Evil Librarian

by Michelle Knudsen

ISBN: 978076366083
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: September 9th 2014
Number of Pages: 352
Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: #EvilLibrarian He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil. He’s . . . the librarian.

When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body!

My Rating:  

Not the best book I've read in awhile. The main character, Cyn, has a crush on a guy named Ryan and her level of obsession with him is kind of freaky....

"I think if I ever touched him I'd just dissolve into a little pool of liquid bliss on the floor..." - Evil Librarian, 2 

She gets a little sidetracked when her best friend Annie finds an obsession of her own - the new librarian, Mr. Gabriel.  Cyn knows something is off about him and she turns out to be right:

"The tables have been cleared away against the bookselves, and a giant and disturbing shape has been drawn in chalk on the floor. Its unpleasant lines and angles form a kind of frame around the librarian, who seems to have sprouted large black bat-like wings. Also, long twisty black horns of some kind are now spiraling out of the top of his head."- Evil Librarian, 74 

Yeah, the new librarian is a demon who is slowly sucking the souls out of the student body and killing people whenever Cyn "gets in his way." (He knows that Cyn knows what he is and he can't use his demon powers on her because she is some sort of "super-roach" in his world....) He also wants to take Annie away to the Demon world where she will become his bride after he wins the battle to become the next Demon King.

Let's add to the weirdness and have Cyn be a techie for the high school production of Sweeney Todd (you might know this story from the movie starring Johnny Depp).  Don't worry about the cast Cyn, demons love this show and won't kill anyone until after. Uh ok??

And who does Cyn happen to pair up with and become her partner in destroying this demon? Of course, her crush (whom she has never spoken to prior to this)! She goes back and forth between being focused on coming up with a plan to deal with Mr. Gabriel and having these super weird moments where her body can't seem to stay away from Ryan:

"Let us go to him, they implore me. Release us to chase our destiny! My legs are a bit melodramatic, but I hear what they are saying. I could throw him down and take a big juicy bite of his absolute deliciousness." - Evil Librarian, 6

Seriously - this is one weird book. I liked the basic concept but the execution was done poorly. 

We Were Liars

*I received an ARC (ebook version) from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.*

by e. lockhart

ISBN: 9780385741262

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: May 13th 2014
Number of Pages: 240

Source: ebook (ARC)

Goodreads Summary: 

A beautiful and distinguished family.A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.

My Rating:  

The whole story is basically a secret, so I can't give anything away regarding plot. I mean, you can tell just by reading the so-called "summary." All very vague....

This book was a quick read not only because of the length but also the story-line is fast paced. 

The reason this book only received 2 stars from me is due to several factors. One, the way it was written. I did not like the main character's voice or how the story was written in the way it was. Some of the wording is off to me and this style did not work well for me at all. I do understand why it was written that way - to keep the reader engaged enough for them to read this book like a thriller.

There lies my second gripe: it was supposed to be a thriller and secretive but I had figured everything out pretty quickly. Only reason I kept reading through was to get answers to the few questions I had.


Marketing FAIL


Things I did like:
-the underlying moral of the story
-the weird and interesting fairy tales


I'm not sure I can really recommend this book. I will say MAYBE if you came and just randomly picked this book out and went in blind, it might be okay. Some people might even enjoy this type of writing style. But I think the hype surrounding this book was too much and it ultimately spoiled "the secret." 

Panic

By Lauren Oliver

ISBN: 9780062014559

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 4th, 2014
Number of Pages: 408

Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Rating: 

I loved Lauren Oliver's first novel - Before I Fall (and if you have not read it - YOU NEED TO!) So when I saw she had a new book out, I was pretty excited.

Panic just didn't live up to my expectations. I don't know if it was the story itself or the characters, I just didn't connect.

We have alternating points of view between Heather and Dodge. I do like alternating viewpoints! I just didn't feel connected to either of them. Yeah, they have bad home lives and everyone needs this money, and poor Heather getting dumped.....blah blah blah. 

The idea of Panic intrigued me though. Some have said it's like a real-world "Hunger Games" and I'm sorry, but I don't see that connection at all. A bunch of teenagers get together and do wild stunts/dares and are judged on their performance.  There are different rounds where people are eliminated and there can only be one winner.

Good realistic fiction read for those that might like a bit of adventure mixed in. The characters aren't too likable though and the story didn't "grab" me. Let me know what you think!

34 Pieces of You

by Carmen Rodrigues

ISBN: 9781442439078

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: June 11th 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary:  There was something about Ellie; something dangerous. Charismatic. Broken. Jake looked out for her. Sarah followed her lead. And Jess kept her distance and kept watch.

Now Ellie's dead, and Jake, Sarah, and Jess are left to pick up the pieces. All they have are thirty-four clues she left behind. Thirty-four strips of paper hidden in a box beneath her bed. Thirty-four secrets of a brief and painful life.

Jake, Sarah, and Jess all feel responsible for what happened to Ellie, and all three have secrets of their own. As they confront the past, they will discover not only the darkest truths about themselves, but also what Ellie herself had been hiding all along.

My Rating:  

We have a teenager Ellie who overdoes and dies - no one knows if this was truly just an accident. The only person with her when this happens is her best friend, Sarah. After this experience, Sarah basically falls apart and beings a shut-in. Her young sister, Jess, had a secret relationship with Ellie. And Ellie had secrets of her own, bad experiences as a child and some mental issues now. The summary mentions the 34 scraps of paper that Ellie wrote with her secrets on them. I found this part of the book to be confusing and not needed. Some of the chapters have one of these messages preceding it but they don't make sense usually and we never know who the person she refers to in the particular note is.

We have varying points of view, which worked for me. I just never connected with any of the characters. None of them were likable and all the secrets they had and their treatment of each other was bothersome.

If you liked Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price - give this book a try as it has the same mysterious elements & is realistic with the issues presented. However, I feel like that book was better written. Or if you decide not to take a chance on 34 Pieces of You, but like this type of book, go read Zoe Letting Go.

Unhinged

by A.G. Howard

Series: Book #2 Splintered Series
ISBN: 9781419709715
Publisher: Amulet
Publication Date: January 7th 2014
Number of Pages: 400
Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

My Rating:  

Book #1 - Splintered was a likable book. I mean I love re-tellings. This series is based on the story of Alice in Wonderland. To sum up the first book: Alyssa is a descendant of the original Alice. She can hear bugs & flowers talk and her mother is locked away in an asylum. Her childhood "dream friend" is actually real (Morpheus aka the caterpillar in the original story) and comes to her saying she needs to take her place as Queen of Wonderland and stop the Red Queen from destroying that world. 

Now to book 2 - Thought we conquered the Red Queen but just kidding! So the same cycle happens - Morpheus begging (okay, he doesn't beg...more like tells with authority) Alyssa to come save Wonderland. Jeb doesn't remember anything that happened in book 1. So literally this is the same book sort of. 

Both "love interests" are incredibly annoying. Morpheus just gets on my nerves with his yo-yo-ing treatment of Alyssa. And Jeb? What the heck happened to him?! He is not at all the guy I read about in book 1. And the ending, his actions made me angry (though I can see where he is coming from). 

The solution for this love triangle? 

"You've been given a chance at two lives and two loves. That is nothing short of a miracle." - Unhinged

Oh yeah....let's make her immortal in Wonderland and she gets to have BOTH guys. Really? I mean come on! 

The whole book is supposed to focus on her "honing her powers" but I really don't see any of this. Just her hiding the truth from her loved ones and running around chasing silly things. She is facing this confusion over who she is:

"Fresh guilt simmers inside my chest...I can't just turn my back on that world; I can't let if fade to decay and ruin under Queen Red's thumb. Yet I can't abandon the people I love here, either. I don't know how to follow one side of me without leaving the other one behind." - Unhinged, 55

Yeah, can't help you there....how about you just split your time between the two realms? Why must it be one or the other?

Then we get this glimpse at the future:

"A most unique creature. The first child to be born to two netherlings who've shared a childhood...Through your child, Wonderland will thrive with new magic and strength. Our offspring will become true children once more; they will learn to dream again. And all will be right with our world." - Unhinged, 279

Just UGH! This is pre-determined? Well okay then....and now we have another world? AnyElsewhere is another dimension that doesn't really make sense to me. 


So, who knows if I'll read book #3 (Ensnared). This book really let me down. 

But hey, if you have the time to read and want to continue this series - go ahead and read this book!

Dead is a Killer Tune

By Marlene Perez

Series: Book #7 Dead Is..
ISBN: 9780547608349
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 4th 2012
Number of Pages: 204
Source: ILL
Goodreads Summary: High school freshman Jessica Walsh is a Virago—a woman warrior who must protect her hometown from danger. And in Nightshade, California, trouble is always lurking. At the town’s Battle of the Bands, Jess’s boyfriend, Dominic, and his band, Side Effects May Vary, are up against Hamlin, a band so popular, their fans follow them everywhere. Soon, the competing musicians are doing risky, illegal, and even fatal things—and claiming that they heard strange music that compelled them to do it. Can Jess and her friends track down the tuneful tyrant before it’s too late?

My Rating:  

Review contains spoilers

I will come out and just say it - this "spin-off" series is just not cutting it for me. Book #8 (Dead is Just a Dream) just came out and I will not be reading it. 

Is it just me or does it seem like these books keep getting shorter and shorter? Book #6 was 240 pages, this book was 204, and Book #8 - 176 pages! I don't think you can really get a good story in that short of time. I also took issue with that fact that the summary on the back cover is misleading! You can read it above in the summary. It refers to Dominic as Jess's boyfriend. Excuse me???! Hate to spoil it for you readers, but they aren't even dating for most of this book! My thoughts on him are already clear and this book just reinforced them. 

Two things I did like: 

1. Jess goes out of her comfort zone and joins a band! Go girl!

2. This book wasn't exactly a "mystery" but there were some red herrings and we aren't positive who the pied piper is - way to challenge us! 

I recommend this book for younger readers that are looking for a fluffy, light read. 

Untold

by Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: Book #2 Lynburn Legacy
ISBN: 9780375870423
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 24th 2013
Number of Pages: 356
Source: Local Library
GoodreadsSummary: It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways. But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

My Rating:  

Warning: Review contains spoilers

We pick up where Unspoken left off (read it first!). I wasn't too impressed with this second book and here are my thoughts:
 

Kami still annoys me to no end, as does Jared. Just because the connection is severed between them, why couldn't they work out their issues and just give their relationship a chance? At least towards the end of the book, they start being honest - yay for maturing! This quote seems to sum up the all-consuming love (or obsession) that Jared has for Kami:

"...in the book a guy said that he would rather touch someone's hand if she was dead than another girl who was alive. It's creepy I know that...nothing comparison. Nobody is real but her. So it feels sometimes as if nothing else matters at all, including other people. She wouldn't like that. Other people should matter." - Untold, 177 

I still wish that Kami and older brother of Angela, Rusty, could get more chemistry. Brennan isn't afraid of love triangles - evidence of Kami's affections for both Jared & Ash.

I really appreciate the writing of Angela's character and her sexuality. We don't see many lesbians in literature and the stereotypes and struggles Angela faces are true to life. I still think that Holly does feel the same way (or is at least confused) She sleeps with any guy she fancies and then she has this heart-to-heart with Rusty (after a very descriptive noticing of Angie).

"Her family would have minded a lot...'It's okay, if that's how you're born. I know that. But what if you weren't born that way, what if you were just some sort of freak, if you'd been with a ton of guys and still liked guys and then if you were...if you started noticing, what does that even make you? What kind of person can't just choose to be one way or the other?" -Untold, 181

Then Rusty's blunt answer - "Uh, bisexual people might be the kind of person you're thinking of?" (182). I love Rusty! I don't think anyone else is coming to the same conclusion, as Brennan drops the bomb of Holly admitting she is a sorcerer.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that it suffered from that dreadful SBS (second book syndrome). This book didn't further the story too much - just full of drama focusing on the romance. Kami does get some "investigating" done but not a whole lot was accomplished. The only real action comes at the end when we have the battle between Rob & his bad sorcerers vs. "the good guys" and we are left with a cliff-hanger again. (Not as bad as the first book, but still a cliff hanger!)

There were several things brought up that never were touched on again and I'm hoping these are resolved in the third book. Like Holly having magic?? Um, why wasn't this utilized? Also, what about the mystery surrounding Matthew Cooper?

So yes, I loved the character development in this book but without furthering the plot, how can you have a good book? This is why this book received two stars instead of a three stars from me.