Review #8: Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Deity (Covenant #3)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
To Be Published: November 2012 by Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 360, paperback

My Rating: 5/5 stars (Can we make that a 10/5?)

** I received an ARC from the publisher

Summary from Goodreads:

"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

*****
I'm trying my best, but this isn't going to be spoiler free. Mild spoilers ahead.
 

I have to start off with saying that Deity is the best book I've read by Jennifer L. Armentrout to date! It's that "Oh My GODS". Let's say it together now: OH... MY... GODS!

JLA opens Deity with a dream sequence which gave us a twisted flashback to Pure, then we're pretty much back to sharing a bed with Seth, Alex wanting him out of her bed, and all the things that she'd left behind during her trip to New York returning to haunt her.

And let me tell you that the 'Ish' hit the fan majorly.

 

Alexandria is feeling even more alone with Seth always lurking and Marcus becoming even more creepy than usual. But we got what we had been begging for since the beginning of the series- Aiden St. Delphi, hotness galore. It's entirely too much to handle that the entire world implodes on itself.

 

Jennifer doesn't seem to know what she's doing to her loyal fan base, because my life completely stopped for the release of Deity. The wait until the next book is slowly killing me and I have no idea how I'm continuing on... The ending of Deity is more than anything anybody expected and I'm sure to here the outrage and rioting fans soon.

 

I'm ready to read everyone else's opinions as soon as possible. I hope you ladies enjoy the ride as much as I did...

Review #5: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Title: The Duff(Designated Ugly Fat Friend)
Author: Kody Keplinger
Published: 2010 Little Brown/Poppy
My Rating: 4/5 stars


Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

******

I was very interested in The Duff earlier in the year after it was mentioned by A.J., but after seeing some of my influential bloggers that didn't have a lot of promising reviews, I was a little scared and disappointed. I'm happy I read this novel anyway.

Keplinger communicated a lot in here and I felt everything she was trying to say and more. Bianca was a realistic character and her choices were as well. I don't want to give the story away completely but I want to touch on some of the things that I found profound.

First of all you could see the minor self-hatred Bianca and Wesley both held for themselves as the story progressed and they way the both tried with these issues by running away and engaging in sexual situations. Keplinger also included the token homosexual friend although he wasn't a main character and barely a supporting character, but she gets points for not ignoring that homosexuality exist in life and especially in high school. I had a love hate relationship with Bianca's friends Casey and Jessica(and family). They didnt seem to care so much in the beginning of the story, but thats a serious and real part of everyday friendships; and they only really started to pay enough attention to her after she started distancing herself from them in my opinion.

Over all the story was amazing and ended up emotional invested in the novel and Bianca. I'll be sure to pick up Kody Keplinger's future works.

Review #4: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: 2011 by Razorbill
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars


GoodReads Summary:

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

*****

My mind is still whirling about this one. I know I've said many times that I'm sick and tired of vampires, but this... This was totally different and I loved it! I haven't read the Vampire Academy series, but I think I will be reading it soon. These vampires are way different from anything I've read before and the twist of human alchemist has me really excited.

I loved the characters of Sydney and Adrian. Their interactions had me laughing out loud in the breakroom at work and drawing the attention of my coworkers who thought I was losing it. The storyline was absolutely enthralling for me. Excitement plus being unable to put the book down for long enough that I barely slept and completed the novel in less than twenty-four hours is proof enough to myself of the awesomeness of the storyline.

I can't wait for the next installment of the Bloodlines series. I know I'll be telling my friends and family that are readers to pick up Bloodlines.

Review #3: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Published: 2010 by Atheneum
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars


GoodReads Summary:


Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

*****

OH! MY! GAWD! Do you know how angry I was with this 'ending'?! With how thick this book is I would have sworn that there would actually be an ending and not a sequel.

I sat on the edge of my seat throughout this novel. I loved watching Isobel and Varen grow as characters and their interest in each other develop and change. The Edgar Allan Poe references and the mystery of it all was very exciting in and of itself. I had always been an avid Poe fan and I loved the history (as well as a minor lesson about not judging books by their covers) that was incorporated in the story.

I'm still upset that I didn't know this would be a series of books, but seeing as how greatly impressed I was and the many tears I shed throughout the last fourth quarter of the novel; it's safe to say that I will be waiting for the second novel in this set.