The Shadow of Death

The Shadow of Death by Christopher Pike.

Okay, going to be hard writing a review without spoilers, but I really hate ruining things for you guys who haven’t read it yet.

I liked the plot a lot this time around. Slower action than the past ones, I felt, not not necessarily a bad thing. Lots and lots of details, and I love well-detailed plots. I guessed a few things, got them right. Guessed a few others, got them wrong. DID NOT expect the whole Lucifer thing, at least not in the way it was revealed. I imagined it way different.

That ending, though? It, unfortunately, was predictable. If Sita’s you-know-what had stayed the way it was intended from when it was first mentioned, then I would have been blown away. Utterly twisted. But, no, it ended exactly how I thought it would, and I am kind of disappointed. But, hey, it would take a lot of guts to end your entire series the way that would have blown me away, and that’s why it would have been a huge twist. Eh, what can you do.

Still, a pretty good series overall.

My rating: 4/5

 

 

The Eternal Dawn

The Eternal Dawn by Christopher Pike. Book number three in the Thirst series.

Okay, so.those last two/six (depending on how you look at it) books were actually written by Seymour, I can understand that now that it’s been explained. What I can’t understand is why it took so damn long for it to be explained. I was rushing through the beginning of the book just so I could find out what had happened, and then once I did, I was like, “oh, okay. Could have just mentioned it in the beginning, it’s not like it was a huge thing really.”

The story itself was pretty good. Real Sita is just like Seymour’s Sita (yeah, I know, they’re the same Sita anyway), still badass and still finding herself in crazy situations. I do think she should have let Teri be though. But, no, Sita would deprive herself of such a thing, that’s just how she rolls.

The ending though, the epilogue… At first I was all, what? Again? Why? HOW? And then I read that very last sentence, and I just … I did a double take. And then a triple take. What? WHAT?! WHY?! HOW?!

Ugh, that last sentence definitely twisted my brain, but I don’t think it was in a very good way. I’m giving it a four instead of a three, but just barely.

My rating: 4/5

 

 

Thirst No. 2

Thirst No. 2 by Christopher Pike.

I didn’t like these three as much as the first three, though I did really like the third one. Okay, scratch that, I only liked the third really, the others I didn’t. I really didn’t like human Sita.

That ending, though, to the third part/book, Creatures of Forever, was probably one of the best concluding endings I’ve ever read. But, what I’m confused about, as I didn’t read these when they had first come out in 1996, is, why did Pike conclude it like that? Was this supposed to be the last one, and then he decided to write more? Because, really, that was one perfect conclusion. I almost don’t want to read the next one.

But, I will, because now I’m super curious as to how Pike’s going to start this one, since the last ended like it did. Plus, I want to finish the series, since I have all the books.

So, yeah, with the exception of the third book/part, I felt Thirst No. 2 was not as good as the first, but was still worth reading.

My rating: 4/5

 

 

Truth

Truth by Julia Karr.

So many things happened in this sequel to XVI. So many things, but at the same time, so little. You would probably need to read it to fully understand what I’m getting at.

Things were revealed to us, and things that we had already known were revealed to the people in the book. I was sort of surprised how the main unveiling (which is kind of what this entire series is centered around, I think) was so smooth. I was expecting denial and refusal to publish, and stuff like that. But nope, it seemed like butter to me. And, what’s this? We have a love triangle! I’m really hoping it ends the way I want it to, but don’t we all?

Anyway, this second book ended in a way that I felt was a great set up for a third (and probably final) book, and I can’t wait for it!

My rating: 4/5

 

 

Audrey, Wait!

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway.

I’m not sure if I mentioned this in my review of The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June, but I am so in love with Benway’s books. I didn’t like Audrey, Wait! as much as I liked the other (so not typing out that long ass name again), but I really can’t get enough of the way Benway writes. I want MORE!

Okay, so the book itself. The storyline was really … I want to say “cute,” but that sounds inappropriate for some odd reason. I liked it though, and I really liked Audrey as a character, especially after James came into the picture. Wasn’t overly fond of Victoria, and I didn’t like Evan until the very end (and I mean VERY end), but they really helped the story along.

One thing: I would NOT want Audrey’s life. Her cat, though? OH HELL YES! I love fat cats.

My rating: 4/5

 

All You Desire

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller.

Well, I thought Haven was a lot more bearable in this one, but she still was pretty damn indecisive at times. The story was really good though, and that twist? DAMN! Not as mind-boggling as some others I’ve read, but still managed to boggle my mind enough.

One question though. That last line? I AM SO CONFUSED. Is there going to be another? The story isn’t finished? Or is Miller just leaving us hanging?

GAH! I don’t like this!

My rating: 4/5

 

 

Annexed

Annexed by Sharon Dogar.

I was not happy reading this book, and I was not happy after finishing the book. Why? This is not, in any sense, a happy book. Books about the Holocaust rarely are. Actually, I have yet to read one that really puts me in a good mood both during and after reading it, but I think it’s best that way. How could I ever be happy reading about something so horrifying? It is always extremely interesting to read about, however.

Dogar took a leap writing this book, as it is a completely fictional book about Peter’s view while living in the annex with Anne Frank and their families. I have to say, it was brilliantly written. I have read Diary of a Young Girl, and I remember there being parts where Peter plays a large part, but I always thought Anne represented him somewhat childishly, despite him being sixteen at the time. In Dogar’s book, this is explained, which, frankly, shocked me, as I wasn’t really expecting someone else to pick up on it so seriously, especially the part (in both the fiction and non-fiction books) where Anne asks about the word for male gentiles. I thought it was odd that, at sixteen, he didn’t know the word.

Anyway, my thoughts on that aside, it really is a good book, even if it’s fiction. I highly recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind a fiction tale on the Holocaust.

My rating: 4/5

 

 

Nightshade

Nightshade by Maryrose Wood.

Oh jeez, I did it again. Now I have to wait for the next one. Stupid cliffhangers.

I have to say, I was completely shocked at how Jessamine acted throughout this book. I know it was Oleander talking her into it the entire time, but Lord, he’s so powerful that she hardly has any sense left? Well, when she was Rowan, she still did have some sense, up until the end, but Belladonna? All sense gone. All of it. It as heartbreaking watching her fall.

Weed, though, was a lot of fun to read through, and he is my favorite character in the whole book. He’s grown so much from where he started off in the first book, and I’m seriously excited to see what happens and how he reacts to everything in the next book.

My rating: 4/5

 

 

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares

Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

I absolutely love the idea behind this book. If I didn’t already have a boyfriends and didn’t live in a city with the smallest used bookstore EVER (I highly doubt any boys my age ever venture in there often enough to actually notice something like a notebook), I’d so totally do this myself! Maybe I can find a way to do it to just make a new friend… hmm.

Anyway, so the book. Wonderfully written. I didn’t have any difficulties getting through it and the storyline was really cute. I liked both Lily and Dash a lot, for the own respective bookish personalities, but I have to say the best character for me to read about was Boomer. He seems like so much fun to talk to, since reading his parts were so amusing and whatnot.

A really nice read, without too deep a storyline, and really nice characters. I only wish I could see more after that ending.

My rating: 4/5

 

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

This was one of my favorite books I was forced to read in high school. It’s also the one I remember the most, though that could be because it was one of the last ones I read during my Senior year.

It still scares me every time. The beginning is so nonchalant about a bunch of young school boys being stranded on an isle in (seemingly) the middle of nowhere. But then it takes a turn, and everything goes down hill, and fast. I remember Piggy being my favorite back when I first read it, but this time around I felt equal affection for both Piggy and Ralph. I liked them best because they fought the primal urge that overwhelmed the rest of the boys, and though they might not have done it right off the bat, they certainly controlled themselves after.

One of those school reads that I ended up enjoying a lot.

My rating: 4/5