Mandi Kaye @ Never Too Fond of Books

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2695What is this I don’t even.This book was not at all what I was expecting it to be.I don’t even know how to review it. It was crazy. Chase Novak (pen name for Scott Spencer) is one imaginative (read: sick) bastard.Alex and Leslie Twisden have an idyllic relationship. They’re so damned cute. The only hiccup is that they can’t get pregnant. Finally, out of desperation, they travel across the globe to one last doctor. This guy is more than a little hinky. But they go through with the treatment because they know another hopelessly infertile couple who got pregnant after visiting him. Fast forward ten years and we meet a set of twins who really don’t know their parents at all. Twins who are afraid of their parents, truth be told. They’re locked in their rooms at night with bars on their windows. Their once immaculate house is in ruins. Odd sounds come from the vicinity of their parents rooms and Alex and Leslie are becoming shells of their former selves. Leslie can’t even speak properly most of the time – and she used to be a very successful editor.The twins devise a way to escape and chaos (more chaos than we’d previously seen) ensues. We’re introduced to a gang of children just like the twins who live alone because their parents also saw the doctor to get pregnant.There is death. There is murder.But through it all, the parental love the Twisdens have for their children still manages to shine through. And for that, I have to give Novak mad props.If you like horror (well, it’s not really scary – only conceptually). Animal/human hybrids. Humans eating raw meat. Children locked into their rooms at night because their parents are afraid they might eat them. Murder. Mayhem.Yeah. Read this.If that’s not your cup of tea, you’ll probably want to pass.But if you pass, you’re missing out on a book that really is brilliantly written. Alex and Leslie are a couple whose love for one another never dies, despite the changes they are going through. Their love for their kids is always present, despite the horrifying consequences of the fertility treatment.While the general plot was predictable and set up from the beginning, there were a few plot twists that I didn’t see coming – particularly the ending – which made the read absolutely worth it for me.

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2572 (9/3/12)You know the author is doing it right when you find yourself frustrated as hell with the main character in one chapter and inexplicably going all gooey with her in the next. Yes, folks, there were audible "Aw"s from this reader as I read.I mean c'mon! Sydney has her first kiss!  I'm not telling you who with though.But... it wasn't all sunshine and roses.And when the book ended, I found myself more upset with a book's ending than I've been in a very long time. My heart is broken.I found myself disappointed in Sydney at the beginning of this book (and again at the end). I had remembered from the first book that she had grown so much, but all I was seeing was how uncomfortable magic made her. She physically backed away from her friends when they manifested magic or were touched by it in any way. All I could do as I read was shake my head. It felt as if my old friend was not who I remembered her to be.It still bothers me that Sydney constantly complains about how she feels fat as a size four. On one hand, I understand that this is a real issue. There are girls out there who are a size four who think they are fat. But I almost feel like by calling attention to it in this manner Mead is justifying it - even though I know she's not. It just feels like she is. Especially since there is running commentary through the book of Sydney's refusal to eat sugar and obsession with healthy eating. But at the end, I feel that all is redeemed because Adrian tells her to knock it off. He reminds her that she is gorgeous - if not too thin - and that she will never be the same size as Jill because she is human and Jill is not. He tells her, "This is the truth, from someone who cares and wants your body to be as healthy and amazing as your mind." That is a good line.For all of the story lines about alchemists and murder plots and kidnappings... these books have been - and will always be - about the relationships. Sydney's journey from "the perfect alchemist" to "the alchemist who is friends with vampires" is one that amazes me. It is a deeply personal journey that is filled with struggles. Struggles that annoy me, for sure (the vascillations between DON'T TOUCH ME and YOU'RE MY FRIEND COME HUG ME annoy the ever lovin' snot out of me - but I get it), but struggles that are normal and must happen in order for growth to take place.And in the middle of a paranormal fantasy novel, I have to say that her journey is one of the most realistic ones (mentally) that I've ever seen written.And yes, for those who are curious - Dimitri makes many appearances, making it an automatic favorite.A few tidbits that I enjoyed:Sorry, Ms. Terwilliger. I'm flattered that you think I'm such an upstanding person, but I'm already caught up in one epic battle of good versus evil. I don't need another."You used nunchucks on a moose?"Wolfe got a haunted look in his eyes. "I used all sorts of things on that bastard. But that's neither here nor now. Because here's the thing. With a little common sense, you won't need weapons.""You're not a victim. You're not a captive to that lily. You can be what you want. You can choose what you want."

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2554Ethan Chase is all grown up.When we were introduced to him in The Iron King, he was a wee lad of four. Now, he’s 18! One of my favorite things for an author to do is world continuity. I love that we are still in the world of the Iron Fey that we fell in love with – but it’s twelve years later. Meghan, Ash, Puck – and even our favorite cat – all make appearances – but it’s a new generation of characters who are getting into trouble and saving the fey.And Ethan is in the middle of it all when he swore he would never get involved.At first, I was a little apprehensive; it was starting to feel a little like a simple re-telling of the original trilogy with a new setting and new characters. I was disappointed. But I pushed through and kept going and realized that wasn’t happening at all. Some things seemed a little similar, sure. YA novels do tend to seem a little formulaic, no matter how you look at them so perhaps that was unavoidable. But there was no love triangle (yay!) and in the end… I have to admit I prefer Ethan to Meghan.In the early books, there were times I hated Meghan. I thought she was downright stupid at times. I can remember yelling at her through my radio (I listened to the audiobooks). Ethan, while full of too much teenage angst that made me want to shake him, could at least see what was happening in front of him.Kierran is awesome. I figured out who he was instantly. I think anyone who had read the original trilogy would have figured it out as well, but just in case, I WON’T TELL YOU. He’s a wild card though. I can’t wait to see what Kagawa has in store for him in the future.I like that Kagawa rounded out the trio with a human. Technically, another human (but Ethan doesn’t count, since he’s a prince). Mackenzie is awesome. I adore her, to be honest. I love her personality. She’s a little overbearing at times, but I understand why she is the way she is. I get her. I have an inkling for where her character is going… and I’m not sure what I think about it. We’ll just have to see.Bottom line? If you liked the original trilogy, you’ll love this one too. Well, probably.

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2540I had mixed feelings about Counting Backwards. The first half of the book was pretty much meh. It seemed very after-school special to me. I felt that Taylor was selfish and I wanted nothing more than to reach through the pages of the book and throttle her.Maybe that just means Lascarso writes angsty teenager well? Then I realized that having any sort of emotional reaction at all to a book means that the author is doing a really good job.By the end of the book, however, my opinion changed. The journey Taylor went through and the transformation she underwent changed the way I felt about her and the book as a whole. It wasn’t my favorite book of the year. I may never read it again. But I am glad I read it.My emotions were all over the place when I read it. I felt anger, I felt incredulity, I felt disappointment, I felt sadness, I felt surprise, I felt happiness, and I even felt love. Taylor grew up during her short stay at Sunny Meadows.Don’t expect Girl, Interrupted – but do expect some behavioral issues. Expect to see immaturity. Expect to see gangs. Expect to see those who “play the game” in order to get out.Sometimes it felt too easy. Do this, say that, take this pill and magically Taylor is the girl we all want her to be. Life isn’t like that. But… books can be. That’s the point of them after all, isn’t it?

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2470 (8/31/12)Sophomore slump? Move along, nothing to see here.If anything, this one was better than the first.The world Alex and Darla live in is far bleaker than the world we were introduced to in Ashfall. Refugee camps filled with "inmates", gangs of cannibals, human slaves...And through it all, love remains the central focus. Love, not to be confused with romance. How does Mullins do it?One of the things I love about this trilogy is that it seems so plausible. If a situation like this actually happened, I'm pretty sure the world would devolve into cannibal gangs and towns behind walls and government "protected" refugee camps. It's depressing, but fascinating. The character development and world building captured my attention enough that I was actually sad when it was over because I wanted to stay in that world a little bit longer - even though it was a rather bleak world. Alex and Darla were my friends.

I definitely like this series more now. Bones and Cat have both grown so much and they don't infuriate me quite as much as they used to. I've fallen in love with the world as a whole and will definitely be reading more.

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2409 (8/8/12)This was one of the most highly anticipated books of the fall for me, and it ended up being one of the biggest disappointments of the year.It took me weeks to finish this one. It was never one of those books that I found myself wanting to pick up and finish. It was creepy, but not in a good way. Honestly, the twin characters were creepy. And really annoying. Their speech made me cringe (they constantly said "bruvver" instead of "brother"). They were predictable and banal. There was absolutely zero character development or world building over the course of the novel. I never became invested in any of the characters. Not even Mark Sutter - the man who was being framed.There really was no "aha!" moment or twist in the plot. It was pretty straight forward and it was known who the murderers were and what the supernatural bent was pretty early on. A twist was attempted at the very end, but it was poorly executed (as was the whole of the book).As Stine's second adult fiction novel, I think Red Rain proves that he should stick with writing for younger audiences.

The first 2/3 I still hated. Cat drove me crazy! Her decisions and her actions were NOT those of someone who loves Bones. Argh, don't even get my started.But by the end, once all of that craziness was passed, I really started to enjoy the story. And the world is an interesting one. So I started the third audiobook this morning. :)

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2371 (8/5/12)I love it when I read a self-published book that I adore. Kat Fight by Dina Silver is most definitely one of these. While I have managed to be way more unlucky in love than Kat, I see myself in her. She has a great sense of humor and has quite the tendency to make mountains out of mole hills. Yes, I really do that too.As Kat’s relationship with Ryan progressed, I found myself grinning with this ginormous goofy grin just because it was so dang cute! My heart would skip a beat or two when they shared a moment.And frankly – I know it’s weird to say this – the romance was realistic. Marc (the ex) was the ass who took her for granted. Ryan wasn’t perfect and there were definitely obstacles – enough that it almost cost Kat everything. It wasn’t a fairy-tale insta-love scenario. And for that, I love it!I’d love to just gush and gush about this one – but really – if you’re a fan of a good romance you will most definitely love this one.

I *hate* the main character. With a passion. But I still started the second one because I still want to know what happens.Dammit.

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2300 (8/22/12)I was all set to hate this one because Coyote is a prominent character and I truly dislike Coyote. But surprisingly enough, I didn't hate it at all. I loved it!Oberon is back!Granuaile is making huge strides in her apprenticeship to Atticus, and it was honestly lovely to see the three of them (Granuaile, Atticus, and Oberon) working together to help the earth and defeat the skinwalkers. These guys are the heart of the series and going back to them made putting up with Coyote worth it. Especially since Coyote helped Atticus fake his death not once but twice to avoid death by god.I think one of my favorite parts of the book was when Atticus communicated with the elemental Colorado. The elemental was so sad and lonely and then got so happy that Atticus was there. It made me get a big goofy grin on my face.When this book opened, it was with Atticus faking his death to avoid the consequences of the events in Hammered. It felt like the end of an era. Atticus had already gotten rid of his bookstore and moved out of his house. His life in Tempe was over. And then the more you read (or listened) you realized that a new chapter of his story was just beginning. The decade he spent in Tempe was a small blip in the life of the two thousand year old druid.There are two more books scheduled to come out in the series, but I hope that there are more after those. And I really hope that he starts to give Granuaile Immortali-Tea.

I'd like to marry Jamie Fraser. That is all.

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2221 (6/29/12)This is one where I really had no idea what to expect. Jodi Picoult is very genre-oriented - and fairy-tale/fantasy isn't her usual genre.That being said, I was very pleasantly surprised. This one turned out to be three stories in one: we get Delilah's life, we get Oliver's life, and we get the fairy tale that Oliver was written into. That last part was the most surprising - I didn't expect it to be included. But it was the middle part that I thought was most inventive.The idea that the characters in a book exist outside of the story when the book is closed is a fascinating one to me. Especially since in this world they are, for the most part, completely independent from their characters (excluding Seraphima, of course). The book characters are simply roles they play when there is a Reader. When there is no Reader and the book is closed, they go about their own daily lives.There have been so many books where I have wished the characters were real and were actually my friends - and for Delilah, this came true. I found myself envious of her as I read the story. Some of my best friends can be found between the pages of a book - but they don't talk back to me.I definitely recommend this one - especially if you like a good fairy tale.

Since I started posting reviews of the books I read, I’ve found that I’m a lot more critical than I used to be. I used to be able to just sit back and get lost in the story, regardless of the writing or any continuity issues. Now, I notice them and it can be somewhat distracting – even when the story is fantastic.This book was somewhat affected by this curse. It’s not until two-thirds of the way through the book that we even find out what the Syndicate actually is and who/what the Hybrids are. And frankly – I’m still not entirely positive of that story. It seemed to go “Once upon a time there was a creature that infected humans with something that made them change into killers and now we kill them.” The whole thing is really very vague.That being said, I truly enjoyed the story. I’m really hoping it’s the start of a series and not a stand-alone novel. The premise is fairly unique – a family organization that protects humans from the creatures that go bump in the night – but not vampires or werewolves or witches.Vasile, despite the odd name, is the best kind of a hero for a story. He’s very loyal but not to the point of blind obedience. Though he’s trained to kill, it’s only to take down the Hybrids. When his new assignment – to kill a human girl – seems to fly against the face of everything he’s ever been taught, he fights it – unwilling to taint his family’s history. And when he meets his intended victim, sparks fly.Vasi must find out what’s true and what’s a lie – before it’s too late.Enter below to win a copy of The Syndicate – and remember to follow your intuition!

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2293 (6/13/12)I watched the movie Thor the weekend before I started listening to this one. It was completely disconcerting to see Thor portrayed in such a negative light after watching the dreamy Liam Hemsworth play such a nice god. But truly - the Thor of this world is a douchenozzle.After hearing folks rail on him in passing throughout the previous two books, it was nice to finally get the back-story for why people wanted to see him dead. Plus, hearing both Leif and Gunnar's stories provided depth of character that we hadn't previously seen. Gunnar became more than just a hired gun; this story gave him character and personality and humanity that we hadn't seen before.The story-telling and world building in this installment of the series outshined the first two books. The only thing missing were two of my favorite characters - Oberon and Granuaile. Understandably, they couldn't accompany Atticus and the others into Asgard. Lucky for us, however, Kevin Hearne wrote about their adventure while Atticus was gone in the short story A Test of Mettle (hint: click the title to read it!)One of the best parts of this series is the humor that is continuously interjected. Atticus is a funny dude. Picture it: Atticus tries to explain to a 1000 year old vampire what a "squee" is - and offers examples for when he himself squees.Yeah, that really happened.How could you not want to go read (or listen!) to this one now?

Reviewed at http://www.mandikayereads.com/archives/2141Without a doubt, this was the most surprising book I’ve read all year.The cover was very iffy to me (yes, I most definitely judge books by their covers) but the summary sounded sort of interesting so I thought I would give it a try.I am so glad I did.From the moment I began reading, I knew this was going to be a one-sitting book. And it was! I simply couldn’t put it down.Cara is very much a main character I can relate to. She is a loner – primarily because she moved so much as a child (her dad works for the Foreign Service). She is certain she will never know love in her life. She has mapped out her future already. And then… she meets the love of her life.Though Will is an alien, this is not truly a Sci-Fi novel; it is most decidedly a romance.And if, like me, you are a hopeless romantic, you will absolutely not be disappointed by Caterpillar. Though it did fall into that category of “instant LOVE” that is usually a pet peeve of mine, it totally worked here for some reason. It felt real. I think I fell in love with Will as much as Cara did. In fact – if I hadn’t already submitted all of my nominations, I’d totally nominate Will in the YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney.It can definitely be a standalone book, but it is the first book of the Metamorphosis Trilogy.