The Turning

The Turning 

by Francine Prose 

A dark house.
An isolated island.
Strange dreams
and even stranger visions . . .

Jack is spending the summer on a private island far from modern conveniences. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no one else on the island but a housekeeper and the two very peculiar children in his care. The first time Jack sees the huge black mansion atop a windswept hill, he senses something cold, something more sinister than even the dark house itself.

Soon, he feels terribly isolated and alone. Yet he is not alone. The house has visitors—peering in the windows, staring from across the shore. But why doesn't anyone else see them . . . and what do they want? As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy. . . . Or is he? (Description from Amazon.com)

I have to be honest. I wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. The idea was spooky and I liked the beginning, but I got bored reading. I actually found myself trying to skip to the end just to see what happened, because I was too impatient to wait until I naturally got there. 

I didn't really connect to any of the characters and though I found the house to be cool and liked the remote setting, I don't think it was enough for me.  Sadly, I just didn't enjoy it overmuch. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

The Liar Society

The Liar Society
by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Since when do the dead send emails?

Kate Lowry's best friend Grace died a year ago. So when she gets an email from her, Kate's more than a little confused.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)
Kate,
I'm here... sort of.
Find Cameron. He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell. They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace's death was more than just a tragic accident. She teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not-so)-shining armor-the dangerously hot bad boy, Liam, and her lovestruck neighbor, Seth. But at their elite private school, there are secrets so big people will do anything to protect them-even if it means getting rid of anyone trying to solve a murder... (description from Amazon.com)

This was one of those books that I finished and I was happy. Just happy. It was fulfilling. I've seen a lot of people online already asking for book 2, but for me, The Liar Society ends at a spot both plot-wise and in Kate's emotional life that I am satisfied with...for me it could be a standalone.

It is a great Veronica Mars like mystery. There's danger, good friends, and snarky attitude. Everything I desired! Kate was a great heroine. Though she was still massively grieving her best friend's death and had no clue what was going on, she was fighting for justice!

My favorite passage from the book is AWESOME and epitomizes everything I loved about Kate:

p. 332 I had to laugh. Something about me running through underground tunnels with a sword was beyond funny, but I took it with me anyway. A girl could never be too careful. Besides, I was ready to start slaying my own damn dragons.

My only complaint - that Kate wasn't wearing an awesome pink wig as she ran through those tunnels with a sword!

Kate's journey is full of twists and turns and mysterious Latin puzzles (that I loved) and her biggest helpers, aside from the romantic lead that was definitely swoon-worthy, were a very hilarious redheaded sidekick who made me think of a cross between Ron Weasley and Agent Fox Mulder and a kick-@ss security guard who I think may honestly have been my favorite character in the whole book. Did I mention how much I loved how much time Kate spent hunting down clues in the Library??

Kate kept me on my toes and Lisa and Laura Roecker are hilarous-ness embodied. If you haven't checked out their blog yet, you must do so immediately! You'll find information about the book, their touring, what they're working on next...oh yeah, and their family stuff, celeb gossip, and did I mention I'm pretty sure this is where Kate got her snarky attitude??

Signing off in true PINK fashion one last time...


Full disclosure: ARC borrowed from the awesome Jen at Yabooknerd.
2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Anxiously Awaiting...

Bite Club
by Rachel Caine
The Morganville Vampires, book 10

Publication Date: May 3, 2011

Absolutely love this series!! Cannot wait for the new book.

HEXBOUND Blog Tour - Review

Welcome to the January 10, 2011 stop on the Hexbound Blog Tour 2010 (2011)!!!

Thank you so much for visiting, I Read to Relax. First, I have a Hexbound review for you and then if you check back in a few days, I'm actually going to have an interview with Lily's new BFF, Scout, posted. I hope you'll check it out!!

Hexbound
by Chloe Neill
The Dark Elite, book two

Lily Parker is new to St. Sophia's School for Girls, but she's already learned that magic can be your best friend-or your worst enemy. That's why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities while fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago's nastiest nightlife-including the tainted magic users known as Reapers... (description taken from Amazon.com)

I love the fact that the books in this series are, well, fun reads! They are quick, easy, adventurous, and well...all around...fun! Lily and her friends are all easily relatable characters and the plot consistently draws me in quickly.

I found it so intriguing to delve deeper into Chicago's underworld and get to meet some monsters, both human and not, that inhabit the dank tunnels. (It's really funny when you compare the vampires in this book to the vampires in Chloe Neill's other series, The Chicagoland Vampires!! They are so radically opposite in temprament and circumstance! :P) The "rat creatures" were just gross enough without being so repulsive I didn't want to read about them...and the humans that Lily, Scout, Jason, and Michael must battle were definitely just the right type of evil.

Speaking of...I really loved how Neill delved into good, evil, and the shades between in this book. So many questions were brought up about what Lily's parents might be hiding, if Jason might be considered a monster, and if well, the Reapers might not be...in the long run. It definitely gave Lily some things to think about!

I can tell you - without spoilers - that I cannot wait for book three. I need to see what's really going on with the Reapers...and of course, Lily's love life, too!!

An excellent (really fun) book. I recommend you read Firespell first of course, and then check out Chloe's other series, The Chicagoland Vampires, which I also adore, but you MUST read this book.

Don't forget to check out the other stops on the HEXBOUND Blog Tour .

In My Mailbox - October 31, 2010

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren, inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. Every week bloggers can share what they received in the mail or at the bookstore or at the library. The goal is that everyone can be exposed to more books this way!

Signed by Author at "Ghost and Graves Tour" stop in Norwich,CT:

The Hollow by Jessica Verday
Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink


From the Library:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

For Review:

Gemini Night by Bonnie Hearn Hill

Cyberia: Prime Evil by Chris Lynch

For My Nook:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Anxiously Awaiting...

Kiss of Death
by Lauren Henderson
Scarlett Wakefield, book four

Publication date: May 10, 2011

Devil's Kiss

Devil's Kiss
by Sarwat Chadda

There is nothing to fear but fear itself...and Billi SanGreal.

As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn't normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her free time training as a soldier in her order's ancient battle agianst the Unholy.

Billi's cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He's ready to reclaim his place in Billi's life, but she's met someone new: amber-eyed Michael, who seems to understand her like no one else, effortlessly claiming a stake in her heart.

But the Templars are called to duty before Billi can enjoy the pleasant new twist to her life. One of the order's ancient enemies has resurfaced, searching for a treasure that the Templars have protected for hundreds of years - a cursed mirror powerful enough to kill all London's firstborn. To save her city from catastrophe, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than any of the Templars could have imagined.
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Billi SanGreal is one tough, but lonely, cookie. She is the one and only female Knight Templar and she has a rough time becoming that. Her training is grueling, her father treats her as a trainee, distancing himself from her. Since Kay left her years ago, she's been the only one around her age, as well.

Opening with Billi decapitating a vampire, this series rockets readers right into a dark, fascinating world. Billi is having some trouble dealing with the world's realities now that her training is over and she has to face some real-life situations. When Kay returns, Billi is happy to have someone to turn to, but also questions his reappearance in her life.

With this much emotional upheaval to deal with, Billi turns to an outsider for the possibility of romance...a decision she may come to regret.

Full of romantic tension, thrilling battle scenes, strained family relations and dark, creepy things, this was a real page turner. I could not put it down and read way longer into the night than I should have to finish it. I wholeheartedly look forward to continuing Billi's adventures in Dark Goddess.

Kiss in the Dark

Kiss in the Dark
by Lauren Henderson
Scarlett Wakefield series, book three

With Dan McAndrew's murder finally behind her, Scarlett has high hopes for a fresh start at Wakefield Hall Collegiate, the elite English boarding school her grandmother runs. Unfortunately, those hopes are dashed when her nemesis, the infamous Plum Saybourne, is transferred to the school. Plum wastes no time turning Scarlett's impressionable classmates against her.

Scarlett has dealt with Plum's nasty schemes before, and she can handle her archenemy very nicely, thank you - until Plum sets her sights on Scarlett's best friend, Taylor, and new boyfriend, Jase. Then Scarlet is more than willing to fight for what's rightfully hers.

Things only get worse after Scarlett becomes entangled in a mysterious death on campus. Scarlett is compelled investigate because she wants to protect someone close to her. She never imagines that she'll uncover secrets related to her parents' fatal accident so many years ago...
(description from Amazon.com)

There is not alot that I can say about the plot of this book without getting things away...hmmm...so, I'll just tell you that I really enjoyed it. I devoured it in fact. It was well worth the wait!

A lot...and I mean A LOT of little tidbits are revealed in this book, setting things up for book four. Though I was very sad at the end of this book...and no, I won't tell you why!, I was satisfied with the book...and now I am drooling for the next. Already. I feel a little as if Lauren Henderson just loves to tease me. Ah well.

Forget-Her-Nots

Forget-Her-Nots
by Amy Brecount White

Something - some power - is blooming inside Laurel. She can use flowers to do things. Like bringing back lost memories. Or helping her friends ace tests. Or making people fall in love.

Laurel suspects her newfound ability has something to do with an ancient family secret, one that her mother meant to share with Laurel when the time was right. But then time ran out.

Clues and signs and secret messages seem to be all around Laurel at Avondale School, where her mother had also boarded as a student. Can Laurel piece everything together quickly enough to control her power, which is growing more potent everyday? Or will she set the stage for the most lovestruck, infamous prom in the history of the school? (description taken from Amazon.com)

This was a very good fantasy for readers that don't want to delve into high fantasy. The magic is woven so delicately into the storyline, that non-fantasy readers may even enjoy picking this one up. I had already known about the Victorian Language of the Flowers, but learned a lot more from this book. It's a fascinating topic often forgotten.

The grief that Laurel feels from losing her mother is handled very delicately, but realistically here, as well. She grieves, she feels anger, she forgives, and she works to remember. Laurel forms new relationships with her grandmother and a kind professor at school, both of whom knew her mother well, and through them she is still connected.

I love magic. I love romances. This book had both... neither was the main focus of the book, yet the story could not move on without them. Laurel learned who she truly was and it was all linked together. I cried at the end...in such a wonderful way. I am looking forward to more from this author.

Once a Witch

Once a Witch
by Carolyn MacCullough

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. When a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search - and the stranger - will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. (description taken from Amazon.com)

This was a gem of a witchcraft based fantasy story. Tamsin is a wonderfully multi-faceted character that readers can get behind and also relate to closely. Her relationships with family members are loving but strained. Her perfect sister is favored frequently, her mother just doesn't understand her, and everyone else alienates her because she is not "Talented."

When her oldest friend, Gabriel, suddenly reappears...he's changed. Not only is he more confident, but he's, well, HOT! Tamsin doesn't quite know what to make of him, but Gabriel has definitely made up his mind about her. Together they travel through time attempting to find the object that Tamsin promised to Allistair, but the danger may be too great, and she may have doomed her entire family.

When old secrets are revealed, new dimensions of the family emerge. MacCullough doles out the tidbits sparingly until right at the end, leaving readers anxious for more. The way this volume ends, it could be a stand alone or it could be the first in a series. I'm hoping for the latter!

Matched

Matched
by Ally Condie

Society matched them, but love set them free

In the society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It's barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one...until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow - between perfection and passion. (back cover copy)

I could not put this book down. I almost finished it in one setting, but finally had to put it down with only 5 chapters to go (the agony) so that I could get up at 5am the next morning. Ugh. I just wanted to keep reading and reading and reading.

Matched is compelling. Cassia is a great character. She is smart and loyal and loving, yet also realistic in that part of her just wishes to live her life as expected. To be safe and secure. Both Ky and Xander are guys that would make any girl question her life choices...they're both smart, hard-working, brave, willing to do anything for her...and oh, did I mention cute?

The most fascinating thing about this story, though, was the Society. It was easy to see that this was a futuristic society set after the fall of our own. Run by Officials, citizens have every single decision in their lives made for them. This was a chillingly realistic dystopia that kept me on edge the whole way through.

Condie very successfully tied in elements from some major classic dystopias. The Society was very reminiscent of 1984's Big Brother. They also ruled with pills to keep their citizens content and unaware like in Brave New World. This may become a new classic...

I sincerely hope that a sequel is written to this book. I don't want to give spoilers, but Cassia makes quite a few great discoveries, both about the Society and her own self, the passion between Cassia and her love interests is palpable and exciting, and the book ends leaving room for an exciting sequel!!

PS - I LOVE this cover! Not only is the bubble image evocative, the green is exquisite and perfectly matches a description of Cassia in the book, but there is a very subtle texture pattern to the white background giving a metallic appearance (you can't tell in a picture) that just matches the tone of the book. One of the best covers I've seen this year!

Full disclosure: A friend actually found this ARC and gave it to me...can you believe it?!

Radiant Shadows

Radiant Shadows
by Melissa Marr
Wicked Lovely, book 4

Hunger for Nourishment. Hunger for Touch. Hunger to Belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.

Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.

Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight her battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans - and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat impails the whole of Faerie. Will saving the Faery Realm mean losing each other? (description taken from Amazon.com)

I really enjoy this series, though I was a little leery after reading Fragile Eternity (book 3). That book was good...but it didn't completely flow. I kept putting it down and not being sure I really wanted to pick it up again, though by the end, I loved the storyline.

I find the Wicked Lovely world compelling. I love dark fae and dark magic and Marr has a way of making both her humans and fae fascinating in their darkest moments. Of the series so far, I think that Wicked Lovely and now Radiant Shadows are my favorite volumes.

In this book, Ani and Devlin both ride the line of "people" who can and have done very bad things, and yet want to be good. Their passion for doing the right thing and finding and keeping each other is palpable. It leapt right off the page and I found myself frantically trying to finish this book in one sitting. I did not want to stop reading!

I really loved to, beyond their romance, the upheaval and resettlement that takes place in the larger Fae realms. I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but there were some really good betrayals, loyalty tests, and political maneuverings in this book. With the way it ended, I am very, very curious to see where Marr plans to take this in the final fifth book.

Burned

Burned
by P.C. and Kristin Cast
House of Night, book 7

When friends stop trusting each other, Darkness is there to fan the flames...

Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird's soul has shattered. With everything she's ever stood for falling apart, and a broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey's fading fast. It's seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able to pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the Vampyre High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure. There are only 7 days left...
(description taken from Amazon.com)

Another addictive addition to the House of Night series. The Casts really know how to write a soap opera of a vampire story! I have to say the more I read about Stark the more I root for him. I love Stark! The sacrifices he makes for Zoey are amazing. There is a lot of soul searching and maturing in this book. The depths of friendhip and love between these characters are amazing.
Can't say much more without having spoilers, so I'll just say...LOVED IT!

Shadow of the Moon

Shadow of the Moon
by Rachel Hawthorne
The Dark Guardians, book 4

I can feel every shifter's emotions except Daniel's - the only one whose heart I long to know.

Hayden was born a werewolf, a Dark Guardian. But her ability to sense the feelings of fellow werewolves has made her life unbearable. She runs away, only to be tracked by charming, mysterious Daniel, a newcomer to the pack and the one Shifter immune to her powers. As she reluctantly follows him home, Hayden feels herself falling dangerously in love...

But even as her feelings for Daniel deepen, Hayden begins to wonder if he is who he claims to be. Where did he come from and why has no one ever seen him transform? When they stumble upon the body of a Shifter still in wolf form, her worries grow. Someone is killing her kind. Is her handsome tracker really a hunter? And is Hayden now his prey?

I love this series. I really, really do...they are short, sweet, and even though somewhat predictable, they are fantastic to fall into!

So far, honestly, this is my favorite of the series. I really loved the first, Moonlight, but this newest book has not only the wonderful Dark Guardian werewolves, but other shifters, secrets, and one steamy romance!!

If you haven't read this series yet, you should run out right now and grab book 1. Seriously!

Fallen

Fallen

by Lauren Kate

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Swiss & Cross Boarding School in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce -- and goes out of his way to make that very clear -- she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.

This book came out around the same time as Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I happened to read that one first, and had to wait forever for my name to go through the hold list at the library for Fallen. I am so glad I waited!! I was disappointed in Hush, Hush - it was too stalker-iffic feeling for me...(see my review here).

When I read Fallen I was so much happier with the relationship between Daniel and Luce. Partially it may be due to the set up...readers are clued into the fact that something goes wrong whenever Daniel and Luce are together. They have a star-crossed love. As much as Daniel treats Luce poorly at the beginning, it was obvious that it was straining him. He saves her life repeatedly and once he gives into her, they have some steamy passion!

I liked the allusions to the biblical stuff about the fallen angels and the fact that readers get the outline of a story, but not everything is yet revealed. This is definitely the set-up for more books and I LOVE IT. I cannot wait to read Torment.

The Strawberry Picker

The Strawberry Picker
by Monika Feth

Three girls room together in a small city in the German countryside. While the hunt is on for a serial killer moving through their area, two of the girls begin to worry about the "secret" boyfriend their roommate has been hiding. When she is murdered, suspicion is immediately cast upon the unknown boyfriend. As the girls investigate, and one finds a new boyfriend...who likes to be unknown...will they discover that he's the killer before it's too late?

To be honest, I am not a fan of serial killer books since they are usually kind of gory. It's only recently that I've been able to start watching shows like "Criminal Minds," without getting nightmares and having to check the locks about a thousand times. That being said...

This book was just like watching an episode of "Criminal Minds." You know from the beginning that the strawberry picker is the serial killer but you have to wait until the main characters come to the same conclusion. It was also fairly cinematic in that the chapters alternated between the killer, the girls, the police, and the writer...all of whom are involved in the mystery in some important way. You get to see all facets of the issue and how they connect.

Even as a book I wouldn't normally pick up, it was well written and suspenseful. If you like murder mysteries, thrillers, and especially books where you get to see the killer's perspective, you should try this novel. Definitely geared for upper high school into college age readers.

Prophecy of the Sisters

Prophecy of the Sisters
by Michelle Zink

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters - one good...one evil...who will prevail?


Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.
(Description taken from Amazon.com)

I actually listened to this book on CD after reading Greenbeanteenqueen's review. I had heard a lot about this book, but knowing it was "gothic" had temporarily put me off. It's really funny, I tend to love gothic books once I get past the first few chapters; I just never seem to want to pick them up in the first place.

Let me tell you, with this one, I am SO glad I finally read it. Partially it was listening to Eliza Dushku (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Bring it On, Dollhouse) read the book in her very even-toned, no nonsense way that helped to really carry across Lia's voice, but it was also just the perfection in the vocabulary and tone of the book.

Zink does a fabulous job utilising beautiful vocabulary that, yes I know but never remember to use!, to bring us mentally back to a time when society behaved altogether differently and a girl's life should not be devoted to trying to fulfill a prophecy without ending the world!

The mystery and otherworldly-ness of this book is utterly compelling. I found Lia to be a wonderful main character, and I loved to hate, and sometimes feel sorry for, her sister Alice, right alongside her as the plot developed.

I cannot wait to read Guardian of the Gate to see what else is revealed before the final showdown in book three!! I really hope, too, that they get Eliza Dushku to narrate the next book...I couldn't stop driving around!

Demon Princess - Books One and Two

Demon Princess: Reign or Shine

Demon Princess: Reign Check

by Michelle Rowen

As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon King of the Shadowlands - the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious - and surprisingly cute - messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and wants her to assume the throne.

*potential spoilers* Fresh from finding out she is a demon Princess and meeting her father for the first time, Nikki Donovan is looking forward to getting back to her regular high school life. But then Rhys, the handsome teenage King of the Faery realm, enrolls at her school as a foreign exchange student. This, coupled with a new prophecy stating that Nikki could destroy the entire world, means that Nikki won't be getting back to "normal" anytime soon.
(Descriptions taken from Amazon.com)

When I first received book two from SLJ, I inwardly groaned. I did not really expect this series to be all that good. There are just SOOO many paranormal romance series in YA lit right now. I was pleasantly surprised!

I found Nikki to be an honest and likeable character. Her best friend is a surprisingly complex character, and a girl who really pushes to stay BFFs with Nikki. Her parents are even great, even if her Dad is the Demon King.

Nikki handles the discovery of her familial obligations with grace, after the initial shock and mild horror. The setting and premise are surprisingly believable. There is humor, there is love, there is friendship...

All in all a good new series, and I will definitely read book three when it eventually comes out!

PS - I posted two different covers for book two, Demon Princess: Reign Check, because the first one is the one that I got as an ARC and really matches the tone of the first book. The second is the final cover and I don't really see the correlation or why they chose to make this change...any thoughts?

Full disclosure: Book one borrowed from Library, Book two ARC sent from SLJ for Review.

Leap Year

Just had to mention this movie...
Ahh...
Loved it so much!

I love Amy Adams and she is cute and OCD-ish and quirky is this movie. Her wardrobe - fantastic! So pretty. I just kept thinking that I wanted to steal her outfits. *sigh*

I have a new crush...Matthew Goode is YUMMY!! That face, that voice, the gruffness...*double sigh*

Anyway, to continue drooling...Ireland. Great scenery...need I say more?

If you haven't seen this yet, GO RENT IT NOW! So good.

The Dead-Tossed Waves

The Dead-Tossed Waves

by Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth companion book

Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.

When I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I was impressed, really impressed by Carrie Ryan's zombie apocalypse and the realism of her world. What struck the deepest chord with me was that it did not have the happy frou-frou, "oh, the world is ending, but we all fall in love and live happily ever after...laa laa laa" ending that most YA paranormals have. This was a true ending. There was hope, yes, and happiness, but it was REAL.

I was stoked when I found out that Ryan was putting out a companion book. I had hoped, but it would have been fine if The Forest of Hands and Teeth was a stand-alone. I was so happy when I finished The Dead-Tossed Waves. As pleased as I was finishing the first, I was ecstatic devouring the second!

Again, the main character was real...flawed, scared, questioning, but also brave, moral, and full of love. Gabry is not brave like her mother, Mary (mc of book 1). She does not feel a pull to leave the safety of her sheltered life...until she is drawn out by the boy she's admired from afar. Once she has broken beyond the barrier, though, she may be continually terrified, but she pulls through for the ones she loves. Her adventures again just felt ultimately real to me.

I love the tone of these books. I love the Mudo and the Breakers. I love the way that Ryan effortlessly questions religion, morality, love, family relationships, government...essentially all of society. In The Forest of Hands and Teeth, the book was about strength, questioning, and because of Mary's background, the book's tone was somber, quiet, but resilient. In The Dead-Tossed Waves, action reigns, passion abounds, and horomones sometimes rule. As the younger generation, raised in a non-religious environment, become the focus of the story, more of the world comes into focus.

Having seen the government structure that this society was able to build, becoming attached to Gabry and her love (trying not to give spoilers here!!), and learning some very important things about Mary's past, I cannot wait to jump back into this world whenever Ryan puts out book 3!