4/25/15

Dragons Are People, Too by Sarah Nicolas Review!


Never judge a dragon
by her human cover...
Sixteen-year-old Kitty Lung has everyone convinced she’s a normal teen—not a secret government operative, not the one charged with protecting the president’s son, and certainly not a were-dragon. The only one she trusts with the truth is her best friend—and secret crush—the über-hot Bulisani Mathe.
Then a junior operative breaks Rule Number One by changing into his dragon form in public—on Kitty’s watch—and suddenly, the world knows. About dragons. About the Draconic Intelligence Command (DIC) Kitty works for. About Kitty herself.
Now the government is hunting down and incarcerating dragons to stop a public panic, and a new shape-shifting enemy has kidnapped the president’s son. Kitty and Bulisani are the last free dragons, wanted by both their allies and their enemies. If they can’t rescue the president’s son and liberate their fellow dragons before getting caught themselves, dragons might never live free again.
I loved the beginning of Dragons Are People, Too, and nothing is more important to me than a great start to a book. From the start we are thrust into action and I liked the main characters from the start. I loved Kitty's personality. She is a mix between a sassy badass who knows how to give orders and a normal teenage girl who has insecurities too. She had me cheering for her from the very beginning, and she never failed to make me laugh or want to pump my fist in the air. I love how dedicated she is to her friends and how even in the most difficult times she is strong but still shows vulnerabilities.
I also love the fact that there is a little romance going on. Although it is slightly one sided in the beginning it seems, it just adds something extra to the story and it makes every action packed moment that much more nerve wracking. I loved the fact that Sani can calm Kitty down when her dragon and anger begin to take over. Those scenes were some of my favorite to read. We got to see the vulnerable side of Kitty and we got to see how good she and Sani are together. The little moments between them just made me melt. The action in this book also adds to the tension between them, which makes for an exciting read.
Speaking of action, this books is filled to the brim with it and I had a blast reading it. This isn't your average YA book where there is some action here and there. No, this book is full on nonstop action, adventure, and covert missions, and it's awesome. Kitty and Sani are forced to do something seemingly impossible and when I was reading every action packed scene I was on the edge of my seat. When Kitty got angry I was right there with her and when those she loved got hurt in the story, I was right behind her in demanding the heads of those who hurt them. As most of you know, I am obsessed with dragons so when I got the chance to read and review this books I literally jumped at the chance...and I was NOT disappointed at all. Basically this book is about Kitty who is a dragon, and she works for a secret organization, which has a hilarious acronym, that is basically a dragon ninja organization. I mean, just from the fact alone, I love it. However, I was surprised when the book exceeded my expectations and took me on a ride I did NOT expect. If this book didn't have dragons in it and Kitty was just a "normal" super spy for a secret organization I would still love it, but the fact that it has dragons in it too? Um, can you say FREAKING AMAZING? The fact that Kitty is a dragon just makes every scene in the book that much cooler and fierce. Not only is this book action packed but also quite funny. I love it when a book can make me laugh out loud and have fun. This book is a great mix of action and humor.
I started reading this book and I couldn't stop. Even when the book was finished I wanted more. That ending had me hungry for the next book. Dragons Are People, Too is full of twists and turns, secret operations, fierce dragons, swoon-worthy romance, and adventure that will keep you entertained at every turn. There isn't one thing that I didn't love about this book. This is definitely going onto my favorites list! I give it five out of five stars!

4/24/15

Quote Journals: book lovers and others will adore them.


    A year ago I came across a journal in Barnes and Nobles. Now, this wasn’t just any journal. This was an emerald colored journal decorated in Celtic patterns and it called to me. I have been fascinated by all things Celtic, not only because of my Irish background, but because the culture is so magical. Anyway, I had to have it, but I had no idea what to use it for. I brought it home and it sat on my bookshelf for about a week until I realized what I could use it for. I was reading a book, I cannot remember which, but all of the sudden a quote from the book just stuck with me and didn’t want to leave. I took a picture so I could remember the quote later and kept reading. After I finished the book I realized that I cannot take a picture of every quote I like because, unfortunately, I don’t have the space for it. Then I remembered my emerald journal. It was small enough to carry in my purse and always keep with me if I wanted to, and I realized it would be a perfect quote journal.
     I began writing down my favorite quotes and quotes I came across that inspired me somehow and soon I was almost halfway through the journal. The journal is now almost full of all kinds of quotes about books, life, people, creativity, etc. Now as I look back on the pages filled with quotes, I am inspired by every page. I can open that journal now and remember books that I loved where the quotes came from, what made that quote special to me at the time, or just be reminded that quotes are powerful. I am so glad I started a quote journal because now my favorite quotes will never be lost. They are all in one page. I feel like it is necessary for all book lovers to have a quote journal so that they can look back and reminisce about the books they read or anything like that. Sometimes I forget quotes that I have come across that have meant something to me simply because I have a terrible memory. However, now that I have my quote book I won’t have to worry about that again.

     When I started my quote book I dated it so that when I look back at it years from now, I can see how far I’ve come from the quotes I choose to write down. I will be able to tell how sad I was at the time or how happy or how excited, simply by the quotes I chose that stuck out to me. My quote journal is like a diary to me. I have never been able to keep a diary because most of the time I forgot about it, so my quote journal is my way of expressing myself the way I can. In the words of John Green, and the words that reside on the front page of my quote journal, “Maybe our favorite quotations say more about us than about the stories and people we're quoting.” I have to agree. The quote I like speak volumes about me. So I suggest that if you love books, quotes, inspiration, or you just need a way to express yourself, create a quote journal. Find a journal that you love and that you will want to keep intact, and write you’re your favorite quotations as they come to you. Not only will this comfort you in knowing that all of your favorite quotes are in one place, but it will also give you an outlet to express yourself in a unique way.
    I hope this has inspired you to start your own quote journal or ignited your interesting in picking your quote journal back up and writing in it. I couldn’t find a better way to express myself then through the words of book that have left a mark on me, can you?

4/23/15

Hidden Wings by Cameo Renae Review!


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Seventeen is a life changing age for Emma Wise.
As her family's sole survivor in a car crash, she is left with a broken arm and a few scrapes and bruises. But these are only outward marks; inside, her heart is broken and the pieces scattered.
Whisked away to Alaska, to an aunt she’s never met, Emma starts over. Secrets unveil themselves and now…she doesn't even know who or what she is.
A centuries old prophecy places Emma in the heart of danger. Creatures of horrifying and evil proportions are after her, and it will take Emma, her aunt, and six, gorgeously captivating Guardians to keep her safe. But, if she can survive until her eighteenth birthday... things will change.
I have to say, right off the bat my emotions were hooked into the story of Hidden Wings. This is one book that I went into not knowing exactly what it was about, and I really enjoyed it. It was fun guessing what was going to happen next. Just know that the plot is one that will automatically have your emotions and heart captivated.
One thing that I was sure of in the beginning was that Emma, the main character, was someone I would like. She was so sweet and caring even when she was going through a terrible time. Emma was stubborn, caring, smart, brave, and determined. She is a character that you love from the start. She had just been thrown into this world that she was not aware of before and the mystery of what that was began to become clearer as the story progressed, but having to wait for answers killed me. I knew something was going on because everything seemed odd about Emma's surroundings when she was with Kade, the hero of the story, like strange men in suits and it made me hungry for more information! Once I knew that something was different with Kade and Emma’s new surroundings things started to get real interesting really fast. Not to mention that Kade was just so swoon worthy and he spiked my interested from the start. Kade is also a character you will love from the first meeting. He was protective, sexy, funny, and he was a fighter. He is a character you will definitely add to your book boyfriend list. The things he said and the way he acted just makes me squeal like a little girl. Don’t judge me.
The plot of this series is pretty amazing. Hidden Wings being the first book in the series sets the ground work for the rest of the series, and based on this story, there is a war coming in the next books. We are given a few answers to our questions about Emma, but in the next book I believe everything else will become clearer. Needless to say, I love the plot. Hidden Wings starts out with a slow building action and once the action starts it doesn't stop coming. Everything really picks up in the end and every scene made my heart pound. Plot twists dominate the ending and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I can see it becoming a new favorite for sure!
There isn't anything about Hidden Wings that I would change or didn't like. It was captivating, entertaining, action filled, with a little romance on the side. It's a perfect blend of action, humor, and a great plot. I can't wait to see what happens next. I give it five out of five stars.

4/19/15

Alice in Wonderland High by Rachel Shane Review!




 22753362

Sixteen-year-old Alice suppresses her need for rebellion after a petition to start a farmer’s market receives more snickers than signatures. That is until Whitney Lapin, a girl who speaks in cryptic riddles and spends her free time turning abandoned warehouses into beautiful gardens, leads her on a rabbit trail into the underground–aka secret society–of Wonderland High. Curiouser and curiouser.

Even though Whitney’s group of teenage environmental vigilantes operates on the wrong side of the law, Alice has never felt more free to be herself. Soon she stomps on her good girl image by completing a series of environmental pranks to impress them: flooding the school and disguising a pig as a baby in order to smuggle it out of a testing facility. But the group refuses to help with the farmer’s market or reveal their hidden agenda. She wants to trust them, and she especially wants to trust (or maybe kiss) Chester Katz, a boy with a killer smile, a penchant for disappearing, and a secret that will really turn Alice‘s world backwards. When one group member tries to frame Alice for all the pranks, she must figure out their secret before she ends up in front of a jury that’s screaming, “Off with her head!”

 Alice in Wonderland High had a very interesting start. It was enough to intrigue me into reading further and once I got to know Alice as character more I was interested to see what would happen in this book. Alice's story seemed heart breaking and it made me cheer for her. I had no idea what was going on at first just like Alice, and that was a great way to suck the reader into the story. As the story goes on I can practically feel Alice's frustration with Whitney and Chess's "secret club" and I was ready to know what it was. However, I think the buildup was good for the story. The mystery of what was happening in Whitney, Chess, and Kingston’s group is what drove me to keep reading. I wanted to know what was really going on because I was just as clueless as Alice when it came to them, and it was beyond frustrating not knowing what was going on. Finally, things start to become clearer and begin to make sense. Alice starts to understand what is really going on and that's when the story really sucks you in. One thing about this story that was a little frustrating is that it takes all kinds of turns and leaves you confused a lot of times, but I thinks that's how the reader is supposed to feel. I have to say this book really does capture the confusing nature of wonderland.

Aside from that, I liked reading through the book to try to figure out which characters resembled the classic wonderland characters. It added a bit of fun to the book for me. I really disliked Di and Dru right off the bat. They were the characters that I wanted to hit nine times out of ten.  However, I liked most of the other characters, especially Chess. He was both infuriating and hot. It's an interesting mix, but one that is pretty much irresistible. He and Alice just fit together. Plus, the chemistry between them was undeniable. Then we have Kingston. He is a character that you love to hate until the end of the book, and in the end, I really did end up loving him. Kingston adds character to the book that for sure. He stirs up the readers emotions and he also draws the reader in. Plus, he adds to the confusion of the story. He is probably the most unpredictable, unstable, and mysterious character that I have ever encountered. It goes without saying that Whitney was awesome too. That band of friends was a confusing and sometimes infuriating mess, but you can’t help but love them in the end.

Alice in Wonderland High didn't lack in crazy missions and huge risks. It was fun to see if Alice's crazy missions would get crazier. This book had me confused and questioning everything until the very end; it was a fun read. It threw me through all kinds of loops and when every mystery came to light I was in shock. I never saw that answer coming. This book had me hungry for answers that is for sure. It had an abundance of mystery, action, and a little romance sprinkled in. Alice in Wonderland High left me feeling happy and content. I highly recommend it to contemporary lovers, Alice in Wonderland fans, and those looking for a book that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I give it three out of five stars.