Book Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Book Stats:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Format: Hardcover, 236 pages
Publisher: Poppy/ Little Brown
Publication Date: 01/02/2012
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads Summary: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything? Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row. A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more? Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. 

Before setting my sights on that adorable cover, I already heard a lot of buzz coming from the blogosphere and the Goodreads community about this book and Ms. Smith. I'm not really the type to read YA contemporaries, but I wanted to try something out of my comfort zone. You know when you're reading something that seems so magical and enticing that you desperately wish to be in that person's shoes? This is one of those books. I seriously wanted to go to my nearest airport and hope that I meet my own Oliver. 

The protagonist, Hadley, did get on nerves couple of times. Her feelings and thoughts toward her father became repetitive and a little too whiny. Given, her situation and age but still... those we're the kinds of things why I avoid YA contemporary. No offense to the author. Although, when she's not being the hurt daughter, I like how she was with Oliver.

Which brings me to the light of the book... Oliver. My poor, sweet, british boy. I want him for myself! *teehee. Anyways, our mysterious friend over here has secrets of his own and I enjoyed very much seeing different sides of him throughout the book. He has quite a sense of humor, sounds very attractive and when it comes down to it, knows when to settle some things. I felt for him and I completely loved his character.

I did like the overall story of Oliver and Hadley. It's crazy how this book was set within only 24 hours (maybe, a little bit more). Jennifer E. Smith had me nervous about this couple for a second but she did know how to give a good HEA. Props to her for this wonderful novel! I'm definitely going to check out future books she's going to be releasing.

★★★★

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Book Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Book Stats:
Frostbite by Richelle Mead
(Book #2 of Vampire Academy)
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Format: Paperback, 327 pages
Publisher: RazorBill
Publication Date: 4/10/2008
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads Summary: Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose... It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

I started this immediately after reading Vampire Academy which was around March this year. I was only a few pages in before I put the book back down and never picked it up. I only borrowed this so when its due date came, I turned it in and never thought about starting it again. Not that I didn't like the series, I do, it was just one that slipped up from my mind since there are so many books to choose from! Now, I been hearing a lot about the spin-off series, Bloodlines, I really do want to read those books but I don't want to jump into it without finishing this one. So finally, I got back to my Vampire Academy track. Now I wonder why in the hell did I ever steer courses?

This book gripped me as much as its predecessor did. Usually it takes a while for me to warm up to story, even for sequels, but not with this one! I was thankful for the Prologue which reintroduces the events from VA so I didn't have to re-read the first book.

True to her character, Rose is still as stubborn and sassy as ever. Although her hindered romance with Dimitri puts her in a more irritable mood, it's always fun having her around! It was also nice to see the vulnerability play with her character in this novel. 

I liked that other characters we're put into spotlight in this book and that other characters we're introduced like.. Adrian Ivashkov. Just seeing that name makes me want to throw my hands in air and sing love songs. Yeah, that giddy. He was a nice addition to the ever growing set of hot boys in the VA world.

There was lots of love in this book and also, a lot of jealousy which leads to the drama. As I said before this book reminds me of Gossip Girl especially when those aspects kicks in! I'm not complaining, it was rather interesting to see all those interactions. I didn't read much about Dimitri in this book but when he was, he was in mentor mode so it's not a particularly fun thing.

The last few chapters made me tear up! It was action and emotion packed. I was swept away with it. Despite that little sad event, the ending was gratifying. I'm glad Richelle Mead doesn't feel the need to kill her readers with cliffhangers just to make sure her readers will come back for more. I was very pleased.

★★★★

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Book Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Book Stats:
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
(Book #1 of Vampire Academy)
Source: Borrowed from the Library
Format: Paperback, 332 pages
Publisher: RazorBill
Publication Date: 8/16/2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads Summary: 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.

I was fairly surprised to find myself as engrossed in this novel as much I did. It certainly did a good job gripping my attention from the beginning to its end. It's a fast paced novel, complete with action, steamy-romance and teenage angst. No boring feature but not really much stood out either.

I liked Rose Hathaway. When I read about her, she was definitely a breath of fresh air that I desperately needed. She was strong, both physically and mentally. The type who will kick ass but still manage to get out looking fabulous and SAY that's she's fabulous. I loved her confidence! She had a good sense of who she is, what she wants and what she'll do to make sure she get is. Her sassy and fierce nature is really entertaining, although that doesn't always work out.

Lissa Dragomir was a part of this novel as much as Rose was but her presence was merely a shadow for me here. Her relationship with Rose that sometimes went beyond "normal" bestfriend duties we're unusual but it was sweet to witness that sisterly love that they had. I felt bad for her because she's the opposite of Rose, being shy and polite but I think she might be one to watch out for future badassness!

The romance was tricky, what with the guy being 5 years older than Rose but it worked for this book. The romantic or should I say, sexual tension, between Rose and Dimitri was just sizzling! I didn't necessarily liked Dimitri but I could tell why Rose would take such interest. I hope I'll see more of him and that he lightens up throughout the series.

I also loved the other characters in the book. They just added more quirk to the story. Mason and his unrequited love for Rose. Christian and his family drama was a sympathizer. Mia and the whole "Mean Girls" war. I never honestly read the books Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl, I only saw the series, but Vampire Academy seemed like the perfect cross between the two. I really liked those series so go figure! Though the plot itself was very predictable, I did enjoy reading this book and I look forward to how the future events unfold in the next installment.

★★★★

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Book Review: City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Book Stats:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
(Book #1 of The Mortal Instruments)
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover, 485 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: 3/27/2007
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Adventure

Goodreads Summary: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Well, it has been awhile since I've read this book so my thoughts might be a little clouded and might be a little biased now considering I've already read the next 4 books in the series. But here goes nothing!

At first, I must admit, I wasn't entirely in love with the world that's introduced by Cassandra Clare in City Of Bones. I wasn't much of paranormal junkie before, after coming off a Hunger Games and Divergent high, I was still in search of another dystopian and that's when I stumbled into this. I know, how wrong was I? I'm laughing at my mere innocence and lack of knowledge with YA literature, thankfully now I know better.

The world still confuses me up till this date but its undeniable that it's very interesting and genius. City Of Bones is set in busy streets of New York! When I first read this, that's what fascinated me. I was like, "It's in freaking New York!". 

We follow the story of Clarissa Fray, a normal teenager out for a night with her best friend Simon... or so she thought. They we're in a club called Pandemonium and suddenly, things got a little weird. She suddenly sees things moving out of the shadows and witness a killing with her own eyes. Only this wasn't entirely murder and the person wasn't entirely a person.  We then meet an angel look-a-like Jace, Isabelle and Alec Lightwood. A set of unusual siblings who are trained to fight demons called Shadowhunters. Being able to see them opens up a whole new world for Clary, which she has been hidden from by none other than her mother. We later than find that she's been kidnapped. She finds herself getting more involved in a world she never knew existed and with a boy that might have nothing to offer her but heartbreak.

I really did like MOST of the characters but there's just some I could have lived without reading about. There we're a lot extras that made it confusing! Clary was ok, a little bit of a whiner but what can you expect from a 16 year old girl being thrusted upon a whole new world with angels and demons? I loved the Lightwood siblings especially our cocky little jerk, Jace. Despite that playful shell, he was really a tormented soul and I really loved that flawed part of him. I also liked Simon and Magnus. One major problem that I had was the villain, Valentine. Sure he made a lot of twists but he just wasn't evil enough for me to consider a threat for a happily ever after, you know? The story was really enticing but the dialogues we're pretty dull and repetitive for me. I did like Simon and Jace's banter but sometimes it just gets really exasperating.

The beginning was a little slow for me but it did pick up. That's where the romance kicks in! I won't say much but City of Bones introduced me to one of my favorite YA couples. Boy, Cassandra Clare definitely knows what she's doing in that department! This was a really nice starter for The Mortal Instruments. I have stucked around for the next 4 books, will read City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire plus The Infernal Devices and possibly, the spin-off series as well so I guess that could speak for itself!

★★★★

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Book Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Book Stats:
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
(Book #2 of The Iron Fey)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 361 pages
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Publication Date: 07/27/2010
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Adventure

Goodreads Summary: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Let me start off by saying, what an emotional rollercoaster! I loved and hated the sequel at the same time. The Iron Daughter kicks off after Meghan and Ash traveled back to Tir Na Nog after rescuing Ethan from Machina. It goes through what happened in Winter's Passage (a novella) and moves on to where Meghan is being held at the Unseelie Court for the Queen Mab.

I wasn't already a big fan of Meghan and Ash's almost insta-love but I really do want them together, so I cut the couple some slack. We all know that Winter and Summer we're never supposed to fall in love and the prince knows that very well so Ash distanced himself from her for both of their sakes. What pissed me off was when Meghan was acting like such a love-sick puppy! When she was going through the "I can't believe Ash said this or did that" phase, my eyes we're about to fall off from all the eye-rolling I did. I really wanted her to toughen up but.. first heartbreak does hurt like crap  so I softened my judgement on her which led me to being pissed at Ash. The Winter prince is colder than ever. The way he treated Meghan when they we're at the Winter Court was definitely cruel (even for her own good) but you can tell it was killing him inside. I almost cried at this:

"Meghan,” whispered a voice, heart wrenchingly familiar, drawing me out of the void. I recognized it immediately, just as I realized it was a figment of my desperate imagination, because the real owner of that voice would never be here, talking to me. Ash?
“Wake up,” he murmured, his deep voice cutting through the layers of the darkness. “Don’t do this. If you don’t come out of this soon, you’ll fade away and drift forever. Fight it. Come back to us."
I didn’t want to wake up. There was nothing but pain waiting for me in the real world. If I was asleep, I couldn’t feel anything. If I was asleep, I didn’t have to face Ash and the cold contempt on his face when he looked at me. Darkness was my retreat, my sanctuary. I drew back from Ash’s voice, deeper into the comforting blackness. And, through the layer of dreams and delirium, I heard a quiet sob.
“Please.” A hand gripped mine, real and solid, anchoring me to the present. “I know what you must think of me, but…” The voice broke off, took a ragged breath. “Don’t leave,” it whispered. “Meghan, don’t go. Come back to me.” 
Their relationship was really put into the test in this book. It was painful, it was infuriating and it was beautiful to me. I do believe our Summer princess made some character improvements in this book. I have to admit, I was tad bit put off by her whole Ariella thing. Even though, Ash seemed to have said she wasn't with Meghan because of her but it still sucked because Meghan was hurt when he was hurting... for her.

As if Meghan didn't already have enough problems, she finds herself caught in a whirlwind of another boy drama! She envelops in another journey without Ash, she's aided by none other than our very own, Robin Goodfellow. The joker is back with a vengeance! I just wished it could have been more epic but oh well! Meghan and Puck's relationship blooms despite her heartbreak and the lines of friendship are suddenly blurred.

We are also introduced to new and also, a familiar set of allies plus enemies in this book. I really did love most of them but Ms. Kagawa just had to go all Mockingjay on me. There we're some revelations in this book but nothing too major. I still didn't quite get the implication of the titles though? Why is Meghan oblivious to the effects of Iron? Is it only because she is human.. or is there something more? There's so many more questions left unanswered.

This one was nearly painful for me to go through. The first half of the book, that is. The plot, once again, really didn't surprise me nor disappointed me. It's still rather cheesy but I can tell it's maturing. It was more of, "Okay, I know where this is going but I'm up for the ride". Apparently, this book did have the ability to have me blindsided at least ONCE. For the last 30% of the book, I found myself again head over heels with the world, the characters and the ominous future looming ahead for our beloved fairies (and other creatures whom I don't know the name of). The ending was jam-packed with emotions and I couldn't have thought of any other brilliant ending that Ms. Kagawa could have came up with. I was most happy with that! It opened such a broad spectrum of possibilites for the next book. I'm really curious to see how it all turns out in The Iron Queen.

★★★★

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Book Review: The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Book Stats:
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
(Book #1 of The Iron Fey)
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 363 pages
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: 2/1/2010
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal, Romance

Goodreads Summary: Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined. Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home. When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change. But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

A lot of my fellow goodreaders have constantly raved about this particular series and I'd scoff because I was like “Seriously? Fairies?” but boy, did I eat my words! I really wanted to read the upcoming spin-off series, The Iron Fey: The Call of the Forgotten and I knew it wouldn't feel right if I didn't get through this one first.

Let me start off by saying, I did like this book but I'm just on the fence with a few things. Given it's a start of the series so I'll give a little break but there were just so many clichés. I felt like the plot was poorly executed as it was very predictable. The mash-up of familiar concepts from stories like A Midsummer's Night Dream and Peter Pan, Narnia, The Wizard of Oz and I had a little Cinderella vibe going on too, made it seem almost.. cheesy. Almost. What really sold it to me was the very lovable set of characters. Meghan, Ash, Puck and Grim is definitely a group I didn't expect to form here but when they did, I fell in love with them.

Megan is genuine, determined and most importantly, noble. She stays true to her word and would sacrifice what she could for the people she loves. She could be a little wimp sometimes but I'm looking forward to see her character development throughout the series. I really think she has potential to be a decent heroine.

This was what I was looking most forward to and that was finally meeting the very talked about Unseelie Prince named Ash. He is a mysterious one, haunted indeed. I did have my doubts about him and his intentions but the black hair.. silver eyes.. and that was it, I was left swooning. Girl weaknesses strikes once again.

I also really liked the other love interest which is Puck. His character is perfect counterpart for our dark winter prince. He is full of light and jokes that I just immediately felt at ease with his character. I also loved his protectiveness over Meghan.

I don't know why but Grimalkin reminded me so much of Magnus Bane from The Mortal Instruments. Maybe it's the cat thing? He gave me the same vibes. A person to go to, full of wisdom and very amused at the littlest things.

“Careful, human.” Grimalkin appeared on the corner of the stage, overshadowed by the dead chimera. “Do not lose your heart to a faery prince. It never ends well.”

Don't get me wrong, I like Ash and Meghan as a couple but they barely knew each other. That kissing scene was sweet and all but it suddenly felt too soon. It's like “BAM!” and Meghan has already became his beloved? Um, okay. Also, The Ariella thing seems a little fishy to me or am I reading too much into this?

Despite what I said about the plot execution, that didn't stop me from being absorbed. I didn't necessarily feel the direness within the situations but some emotions did worked with me here. The ending almost made me cry. I really adored Ethan, especially when he said “Meggie”. I can't believe he has grown up and has his own series.

I can't say this is anything ground-breaking although I do have limited experience with fairy novels, but it's enjoyable all the same. The story is very light hearted with the perfect tint of heartbreak, romance and mystery. I'm definitely looking forward to read its sequel: The Iron Daughter.

★★★★

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Book Review: Finding Home by Lauren Baker and Bonnie Dee

Book Stats:
Finding Home by Lauren Baker and Bonnie Dee
Source: Purchased
Format: Kindle, 300 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: 01/06/2006
Reading Level: Adult/ Mature YA (17+)
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Drama, Sociology

Goodreads Summary: Her family, her friends and her conscience all say it's wrong to fall for the hustler she rescued from the streets. How come it feels so right? When Megan first meets Mouth, a homeless teenage hustler, on the streets of L.A., he's the perfect subject for the street life expose she hopes will help her break into journalism. She doesn't expect to be drawn into his life and become his friend-or to take him in after he's been beaten and robbed by thugs. As they learn to live together, a powerful attraction flourishes between Megan and the young man. Although he's street smart, tough and mature, he's also a youth in transition. When they finally give in to the sexual heat between them, Megan fears she's taking advantage of her position as his mentor. Their relationship challenges every aspect of her life. Megan must make difficult choices between the conflicting demands of her friends and family, her career and love. Warning: Explicit sex, reference to underage sex, graphic language, violence.

Please leave your morals out the door and keep an open mind when reading this book because it's a pretty dark book. It covers prostitution, homelessness, abuse, drugs.. but immediately after finishing the initial chapters, I was completely hooked.

Megan, a 23 year old aspiring writer, was working on her debut article that covers the life of kids in the boulevard who sells their bodies for money. Really wanting to prove she had talent to her boss other than proofreading, she pursued getting interviews from the kids themselves and that's where she met the 17 year old hustler, Sean aka. Mouth.

As Megan spends more time with the kids and at the boulevard, she finds herself attracted at the young man and they started a civilized friendship. After not seeing him for a few days, she finds him beat up. Concerned for his safety, Megan took Sean to her home where he stayed for a while as he tried getting a job and completing his GED. As the days go by, the sexual tension between them sizzles and the two finds themselves in a situation that has written doomed from the start.

Whoa, what a ride. Realistic.. heartbreaking and beautiful. The story was written in 3rd person but the thoughts are mostly from Megan. Being attracted to Sean and all, it was pretty weird hearing about her non-stop sexual desires. I like that she wasn't an insecure heroine or a fucked up one, she was... pretty normal but I did questioned her initial intentions with Sean because the girl was pretty damn horny for him. I didn't think this was supposed to be erotica but there was a lot of descriptive sex! She appeared selfish at times but I believe her heart was really in the right place.

"I'm a fucking whore," he continued. 

"The people I meet either want to fuck me or fuck me over. End of fucking story."

Oh Sean... you broke my heart. I just wished I could have heard his own thoughts in the story because even though he was there, it didn't really feel like it. The romance plot, his business and his past.. he would have been a more interesting and heartbreaking voice to listen to. I just can't help but feel bad for him especially when he meets Megan's family and friends.

I'd say age is nothing but a number, but i'd be a hypocrite because I know I would have felt better if I knew he was 18 instead. He went through so much and knows so much, it's easy to forget he's only 17. The age thing was almost overkill since the prostitution part was already a potent subject but oh well, it did add more drama.

This book just had everything that can tear your heart to pieces but the last few chapters definitely made it worth the heartbreak. I want more though, Ms. Baker and Ms. Dee should really write a companion novel or a sequel! Maybe Sean's POV or with the other street kids because their stories we're pretty sad too.

★★★★

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