Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school; it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's; the very place where they're most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi; the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires make Lissa one of them forever.

Vampire Academy is an extremely imaginative story following a very exiting 2 best friends. The school teaches novices (Dhampirs training to be guardians) fighting, but Rose seems to get into a lot of fights outside of class as well.

My favourite thing about this book was the description and personalities. I found myself really pulled into all the scenes and could really imagine the settings, especially the school. 

Rose is my favourite character. She's very out-going, determined, sarcastic, and fun. Lissa is a bit of the opposite, very shy, quiet and careful until later on in the novel when her personality changes drastically.

 The book was very interesting, full of thrilling danger and excitement. Dimitri is my second favourite character, a very mysterious Russian guardian. When he isn't kicking ass, or giving Rose life lesson in the form of what she calls ' fortune cookies', he's standing tall and silent. 

What really completed this book was the bloody killed animals being left for Lissa. I know it sounds a bit weird but it gave the book more suspense and more of a story. I t turned out not just to be a sort-of high-school story but more of a thriller.

Although I loved this book and the sequel Frostbite, I accidentally read the blurb of a book later on in the series and I also read some reviews with huge spoilers in and found out stuff I didn't want to know. From that info I decided not to read the next load of books in this series, they seem to go on for too long and personally I thought that the series could have ended after just the 2 books I read.

 I will still miss Rose, Dimitri, Lissa and all their adventures but I’ve too little time to finish the series and a whole list of brilliant books to read!

Stray - Rachel Vincent

There are only eight breeding female werecats left . . .
And I'm one of them.
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back . . . for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them . . .

I've never read a book quite like Stray before, for me it was a completely new take on the paranormal genre. The were-cats (described as being like black panthers) are something I’ve never read about before. Enhanced senses, strength and completely kick-ass! This book was extremely exiting and gripping.

The main character, Faythe is a very likeable character although she gets into many fights, both physical and verbal. One of the best things about her is that she isn't flawless - making her all the more believable and real (even though she's a mythical creature).

As well as being filled with action, relationships between the characters add a lot to the story. Especially Faythe's relationships with Jace, a flirty, hot childhood friend and a complicated ex Marc, whom she still loves but he chose loyalty to his pack over her.

This book kept me up all night long reading as I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. Faythe is my favourite character, an independent thinking, sort-of feminist, freedom-seeking, determined tabby, and completely kick-ass! Quite uncommon for a tabby, she fights along with her many brothers, not leading a more usual, docile life.

Stray was quite gruesome at times as we are pulled into the life of a rapist. Although the scenes were described very well they weren't exactly 'pretty'.

The end surprised me completely, as the whole family is betrayed by a very unlikely suspect.

An absolutely amazing read. Rachel Vincent is a very talented writer who had me hooked from the very first page to the last. A must-read for any thrill-seeking readers!

Don't Die Dragonfly - Linda Joy Singleton

After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift." Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny-Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco.

Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head . . . or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger. 

Don't Die Dragonfly is a wonderful mix of a high school romance, supernatural powers, danger and mystery. 

Rose has visions of the future, of a girl bleeding, a girl with a dragonfly tatoo, she then meets the girl and deciced to try and help. It all connects together, the girl and the robbery of items at school. 

Rose and her friends, Manny and Thorn try to figure out who is stealing from school and trying to frame Rose meanwhile Rose has trouble at home with her grandma, who is turning to someone else as an aprentice in 'the gift'. Dimitri, the extreemly hot guy who can talk to animals. Rose had hidden her gifts for years, trying to fit in at school but when she realises she needs her grandma's help, the grandma won't believe her, thinking she's only jelous of Dimitri's new position in her life.

This book has loads going on and I didn't stop reading it until I finished it, the book was compleetly full of mystery,  managed to keep me turning the pages but was able to reach a climax at the end.

Revenge helped made this book very interesting. Sabine Rose hates her boyfriend's best frind Evan, an obnoxious stuck-up brat who just tosses girls away with the flick of a wrist, the girl with the dragon atatoo being one of them. At the end revenge becomes very, very sweet.

The one thing that annoyed me about this book was Dominic, a seemingly very interesting character, but left compleetly unexplored by the author, at the begining it was an interesting mystery but nearing the end it just got very annoying. Wwe learn nothing of his past, although he plays quite a big role in the book.

THis book left a LOT of unanswered questions and I plan on reading the sequel to find the answers!

Forgive my Fins - Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush. 

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life. 

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.




My favorite thing about this book was the characters, their personalities were so strong and likable, especially Lily and Quince, their relationship is very funny and they both appear to hate each other.


Unsuspected circumstance tie Quince and Lily together, sending them on a journey through the sea to an underwater kingdom   which is beautifully described and imaginative.


Lily annoyed me at the beginning with her obsession with Brody, whom she hardly knows and the story was a bit too light and simple. It was quite predictable and although mermaids and supernatural creatures were involved, it seemed to be more of a teen high-school romance, the only difference is that it's set under the sea.  
The book left on a cliffhanger leading up to the sequel, Fins Forever, from the ending, the second book looks better, filled with more danger as well as romance, which is always a good combo.


Overall, this is one of my top mermaid books, there is nothing wrong with a light, funny, supernatural story and i'll be sure to read the sequel, deeper and darker than the first. ( i hope)


Tera Lynn Childs is brilliant as writing good fun y.a fiction, even if she seems to keep on the good side of things, her other book Oh My Gods was equally as good, if not a bit too similar to the Percy Jackson Series.

Kindle!

As you may have noticed on my 2011 challenges page , i have been doing quite a lot of reading. All of this is thanks to my Kindle, I've had it 3 months now and have read 25 books on it.




2 pros:


Books are usually WAY cheaper than normal!


My parents think that because i read paranormal, modern fiction, everything i read is rubbish, they encourage me to read Classics, "brilliant" English literature  On my Kindle they have no power over what i read!


2 cons:


I still find it nicer to hold a book, to be able to see the cover instead of a screen
Safer to take a book with you when travelling by train or going into town

Fur- Meg Harper

Grace loves swimming in the sea; it soothes her when she's restless and comforts her when she's sad. Even her dreams are full of the scents and sounds of the ocean.

But dark shadows are troubling the waters of Grace's life. Her body is beginning to change, but not as she expected. And now that she started seeing Nik, will she be able to keep her secret to herself?

Grace has a happy life at home and school. She has two best friends, Jenna and Matt and recently has been asked out by a very popular and handsome boy at school, but there are also troubles to Grace's life. 

Firstly her mother left home when she was little and Grace doesn't know why. Secondly every year on her birthday she wakes up in the middle of the night to find the window open, the smell of sea in her room and little gifts of pearls, beads, shells and crystals left by her bed, but when she wakes up they're gone. Worst of all, almost every bit of Grace's body is covered in short, fine, silky fur.

These three mysteries keep the story going, a page turner, which mixes worlds of mystery, myth, love, changes and the sea. Since the book contains so much it's right for a lot of people but more for girls than boys.

 Grace as a character is very likeable, honest, pure and interesting. The book focuses on the father/daughter relationship but also stresses how, at times it's hard for Grace to live without her mother or a motherly figure.

 Fur was very moving, since Grace loves the sea you get to feel the magical and mystical lure the sea makes her feel. This book left me dreaming of the summer when I’ll be able to go swimming again!

Occasionally throughout the book you get to see the story from different views, like Grace's friend Matt. These short extracts confused me a bit but made me want to read on. At times the narrator will have a secret that we are not let on to, a secret from other characters. 

This book turned and twisted from calm to anger, light and darkness, it reminded me of the sea, with fits the genre of the book perfectly. Although I loved reading this book, I think it was quite an easy read and is aimed at a younger audience. 

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief- Rick Riordian

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse: Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Percy's mom decides it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Percy Jackson is a fictional adventure based around the 12 main Olympian Gods. It’s a great introduction to Mythology since it’s narrated by a young boy it’s easy to read and very funny.

Probably my favorite thing is the imperfection in the characters; too many books nowadays have perfect characters just like perfect magazine photos (both being fake.) In Percy Jackson the three main characters rely on each other filling on their weaknesses. This really fits the adventure in the book: since they go on a quest they need different qualities to complete it, working together and trusting one and another.

There are three main characters; Percy, very brave but volatile. Annabeth, extremely clever but falls for the bad guy and Grover, who has big dreams but not the strongest or bravest of the three.

The book took me a surprisingly short time to read as there were loads of cliff hangers and a mystery only to be revealed at the very end of the amazing story. It’s very well described and imaginative, creating a beautiful world of magical creatures, architecture and nature. Although the book is fiction it’s based on myths and real locations around the globe, our world with a twist. Rick Riordan is an imaginative writer who has written a funny, enjoyable story that  is now a bestselling film!