Book Review: Underworld by Meg Cabot

Underworld

Meg Cabot

318 Pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Point

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead.
Not this time.
But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.
Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance... on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.
But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there... and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies.
And unless Pierce is careful, this time there'll be no escape.

I love anything by Meg Cabot - I just do. Back when I was just starting high school I went on a real reading splurge, tearing through the Princess Diaries series, 1-800 Where R U series, and the Mediator Series. So imagine my delight when i later found out she had a new series in the making. I loved the first, Abandon, and the Underworld was a thrilling sequel.

I loved the character growth in both John and Pierce and the chemistry between these two is yummy. Though Pierce really doesn't want to be stuck in the underworld with pretty much the angel of death, she finds herself drawn to him, unable to resist. These two are both so complex, two characters I would love to meet in real life.

I loved all the twists and turns in the plot, I never quite knew what was going to go down next. Meg Cabot is a master storyteller, knowing how to keep a reader engaged from the very first page. This dark re-imagining of the Greek myth is amazing, and I can't wait to read the conclusion!

Book Review: Born Wicked by Jessoca Spotswood

Born Wicked

Jessica Spotswood

330 Pages

Published February 7th 2012 by Putnam Juvenile

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Born Wicked was so much more than I expected. It was historical and fun and suspenseful. I can't wait to purchase and dig into the second installment!

Cate was a strong main character, always on the lookout for her younger sisters. She holds a dark secret, not many people know. Upon death of her mother she vowed to keep her sisters safe, and she does her best to stick with this. There were many things she wanted to do with her life, eventually falling in love, but she ignored her wishes for the greater cause of family.

I loved her sisters too, though they were young and very naive, Maura especially so. The entire trio possessed very powerful magic and have to hide out in fear of the brotherhood, a sick and chaotic group of men who control women.

The brotherhood sickened me with the way they treated woman. Another thing they did bothered me as well, hunting down witches and arresting innocent woman just to keep themselves in power. I really hope in a future installment this group is overthrown.

The sisterhood, the on the outside seems innocent, was another group I was wary of. While they didn't seem hurtful outwardly, they were deceitful and employed less than noble tactics when it came to getting what they want.

The plot had me going, I read this in one sitting about a week ago. The characters were realistic and I loved the historic nature of the book that I wasn't expecting. Born Wicked is one of my favorite's of 2013.

Book Review: Losing It by Cora Carmack

Losing It

Cora Carmack

288 Pages

Published February 26th 2013 by William Morrow

Virginity.
Bliss Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if that weren’t embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre professor. She’d left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

I haven't read a good love story in a while, so jumped at the chance to check this one out. This story was complicated and lovely and all the things college is all about. Losing It had me stuck in my chair for the better portion of a morning, rushing to finish the story but savoring it at the same time.

Characters

This is mostly a character based novel, and Cora Carmack does an excellent job of creating rich, believable characters. Bliss (I love that name!) is a young woman, almost ready to graduate from college, where she is majoring in theater. Unlike most of her friends she still holds onto her virginity - but desperately wants to get it our of the way and loose it. So.. she does what anyone would do, right? Goes to the bar and finds a perfect guy to sleep with and then forget about. Except she chickens out and said guy is her new teacher. Hilarious!

Bliss had a lot going on in her life, and had a lot of decisions to make. This is what her age group is about. Starting life and making new choices. I liked how she tried to do what was right, even if she didn't always make the wisest decisions. I also liked how clumsy she got around Garrick. 

Speaking of Garrick, he sounded H-O-T! An intelligent British man who rides a motorcycle - you can't get much better than that. He was a true gentlemen most of the time, trying to deal with the emotions that come with wanting something you aren't supposed to have. He was charming and funny and overall a brilliant character that helped Bliss get over her anxieties in life. 

The romance between the two of them was intense and smoking hot. It helped me remember about relationships and how passionate things are the first few months, it brought back a lot of memories. They managed to have a sweet, yet smoky relationship - the kind every girl dreams about. 

Plot

Although characters were the main focus in Losing It, the plot was still enthralling, leaving me wanting more from the story. I learned a lot about theater . and drinking and partying it up at bars, which I'm still too young to partake in. Many parts were funny and had me smiling, others were sharp turns that left me saddened, like some of the events with Bliss and her best friend. 

Writing Style

I loved everything about this book, including the writing style. The author painted a picture of the whole college scene and did an excellent job fleshing out her characters and the relationships they kept. I can't wait for the companion novel to come out!

Book Review: Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Living Dead Girl

Elizabeth Scott

170 Pages

Published September 2nd 2008 by Simon Pulse

Once upon a time, I was a little girl who disappeared.

Once upon a time, my name was not Alice.


Once upon a time, I didn't know how lucky I was.




When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.




Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.


This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

I bought this book on a whim a few days ago for my Nook, thinking it would be.. interesting. IT was more than that. This sad tale of a haunted girl had me riveted from the explosive first pages, all the way through to the end.

Characters

Our main character is Alice, who didn't used to be Alice  Ray, her kidnapper has named her that when she was ten years old. I truly felt for Alice and all she had to go through.. so so many terrible things happened to her. She was afraid and beaten down, but strong enough to carry on. She did want to die many times, but when she saw an escape route she took it and rode it out all the way through. 

Plot

The plot and pacing of this book had me riveted, reading this book in a single sitting. Through combination of suspense and gripping terror, as well as short chapters and breakneck speed, this book is one you have to put down at times even though you don't want to. The content of this book is pretty strong and at some points graphic, I felt my stomach turning in disgust. How could a man do the things he did to Alice, and why?

Writing Style 

Elizabeth Scott haunted me with her words but made me keep on reading. She gave me awareness, made me realize how evil some people can be, even in small towns like the one I live in. It almost makes me sick saying I enjoyed a book about such harsh topics, but with a writing style like the one found in this book it's hard not to.