Spell Bound Review

Title: Spell Bound
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Purchased my own copy

Goodreads Summary:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted. 
Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident. 
Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late? 

My Thoughts:
Oh, YAY! Finally! Archer or Cal? Cal or Archer? I'm pleased with the outcome. Sad about one part, but it worked for this story. Very well!

Rachel Hawkins has written another book that has lots of humor. The amount of nervousness that Sophie feels, she exudes that much wit in return. It's hilarious! Honestly, who doesn't make bad jokes when they're nervous? I do!


This book had more information for Sophie to find out more of who she is...from her mother's side of the family. We got her dad's history in Demonglass. With the cliffhanger in Demonglass, you kind of figured it out, but it's nice to see you're correct in your assumption!


I'm glad that Hawkins wrote such great friends for Sophie. Imagine taking on evil on your own! When Jenna and Archer joined Sophie and Cal when they were going to the Underworld...I just sobbed. I had to put the book down for a moment! Sheesh! Archer, Jenna, Cal, and even Elodie were great in this book!


Yay for Mrs. Casnoff! Without her, there is no telling what would have happened there at the end.


Overall, I enjoyed and really liked Spell Bound. However, there wasn't as much "SHAZAM!" in this one as the first 2 books. I love the series and will read all 3 again at some point. They all have a happy home on my lovely bookshelf...and my heart.


PS. I <3 Sophie Mercer-Atherton-Brannick!!! Hehehehe What? She said she'd hyphenate! :)

My Rating:

Everyone should read this book! If you haven't read the first two, what are you waiting for?!?!

Pure Review

Title: Pure (Covenant #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Source: Purchased from Amazon

Goodreads Summary:

There is need. And then there is Fate... 
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her. 
When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her. 
When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

Typically, I add my rating at the end of my thoughts, but I can't HOLD IT BACK!!!

My Rating:

I think I need a cherry on top of the Mickey heads...or something! Oh my gods!!!!

My Thoughts:

So much. So much excitement! My copy arrived in the mail yesterday and I tossed everything else off to the wayside. PURE was here! It seriously took me a few minutes to calm down so I could start reading. Oh, yeah. I had to harass Jennifer and Loretta on Twitter for a little bit. Loretta posted a teaser this past Tuesday for Teaser Tuesday and I have been DYING since I read it. Literally. I honestly think I was dying from the suspense! Read that teaser and join me on the drama llama! *dies all over again*

Since reading the book, I understand the teaser...and the context. Whew! I can live!

Now, a lot of times, the second book of a series is just kind of fluff and stuff, more world building, character development, etc... to bridge us over to the third book. This book IS NOT LIKE THAT!!! (Pardon  my caps!!!!) Pure is completely worthy of being a second novel without the boredom. Every page turned was more of the story. Yes, there's development, but there's so much that happens! Alex's training. Aiden. Seth. Her quick-draw anger. Her too fast of a mouth. Her uncle. Her stepfather. The daimons. A new enemy(ies) at the NY Covenant. ALL THERE and important as ever!

Before I continue, let me say that I would totally go into servitude for just a moment with Aiden. Moving on!

I'm not disappointed in the development of Alex and Aiden. I understand. I don't even mind the development with Alex and Seth. They have a connection. A "you complete me" kind of connection. However, I do hope something is done about the Breed Order. It would be interesting to see the course of Alex/Aiden/Seth then.

The oracle had some interesting things to say in this book. Some that I figured out through the book, but the part about "him" must be coming in the next book. I wonder who the double-sided player is! Telly? Marcus? Lucian? Leon? (He's been kind of an interesting character...) Not Aiden. Not Seth. Nooo...

There were a couple of times that I got a little teary while reading. The first time was when Alex felt so dejected by Aiden. The emotions that Jennifer wrote there...heart-wrenching! The second time...well, I can't say. All I will say is Caleb. Caleb...such an awesome best friend!

I feel as if there's so much that I could say about this book, but it just all feel ushy gushy and not really informative. Jennifer has written another great book! I was giddy knowing it was being delivered. Giddy when it arrived at my house yesterday. Giddy when I opened the box and held the book. (I actually was shaking!) I was giddy while reading the book. (I had to put it down a few times because I was just so excited! Don't worry, the put down moments were, like, 5 seconds!) Oh, the giddy when I finished! (I couldn't even post my review last night. I had to sleep on it.) Giddy when I saw the third book comes out in October. And now, the giddy of posting this!

I think everyone should definitely pick up this series to read! It's just so GOOD!!!!

Sign Language Review

Title: Sign Language
Author: Amy Ackley
Publisher: Penguin/Viking
Source: Borrowed from my Library

Goodreads Summary:

Twelve-year-old Abby North's first hint that something is really wrong with her dad is how long it's taking him to recover from what she thought was routine surgery. Soon, the thing she calls "It" has a real name: cancer. Before, her biggest concerns were her annoying brother, the crush unaware of her existence, and her changing feelings for her best friend, Spence, the boy across the street. Now, her mother cries in the shower, her father is exhausted, and nothing is normal anymore. Amy Ackley's impressive debut is wrenching, heartbreaking, and utterly true.

My Take:
***There are chances that there are spoilers in my thoughts here. Nothing too major though...if you've read the synopsis!***

As I type this, I still have about 70 pages left to read. I will finish and add more to this thought in a few minutes. However, I need to spill some words and more tears before continuing.

Amy Ackley has written a novel that has had me crying since chapter 2. I am an emotional person, but make it a book about a dad dying and I can't take it. Cancer stinks. Truly stinks! Cancer is not what took my dad from my life, but he is still gone. It's been just over 5 years. Some days, it seems as if it was yesterday, some days it feels as if it's been 20 years. Reading this book...ahh, this book...it has felt as if it's been with each page I've read.

Abby, our main character was 12 when the book started. Her dad passed away a month before her 14th birthday.  My dad passed 3 days after my birthday. Granted, I'm older, but it still stinks! I'm with Abby on the "just forget it" part.

OK. I've stopped crying for the moment, so I'm going to try to finish. I do want to discuss Spence!


Alrighty, finished. Finally. Such an emotional book. I can't really call it a roller coaster, because most of it was just sad for me. There were a few happy parts, but I guess I'm so wrapped up in the loss and Abby's feelings to appreciate them. 


Abby's mom was a strong lady. I'm glad that Abby finally realized that. The tissues that she finally noticed at the end... *more sobbing*


Josh, way to be a great brother! Those teenage years are just bad for siblings anyway, but he was strong and actually helpful and thoughtful to Abby after their dad passed. I appreciate the growth and bond that seemed to happen. (I love my brothers and our bond grew so much after our dad's death, too.) Even Deanna seemed to grow on me and get more of a bond with Abby due to the death. However, she needs some relationship help!


Spence. Oh, Spence. Abby never had to wonder about his feelings for her. He was honest and always told her. I loved how their relationship as friends was always so important. And, I can't forget the way the whole North family treated him as if he was one of their own. I hope this is a real person in Amy's life. He is wonderful.


I also read Amy Ackley's Bio -- I get it now! 

My Rating:

This book and review satisfy a portion of my participation in the Completely Contemp Challenge (#CCC) hosted by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit.

The Queen of Kentucky Review

Title: The Queen of Kentucky
Author: Alecia Whitaker
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company/Poppy
Source: Borrowed from my Library


Goodreads Summary:

Fourteen-year-old Kentucky girl Ricki Jo Winstead, who would prefer to be called Ericka, thank you very much, is eager to shed her farmer's daughter roots and become part of the popular crowd at her small town high school. She trades her Bible for Seventeen magazine, buys new "sophisticated" clothes and somehow manages to secure a tenuous spot at the cool kids table. She's on top of the world, even though her best friend and the boy next door Luke says he misses "plain old Ricki Jo."
Caught between being a country girl and wannabe country club girl, Ricki Jo begins to forget who she truly is: someone who doesn't care what people think and who wouldn't let a good-looking guy walk all over her. It takes a serious incident out on Luke's farm for Ricki Jo to realize that being a true friend is more important than being popular.

My Take:

Yay! Another Contemporary book that I liked! Ricki Jo symbolizes EVERY girl starting out High School. I loved the drama! The drama of a crush, girly fights, best friend issues, the underage drinking, the sexual conversations, and even the embarrassing parents. That kind of drama is real. Real, but not extreme drama that would have me closing the book and just calling it ridiculous. That didn't happen! I do not miss high school. :)

Wolf. Everyone probably has their very own Wolf-type story. 

I had a couple of guy best friends in school. We weren't as close as Luke and Ricki Jo, but kind of close. Don't worry, though! I didn't fall in love with either of them.

I'm happy about the ending. I'm not happy about what happened to Luke, but happy that he took a stand. Yay for Luke! Yay for Ricki Jo!

Sometimes, we have to learn that the grass is not always greener. Lord knows I've been there, done that! Have you?

My Rating:

This will be a great book to recommend for readers who may not be big fans of contemporary novels. I really enjoyed it!  

The Queen of Kentucky satisfies a part of both of my challenges I've signed up for: CCC, hosted by Chick Loves Lit (Shanyn); and SARC hosted by IceyBooks (Hafsah) and I Like These Books (Britta)

I find myself straying from my original lists quite a bit! I do hope that's OK!

Dearly, Departed Review

Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Pages: 467
Publisher: Del Rey Books
Source: Borrowed from my Library


Goodreads Summary:

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie? 
The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. 
But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.
In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

My Take:

Let me start by saying that this was my very first zombie novel. Secondly, let me say...HOLY COW, I'm so GLAD!!!!

Lia Habel created a world that is different, yet familiar. I TOTALLY loved the futuristic Victorian age. The technology that she's added is amazing! Even the retro machinery and clothing -- fantastic!

I loved Nora. She's a great main character! Prim and proper, yet open-minded and handled everything better than I could ever imagine doing. 


Bram. Bram. Bram. Bram, I need a man like you in my life. Such manners. So handsome. Floppy hair. Did I mention the manners? How about breaking the rules to help the girl you liked? The uniform? Sa-woon!  

CHAS! She was so much fun! A zombie who was pretty much a princess in her human life and she remembered what it was like. "Makeover!" I laughed so hard at that! A zombie excited about dressing Nora. SO, so funny!

Pamela. I want to be like her when I grow up. Girl's got some big kahunas! 


Samedi and his head. Hahaha! "Well of course, you've had that bloody uniform on all day. I was half ready to tell you how much I liked you." Teeheee!!!


I wonder what will happen for Miss Mink? And Ren? Ooooo!


Boy, near the end, there were quiiiiite a few pages I sobbed through while reading. Oh my goodness!

My rating:

I WILL be purchasing my own copy of this book and be ready for the rest of the series. AH-MAZING!

This book was read just for fun! No challenges for this one.