Book Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure (Blood of Eden #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Genre: Paranormal, Dystopia, Vampires, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: May 2013
Pages: 428
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
In Allison Sekemoto’s world, there is one one rule left: Blood Calls to blood.
Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire, Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie’s birthplace in New Covington, what she finds there will the change the world forever – and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There’s a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago – deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries. If Allie can get to him in time…

My Review:

Allison Sekemoto is on a quest to save her creator, Kanin, who needs help. What she doesn’t expect is when her blood tie brings her to a blood brother and the town she thought she had left behind in her past to come crashing into her present. The boy she left, the monster who stabbed her and the Fringer whose life she saved – they all play a part in her attempt to save Kanin and the world from the new threat its facing and the slightly unhinged Sarren.

I enjoyed The Immortal Rules but The Eternity Cure has completely sold me on Julie Kagawa. I loved how she brought humanity to the monsters and showed how inhumane the humans can be. That’s not to say the vampires can’t be villainous. Allie is still struggling to deal with her new and eternal life with the pressures and cravings life as a vampire brings. She’s grown since the first book and continues to do so throughout this second instalment of the Blood of Eden series.

Relationships in this book were a strong point. There’s a romantic relationship is heartbreakingly bitter-sweet. I loved seeing how the mentor/mentee dynamic between Allie and Kanin has shifted as Allie grows more comfortable and confident with her place in the vampire world. And then there’s Jackal - he’s surprising in many ways. The humour and banter that Jackal provides is a highlight of this novel.

The Eternity Cure is fairly fast pasted – there is a lot that goes on in a short period of time but the pace is at a speed that feels right. It’s exciting and dramatic at times. The characters are fascinating – flawed but fantastic in their own ways.   I loved the journey Julia Kagawa took me on. I am looking forward to the third book in the series and in the meantime I will definitely be reading Kagawa’s Iron Fey series!

Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia review copy.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Title: Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers #2)
Author: Michelle Rowen
Genre: Paranormal, Angels, Demons
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: February 26th 2013 
Pages: 440 pages
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
MY KISS CAN KILL. 

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that’s changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone’s soul…or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don’t…I hurt myself.

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I’ll kill him. Then there’s another boy, one I can’t hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They’re both part of a team of angels and demons that’s joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I’ll be able to help Bishop-or if I’m just another part of the darkness he’s sworn to destroy….

NIGHTWATCHERS 

When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising…

My Review:

After the Hollow unleashed hell on Earth in an all ages club only two weeks ago – Sam has been busy. The Grey Girl is on the lookout of Stephen, the grey who sucked her soul out turning her into hungry soul sucking nexus. Add to that a mysterious memory blocked gorgeous angel who can only think straight when she’s around. Too bad Sam can’t keep her thoughts straight around him!

Dark Kiss laid a lot of groundwork but it was well worth the read for I devoured Wicked Kiss like a hungry grey would a soul. Sam and her misfit warriors from Heaven and Hell still have a mission to carry out. Sam needs her soul and to save her bff Carly from the Hollow. Bishop, Kraven and the others need to rid Trinity from the evil mess that Natalie unleashed. I liked these characters so much more the second time around. They’re still slightly stereotypical and a little predictable in many ways but this time – but it worked for me. I loved the drama added from the new characters (like Cassandra) and getting to know some briefly mentioned ones from Dark Kiss a little better.

There’s a lot going on in this book. Romance and evil supernatural villains are underfoot everywhere. I liked how the relationships evolved. Not just the romantic ones but the friendships and the way Kraven and Bishop’s brotherly interactions evolved.  Sam is developing as a character too. She’s finally got some street sense kicked into her. She’s embracing her nexus and grey-ness to the hilt and is becoming a force to be reckoned with in her own right.

The mythology of Angels and Demons are interestingly explained in this book. There’s not too many religious overtones that sometimes overload books about Angels. But instead the angels and devils seem to just be concerned with good vs. evil. I wanted some facets to be explored in more detail but there was enough explained to understand Sam’s situation.

I can recommend this book to anyone that liked the first instalment - but also those who were slightly ambivalent.  This book is a satisfying ending to an interesting take on zombies, angels and demons.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

Title: The Goddess Inheritance (The Goddess Test #3)
Author: Aimee Carter
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mythology, Last in a Series
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: February 2013
Pages: 283 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can’t stop her–until Cronus offers a deal.

In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he’ll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.

With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.

Even if it costs her eternity.

My Review:

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this book for a long time now. How gorgeous is the Australian cover? After the nail-biting cliff-hanger at the end of Goddess Interrupted, I couldn’t wait to see how the final war between good and bad was going to play out.

Kate’s been held captive by the evil titan Cronus and his sinister and sneaky goddess queen, Calliope, for the past nine months. Now the baby she never imagined she’d have is ready to be born. Kate’s maternal instinct kicks into overdrive and she does the unimaginable – she makes a deal with Cronus for the safety of her baby. For her and Henry’s son, Milo.

It surprised me how much I enjoyed the ending to this series. Kate’s grown up a lot since the first book and is now taking responsibility for her actions – as well as stepping up to the plate and accepting her role on the Olympus Council. She’s still prone to a little exaggeration and hysteria but I found her more likeable than I had in the previous instalments.

I loved meeting new characters and seeing the old ones again. The plot managed to keep me interested right up until the last page having action and drama happening on every page. There’s betrayal and misdirection with Kate never quite sure who she can trust. There’s mystic and an ending that I never expected. The romance was sweet and didn’t manage to consume the entire novel but rather made the read all the more worthwhile.

I’ve finally given up trying to work out the family tree. It’s too ridiculous – and I suppose in that way this book does somewhat represent an ancient myth. Everyone’s related to everyone and somehow you can be your own aunt on both sides with your mother also being your aunt and sister-in-law… it’s just plain crazy!

Overall, this series was worth reading. It brought a whole new twist onto the Persephone/Hades myth and evolved it into an entirely different story. If the author ever decides to write a spin-off where James finds his true love, I’d definitely check it out!

 

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository

Book Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Title: Hooked (Hooked #1)
Author: Liz Fichera
Genre: contemporary romance, sports, golf, Native American, realistic fiction
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: Feburary 1 2013
Pages: 368 pages
Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
When Native American Fredericka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred. But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile…

My Review:

If there’s one thing Frederika “Fred” Oday is sure of, it’s golf. No matter what else is going on in her life – her alcoholic mother, her rebel-without-a-cause brother, not fitting in at her primarily white high school – she knows that when she’s on the golf course it’s just her and the ball. And her Native American ancestors who live among the stars looking down on her.

When the high school boy’s varsity golf coach recruits Fred for his team – it causes some drama. Rich boy Ryan Berenger isn’t happy when his best mate gets kicked off the team for some Indian girl. But as he gets to know the girl behind the falling apart plaid golf bag and rusted clubs, he sees there’s more to Fred than just her gender and the colour of her skin.

Fred has to face the prejudices and injustices of being an outsider in a rich man’s world. And in the process finds Ryan – who seemingly has it all together but might be just as out-of-place as she is.

I’m coming to realize that whilst I’m not a sporty person – I enjoy reading sports romances. This one is no exception. Fred is real. She has her problems but she doesn’t cut herself off from the world because of them. I found Ryan hard to like at the start (much like Fred found him I suppose) but as the story went on and we got to see his hidden depths, I found myself more inclined to see him as worthy of Fred.

The secondary cast are great. From the citizens who live on the Reservation to Ryan’s family and the other members of the golf team – they add the extra spice to the novel. Seth is one of those characters who show that villains don’t just exist in paranormal novels and Disney movies. I’m excited to see that there will be a novel with Sam Tracy and Ryan’s sister Riley (There’s a sample chapter at the end of my copy of Hooked and it looks like it should be a good read).

I enjoyed how Liz Fichera handled the theme of racial injustice throughout the novel – it wasn’t overpowering or in-your-face but managed nicely underline the story. Bullying, prejudice and the mistreatment of ethnic minorities are all things Fred and the other reservation kids had to deal with and it was nice to see how they coped.

There’s drama, action and a fair amount of golf in this book. It’s romantic at times and deals with family drama too - Hooked is a fun novel that shows that golf is for more than just country club folk!

 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen for the review copy

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Read as part of the:

Eclectic Reader Challenge (published in 2013)

2013 Debut Author Challenge (author’s debut into YA fiction)

Book Review: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Scent of Magic (Healer #2)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: paranormal, fantasy, magic, adventure
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: January 2013
Pages: 414 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible … again

My Review:

After reading Touch of Power (the first book in the Healer series) I couldn’t wait to get back to Avry, Kerrick and the rest of the characters from the Thirteen Realms.

Avry, back from the dead, is a healer on a mission – to stop Tohon from taking over the Realms and experimenting on the innocent with his army of the living dead. After deciding to separate from Kerrick (and letting him fight his own battles in the North), Avry joins Astrid’s army in disguise and gathers as much intelligence as she can under her new assumed identity. Hiding in plain sight and showing just how good a soldier she can be, Avry manages to get close to both her old friends (the Monkeys, Belen) but also her estranged sister, Noelle.

Meanwhile, Kerrick is back in his own kingdom trying to amass an army of his own to fight against King Tohon. But things don’t go according to plan and Kerrick finds himself trying to stay one step ahead of enemies he didn’t even know he had.

There’s a lot going on in this book and I enjoyed the layout – every Avry chapter was followed by a brief overview of what was going on in Kerrick’s part of the world. Simultaneously we, the readers, were able to follow both their stories with ease. The only problem with this was it meant the novel as whole missed the spark of banter between the two leads that I enjoyed so much from the first novel.

I loved getting to see a new side of Avry – not just a healer but a warrior in her own right and a fairly kick-arse one at that. The training of her group of soldiers was interesting and I liked to see the camaraderie between them.

In many ways this book is a transition novel – bridging the gap between the first novel and the final novel of the series. There’s a lot of ground work being laid and stuff that doesn’t seem to be all that relevant at the moment but is just leading up for the next book. I enjoyed reading it – there’s A LOT of surprises and action, drama, betrayal going on but it fell a little short of my expectations.

I would definitely recommend this book for fans of the first one and can’t wait for the third book to be released in a year’s time!

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Touch of Power (Healer #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: paranormal, fantasy, magic, adventure
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: December 2011
Pages: 390 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
The price of peace may well be her life…

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogue who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader – an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own – is unequivocal in his demands; Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince, the leader of a campaign against her people.

As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for.

My Review:

Avry of Kazan – a healer on the run ever since the Plague started three years ago and the people turned against those with the power to heal. After an incident lands Avry in a jail cell and a date with her death in the morning, a stranger offers Avry a choice. She can come with him and save his friend or keep her appointment with the gallows.

Taking Kerrick of Alga up on his deal, Avry joins his warriors as they make their way though many of the Fifteen Realms facing assassins and magicians on an adventure Avry never saw coming.

This book is the kind of adventure fantasy book that I adore. There’s action and drama. Despite the time frame of this novel taking months and there being down time in between deathly feats, there was never a boring moment during the entire book.

Avry is a kick arse heroine. She’s strong in spirit and can hold her own against Kerrick and his bunch of merry men but she knows how to follow orders when completely necessary. The Monkeys (Quain and Loren), Papa Bear (Belen) and Flea are absolutely fantastic. They provide much necessary comic relief – not only to the reader but also to the other characters.

The magic in this book is fascinating. The eleven different types and the magicians who control them are well thought out. I thought the mages were especially intriguing. Jael, Tohon, Sepp and the others are characters that I loved reading about not just for their personalities but for their powers and how they worked.

There’s so much going on in this book – the current political power struggle, magic, the back story between the royals of the Realms, healers and the Plague – but Synder managed to write it all in such a way that made perfect sense. There were times when I felt like Kerrick’s group were wandering mindlessly for a while before something new happened and they had new purpose but for the most part I loved how everything come together.

Touch of Power is the first book in the Healer series with the second, Scent of Magic, being released in January 2013 by HarlequinTeen.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: Undeadly by Michele Vail

Title: Undeadly (The Reaper Diaries #1)
Author: Michele Vail (aka. Michele Bardsley)
Genre: paranormal, fantasy, zombies, mythology
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: November 2012
Pages: 272 pages
Rating: 2 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird…

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

My Review:

I stumbled upon this book a few months ago – almost by accident. But it immediately captured my attention. I’m a new convert to books regarding zombies and mythology books always catch my fancy.

Molly lives a fairly uncomplicated life. School during the day, working at her father’s zombie emporium most afternoons. That is until her sixteenth birthday party and Molly accidentally manages to mess with necro magic that she doesn’t understand. She also finds out that she’s not a Bartolucci – but rather the guy she’s always believed to be her dad is not her real biological father!

Her maternal grandparents enter the scene and inform Molly that she’s a Legacy at a fancy necromancy private school, Nekyia Academy, where she will have her own personal ghoul to run her errands and a secret society to be a part of.

There’s so much of this novel that reminded me of Marked (House of Night #1) – from the fact that Molly is some sort of ‘chosen one’ to the super sugary sweet southern new best friend. There’s even the boyfriend that the heroine somehow managed to enthrall with her new magical gifts is along for the ride too. There were just too many similarities between the two stories that I couldn’t help but think that one was a poor copy of the other.

What I did love about this book was the mythology used. I love the Egyptian angle as it’s not something I’ve read a lot about before. The gods mentioned are kind of bad-ass and I loved their involvement in the novel. I would have loved if there was less time spent on the events covered early in the novel and a lot more on the fantastic and interesting drama that occurred after the half way point as that’s where I found this book to be new and exciting.

It’s a fun and easy read where the magic and mythology used is something I’ve not seen much of before – I love the necro magic and I can’t wait to see what happens next for Molly (there’s a bit of a cliff-hanger). There are a number of interesting characters (Roth for one.. he’s my favourite by far but also Aunt Leila and Anubis himself) that do may this book more than just another teenage girl who finds out she’s magical and important.

Thanks to Michele Vail for the digital review copy.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Title: Alice in Zombieland (White Rabbit Chronicles #1)
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: paranormal, fantasy, zombies, romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: October 2012 
Pages: 404 pages
Rating: 4.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I’d tell my sister no.
I’d never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I’d zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I’d hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I’d tell them I love them.
I wish… Yeah, I wish.

My Review:

Alice Bell only asks for one thing for her 16th birthday – for the family to attend her little sister, Emmaline’s, dance recital. Sounds simple enough but Alice’s father afraid of what goes bump in the night and refuses to let anyone out after dark. Ever.

But Alice promised Em that they would go to the recital. Not wanting to disappoint her sister, Alice isn’t above to resorting to using emotional blackmail to get what she wants.

Things seem to be fine – Em starred at the dance gig – until the drive home and an accident results in Alice being the soul survivor.

With her parents gone and still mourning the death of her precious little sister, Alice reinvents herself as Ali, starts a new school and new life with her grandparents. Being freed from her father’s crazy notions means Ali can live her life without being scared of what’s in the shadows until she meets Cole – a mysterious bad boy and leader of a gang of what appear to be juvenile delinquents and the guy that Ali keeps having visions about.

And don’t forget about the zombies…

I have to admit I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. Alice comes across as being a little bit spoilt and oh-so manipulative but throughout the novel her transition into a strong and confident young woman who isn’t afraid of kicking some zombie butt to avenge the people she loves is evident. I loved the way her relationship with Cole developed as things went on – finally! No instalove! but a healthy dose of lust mixed in with a camaraderie that blossomed into something more.

The plot kept me hooked until the end. There were twists that I wasn’t expecting and an ending that has left me eagerly anticipating the next book in the series. I’ve never really being a zombie fan. I could never understand why people liked them. But I think this book has finally let me in on their appeal – they are busy drooling and trying to eat people with no hidden agendas so that the heroes can shine. And Cole’s lethal team of would be criminals are fantastic in their role of taking on the enemy. There were some parts of the novel that did seem to drag just a touch but even those were very important for setting the scene and leading up to the drama and action that I found so entertaining and enjoyable.

This is not another retelling of the classic Alice in Wonderland story (nor just another YA book with a gorgeous cover… although the cover is beautiful  but rather a fantastic novel that managed to combine contemporary teen issues with a good dose of the paranormal in a fun and interesting way.

 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen for the review copy.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Title: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: August 2012 
Pages: 384
Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret…

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast — and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence — to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting everyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she’s ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there’s strength in silence, and in new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way. People she never noticed before. A boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she’s done. If only she can forgive herself…

My Review:

Sixteen year old Chelsea Knot has a secret. And despite the fact that it’s not her secret to tell doesn’t stop her from drunkenly spilling it during her best friend Kristen’s New Years Party.

The fall out was something Chelsea never could have expected. One classmate in hospital and two more responsible - Chelsea has a choice. Keep quiet or turn two of her friends in to the police… one of which happens to be her best friend’s boyfriend.

Choosing to do the right thing gets herself in trouble when Chelsea has to deal with fall out – social isolation and bullying – and ends up choosing a vow of silence as “running [her] mouth has hurt enough people already – the lease [she] could do is shut up.” After being removed from everything she once thought she was, the silence – both self-imposed and from those she once thought of as friends – makes Chelsea completely re-evaluate who she is and what she wants from life.

I enjoyed reading this book mostly for the strength of the main character, Chelsea. At first she comes across as a puppet for the queen bee, Kristen, but as the novel goes on she’s not as self-centred or vapid as she seems. She has internal fortitude and shows internal strength and a maturity she didn’t have at the start. I was impressed with her choices – not necessarily the drunken sharing from the start of the novel but even that was done with no intended malice – and the caring attitude  she starts to show.

This novel shows the cruelty of high school and just how quickly the tables can turn. But it also shows how kind and forgiving people can be. Asha and Sam are fantastic characters that I very quickly grew to love. Despite how Chelsea’s actions effected their friend, Noah, they embrace Chelsea – vow of silence and all – forgive her and accept her as their friend.

This is a great story about the power of gossip and how something as seemingly harmless as spreading rumours can result in life changing circumstances.

 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for the review copy.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository 

Book Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

Title: Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions #1)
Author: Louise Rozett
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Teen 
Publication Date: August 2012 
Pages: 384
Rating: 2.5 stars

Synopsis (from goodreads):
Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has some confessions to make.

…1. I’m livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I’m allowed to be irate,don’t you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is nowenraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and “seeing red” means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don’t know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)

My Review:

Soon to be fifteen-year-old Rose Zarelli feels like everyone she loves has abandoned her. Her father died recently in Iraq and as a result her mother is a shadow of her former self and doesn’t seem to notice that Rose still exists. Her older brother Peter has moved away to go to college and has a new life there and her best friend from the time they were in pre-school, Tracy, is more interested being a cheerleader than being there for Rose.

Understandably, Rose is feeling a little angry.

Now as September rolls around, Rose has to try to deal with the pressures of high school as well as trying to cope with losing her father.

There are a lot of issues dealt with in this book. Losing a loved one, first crush, drunken parties, teen sex. Rose is a character that whilst I didn’t always like her or how she dealt with certain situations, I did admire her overall for her actions and decisions. She didn’t always choose the easy way out. I really felt for her at times because I could see a lot of myself in her and I think that a lot of other people would be able relate to Rose in a similar way. I liked how the book addressed the topic of teen sex and sexual health. Not many books do that and I liked how uncertain about the whole topic Rose was. But I felt like some parts were a little unfinished – did the nurse ever call Rose with the results? – and could have done with some closure.

I think the part of the novel that touched me most was the dealings Rose had with her best friend Tracy – this is where I felt like this could have been my teenage diaries being narrated. And I loved how Rose dealt with the situation.

As far as her love interests go? I couldn’t really see many redeeming features for either Jamie or Robert. Jamie is the boy who is all kinds of bad for her and essentially only recognizes her existence because her brother called in a favour. He’s also sort of flat in terms of personality. This may be because Rose is sort of infatuated with him and the story is told in first person but I just couldn’t like him. He needed to do something more for me to really believe that he liked Rose – and not just because of Angelo’s recommendation that he does. Robert does show in the end that he’s not as bad a guy as one might think but it was too little, too late. I think I would have liked it if Angelo was the man of Rose’s affection.

This story isn’t action packed and drama filled – it’s rather a journey of an everyday girl dealing with life and I liked that about it. It’s full of heartbreak and learning to with life after a family has broken apart. I liked how this book focused on a teenage girl’s grief and feelings of abandonment.

I did feel like this book could have been left as a standalone novel and I was surprised to see that there is a sequel being released next year.

 

Thanks to Harlequin Teen and NetGalley for the review copy.

Purchase the novel from:

Amazon / Book Depository