Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Steifvater

Sam and Grace have been through so much together and now they face a challenge that means life or death.  Isabelle's dad has found a way to eliminate the wolves and with Grace still shifting, it becomes imperative that Sam, Cole, and Isabelle find a way to save the wolves.

This was a great ending to this series. I was actually expecting a much sadder ending.  While it was sad enough that I cried, it was still hopeful and I didn't mind the fact that a finite ending wasn't given to Sam and Grace. Real life doesn't work that way and so books don't have to either. Though I did find Sam and Grace, well Sam in particular, much more frustrating. His inability to do something made me want to shake him. Isabelle and Cole are really my favorites. They are much more sarcastic and proactive and I love them for it. Sam and Grace's pure sweet love is wonderful to read and I love them too, but sometimes you need a bit of grit in your romance.

12 hours, 10 minutes

Read by Jenna Lamia, Pierce Cravens, Dan Bittner, Emma Galvin, Maggie Stiefvater

The same cast from the previous book returns and they do a great job. Each manages to embody their character and they play them beautifully. The audio books are great for this series because the actors really manage to convey the emotions well. I enjoyed this audio series a lot.

The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group (e-book) by Catherine Jinks

Toby is just a kid, playing around with his friends and causing trouble.  Then one night he wakes up in the dingo pen at the zoo and suddenly things have changed, especially after a priest and a shaggy-haired man show up on his doorstep claiming he is a werewolf.

This is a sequel of sorts to The Reformed Vampire Support Group which I read last year in that it continues some of the story from that book with no resolution at this one either.  I'm guessing there will be another one.  About what I don't know.  But anyway, it is not strictly necessary to have read Reformed Vampire, but it makes more sense if you have.  It took me a minute to remember who Reuben was and the whole plot of the Vampire book.  This was a fun adventure, much more action adventure than the previous book.  I guess because werewolves are much more robust than vampires.  Jinks certainly does not let up in this book once it gets started.  The first half was slow and I was getting tired of Toby and his friends, but then the location changes and I sped through the rest ready to find out what happens next.  While lacking wholly sympathetic characters, because even Toby is enough to wear a person out, it was still a decent book.  I found a few funny moments, but it is also very rough and tumble, much like a werewolf.  I was happy to see the vampires and I look forward to reading how the over-arcing story pans out.

Provided by NetGalley
Publish date: April 14, 2011

Hogwarts: Transfiguration
ABC
E-book
350 Pages

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2 ) (audio) by Maggie Steifvater

*SPOILERS for Shiver*
Now that Sam is human again, he can live a normal life as a normal boy with Grace.  But Grace is falling seriously ill.  Coupled with that is the problem of the one of the new wolves, Cole, who can't seem to stay a wolf.  Sam begins to see that his problems aren't over just because he is no longer a wolf.

Just like Shiver this book starts off slow.   But about 1/3 of the way in, it gets really good and then I have a hard time walking away from it.  I actually checked out the CDs for my car and the mp3 version from the library, just so I could have it with me.  And I'm glad I did.  Because once the book got going I needed to find out what happened next.

I actually really liked the characters of Cole and Isabel.  They are a great antidote to perfect Grace and Sam.  Grace and Sam are great characters and I do like them, but they are so sweet and perfect and good all the time that the bitter and sarcastic Cole and Isabel are great.  This book alternates the four characters in POV and while that seems like a lot, it works well.  I was surprised and not surprised by the ending and I am curious to see how the whole thing wraps up in Forever.

10 hours 40 minutes
Read by Dan Bittner, Pierce Cravens, Emma Galvin, Jenna Lamia

It sounds harsh, but I really only enjoy these books in audio.  I doubt I could make it through just reading it.  The audio and the narrators really sell the pacing and writing for me.  It's read at a slow, languorous pace that complements the tone of the book and the music is just beautiful.  I enjoyed all the narrators' voices with Sam and Grace's readers carrying over between the books.  They all did a great job.

Hogwarts: Transfiguration
Whisper in My Ear
ABC

Once in a Full Moon (e-book) by Ellen Schreiber

From Goodreads:
Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.
 Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.
Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon. 

Plot: Standard werewolf love story.  The only good thing about this book is that the concept is at least well thought out.

Writing:  Show, don't tell is something Schrieber needs to learn.  This book is all telling and I mean all. 

Characters: Clichéd.  And maddening.  Celeste made me want to shake her & everyone else made me want to punch them.  They were all so ridiculous especially her friends.

Love Story:  Sudden.  Suddenly Celeste develops an obsession with Brandon for saving her.  This is acceptable and even realistic.  Her "falling in love" with him was stupid because they barely had a conversation.  All of it was dumb.

Overall:  I've never read the Vampire Kisses series by Schreiber and I never will because this book read like a poorly written fan-fic.  I guess at least it was readable enough to get though it so that might count for something.

E-ARC from Netgalley 
Hogwarts: Transfiguration
E-Book
What's in a Name

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Avery Hood is discovered one night, covered in her parent's blood after they are murdered.  She can't remember much about that night except for flashes of silver.  Now living with her grandmother, she longs to remember what happened to her parents.  But something dark and evil is evading the woods around her house and it's after Avery too.

But now I realized I hadn't understood longing at all.  It wasn't about hope.   It was about want, pure and simple.
p.55 ARC

Y'all, this book is super creepy.  From the very first moment when Avery is found covered head to toe with her parent's blood next to their mutilated bodies all the way to the very surprising ending.  Creepy.  It really kept me guessing and gave me the shivers.  It managed to evoke a quiet, chilling atmosphere while providing an interesting murder mystery and a few paranormal elements.  It was well-written and the main characters were well fleshed out.

I really liked this book.  I would have loved it though if it didn't include the supernatural element that was Ben, the new boy at school.  I mean Ben the character was fine and his connection thing with Avery was actually fine.  It provided a necessary though mostly unexplained reason for his character.  It's what Ben is that bothered me.  It seemed unnecessary though I suppose plot-wise it actually was necessary.  I just wish it had been different.  But I liked the supernatural aspect of Avery and thought it was pretty neat and different.  Can't win them all.


Sidenote: I bet the real book is beautiful.  The ARC has a little bit of what I think the whole book will be, with red at each chapter break and it is gorgeous.   I'll have to pick up a regular copy to see.

Hogwarts: Defence Against the Dark Arts
R.I.P. (mystery)

Virals (#1) by Kathy Reichs

Tory Brennan (grand-niece of Temperance Brennan) lives on a secluded island where her father works for a university research center.  She is friends with four boys her age who also live on the island.  After finding some mysterious dog tags on the research island, Tory and her friends get caught in the mystery of a girl's mysterious disappearance 40 years ago and also discover an illegal experiment that transforms Tory and her friends into something more than human.

     Shelton was right.  Things had gotten insane.  For a moment, I wondered if life would ever be normal again.
     No.  We'd been changed at some fundamental level.  There was no going back. p.426 ARC

Having never read anything by Kathy Riechs I wasn't sure how Virals was going to read.  I think that it is fairly evident that an adult writer is trying for a young adult audience.  However, I can't find any fault with that.  A few reviews I read complained that it felt dumbed down, but it didn't to me.  There was a lot of science involved and it was written for someone who doesn't understand science (like me).  I appreciated that.

I really enjoyed the mystery part of the book.  That was my favorite since I am a big mystery fan.  It was a little Nancy Drew mixed with Bones (of course).  Tory is such an awesome, smart character that I loved her.  I liked how all the kids are thrown together by little more than proximity and they become friends even with their distinct personalities and backgrounds.  Each of the "Virals" is well characterized and thought out.

The paranormal aspect is fun, very sciency though it wasn't my favorite part of the book.  But it is cool to have an almost reasonable explanation for the thing that happens to Tory and her friends.  And the abilities they gain come in handy.  I'm curious to see where this series is going to lead.  Hopefully to a lot more mysteries.

Hogwarts: Transfiguration

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

The March sisters are hunters, after the werewolves responsible for the death of their grandmother and unsuspecting girls everywhere.  Scarlett is consumed by it, having face down a werewolf when she was 12, determined to kill them all and to protect her sister.  Rosie longs for a normal life but knows she owes her current life to her sister and continues on with the hunt.  But when Rosie reaches out for a more normal life, will her sister stand in her way?

I like libraries.  It's a comfort that knowledge can be saved for so long.  That what we learn can be passed on.  p.107

This is a kick ass book in more ways than one.  It was like Buffy/Underworld awesome.  I hadn't anticipated the level of violence but it is on par with The Hunger Games or Rampant.  That stuff doesn't bother me but just a warning if it bothers you.  Sisters Red is, of course, a Red Riding Hood fractured fairy tale.  It's an interesting Buffy-esque take on the tale, but that really lends itself to kick ass heroines and bad ass wolves.  There are some genuine laugh out loud moments combined with all the fighting action.  And, as a librarian, I really appreciated how much the March sisters like the library.  Very very cool.

*Possibly spoilery*
The characters were both strong and sad.  I really felt sorry for both Rosie and Scarlett, having face down a werewolf at a young age and surviving with the burning desire to kill them all.  Scarlett was so driven, both obsessed with the hunt and, to a degree, what her life would have been like otherwise.  I think she was the most complex of all the characters.  Rosie, on the other hand, was the more sympathetic.  She longed for something different, but had a hard time reconciling that longing with the idea that she owed her sister her life.  There were a few moments I wanted to shake them both, but I know they can kick my butt so I refrained.  Seriously. 

Hogwarts: Care of Magical Creatures
YA
Library
Colorful Reading

13 to Life

Jessica has been having a hard time lately.  And now she has to show around the annoying new kid, Pietr.  But as dislike turns into something more, Jessica must contend with a best friend's crush on him, his unusual family and his dangerous secret.

I'd read enough romance books parading as paranormals to have stumbled across dozens of descriptions of roguish smiles.  They all paled in comparison to the dangerous twist of Max's lips. p.59 ARC

13 thoughts about 13 to Life:

1. Wow. I've been reading a lot of werewolf books lately.  It must be some sort of theme month for me or something.  Anyway, it was nice to read a more straightforward take on werewolves.  I mean I don't mind alternate takes or anything but this was more traditional which was nice.

2.  This was a very genre-savvy book.  It had a lot of little moments in it that made it obvious that the characters knew how to plan in this type of books. (Don't click on that link until you've finished reading this.  Also sorry.)

3.  It was also very meta, commenting on paranormal books in general especially on vampire books.

4.  This is very much a Team Jacob book.  Because the werewolves are hot and Pietr gets the girl.  Of course, there are no vampires but still.

5.  Jessica is a pretty great girl.  She is tough and sweet and can take care of herself.  She is also so sarcastic and funny which I love.  I love that her default is to make a joke because that's my default too. 

6.  I love Pietr.  I'm not one to go around falling in love with fictional characters, but I really like him.  He is never mean and moody like a lot of YA heroes are right now.  He is very cool and pretty open.  Also werewolf.

7.  Jessica has a lot of friends and she stays pretty close to them.  So much lately the heroine falls in love with the guy and then you never see her friends anymore.  Not with Jessica.  Her friend Amy is really a true friend and I was glad to see her stick around.

8.  I wasn't too sure about the subplot with Sarah.  I won't give that away, but it was odd.  I think I understood it, but at the same time I wanted to shake Jessica for remaining friends with her.  I hope that Sarah plays nice for the rest of the series thought I doubt it.

9.  I was not a fan of the Derek crush thing though it was nice to see Jessica have other interests.  I don't know, he just seemed like a jerk.

10. Jessica's family is too cool.  I liked her dad and that he took an interest in her and there were consequences for her actions.  There are so many absentee parents in books now.  I was glad to see a great dad.  Her sister was funny and annoying as little sisters are sometimes. 

11.  The Russian mafia subplot was interesting.  I'm not sure what was going on there, but at least it wasn't out of the blue.


12.  There were a whole lot of unanswered question at the end of this book.  Like of Lost portions and that is too many.  I was not happy that some things were just left open, but I guess the next book will answer some of them.


13. As a book it was pretty good though I was less than pleased with the ending.  I hate abrupt endings with a passion and normally this makes me hate the book.  It's a sign of how much I liked it that I still like this book.  I just wished it wasn't such a cliff-hanger.


From Library Thing's Early Reviewers
Hogwarts: Care of Magical Creatures
YA

Frost Moon (e-book)

Dokota Frost is a not just a tattoo artist, she's a magical tattooist.  Able to tattoo images that look alive, she is one of the best in her field.  But when she is commissioned to tattoo a werewolves and at the same time is drawn into a police investigation involving a serial killer who is cutting magical tattoos off of his victim while they are alive, her life gets a lot more dangerous.

"I find myself less and less enamored of were-whatevers," I muttered, cracking my neck where the collar had kinked it in my sleep." (p.111 e-book)

This is not my normal type of book, but when I won it from Library Thing's Early Reviewers I thought what the heck.  I found that I really enjoyed it.  It's an alternate world Dakota lives in, filled with magic and mystery.  I like the idea of the magical tattoo and the skindancing that makes them come alive.  Dakota is very cool, very badass, and very nice.  She genuinely cares for people and their situations.  She gets into a lot of trouble trying to help a werewolve out and that leads down a dark path for everyone.  Some of it was very tongue-in-cheek and there were some funny moments.  It was alternately horrifying, sweet, cheesy, funny, kick-ass, and magical.  Fans of this genre will enjoy this series. 

My only problem was the writing was a little too loose in some places and the ending was a little too pat, too summed up.  I know it is a series so maybe a little should have been left for the next book.  The other thing that bothered me was the introduction of so many characters into one book.  Again I assume for the series, but it was a bit much.


Won from Library Thing's EarlyReviewer
Hogwarts: A History of Magic
E-book
GLBT Challenge (main character is bi)
Twenty Ten

Shiver (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) (audio)

Ten years ago, Grace was dragged off her tire swing by wolves, but she was rescued and doesn't remember how.  Now she is obsessed with the wolves who live in the forest behind her house and with one wolf in particular.
Sam knows how Grace was rescued and he, in turn, watches out for her when the weather turns cold and he turns into a wolf.  But when he is shot, Grace discovers his secret.  How can they ever stay together as winter begins?

I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  I don't know if it is because I listened to it or what, but I really enjoyed it.  Where I was afraid it would be cheesy or derivative, I found it sweet and fascinating.  I like the new idea on the werewolf mythology.  It was such a change from the normal stuff. I liked practical Grace and sweet Sam.  I liked their romance began innocently though oddly.  I was horrified and sickened by what happened to Sam when he began to change and there were some parts where I had tears in my eyes.  All in all, I thought it was pretty good and I can't wait for the next book, Linger.

I really think that this is one of those books that benefited from the audio version.  With the two voices actors, Jeanna Lamia and David Ledoux, doing the alternating parts of Grace and Sam, it really brought the book to life.  And it made me care more about the characters because their voices conveyed so much emotion.  They did an excellent job.

Hogwarts: Transfiguration
Young Adult
Library
Audio

The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Nina and her support group are vampires. But not glamorous Hollywood vampires or anything. In fact being a vampire sucks with the nausea, the bleeding and the vomiting not to mention the physical weakness. So week after week, they meet to discuss their vampy problems and the temptations of human blood. But when one of them is slayed, Nina and her friend Dave enlist the others to find out who staked him, just in case they are coming for the rest of them.

And although I manage to get by, it's not as if my books are runaway bestsellers. I mean, it's not as if I'm Stephenie Meyer, or anything.  p.74

I've tried to read Catherine Jinks before and I couldn't get into Evil Genius. But this one is so good. It is a very different kind of vampire that Jinks has invented. Sure they can be killed by the conventional methods: sunlight, stakes, beheading. But that's about all these vampires have in common with the stereotypical vampire. In this book, the vampire are weak, fragile things prone to headaches, nausea & vomiting, hemorrhaging among other things. Vampirism is a disease and when you are bitten, you become infected (much like Peeps) only there are no superpowers that come along. So Nina and her group shuffle along during the night and "sleep" during the day with nothing to do but complain. Nina writes vampire novels and her main character is more along the lines of an Edward (or rather Alice) than a Nina. As much as I like the superpowered vampire, I also like this version too. It was a funny book and I laughed out loud several times. The image of these weak vampires trying to do anything more than lift a book was funny. They whine and complain a lot, but finally become pro-active when one of them is staked. And it's not even someone they like, but they are afraid this so called "slayer" will hunt them down next.

This book is also different since all the vampires are different ages. There's Nina who was "fanged" at 15, Dave 17, Bridget who's elderly, and the rest are all middle-aged so there's no super sexy 25 year old vampire. Nina talks about looking like she's 15 forever and how that effects her and how people treat her. It would be difficult looking that young forever. I wondered too what she was going to do when her mum died. Her mother is 76 (Nina's technically 51) so she still lives with her, but what will Nina do when her mother is gone. It's not discussed in the book, but I was thinking about it considering how much her mum does for her.

So anyway, not to sound all Reading Rainbow or anything, read if you like vampires or even if you don't. I'm pretty sure it's good either way.

The Summoning (Darkest Powers #1)

Chloe is a typical teen. Her mother died when she was young and her father is always absent. When she is fifteen, she sees a ghost at her school and is sent to a group home for teens with mental problems. There she learns the secret of her powers and is introduced to the dangers of having her abilities. With a home of teens with some suspicious problems, Chloe must figure out what is going on.

Warning: the following contains spoilers and is slightly PG-13. It's possible I could offend someone, I'm just saying.

First of all, I'd like to say that I did like this book and it was a fast read. The following will not convey that message at all but I did. Everyone else liked this book and had no complaints.

However, I call bullshit. The ending was ri-dic-u-lous. Yes, it was slightly shocking when her aunt turns in her in but not really. I'm also getting tired of "cliffhanger" endings. It seems everyone is doing that these days. Also who didn't figure out that everyone there was going to have powers of some kind and that the adults knew about the teens? If you didn't then you've never read this kind of book before. In fact it was pretty formulaic. Even Derek turning into a werewolf, I mean please. When he started having a fever, I was like Does he have a fever of a hundred and werewolf (shoutout) or what? and he did. I saw that coming before that anyway since his muscles were involuntarily rippling and he had "extra" abilities. I am a little suspicious of Simon and Rae. Someone there is up to no good, mark it.

I will admit that parts of it did give me the shivers especially when she is locked in that crawlspace. That just creeped me out although it did give me a Sabriel flashback so whatever. The real problem is the whole I have powers! no I don't! thing that Chloe goes through. It's in every freaking fantasy book now. Find. something. new. In fact, it reminded me of the Maximum Ride series crossed with the Old Kingdom series with a little Twilight for good measure. At least it wasn't about fairies.

See I told you it would sound like I didn't like it. Let me say something positive about it. It was well written and I liked Chloe. She was very feisty and it was cute how she tried to frame everything like it was movie. I don't trust the character Simon for some reason like I said but I liked Derek. He was a nice change from the normal flawless beautiful hero. The world building could use some work but then it is a series so there is time for that. I'm probably read the next one, but it's not on the top of my list or anything.

Tantalize (Audio)

I've written about Tantalize before, but I just finished the audio version and wanted to give a little review of it.
Here is a quick synopsis:
Quincie, the main character, is drawn into a world of vampires and werecreatures where her best friend is a werewolf. She is determined to open a vampire themed restaurant but the plan stumbles when the head chef is murdered. Enter Henry Johnson, a chef that no one would consider dark and mysterious, to take over. Will Quincie be able to open her restaurant and resist the temptations that are offered to her? This is how to write a good vampire/werewolf triangle. It is one of those books that will stay with you long after you've finished shuddering.

It is interesting how differently you see the actions in a book on a second reading (or listening in this case). I read this the first time but decided to try the audio when I started reading the follow-up novel Eternal (not a direct sequel). Kim Mai Guest is the narrator and she does an excellent job. Her voice is soft and slow and she adds a dreamy quality to the book. She does a great job of making Quincie's choices sound realistic. This was an excellent audiobook.

Tantalize / Eternal

I absolutely love this book! Dark and sensuous, the imagery is amazing.

Quincie, the main character, is drawn into a world of vampires and werecreatures where her best friend is a werewolf. She is determined to open a vampire themed restaurant but the plan stumbles when the head chef is murdered. Enter Henry Johnson, a chef that no one would consider dark and mysterious, to take over. Will Quincie be able to open her restaurant and resist the temptations that are offered to her? This is how to write a good vampire/werewolf triangle. It is one of those books that will stay with you long after you've finished shuddering.

Eternal is the next book from Smith in this series. It is not a direct sequel but it seems that the following book will tie everything together. It is another dark book but the ending may surprise you.

Miranda is a shy girl who wants to be in the school play. Zachary is her guardian angel who somehow has fallen in love with her. When Miranda's friend brings her the graveyard to meet a guy, Zachary tries to keep her safe. But the worst possible thing happens and Miranda becomes a vampire princess. It's up to the tarnished guardian angel to save her soul and save himself.


I was impressed by both books and they are definitely on my re-read list. There are moments that horrified me but both left me breathless at the ending. Definitely not your typical vampire books especially the vampire/angel love story in Eternal. It's not necessary to read them in any order or back to back although they take place in the same world. I would recommend reading with all the lights on though.

Need

Zara is deeply depressed after the death of her stepfather who was more like her actual father. Her mother sends her to live with her grandmother, Betty, to try to get her out of her depression in wintry Maine. There she meets beautiful boys Ian and Nick. Ian is friendly and outgoing and involved with everything. Nick is a loner who does not like Ian for some reason. Both boys take an interest in Zara who is too depressed with the memory of her father’s death to pay them more than courtesy attention.

Adding to her problems is a strange man who seems to be following her. Her new friends tell her it’s the pixie king who, until he finds a queen, is abducting boys until he finds a queen to fulfill his needs. And it looks like he’s set his sights on someone.

Need did remind me of Twilight in that it’s about a girl who is sent away by her mother and is unhappy about that move. She meets two guys who like her but one blows her off at first. She is not necessarily the brightest but she comes around and saves the day. The difference is that Zara has an actual reason to be unhappy after witnessing her father have a heart attack and die and her family is carrying its own secrets too. I enjoyed this book although it had a slow start.