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Bel:

Cover

The title draws the eye with grungy bright wording. Pink sneakers standing on a stage door pass covered in blood, hinting at the storyline. All in all, it is highly effective!

Characters

All standard issue boy band types can be found here.

Favourite

Genevieve. Awesome best friend.

Least Favourite

Alan Knightley. Just grrr!

Beginning

Lorna starts at a state high school while her brother’s band, Turmoil, spends some time back on Aussie soil.

Storyline

While doing homework in a dressing room, Lorna overhears a plot to kill the band. Can she figure out who wants to endanger her brother and the rest of the boys before they put the plan into action?

Ending

Guess ya gotta read it to find this one out.

Thoughts

This was a fun, quick romp. I enjoyed the banter between the band members. Nansi Kunze has a knack with creating tension and writing likeable characters. This would be perfect for those in the Northern Hemisphere to take on a summer vacation, or just read in a warm sunny spot.

Quote

“Apparently I’m a disruptive influence,” I said, “Or do you think it’s something else? Jealousy maybe? Perhaps he had a band once, and they never made it big because he was too damned ugly…” ~ Lorna talking about her home-room teacher.

 

 

Krista:

Cover

Punk Rock! Gritty background of purple and black with bright lettering, cute shoes and bloody pass! Very appealing, attention grabbing, and cute.

Characters

Variety of characters in this one; Lorna the MC who is the sister of a band member of Turmoil, her friend Gen, and the members of the band.  The characters have great chemistry together, and it shows through the writing.

Favourite

Marius–he is a joker, ladies man, member of the band, and hilarious.  And Flint, he is a really great, caring brother.

Least Favourite

I really didn’t have a least favourite (besides the villain who I will not name). Every character had a place and fitted into the story perfectly.

Beginning

Lorna’s guardian is her older brother who also happens to be in a very popular international band. She has been travelling with them but finally has a chance at a more settled life and a normal school. Bad thing is that everybody knows her brother, and she’s bombarded with questions from classmates until she finds a friend in Gen. Then she overhears a possible plot to kill the band members by somebody inside the entourage. Since she’s on the inside, the Constable asks her to help figure out which person it could be.

Storyline

Lorna agrees to take on the job of being “undercover” to help figure out who is plotting to kill the band.

Ending

Heart pounding and very climatic. A lot of things happen at once and big secrets revealed.

Thoughts

What I loved most about the book was the travelling. Lorna travels anywhere the band goes, so the whole book is not just set at the school with all the love-struck girls. I also loved the friendship that Lorna and Flint (her brother) have. There is constant movement in the story which keeps everything fast-paced and entertaining. It’s a very humorous and cute read.

Quote

I watched in alarm as Marius undid the belt of his yukata and let it slip from his shoulders, so that only his underwear remained. Clearly I had to stop him before he went any further. The problem was, all my instincts went against it-after all, I was naked in here. And though I’d seen Marius in very little clothing plenty of times, there’s a big difference between seeing someone in a pair of Speedos and revealing that you’ve been spying on them while they stripped off.

Marius’s hands reached for his undies. It was now or never.

“You do realise this is the woman’s bath, right?”

Lisa:

Cover

I didn’t get to see the cover, so I can’t comment.

Characters

Sadly, I didn’t really relate to any of the characters. We don’t get to know much about Lorna except that her brother is in a band named Turmoil and that she travels and spends a lot of time with them. I expected more from her, considering she’s the little sister of such a huge star.

Favorite

I didn’t really have one other than Gen, simply because she was such a good friend. But no one in particular really stuck out.

Least Favorite

I don’t really have a least favorite either, but there was one scene that really bothered me. Lorna was at school and a lot of people wanted to ask her questions, so she decided to answer a few. When one student asked her if Marius really cheated on his ex-girlfriend, Lorna responded by saying, she isn’t sure and can’t really release information like that anyway…

But then later she turns around to Gen, and basically tells her all the rumours she’s heard about the situation; that Marius let the fame get to his head, and that he was caught with another girl, making out.

Later Lorna finds out that the rumour wasn’t true, and she feels like crap about it.

It irked me so much, that at first Lorna defends the band, but then completely throws one of its members under the bus, when she, herself, doesn’t even know what’s true. I hate it when people gossip, so this definitely bothered me.

Beginning

The beginning was pretty fast paced. We learned about the band, and that Lorna was going back to a normal high school. We also witnessed Lorna make a new best friend and avoid a creepy guy. It was only a few pages in when Lorna over hears someone plotting to kill her brother and his friends.

Middle

Lorna learns the truth about Marius. We, the readers, get to discover what happened to Lorna, Flint, and Marius’s parents.

Ending

I’ll have to admit that the ending was pretty intense! It did keep my attention and had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The entire story, I was back and forth between who it could be trying to bomb up the band, but I never did I guess who it actually was. The ending of Kill the Music was my favourite part.

Overall Thoughts

I think I didn’t enjoy it as much as Bel and Krista because I simply couldn’t connect with any of the characters. 

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Just when you thought there is nothing Sherrilyn could do to make Nick Gautier suffer more…along comes Illusion. Two words: alternate reality. Uh huh, everything is not as it seems, and how the heck is Nick going to get back to his own type of ‘normal’?

We flick between Nick’s usual reality and the one he’s stuck in. We see his friends trying to get him back to where he’s supposed to be, and his ‘friends’ trying to make his life a living hell. I don’t think Nick will ever see his destiny in the same way again.

I’ve loved this series to date, and Illusion ups the stakes by so much you wonder how the next book will top that. (Didn’t I say something similar in the review for Inferno?)

Kenyon is skilled at making her characters relatable yet vulnerable, without being complete pushovers. Her female characters have no problem saving the day and doing what needs to be done, regardless of the cost. Each person has their own quirks and mannerisms, with voices as individual as a fingerprint. There really is something special about how Sherrilyn has crafted this series.

Her world building is second to none, and considering she now has over 70 books published, you would expect the level of confidence and strength we see in both The Chronicles of Nick and the Dark Hunter series, along with many others.

Defiant, book 6, is due out in 2015 and will absolutely be on my most-anticipated-reads list.

http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/ 

Paperback, 464 pages

Published April 3rd 2014 by ATOM (first published April 1st 2014)

ISBN 1907411577 (ISBN13: 9781907411571)

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Meg Corbyn, a Cassandra Sangue (one who sees prophesies with a little bloodletting), has finally found her place among the Others, living in the Lakeside Courtyard. Life is getting back to a semblance of normal.

Beyond Lakeside, two addictive drugs have become a problem for both humans and the Others; it is a problem for the Others because it reacts badly with their physiology, and a problem for humans because, with the threat of humans using the drugs to overpower the Others, they’re all about to be evicted, or ‘dealt with.’ Special meat anyone?

Meg is at her wits’ end trying to balance her need to speak prophesies and keep Simon Wolfguard (lakeside’s leader) off her back. Will she able to defuse the threat of humans being murdered before more of the Others fall victim to these two heinous drugs?

The dynamics between Meg and the other characters in this book is something special. When they’re not in kill-mode, the residents of Lakeside are sweet and generous. There’s humour and a generous helping of suspense to be found in Murder of Crows.

Anne Bishop is a master of making her characters work together, in spite of her males being alphas and her females not being helpless and meek little things. By getting them to work together, I think Anne gains a complexity in her storylines that others may lack.

That being said, I think perhaps this series is better suited for the older age brackets of YA, as there are some truly heinous acts towards the other Cassandra Sangue that was perhaps only hinted at in Written in Red.

Vision in Silver is due in March 2015 and, my goodness, that seems like forever away. I cannot wait to find out what happens next with Meg and Simon. Awrooooooooo!

 

http://www.annebishop.com/

Paperback, 337 pages

Published March 2014 by HarperCollins

ISBN13 9780732296827

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Krista:

Cover

The cover represents the story very well. I could clearly see Virgin as the girl on the cover: serious and always on the ready. The flying vehicles in the futuristic city look down upon the park. Very detailed and representative.

Characters

The overall feel of the characters that I got from the book was like detectives solving a crime, aiming for the same goal, yet thwarted by clashing personalities that can get both serious and hilarious.

Favorite

It’s a tie between Virgin and Sixkiller; they are the best when they are interacting (mostly bickering). They made me laugh.

Least Favorite

I have to agree with Belinda here–Detective Chance

Beginning

When park ranger Virgin Jackson witnesses a mysterious death in what she thought was a contained and locked park, her senses flare up. She has been assigned a new partner from the US Marshall service, Nate Sixkiller, and, unexpectedly, she is now seeing an imaginary animal from her childhood.

Storyline

Being preoccupied with the park and the murder, Virgin is not feeling up to being a babysitter to her new partner who seems to be hiding the true reason he has joined on at the park. But when Sixkiller shows signs of being able to see her imaginary friend, things begin to get really crazy.

Ending

With the advanced technology set up at the park, all life within it should be able to be detected through the system. Things begin not making any sense, and Virgin soon learns that her life is in danger. Along the way, she gets some help from her best friend, and some relaxation time with her stripper lover, Heart.

Thoughts

The story goes back and forth between the park and the city scenes, as we follow Virgin through her home life as well as work life: her romantic life as well as her professional. Virgin’s character is strong willed and determined, but as the story progresses she slowly lets down her guard and allows people in.

Peacemaker is a very imaginative and entertaining read. I recommend this to readers who enjoy a strong lead female character.

Quote

“My name is Virgin Jackson. Or Ranger Jackson, if you prefer. But if you call me ma’am again, I’m likely to break your face.”

Lisa:

Cover

Totally kick butt! I absolutely love how many elements the cover includes from the story! I feel like the cover of Peacemaker completely represents the story inside.

Characters: A park ranger? A cowboy? An imaginary eagle bird? Couldn’t get anymore random or anymore AWESOME!

Favorite

Without a doubt I would have to say, Virgin. She was so sassy, sarcastic, funny and knew how to handle herself well in all the situations she was thrown into.

Least Favorite

Unlike Bel and Krista I would have to say that I don’t have a least favorite. I would agree that there were some weird characters featured in Peacemaker, but I found them all to be pretty intriguing.

Beginning

Virgin thinks she witnesses a murder in the park after hours, she is partnered up with a cowboy, and she starts seeing an imaginary animal from her childhood. The beginning is of Peacemaker throws the reader right into the random craziness of the story without any sort of hesitation!

Middle

Some much is going on around Virgin, that she isn’t in the mood to take care of the cowboy that she now calls her partner. But when she discovers that he might have the ability to see her imaginary animal friend as well, she becomes MUCH more interested!

Ending

Like Bel, my lips are sealed!

Overall

I wasn’t too sure how I was going to feel about this one. I loved Marianne’s Burn Bright trilogy and was excited to get started on this one. Why was a I nervous? Because there seemed to be a lot going on. But after only a few chapters, I was suckered in, and loved it! Its SO absolutely random, but very, very good!

 

 

Bel:

Cover

Love the artwork by Joey Hifi. It represents the grit and flow of the story perfectly. Yes. Yes. YES!

Characters

Between imaginary animals and bad asses, there’re a buffet of brilliant characters to pick from.

Favourite

Marshall Nate Sixkiller. Dude has some skills.

Least Favourite

Detective Chance. Issues!

Beginning

Virgin Jackson, a ranger for Birrium Park, notices some funky stuff happening in her park.

Storyline

Virgin gets partnered unwillingly with Nate Sixkiller to sort out the funky stuff.

Ending

As with most other Book Club write ups, you’ll have to read it to find out.

Thoughts

I was so wrapped up in the plot and the characterisation; I didn’t even notice the pages flipping by. I love the world building. Virign has to come back and kick more ass.  

Quote

“You haven’t forgotten have you, Virgin?”

I sighed. “Gate 65. Terminal 21. Tall guy wearing a uniform. His name’s Nate.” – Virgin talking with Bull Hunt.

 

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The cover art for the second book in the Avena series is just as eye-catching as that of Hidden, book 1. Though it lacks the foiling that had me in a flap last year, this one is layered in such a way that your eye picks up different aspects of the picture with each glance. The girl staring through a broken pane of glass, and the swirly detail done in a glossy overlay, mean there are textures and emphasis that come to the forefront of the picture. It is quite an effective way of adding dimension.

We pick up the storyline from the end of Hidden. The situation is tense, and three is most certainly a crowd. Nathaniel is forced to face the consequences of his actions in the angel realm, as those who work against him move in to stake their claim.

My one and only qualm about this instalment is that I’m quite torn by how Ebony reacts and how she should react to the dynamic between the angel characters and herself. I lost track of how many times the words, ‘You have what I want,’ were uttered from one guy to the other, in her presence, and yet not once did she balk at the way they were speaking about her as if she were a possession and not even acknowledging her as a living being. It might have been my inner dialogue getting in the way, but once I thought about it, I couldn’t un-see it.

Putting that aside, the world building is beautiful; the use of high end supercars is completely unbelievable, but very cool. I love the evolution of the relationship between Ebony and Jordan, and if I could have Amber as my best friend, I’d be set for life.

Marianne really has the series teetering on the edge. I cannot wait for the next book to be released so we can all take the plunge and see where these crazy ass angels are taking us.

Will Ebony demand her place in Avena, or will Nathaniel be out of luck… and what of Jordan?

The waiting will be difficult to do patiently.

 

http://www.mariannecurley.com/

Paperback, First, 372 pages

Published March 1st 2014 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

ISBN13 9781408822708

 

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