Review: My Soul To Save

Yes, yes, I know. Squared Reviews has been ignored. Hopefully we can fix that.

My Soul To Save by Rachel Vincent
(279 pages)

“If she were going to die, I’d already be screaming. I’m a banshee. That’s what we do.”

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad’s ironclad curfew and putting her boyfriend’s loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls for a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld — a consequence they can’t possibly understand. Kaylee can’t let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk....

First of, I love Rachel Vincent. She's one of my favorite authors. I started reading her Werecat series a while ago and was thrilled to find out that she had a YA series coming out soon. She didn't disappoint. My Soul To Take was wonderful, as was My Soul To Save, the second book in the Soul Screamers series.


Kaylee is a great character. She's strong, caring, thoughtful and smart. Exactly what a heroine should be. Nash is the ideal guy. He truly loves Kaylee and would do anything to help her. I like the fact that he doesn't let his popularity rule him and who he dates. I love him! It helps that he sounds gorgeous, too! ;p Together, Kaylee and Nash are the perfect couple of Soul  Screaming heroes.

Tod is another character that I can't get enough of. He's hilarious! I'm always wondering what he'll say or do next. He really adds something to the novels. I'd actually really like to see a novel -or at least a novella- featuring him! I'd probably laugh my way through it. Tod's an amazingly complex character, and I really felt for him throughout MSTS.

The plot. God, Rachel Vincent comes up with some damn good ideas. Who else would have thought to write a book about bean shides? (Did I spell that right?) Who would have thought to add the twists and turns that she did? Exactly! no one!

I can't wait to read the next book, My Soul To Keep! Time can't move fast enough!

I give My Soul To Save 4.8 squares! :)

Robyn

Review of Forever Yours by MJ Smith

Wow, nothing's been posted in a while. Oops. I'll try to make up for it now! I'm in the process of reading some great books, and I have some books that have been sitting around waiting to be reviewed. I'll post more! I promise! And I know Jackie has some reviews to post, too. Cross your fingers that we'll actually remember! ;p


So this past week I've been a little busy. I hosted my second official Author's Week at Robolobolyn's Universe. This time featuring MJ Smith. It was a ton of fun to get to know someone as nice as Ms. Smith. She is a wonderful author and person. Annnd, her novel, Forever Yours, got me liking historical romance. Here's my review of FY, and yes, it is copied from Robolobolyn's Universe, but whatever.


Let me just start by saying that historical romance isn't always my cup of tea. I find that they can be a little too historical and a little hard to understand, with the old-fashioned-ness and all. That being said, I loved Forever Yours! It was well researched, but easy to understand. I didn't feel like I was being swallowed up whole by the "old-fashioned-ness" of the novel. I could understand what was going on without having to look up a bunch of stuff.

The characters were passionate. Lovable. And Liz was totally sweet. She was also pretty spunky and determined.  The romance between Liz and Phillip was another thing that was passionate, sweet. Forever Yours is touching and romantic. A tale of two young people who discover true love during a war.  Their story of love, loss and devotion can break your heart while also showing the reader the reality of war.

The emotions in this novel are real and true. Heart wrenching and wonderful. This novel is able to make you do more than laugh or cry. It makes you think. About the war. About true love. And about just how far you will go for the one you love. It gets my vote! :)

And, can I just say, isn't the cover wonderful? I love the added little touch of the plane in the background, and the fact that Liz and Phillip have their backs turned to us. It makes it seem a little more real and sad. It kinda makes it seem like they're the only ones in their little world. (And there are times throughout the novel where that seems like it's all too true!)

The ending, without giving it away, was cute. Completely wrapped things up and didn't really leave me thinking "noooo! How could the author end the book like that?!" You know, when the author leaves you hanging, even though there's not going to be a sequel. And then you spend the rest of your life wondering, "what happened?" Okay, maybe not your whole life, but you get what I mean, right?


Robyn

Review of Intertwined

Intertwined by Gena Showalter
(440 pages)
Published Sept. 1st /09

There’s something about the new guy at Crossroads High . . .

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they’re causing him all kinds of trouble.

Like, he’ll blink and suddenly he’s a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he’ll change the future. Or, he’ll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she’s going to die.

He’s so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he’s with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He’s a loner; she has friends. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it’s too late. . .

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden. . . doomed. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger. . . but not everyone will come out alive. . .

I'm not sure I can think of a single bad thing to say about Intertwined. It had it all. From romance to violence. The characters were wonderfully written, the writing was easy to understand and there were so many twists and turns that I had trouble guessing what was going to happen next. All of which I love. The cover is hot! I mean, look at it! The guy is hot, the colors are hot, and the writing is hot! Perfect combination! :)

Aden is an amazingly well written, lovable character. He's got the dangerous element going on, which is always fun. But he can also be sweet and caring. Especially around Victoria and Mary Ann. I loved that. After all he was through, from being thrown into one mental institution to the next, he was still capable of being human. Of loving someone, of having friends. He's a completely crush worthy character.

Riley is too. Riley is the werewolf of the gang. He's protective, scary, and loving. Towards Mary Ann, that is. And his friends. I liked the fact that he didn't start off as a Aden's friend. I liked it that the boys had to work to trust each other, and in the end became - dare I say it? - friends. He was a wonderful character that I'd like to learn more about.

The girls were pretty much completely opposite. Victoria was more outspoken, confident, and protective. Mary Ann more quiet, loving and sweet. I loved both characters. And was happy for both of the guys when they found love in the girls. Both (guys) seemed like they needed the girls and their love, as Aden was a loner and Riley was "ugly". Dispite the fact that Aden had Eve, Caleb, Julian and Elijah, and Riley had his brothers, both guys seemed lonely. To say the least I was happy for them.

The story itself was unique and fast-paced. There was never a dull moment. I found myself staying up late reading, telling myself "just one more chapter" over and over again, until mom came in my room at 12:30 and forced me to go to sleep. Nearing the end of Intertwined, I tried to make myself slow down, to make it last longer. Yeeeeah, that didn't happen. It was just too good!

The ending left me happy that the events happened as they did, but anxious for the next book, Unraveled. I'm not sure I can wait until September for this one. I might just have to get my paws on an ARC. I might go crazy if I don't... I NEED to know what happens next. Cause, of course, like all great writers, Gena Showalter ended Intertwined with death looming over all of the main characters' heads. Ugh.

Overall rating: 5/5 squares. A must read!

-Robyn (:

Contest

Hey all! We are sharing a contest from my blog Teen Book Guide with the team blog. You can enter at both blogs. The contest will end on February 13, 2010. This is how you enter:
-Go on twitter or create a twitter if you don't have one.
-Write a tweet mentioning Teen Book Guide (@teenbookguide) or Squared Reviews (@squaredreviews)
-Write a tweet refering to one of the blogs: (http://www.teenbookguide.blogspot.com/ or http://www.squared2bookreviews.blogspot.com/ )
-Tweet about this contest.
-You will get one entry per tweet so you can basically enter as many times as you'd like.
-One winner will recieve two books of their choice so if you want to enter you must leave a comment saying which two books you'd like.
-And one winner will recieve one book of their choice so make sure to put which book you'd rather have by putting a * by it or something to identify it.
-Open to both USA and Candian residents.

You must leave a comment so that we know you entered otherwise, we might not enter you.
Good luck and thanks!

-Jackie

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Pages: 432

Released: December 23, 2008

Synopsis from Barnes and Noble:

Synopsis
A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Many have been recommending "Perfect Chemistry" and I have seen it reviewed quite often. The plot looked really good and so I decided to get it once as my lovely library had it. I loved it. The romance was so intense and Simone Elkeles really lets you know who the characters are and how they feel. It is told in both Brittany and Alex's points of views, which I thought worked well.

It was neat to look at other people's backgrounds such as Alex in the story because he was living in the slums of town and he was in a gang, which I haven't experienced so it was neat to look into his life and see different things. It also had little phrases that he would say that were in spanish so it made it more realistic too.

Brittany's character was generally intriguing. She was the cheerleader and prep that everyone expected her to be, but there was more. She was a genuinely loving person who was somewhat stronger than most of her peers due to her helping her handicapped sister often and really caring for her even when her parents were not always there to help.

Together Alex and Brittany made an intense couple. I have only read a few books where the romance is so intense that you can actually feel it. Well, this is one. There situation alone is intense. At first they have to sneak around to see each other because Brittany's family is rather racist and Alex's gang doesn't agree with him.

I loved how everything worked out in the end. It was a beautiful story. 

Parent Corner:

-Probably 9th grade up due to language and mature content.

I give Perfect Chemistry 4.6 stars! I loved it.

Here are some links for purchase:

Barnes and Noble

Borders

Amazon

-Jackie

Review of As You Wish

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
(304 pages)

Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.

Jackson Pearce spins a magical tale about star-crossed lovers, what it means to belong . . . and how important it is to be careful what you wish for.

This morning I started (and finished 4 hours later) As You Wish. Obviously I liked it, seeing as I finished it in four hours. Well, here's why.

The main characters, Viola and Jinn, were completely cute, funny, and honest. Viola seems like someone I'd like to be friends with. If she, you know, actually existed. So was Jinn. And Lawrence. And Ollie. All of the characters were fun, cool, and down-to-earth. People who could actually exist in real life. (Taking away the jinn thing, that is). They weren't fake, or too perfect. All of the characters had real life problems, like Lawrence being gay but still wanting to be friends with his best-friend-slash-ex-girlfriend, Viola. Or Viola having troubles accepting the fact that Lawrence will never love her the way she loved him. And her popularity issues. Everyone struggles with that at some point in their life.

I also found the fact that Ollie didn't go back to Arron really refreshing. I never really liked Arron, thought I did feel bad for him when Viola broke up with him, and I couldn't see Ollie be truly happy with him. I was happy that she found Xander.

The cover of this book, however, I was not completely happy with. I like the idea of stars on the background, and the fact that the girl on the cover isn't prefect looking, because Viola wasn't. I don't like the fact that the girl looks like she's in pain. She kinda looks funny. Sorry, but it's true.

I loved the struggles Viola faced throughout the novel, and the fact that she wasn't some shallow, selfish girl who just wanted three wishes. I liked the fact that, in order to press Viola into wishing, a car crash wasn't necessary. It was helping her friends that made her wish.

Another thing that I really liked was the fact that it wasn't Viola who first realized her feelings about Jinn. It was the other way around. Jinn was the first to realize that he was in love with Viola. It made the book that much better. It gave it a bit of a twist. It wasn't as predictable as most books are about that kind of stuff. I loved the fact that Viola didn't make Jinn fall in love with her by flirting, but by just being herself. She treated him as a normal person, as a friend. Not as a jinn or a potential boyfriend, but a friend.

And I liked the fact that, in the end, Viola made her own, true, friends. She did not stick with the "Royal Family".

Overall, this book was a fun, refreshing, and cute read well worth your time. Read it! You'll laugh and cry along with the characters! This book gets... FOUR SQUARES! :)

-Robyn