Wicked: Resurrection by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Book: Resurrection (Wicked #5)

Authors: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Source: Author

Summary:

What the Cahors witches thought was the end of their troubles was only the beginning. A threat more powerful and more frightening than anything they have faced has been watching and waiting. The Cahors witches must come together and find Jer and Eli as both the Deveraux and the Cahors family lines face eradication.

All the secrets of the Cahors will be revealed, forcing them to overcome their greatest weaknesses in order to achieve their most powerful strengths. And only united do they have any chance at victory. Before the end, sacrifices will be made, alliances forged, and old friends lost forever.

Review: Resurrection is the fifth novel in the Wicked series.

Resurrection was a satisfying ending to the Wicked series. At the end of the last novel Spellbound, I was left breathless, and shocked, at the cliffhanger. So I was even more surprised when the cliffhanger wasn't even acknowledged until about 90 pages in, and even then, the same character was still the only one with that knowledge.

More surprises fill the pages, as well as prophecies regarding the Cather's girls that seem to be eerily true. It's difficult for me to talk about one of my favorite eerie parts, without making this a spoiler filled review, but one of the newest characters was definitely creepy.

The characters were fun to read about still, and I found many of them more likable. I really enjoyed Amanda's discoveries in the novel, regarding Merlin's prophecies. Richard completely kicks butt in this book, as usual, and even gets a little something back to help him get over the past. I was surprised to find myself favoring Amanda over Nicole, because Nicole was my favorite character in the past books.

It was nice to see the characters all finally deal with issues they've avoided and ran away from.

Highlights: I was just continually shocked as the pages turned. It seemed like there was so much to the story that had never really been revealed. It seemed like this novel was easier to read, maybe because I finally got used to all the POV changes.

Lowlights: The ending fight scene was a little disappointing at how quickly and easily it ended. I also disliked how many times characters seemed to die (and some would be resurrected). It was also a bit odd how many of the characters were reincarnations of ancestors. I also felt like a few things about some characters were not clearly wrapped up.

Rating:   

As a whole, Resurrection was one of the easiest to understand. My favorite still remains to be Spellbound, but Resurrection was a good follow up and a great ending to an interesting series. 

-Lea

2010 Debut Author Challenge

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

• The Objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year (released 2010). I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! You don't have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them around throughout the year.

• Anyone can join, you don't need a blog to participate. If you don't have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.

• The challenge will run from January 1, 2010 - Decemeber 31, 2010. You can join at any time!

This challenge is hosted by The Story Siren, so go and visit her here for more info!

Bold: Own or borrowed/Reviewed

Italics: Own or borrowed/To Read and Review
Normal: Want to read

1. The Mark by Jen Nadol

2. The Line by Teri Hall

3. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

4. Dirty Little Secrets by CJ Omololu

5. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
6. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

7. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

8. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

9. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

10. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

11. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

12. Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

13. Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

14. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

15. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
16. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

17. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

18. Mistwood by Leah Cypess

19. A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend by Emily Horner

20. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

21. Other by Karen Kincy

22. Sea by Heidi R. Kling

23. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

24. Explorer X - Alpha by L.M. Preston

25. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

26. Tagged by Mara Purnhagen

27. Wish by Alexandra Bullen

28. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

29. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride 

30. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (Totally amazing, but still trying to write a decent review)

31. The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

32. Exit Strategy by Ryan Potter

33. Tweet Heart by Elizabeth Rudnick

34. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

35. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

36. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

37. Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

38. 

That's all I got time to write down for now, but I'm planning on reading more!

In My Mailbox 11

IMM is a meme hosted by Krisit (The Story Siren) and inspired by Alea (Pop Culture Junkie).

For Review:

The Line by Teri Hall

Rising Shadow by Jacquelyn Wheeler

Moonstone by Marilee Brothers


And that's it! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving & weekend!


-Lea

Winners!

Yay! Winner time!

But first I just would like to say that when you enter my contests, please be honest about how many entries you actually earn. I had quite a shock when out of the first three names I pulled, two of them had only done one of extra entries, if any at all. At first I was going to just let it slide, but then decided not to, because I really dislike dishonesty and I will not condone it on my blog. It really hurt me to see how dishonest some people will be when desperate to win a couple books (seriously, just go the the library. They are free there and you can read as many as you'd like).

So, I bumped the third winner name to #1, and drew two more names via www.random.org (and there were 1119 entries from the comments/emails! WOW!)

Note: Since privacy is important, I'm looking into reworking the way I hold contests (possibly). But, in the meantime, after every contest I'll go back and hide all comments so that your email addresses will not be visible.

So, without further ado, I give you three winners:

#1: Kristina (emailed and claimed BloodPromise/Shiver/TheVanAlenLegacy/Meridian)
#2: Alice (emailed and claimed Meridian/Catching Fire)
#3: Kelsey (emailed and responded)


That was such a fun contest to hold, and I will be announcing my 200 follower contest within the next couple weeks.

Congrats to the winners!!!



Lea

Hold Still by Nina LaCour Review

Hold Still
Nina LaCour
October 20th, 2009
230 pages (hardcover)
Publisher - Dutton
Source - Publisher

That night Ingrid told Caitlin, I'll go wherever you go. But by dawn Ingrid, and her promise, were gone, and Caitlin was alone. Ingrid's suicide immobilizes Caitlin, leaving her unsure of her place in a new life she hardly recognizes. A life without the art, the laughter, the music, the joy that she shared with her best friend.

But Ingrid left more than a memory behind. Devastating and hopeful, playful and hopeless. In words and drawings, Ingrid documented a painful farewell in her journal--just for Caitlin. Journeying through Ingrid's final days, Caitlin fights back through unspeakable loss to find renewed hope.

When I first picked up Hold Still, I wasn't sure what to think. I knew this was going to be a sad story, but it's also laced with humor, love, and everything in between. This is one of those novels that tugged at my heartstrings, and captured my attention fully.

I found myself really connecting with Caitlin. LaCour's development of her was amazing, because I honestly felt she could be a real person. She's up, and she's down while dealing with the aftermath of Ingrid's death. The discovery of Ingrid's journal doesn't help at first, it just opens more wounds. The novel progresses month after month, as the reader followers Caitlin in her process of healing, opening up, and becoming herself. LaCour really had me wondering at the end of the novel, just how well do we really know our best friends? It's a scary thought, to think about that, when you think that they would tell you if something was wrong.

Highlights: Caitlin's pain felt so real, so raw. The story seemed to flow at a nice pace. At the end, I just wanted more story, more writing. I cannot wait for whatever LaCour writes next.

Lowlights: I felt some of the other characters needed to be developed more. At the end of the novel, I still didn't feel like I really knew them.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Wicked: Legacy and Spellbound by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie Review

Book: Legacy and Spellbound (Wicked Series #2)

Authors: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Source: Author

Summary:

Holly Cathers is not the same person she was almost a year and a half ago. After discovering her connection to an ancient legacy of witches, Holly has accepted her destiny as a descendant of the House of Cahors. She is determined to end an intergenerational feud that has plagued her family for centuries.

Holly will have to overcome unworldly obstacles as she battles to protect her loved ones-including Jer, a member of the rival House of Deveraux and her one true love. A war of magical proportions is being waged, and Holly is at the center of it all.

Lives will be lost, and sacrifices will have to be made....

Review: Legacy and Spellbound are novels 3 and 4 of the Wicked series. (See my review for books 1 & 2 here)

Holder and Viguie deliver again with the action and battles in the third and fourth installments in the Wicked series.

The war against Michael Deveraux is darker than ever in Legacy & Spellbound, and I was not disappointed with all the action. I was actually surprised, because Holly spends most of Spellbound in an altered state of mind. Spellbound really became the other characters story, and I was actually cool with it. Nicole had a string of bad luck (and a very surprising surprise at the end), Amanda finally stepped it up a bit (and opened her eyes), and Phillippe really became an important part of the group, as did his coven members. Richard, Nicole and Amanda's father, surprised me the most. The man stepped it up big time in Spellbound, and shocked me completely.

Spellbound left me hanging on a cliffhanger (and a few surprises at the twists in the plot), and I cannot wait to get to Resurrection.

Highlights: Spellbound, obviously. Out of all the books, Spellbound hooked me the most. I did enjoy Legacy, but not as much as I enjoyed Spellbound. I also loved how dark this novel got, and how the characters developed yet again. Nicole and Amanda are not who they were in the first two novels.

Lowlights: I hated how Holly was supposed to be the strongest witch, and yet she couldn't manage to save herself. In Legacy, I had my moments of boredom but they were then followed by action, so I continued on quickly. There were also some errors in the novel, but I can easily over look those.

Also, yet again, it can be a bit confusing with a bunch of characters to remember (and a handful more that were introduced). The flashbacks made more sense to me now, though.

Note: I may not have stated this in my review of the first two books, but I'll just say it now. I would not recommend this to anyone under 14 because of the violence, sexual references, and whatnot. If you think you're mature enough, then go ahead.

Rating:   

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick Review

Book: Hush, Hush

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

From: Bought

Summary:

A sacred oath

A fallen angel

A forbidden love

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgement.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen--and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

Review: I'll admit. I got this partially for the cover. Come on, it is pretty breath-takingly gorgeous. I know, I'm a horrible person. However, the writing and the story were just as beautiful as the cover.

While there do seem to be a few similarities to Twilight, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story. Nora's your average teen girl, with one best friend named Vee. Her world comes tumbling down when bad boy Patch comes to town, and Nora's stuck being his lab partner.

The sexual tension between Patch and Nora was practically burning the pages. Usually I just roll my eyes at sexual innuendos in books, but I found Patch's amusing. Nora wasn't just another weak protagonist, but she wasn't the toughest one around. She seemed realistic, which totally rocks. The suspense was built up slowly, mystery and intrigue kept me curious from page to page...an all over success of a debut. 

Highlights: The tension between Nora and Patch. At times, it was completely hilarious to see how uncomfortable Nora got around him. Patch and Nora's characters were very well written too, I could visualize them and their personalities easily. Fitzpatrick's writing is addictive, I could hardly get enough that I needed to reread it all over again. 

Lowlights: Vee. Seriously, if this chick was my best friend, she wouldn't be for long. She's annoying, controlling. She doesn't ever believe Nora (where's the trust in that friendship?)...Who wants that hanging around? Plus, at the end, I felt like Patch was just kind of chilling in the corner when Nora could have really used some help. Not that I think a damsel in distress should be saved (save yourself girl!), I just think that if you can physically help, you should.

However, in the end, I really do believe this was a fantastic page turner. Hush, Hush kept me hooked until the very end, and has me very anxious for the sequel.

Rating:  

In My Mailbox

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren.

For Review:

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #4: Stage Fright by Meg Cabot

Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #5: Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out by Meg Cabot

Not YA, but I couldn't pass up the chance to review a Meg Cabot book, let alone two!

Lea ;)

Wicked: Witch and Curse by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie Review

Book: Witch and Curse 

Authors: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

From: Author

Summary:

Holly Cathers's world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.

In her new home, Holly's sorrow and grief soon gave way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there's the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.

Holly, Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launched into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations...and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny.

Review: The first Wicked book is made up of Witch, the first novel, and Curse, the second. It is told in third person, with changing views in order to keep the story flowing.

In Witch, I found myself surprised just how dark this novel got, and loved every second. Holly starts out as a normal girl, who suffers through a terrible ordeal in the beginning, and has to now live with her aunt and uncle in Seattle. This is when the story really started for me. Amanda comes off as sweet, if a little bit of a pushover. Nicole is pure attitude, and I wasn't really sure just how I felt about her in Witch.

The Deveraux men are out for blood, and Holly is the one they want to see die. Things get complicated when Holly and Jer Deveraux fall for each other, just as two of their ancestors did many years before...

In Curse, all of the characters grow into themselves, and their strengths. Holly is not as sweet and nice, becoming a little darker but I still found myself rooting for her, because at the end she's trying to save everyone. Amanda grew a backbone, but I found myself beginning to dislike her a bit. Nicole became my favorite character to follow in Curse, and I couldn't get enough of her adventures. I noticed in some other reviews, Curse was were some people felt the book go downhill, but I actually enjoyed Curse a bit more because of how much stronger the characters were.

Forbidden romance and past secrets fill this story in perfectly, and kept me curious. At times, the flashbacks were a bit confusing, though. I don't think I even have enough words to explain this story, but I would definitely recommend it to readers who would love to see the darker side of witches (and warlocks!).

Highlights: The characters seemed to really develop more as the pages turned, especially by the time I got to Curse. I also loved how dark this novel got, and I could tell that Nancy and Debbie really did their homework regarding the magic. I was completely captivated whenever anything magical, dark or light, was happening. Plus, this story is just full of action.

Lowlights: At first, it was all a little confusing. Switching from one character to another had my head spinning, but once I got them straight, it was easier to keep going. The many POV switches was the biggest deal with the story that I disliked.

Also, I really hated one particular scene with Holly and a cat (if you read it, you'll know), but then I just let it go. It's part of the story, and nothing more. At times, the story felt like it was dragging on, but then something would happen to suck me back in.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Lea ;)