Book Review: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Book: City of Heavenly Fire (Book #6 in the Mortal Instrument Series)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Rating: 5/5 stars- never have I felt so nostalgic

Synopsis:

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID. 

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance?

Review:

First of all: sorry about the giant long hiatus guys! Pre-finals craze has finally rolled around, and with it goes my sanity and sleep. 

But that most certainly did not stop me from picking up the final Mortal Instruments book and devouring that beautiful 700+ page book in a day.

You might be wondering why I'm not doing a series review on this since it's the last book, but truthfully, if I tried, I wouldn't know where to start and I'd be writing forever. I figure just focusing on this one was enough.

Warning: This review will have a non-spoiler review, and then a spoiler section where I talk a little more of the things in the books. So read the non-spoiler review, read the book and come back and let's discuss!

The Non-Spoilery Speedy Version:

Guys, although throughout the years I feel like I've lost some of the passion I've started out with City of Bones for this series, there is no denying the sense of déjà vu and nostalgia. This book brought me back to the days when I was majorly a Mortal Instruments fan. Granted I still really love the series, but let's say my horizons have expanded. 

We return to the world with the characters we know and love and new ones to love in the future- along with visiting new places and old places. There is tension, plot twists, and just about a heart attack around every FREAKING chapter. Cassandra Clare is a bully.

And then there are the actual heart attacks.

I'm not kidding guys I yelled way too many times when reading this and I was like locked in denial.

(I looked exactly like Honey in that gif too. many. times.)

I guess I didn't really know what I was expecting going into this book- was I expecting a happy ending? ehhhhh kinda? Was I expecting pain? YES. Was I expecting the twist at the end? FUCK NO.
(I would love to apologize for my language but seriously)

If you're a Mortal Instruments fan, you will not be disappointed with this final installment in the series. It hits you in all the right places, it brings the best of the series to the table, and personally I think it was the most well written of the series- my favourite will always be The Infernal Devices, but I feel like that in the process of writing that series, it helped her improve The Mortal Instruments. City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire are easily the best in the series, with good writing and solid plot with plenty of twists, it's a series I'm sad to see end- but I'm excited to see what the next series will carry on from there.

The Spoilery Fangirl Version:

CLICK AWAY CLICK AWAY
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OK guys let's get one thing here straight- THE MILLION REFERENCES TO THE INFERNAL DEVICES? SLAYYED.

I loved how we saw Jem and Tessa at the end, and I love how we saw Jem come back to life and he was hot and he was BAD. ASS. and I diiiiiied. And when they were like "WAIT I SWEAR I SAW JEM TAKE CHURCH." I nearly PEED myself laughing.

And how you see Jem reference to his past and to those who've read The Infernal Devices is just like "ahhhh" and how Tessa pops up here and there ohmygosh. And I yelled when I connected the dots between "Gray" and "Fray". HOW DID CASSANDRA DO THIS. DID SHE PLAN THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.



And then little Emma and Julian! AHHHHH. I'm so excited for The Dark Artifices, because if Emma is like how she is in this book, we're going to have some serious badass fun. :P I loved how much she resembles Jace's past in a sense, yet she has her own problems and difficulties. She has this strength and stubbornness and even at a young age, she shows incredible bravery and is completely out there. Julian and her... #toocute

I like how the book kind of mentions about their possible future problems and I just. oh. hit me right there.

What I loved most about this book was how every character seemed to interact with each other- this was really strong in terms of character and it was always what I thought was the weakest in the Mortal Instruments series. Aside from Jace, the other characters were fun but seemed to have minimal depth at points. But we seem to sense to bond with everyone, and it's beautiful on top of all the amazing plot twists.

The character deaths... Jordan :( I predicted it and everything but I just wished... ohhhhhh. Raphael too! I guessed that there was a chance, but I didn't think he was going to go off in such an honourable way. It showed integrity and strength and I salute thee!

I felt no problem with Maureen and Meilorn needless to say. I WISHED THE QUEEN DIED BUT UGGH. (cause I'm telling you, the Seelie Court is coming back to bite the Shadowhunters in the butt in The Dark Artifices)

I'M SO HAPPY MAGNUS LIVED OMG I COULD CRY. I was so so SO SCARED. I was TERRIFIED. I had maybe fifty heart attacks and girl, let me tell you. DON'T YOU MESS WITH MY GLITTER QUEEN.

BUT THEN SIMON. WHEN I FINALLY THOUGHT THE WORSE WAS OVER. OH. HA HA HA NOOOPE.

I screamed and I cried and I was like NOOOOOO IT CAN'T BE WAIT WAIT THERE'S ONE HUNDRED MORE PAGES THIS WILL BE FIXED.



It broke my heart LIKE CRAZY. But it kind of worked out in the end, with the Shadowhunter thing I guess... but I can't see him as that anymore! He'll always be that cute nerdy vampire to me. :)

My only real issue was... surprisingly the romance in this novel? I no longer enjoy this series for the romance- I'm all about the demons and the fights and the character bonds, and I loved the part where Alec was like "MY EYES. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU STRAIGHT PEOPLE.", because that was what I was kind of thinking- see the sex scene was useless in my opinion, and I was kinda of hoping it wouldn't come? It seems like such a cliche to me, and I'm the kind of girl who likes a tease more than anything? oh god I think I'm saying things I'll regret putting on the Internet. Universities don't hate me.

I liked Isabelle and Simon's progression in the series (and the DTR joke omg) and #Malec is like my favourite ship in this whole series, but I like Clary and Jace more on the emotionally bonded side rather than the physically attracted side.

Guys, it was CRAZZZY RIDE, with laughs and moments of gasping, moments of heart attacks and just. oh. no words guys. This is going to be really sad to say goodbye, but I look forward to The Dark Artifices!

Series Review: Blood of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Series: Blood of Eden

Author: Julie Kagawa

Series Rating: 5/5 stars- I own them all for a reason 

Book #1's rating: 5/5 stars- holy crap my faith in vampire fiction have been stored

Book #2's rating: 5/5 stars- I'm hanging off the edge with two fingers

Book #3's rating: 5/5 stars- the conflict #thestruggleisreal 

(Shoutout to my friend for that one ahaha)

Synopsis of The Immortal Rules (as found on Goodreads):

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.

Enter Julie Kagawa's dark and twisted world as an unforgettable journey begins.

Review:

(There is a spoiler talk/review/discussion/fangirling session up on my Goodreads' review! JOIN ME IF YOU HAVE READ THE SERIES. LET'S HAVE A FEELS SESSION TOGETHER.)

LET'S JUMP RIGHT INTO IT

Fangirl Reactions:

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The Immortal Rules:

My sudden thirst for vampire novels have returned. I just got thirsty.

The Eternity Cure:

The Forever Song:

OH THE EMOTIONS THE CONFLICT THE WOOOOOOOES.

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( I just realized the Eternity Cure is all Dan gifs... ahaha)

Where to begin. 

Oh where to begin.

If some of you have read my post back around Janurary during Blog-A-Thon, I think you'll know that I read Immortal Rules at my "vampire novels are beyond me right now" stage and FELL HEADFIRST BACK INTO THE GENRE.

It was one of the several novels that  not only threw me back into the vampire genre, but made me love it with a small passion.

Ever since then, I've been avidly following this series.

Allison Sekemoto. Badass. Fierce. TRIPLE FIERCE. Not to mention the Asian heritage bonus. She was a serious contender for Best Protagonist for a reason, and this entire series has been incredibly action-packed,  filled with amazing fight scenes, and she has this beautiful inner struggle as a vampire. The blood thirst and everything. oh my.

I loved Allie as a protagonist, and she had this comforting voice to read along- fierce yet she held firm to her human morality. I could flow along the plot and see the world through her eyes comfortably and never question really too much. 

One thing in this series I really enjoyed was the unique relationships all the characters had with each other. Due to vampire blood ties, there are interesting connections Julie Kagawa has made that give a depth to the vampire background in the series and adds to the plot subtly. Not only that, the relationships created interesting tensions, fangirling from me, and this love and frustration all around. 

Considering the books overall, I would say the Eternity Cure is my favourite. This is the novel where the development kind of all collides and builds and the final major plotline is pretty much established. The relationships were the best in this novel in my opinion, and just all around awesomeness. Oh yeah. And the killer cliffhanger. NO. BIGGIE. RIGHT.

I would say that The Forever Song is arguably the weakest installment in the series due to certain events in the beginning, but me, being a fangirl, and you can arguably say I'm slightly (really) biased, think that the ending kind of made it all up for me. There is a particular scene in the Forever Song where I read it over and over again just so it can sink in for me, and it really touched me. I thought that scene was so. so. well written.

I kind of don't know what to say without giving everything away. I can only say that this series is an amazing ride, and especially if you are a fan of vampire fiction PICK. IT. UP. Even more urgent to pick up if you're a dystopian fan as well. This vampire dystopian world will blow. you. away.

May 2014

Monthly Wish List for this month and what I've read and seen this past month.

I'M BROKE ALREADY GUYS AND THEN MAY COMES WHY

Book List: 

*synopses may be spoilery if you have not read the previous books in the series. All synopses were found on Goodreads.

Book: CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE (Book #6 in the Mortal Instruments series)
Author: CASSANDRA CLARE
Release Date: MAY 27th
Synopsis:

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID. 

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

Note from Carmen: SORRY GUYS I SEEM INCAPABLE OF USING LOWERCASE LETTERS I WONDER WHY

Book: The Chapel Wars
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Released Date: May 6th
Synopsis: 

Acclaimed author Lindsey Leavitt brings her trademark heart, humor, and romance to her hometown--Vegas
Sixteen-year-old Holly wants to remember her Grandpa forever, but she’d rather forget what he left her in his will: his wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Whatever happened to gold watches, savings bonds, or some normal inheritance?

And then there's Grandpa's letter. Not only is she running the business with her recently divorced parents, but she needs to make some serious money--fast. Grandpa also insists Holly reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family's mortal enemy and owner of the cheesy chapel next door. No matter how cute Dax is, Holly needs to stay focused: on her group of guy friends, her disjointed family, work, school and... Dax. No wait, not Dax.

Holly’s chapel represents everything she’s ever loved in her past. Dax might be everything she could ever love in the future. But as for right now, there's a wedding chapel to save.

Book: Royally Lost
Author: Angie Stanton
Released Date: May 6th
Synopsis:

Dragged on a family trip to Europe’s ancient cities, Becca wants nothing more than to go home. Trapped with her emotionally distant father, over-eager stepmother, and a brother who only wants to hook up with European hotties, Becca is miserable. That is until she meets Nikolai, a guy as mysterious as he is handsome. And she unknowingly finds herself with a runaway prince.

Nikolai has everything a guy could ask for-he's crown prince, heir to the throne, and girls adore him. But the one thing he doesn't have...is freedom. Staging a coup, he flees his kingdom and goes undercover on his own European tour.

When Nikolai and Becca meet, it’s their differences that draw them together. Sparks fly as they share a whirlwind of adventures, all the while dodging his royal guard. But Becca's family vacation ends in a matter of days. Will Nikolai and Becca be forced to say goodbye forever, will his destiny catch up to him, or will they change history forever?

Book: Rebel (Book #2 in the Reboot duology)
Author: Amy Tintera
Release Date: May 13th
Synopsis:

After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to find a life of freedom. But when they arrive at the Reboot Reservation, it isn't what they expected. Under the rule of a bloodthirsty leader, Micah, the Reboots are about to wage an all-out war on the humans. Although Wren's instincts are telling her to set off into the wilderness on their own and leave the battle far behind, Callum is unwilling to let his human family be murdered. When Micah commits the ultimate betrayal, the choice is made for them. But Micah has also made a fatal mistake . . . he's underestimated Wren and Callum.

The explosive finale to the Reboot duology is full of riveting action and steamy love scenes as Wren and Callum become rebels against their own kind.

Book: Of Neptune (Book #3 in the Syrena Legacy trilogy)
Author: Anna Banks
Release Date: May 13th
Synopsis:

Emma and Galen’s kingdom and their love is threatened by long-lost Syrena in the brilliant conclusion to Anna Banks bestselling trilogy.

Emma, half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma’s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.

Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn’t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean and the land-dwelling, freshwater Syrena. They didn’t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn’t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love but their ocean kingdoms.

In this stunning conclusion to her bestselling Syrena Legacy, Anna Banks thrills fans with more action and romance than ever.

Note from Carmen: *drools uncontrollably

Book: The Art of Lainey
Author: Paula Strokes
Release Date: May 20th
Synopsis:

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with, if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

Book: Now and Forever
Author: Susane Colasanti
Release Date: May 20th
Synopsis:

What if your boyfriend was the world's biggest rockstar?

Sterling is crazy in love with Ethan. Not only is he the sweetest boy she's ever met, but he's an incredibly talented guitarist, singer, and songwriter. And since forever, he's believed he has what it takes to be a star.

When Ethan becomes an overnight sensation, he's thrown head-first into the glam world of celebrity-and so is Sterling. Before she knows it, she's attending red-carpet premieres, getting free designer clothes, and flying around the country to attend Ethan's monumental sold-out concerts.

It's a dream come true...but whose dream is Sterling living? And what do you do when "forever" comes to an end?

Book: The Dark World (Book #1 in the Dark World series)
Author: Cara Lynn Shultz
Release Date: May 27th
Synopsis:

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.

Note from Carmen: Did I mention how much I loved Spellbound? SO EXCITED FOR A NEW BOOK FROM CARA.

Book: The Girl with the Windup Heart (Book #4 in the Steampunk Chronicles)
Author: Kady Cross
Release Date: May 27th
Synopsis:

In 1897 London, a final showdown is about to begin.

London's underworld is no place for a young woman, even one who is strong, smart and part-automaton like Mila. But when master criminal Jack Dandy inadvertently breaks her heart, she takes off, determined to find an independent life, one entirely her own. Her search takes her to the spangled shadows of the West End's most dazzling circus.

Meanwhile, taken captive in the Aether, Griffin King is trapped in an inescapable prison, and at the mercy of his archenemy, The Machinist. If he breaks under the hellish torment, The Machinist will claim his powers and control of the Aether itself, and no one in either world will be safe-especially not Finley Jayne and her misfit band of friends.

Finley plunges headlong into the Aether the only way she knows how, by temporarily dying. But she cannot parry The Machinist's maneuvers for long. To defeat him for good, Griffin will have to confront his greatest fear and finally come face-to-face with the destructive power he wields.

Note from Carmen: Was disappointed with the previous book but the synopsis OMG

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April Obsessions

Books:

The Forever Song (Series review will be up VERY soon.)

Other Stuff:

Easter chocolate

Things I Saw in April and Didn't Review:

Unraveling (Book #1 in the Unraveling series)

Sanctum (Book #1 in the Guards of the Shadowland series)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dare You To (Book #2 in the Pushing the Limits series)
Falling Kingdoms (Book #1 in the Falling Kingdoms series)
A Nightmare Affair (Book #1 in the Arkwell Academy series)

Book Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Book: The 5th Wave (Book #1 in the 5th Wave series)
Author: Rick Yancey
Rating: 4.5/5 stars- I think I'm rating it higher than I enjoyed it but I DON'T CARE KIND OF

Synopsis (as found on Goodreads):

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

Review:

After the much craze about this book, I finally hopped onto the bandwagon and decided to see what this book was about. I had heard sci-fi dystopian tagged along with it and I was excited.

Stupidly enough, I didn't expect aliens.

OK I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING

"CARMEN IT SOUNDS PRETTY DAMN OBVIOUS FROM THE SYNOPSIS IT'S ALIENS."

I'm kinda dense sometimes ok oops.

For the first quarter/third or so of this book, I was mega confused. Literally I was like




I was like wait the waves the plot the characters WHAT.

But then the way the author unfolded Cassie's backstory, what had happened to create this apocalypse world, and how it melded with the current plotline was well structured and it gave a sense of urgency and mystery, as the reader rushes to find out more about what happened.

Then it all starts clicking together around maybe 60-70% of the book or something and I'm like AHAHAHAHAH I KNOW NOW

And then the action really starts clicking in and I'm like YEAH DIE ALIEN SCUM HAHAHAHAH

I was a little excited as you can see.

I liked Cassie, although the romance with Evan? Meh. I thought that could've been done better. I liked how Ben, Sammy, and Cassie's story all came together, but if you had to call Ben a love interest I would be like...
Meh.

Honestly, I kinda of knew beforehand that he was a possible love interest, but I totally thought (and still think!) he was going to be with Ringer.  (Is that spoilery? I don't think so but if you did SORRY) I liked him as a character, but I didn't care for him as a love interest.

Evan Walker. Hm. Well, I didn't like him all that much in the beginning, I just thought he was... kinda of cliche. Around the end though, I started feeling that he really was a decent guy, and there was some sympathy, and I was starting to like where the romance was going, but I liked how Cassie gritted her teeth and was focused on her one goal- her brother Sammy.

My solo issue with the book: POV SWITCH.
Look, multiple POVs are not my favourite to begin with, but my biggest irritation with this novel is that it switches point of view with almost no notices and I have to try and figure it out as I'm reading who it is. When they first switched POVs I was like:


Normally, I would only give this book maybe 4 stars or so, but I gave it .5 higher, really due to the writing and world development- I really enjoyed how they came together and clicked and became a whole big storyline.

I suggest that you give The 5th Wave a try if you're one those sci-fi movie geeks or maybe you just want some aliens in your life.

K-Drama Review: I Hear Your Voice

Drama: I Hear Your Voice
Network: SBS
# of episodes: 18
Rating: 4.5/5 stars- I just adopted a new puppy or something

Synopsis (as found on Wikipedia):

The series is a combination of courtroom drama and romantic comedy with elements of fantasy. After overcoming poverty and a difficult childhood, Jang Hye-sung becomes a lawyer, specifically a public defender, but she is pragmatic, self-preserving and jaded. Her life changes when she encounters Park Soo-ha , a high school boy with the supernatural ability to read other people's thoughts by looking into their eyes, and cop-turned-lawyer Cha Gwan-woo who is cheerful and idealistic, though a bit of a dork. Soo-ha gained his mind-reading ability after witnessing his father getting murdered ten years ago. His father's death had initially been dismissed as a car accident until Hye-sung, then a high school girl , gave decisive testimony in court despite the killer's threats, and Soo-ha has been searching for her ever since. As Hye-sung works with Soo-ha and Gwan-woo, she gradually lets go of her pursuit of money and glory. Together, this unlikely team use unconventional methods on their cases, proving that while sometimes justice is blind to a fault, she can still hear your voice.

Review:

After hearing the raving reviews on the movie and how cute it looked and sounded, I decided to give I Hear Your Voice a try.

Even though it took me like three months to finish it (due to me taking like a 2 month break) it was an enjoyable ride through and through. The main character is a character with immense character growth, from an annoying, jaded, unreasonable woman to someone who really see things deeper than the surface with a strong sense of justice. It's incredible to watch, along side with her co-star, WHO IS EFFING ADORABLE.

Seriously guys, I was wondering if he was like half puppy or something cause you cannot say no to this guy when he makes that face. Literally.



At the same time, he managed to portray a wide wide spectrum of emotions- everything from revengeful, to deeply, madly, in love, to completely irrationally insane. It was exciting to watch, as the emotions were splayed onto the screen so honestly and raw.

Although I wasn't totally sold on their romance, they had chemistry together as characters together on screen and just wow. The moments that were meant to be deep and heart moving sold me completely.


The cast worked together in a perfect symphony and harmony, bringing the story to life and carrying their roles through.

Lawyer Cha was almost equally adorable, although I almost wish he didn't become so serious midway...

As for our villain... a villain worthy of hate. Yet he wasn't evil for the sake of being evil. The plot actually explains and gives you reason, and almost sympathy for his past, and what has shaped him this way. It's not a crappy OMG YOU DROWNED MY HAMSTER reason, it's deep and it's personal and it's melds into the plot, giving it complexity and depth.

I was impressed with the plot, although sometimes a bit slow in terms of certain cases they were dealing with, brought tension in the right pacing, and gave good character development, while balancing the cute, funny moments with the scary, tense moments.

The soundtrack was also brought in beautifully to enhance the drama, not to heavy, but just as background.

Honestly, I'm just really impressed with the writing and the acting of this drama- poignant yet tense, something hard to do at the same time. It was kept clean with one simple plotline, without thirty thousand complex added subplots to mess up, yet the plotline was deep, complex, and had so much tensity, adorableness, and just all around awesomeness. I can't.
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Leave me a comment telling me what Kdrama to watch next guys... I'm still in withdrawal slightly. I need a new drama. 

April 2014

Monthly Wish List for this month and what I've read and seen this past month.

*(What I want to buy but probably only end up buying like 2)
Contemporary heavy month this time! 

Book List: 

*synopses may be spoilery if you have not read the previous books in the series. All synopses were found on Goodreads.

Book: Stolen Songbird (Book #1 in the Malediction Trilogy)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Released Date: April 1st
Synopsis:

For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

Book: Burn Out (Book #1 in the Burn Out series)
Author: Kristi Helvig
Released Date: April 8th
Synopsis:

A futuristic blend of Beth Revis's Across the Universe and Lenore Appelhans's Level 2, Burn Out will satisfy the growing desire for science fiction with a thrilling story of survival, intrigue, and adventure. 

Most people want to save the world; seventeen-year-old Tora Reynolds just wants to get the hell off of it. One of the last survivors in Earth's final years, Tora yearns to escape the wasteland her planet has become after the sun turns "red giant," but discovers her fellow survivors are even deadlier than the hostile environment.


Holed up in an underground shelter, Tora is alone--her brilliant scientist father murdered, her mother and sister burned to death. She dreams of living on a planet with oceans, plants, and animals. Unfortunately, the oceans dried out ages ago, the only plants are giant cacti with deadly spines, and her pet, Trigger, is a gun--one of the bio-energetic weapons her father created for the government before his conscience kicked in.

When family friend, Markus, arrives with mercenaries to take the weapons by force, Tora's fury turns to fear when government ships descend in an attempt to kill them all. She forges an unlikely alliance with Markus and his rag-tag group of raiders, including a smart but quiet soldier named James. Tora must quickly figure out who she can trust, as she must choose between saving herself by giving up the guns or honoring her father's request to save humanity from the most lethal weapons in existence.

Book: What I Thought Was True
Author: Huntley Fitzpatrick
Release Date: April 15th
Synopsis:

From the author of My Life Next Door comes a swoony summertime romance full of expectation and regret, humor and hard questions.

Gwen Castle's Biggest Mistake Ever, Cassidy Somers, is slumming it as a yard boy on her Nantucket-esque island this summer. He's a rich kid from across the bridge in Stony Bay, and she hails from a family of fishermen and housecleaners who keep the island's summer people happy. Gwen worries a life of cleaning houses will be her fate too, but just when it looks like she'll never escape her past—or the island—Gwen's dad gives her some shocking advice. Sparks fly and secret histories unspool as Gwen spends a gorgeous, restless summer struggling to resolve what she thought was true—about the place she lives, the people she loves, and even herself—with what really is.

A magnetic, push-me-pull-me romance with depth, this is for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Deb Caletti.

Note from Carmen: I WANT THIS OMG IT'S SO PRETTY *heavy breathing

Book: The Geography of You and Me
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
Release Date: April 15th
Synopsis:

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

Note from Carmen: I AM SO PUMPED FOR THIS AHHH

Book: The Forever Song
Author: Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 15th
Synopsis:

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS 

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? 

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. 

MONSTER 

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. 

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Note from Carmen: AFTER THAT CLIFFHANGER GUYS SOMEONE PLEASE

Book: To All the Boys I've Loved Before (Book #1 in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before series)
Author: Jenny Han
Release Date: April 15th
Synopsis:
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

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March Obsessions

Books:

Cruel Beauty (MY LIIIIIIIIFE. Review can be found here.)

Other Stuff:

Sad Song (Song by We the Kings. I blame my friend for getting me addicted to the song.)
Divergent (Movie,  Mini Review can be found here.)

Things I Read/Saw in March and Didn't Review:

Romeo and Juliet

Valkyrie Rising
Between the Lines

Angelfall (Book #1 in the Penryn & the End of Days series)
The Son of Neptune (Book #2 in The Heroes of Olympus series)
World After (Book #2 in the Penryn & the End of Days series)
Storm (Book #1 in the Elemental series)
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Away We Happened (Web Series)

Book Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Book: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Rating: 4.5/5 stars- waiting to see if it lingers

Synopsis (as found on Goodreads):

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.


Review:

Ok so first: the cover is prettier than it looks online.
It's one of those covers that are even more gorgeous in person, because it shimmers in the light like a pearly dragon scale or something and personally, I'm happy to own it.

Hannah Harrington. Oh where do we start.
I read Hannah Harrington's debut novel Saving June about a year or two ago, and at the time I didn't think too too much about it, having liked the book, but wasn't crazy about it.

Yet as time goes on, and the days where I sit and muse about the contemporaries I've read and the stories that have genuinely touched my heart (yes I do that ok my head is like a high speed train running through topic to topic), somehow Saving June manages to be summoned up into my memories. It found a little niche in my heart to hide, coming out at moments when I need it.

That's when I knew I had to read more of Hannah Harrington's books.

Except Saving June was her only novel at the moment. Heh.

Speechless came out a while ago, and while I was crap at reading it when it was released, I finally did read it and I was satisfied but I'm still waiting.

Explanation: I want to see if it also find a corner of my heart to hide in.

But no means was this book flawless though. I don't particularly think this book was groundbreaking in the issues it addresses- it was good, it was simple, and it told a story effectively and had good morals in it. I walked away feeling good, feeling like I had one of those weird meditation things that somehow make you feel good and makes you open up and see the world better.

I did love that one line where Noah talked about hate and love.

It's not the most original plotline or romance, the characters are the tried-true kind that every contemporary has, the topic it address is a usual cliche pain in the neck, blah blah blah. It kind of doesn't matter too much in the end. Because it was executed in a way like made you feel the right way, kept you interested as you follow the protagonist through her journey of self-discovery, and the morals were delivered beautifully and thoughtfully.

It's the way the author writes that make her books come off the way it does. It's a comforting yet poignant feel, and it although the issues are different, the stories, the characters, everything is different, the underlying flow of the writing is the same for Saving June and Speechless. It makes everything not only bearable, but somehow the story was taking you by the hand and you were floating adrift with you. The characters became a comforting cast of friends you follow, despite how they seem so cliche yet seem to have these angles you never thought they'd have. The story loses the irritation it usually gives you with all the cliches. It just somehow clicks and works.

Only time will tell if this tale will stay with me like Saving June did and still does. I do think Saving June has a greater impact emotionally wise, but Speechless was more of a comforting blanket in the cold.