a starter.

The Bottom line:  This book kept me going.  Tons of action and suspense and when there wasn’t? Well there was plenty of sexy.  I was not bored. I did not skip ahead. I was thoroughly engrossed.  A quick, enjoyable read.  And my hat’s off to you Becca, I didn’t see the ending coming.  I find there aren’t many surprises in YA and I confess, I was happily thrown off.  Definitely worth the read, though I suggest getting your hands on Hush, Hush to start with.

Suzi’s rating:  4 out of 5

     -Suzi Ryan

Torment, a Fallen novel by Lauren Kate (Book Review)

The good, the bad, and the bottom line

Daniel Grigori was once a very high ranking angel until he fell (literally) for Lucinda Price.  The couple is cursed.  Lucinda (Luce) dies and is reborn every seventeen years and in each lifetime meets and falls in love with Daniel all over again with no memory of her past lives.  All while poor Daniel loses the love of his existence repeatedly, forcing him to wait for Luce to be reborn and mature, knowing he’s only going to lose her again and again. 

The good:  Premise.  Imagine you’re so amazing that an angel leaves his prestigious job in Heaven because he can’t live another day without you.  Total epic swoon fest.  Oh, and by the way, there’s also Cam, the sexy bad angel who has also been vying for your affection throughout the centuries.  Two guys fighting for you.  What’s not to love?  Decades of past lives.  The creative possibilities are endless.  This is the backdrop for (the)Fallen series.  For the record, I really liked the first book.  Daniel is complete leading man material.  Cam plays his role of foil exceptionally well.  And Luce is a decent clueless heroine (and they all start out clueless, don’t they?)  This book also contains my favorite kiss in YA history.  Two pages of well written lip smacking goodness.  That being said…

The bad:  Torment starts out so well.  Luce is hidden for safe keeping.  She gets to hang out with some nephilim in a place that promises to provide many answers to Luce’s questions.  Questions Daniel won’t answer.  Problem is, not much else actually happens here.  Torment is nothing more than a springboard for Passion, book number three.  Total Empire Strikes Back syndrome. But unlike Empire, Torment does almost nothing to advance the plot.  And I don’t even mind that so much if you’ve got awesome characters that I just want to hang out with.  I’ll put up with a bit of fluff for some three dimensional characters and awesome dialogue.  But the new characters in this one fell flat.  The highlight for me was Arrianne showing up to properly kick some bad angel butt.  But it was only one scene. 

And Luce?  She starts with a legitimate question for Daniel, such as ‘do you hook up with anyone else while you’re standing around waiting for me to be reborn?’  Total legit question to ask of one’s eternal angel boyfriend.  But as soon as Daniel shows up, she gets all swoony, he soars her up into the clouds for some beatific making out, he brings her back down to terra firma, and they fight.  I literally held the book away from myself and went “Seriously?” because that scenario is repeated throughout the book.  And I can actually buy the whole Daniel wanting to protect her and not throw too much information at her.  But dude, throw the poor girl at least one of those little dog bone treats.  She's starving.

Luce finally says ‘enough’ and sets off to find her own answers by book’s end.  Good for you, Luce baby, but it took ya long enough.

Bottom line:  Lauren Kate is a solid writer.  This series is definitely worth reading for all you paranormal romancers, adult and teen alike.  I’m glad I read it even though I never got my “rabbit hole experience” (This is the point near the end of a book where I lock myself in my bedroom to block out screaming kids as I race to the nail biting end).  But will I pre-order Passion months before its summer release date?  Yep.  The potential for greatness is still there.  I have faith in you, Lauren.  Throw us a bone.

     -Suzi Ryan