Cinderella and Zombies by Emily Casey

I’ve always loved the fairytale of Cinderella. I mean, every girl wants to be swept off her feet by a prince, right? Well, this girl just happens to be really good at killing zombies. And so is the prince.

      Prince Kent loves to fight. He loves to help his people and be at the front lines, defending his kingdom. His father, on the other hand, wants to keep him safe and sound inside the palace walls. He also wants Kent to gent married. Immediately. When a gathering of the kingdom’s eligible women turns into a bloody war against the attacking zombies, Cinderella may be the only one that can save the day. She knows how to kill zombies and she has done so before. Cinderella and Prince Kent must team up to save the kingdom and the day.

      Hands down, the best part of Cinderella and Zombies was the heroine, Cinderella. She doesn’t really care what other people think of her and she is not afraid to stand out of a crowd. She was strong and killed a zombie even when a soldier wouldn’t. He weapon of choice is the throwing knife and she has awesome aim. I mean AWESOME. But she can also use other things to kill zombies, such as a glass slipper. She was an amazing heroine that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about. Prince Kent was also an entertaining character because he really cared about his people and he was incredibly brave, so that makes him all right in my book. He’s also a prince, so that’s a plus too.

      I really, really loved this rendition of Cinderella because I love zombies and Cinderella is a strong individual with larger problems than getting a prince to marry her. Also, in this book, Cinderella’s family wasn’t mean towards her, which is not traditional, but I liked it much better.

      If you’re looking for a fun, fast read, I would definitely recommend this book. It had action, a great heroine, and a dash of romance. Amazing!

It was an awesomely fun read! 5 Smileys!

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Holding Grave Mercy in my hand for the first time, I was quite terrified. It’s over 500 pages and it takes place in the 1400’s. I usually hate books that take place in the past, but this one was about an assassin, so I thought I’d try it. And boy, am I glad that I did.

            Ismae Rienne has been abused by men all her life. Her father beat her, then he sold her to another man that also beat her. Not to mention that she was unwanted in the first place: her parents tried to kill her while she was in her mother’s womb with a poison that left her grotesquely scarred. The reason that she did not die was because she was a daughter of Mortain, the god of Death. As a child of this god, Ismae was bestowed with amazing gifts, including the resistance to poison: poisons had no affect on her and she had the gift to create poisons, as well. At the age of fourteen, she was led to a convent that served St. Mortain and that taught her all of the necessary skills she needed to become an assassin. The French had invaded Brittany and there was much government upheaval with the recent death of the duke. The new duchess is in grave danger and it is the convent’s duty to help her. So, with the help of the duchess’ half-brother, Duval, Ismae must find out whom to trust and save the duchess’ life, as well as her country.

            This book was unlike any other I have ever read, and in a good way. It was fast-paced and entertaining; there was never a boring moment. Although this book took place in the 1400’s, I could still understand the language and it was not hard. Also, it did not go into excruciating detail about the things that would have taken a lot of time during this time period, such as horse rides, boat rides, and numerous other activities; it glanced over the boring things and just mentioned them in passing, while describing the exciting parts in much detail.

            Ismae, the main character, was awesome. She could take care of herself in a time where women were completely dependent. She was looked upon with respect, even though she was not noble-born, and she could kick anyone’s butt. She was strong and she thought for herself; she did not blindly follow the orders of the convent and she did not blindly trust. Overall, she was a strong female protagonist that did not rub dirt in the face of feminism.

            Duval, the male lead, was also a splendid character. He was chivalrous, as many men were in the 1400’s, but he also did not baby Ismae. He trusted her to be able to take care of herself and did not think that she was weak just because she was a female. He also shows really deep compassion for his half-sister and he is noble in the best way possible. He may have appeared to be the knight in shining armor, but Ismae was really the one who saved him, and he was okay with that. He was not ashamed of needing help and he did not act all macho about it either, which was respectable. Overall, he is awesome.

            I loved every part of this book, from its supporting characters to its plot; everything was very entertaining and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I must say that the ending was phenomenal. This is the only book where it is from Ismae’s point of view, so it needed to wrap up nicely, which I found it did. I was completely satisfied with the ending and it made me feel happy. I have literally never been satisfied with the ending of a series or a stand-alone book, but this one was fantastic! As proof of its awesomeness, I read Grave Mercy in two days. 549 pages in TWO DAYS. If that doesn't mean that it was fantastic, I don't know what does.

This book was AWESOME! 5 Smileys!

Social Suicide (Deadly Cool #2) by Gemma Halliday

After reading Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday, I had to read the sequel, Social Suicide.  I must admit that I read this a while ago and just now realized that I never wrote a review for it, so I will try to remember it as if I just finished reading it minutes ago. This may prove difficult, but for you, I shall try! But I warn you that it may be rather short.

            After Hartley solved her first crime and brought the perpetrator to justice, she thought that she was going to have a normal school year, devoid of murders of any kind. But then when homecoming queen hopeful, Sydney, gets suspended for cheating, Hartley knows that she must get the scoop on this story for the school newspaper before anyone else can manage to dig up all of the dirty secrets. However, when Hartley goes to speak to Sydney, she finds her floating facedown in the pool with her laptop suspended in the water right beside her. Someone had committed “Twittercide” because she was tweeting while the perp pushed her into the pool with her laptop. Hartley suspects that her death has to do with where she got the test answers from and her suspicions are confirmed after another attempted murder. Will Hartley be able to find out who it is before she becomes a victim herself?

            Like its prequel, Social Suicide was a total mystery. I did not predict the ending at all and when you find out who the murderer really is, it chills you to the bone. It’s even more disturbing than the first one, which is saying something. I mean, how can anything be more disturbing than someone’s best friend killing her? Well, this one tops it, in a good way, of course. I adore Hartley’s point of view because it is very comical and true, and she actually sounded like a real teenager, which was different from a lot of books that I read. Chase is also cool; I like him. That is all I have to say. I told you that it was going to be a short review! Sorry!

            I would definitely recommend this book series to people who like mysteries and teenage drama.

It was entertaining. 4 Smileys!

Forgiven (The Demon Trappers #3) by Jana Oliver

Forgiven by Jana Oliver, the third book of the Demon Trappers series was freaking FANTASTIC. You know how most series progressively get worse with each new installment? Well, this series is exactly the opposite. With each book, my relationships with the characters grow and I come to love each one more and more, as it should be.

            Forgiven picks up with Riley Blackthorne and her father, master trapper Paul Blackthorne, being reunited once again. Of course, Paul is reanimated and has literally sold his soul to the devil. To make matters worse, a new kind of zombie demon has popped up that is nearly impossible to kill. Usually, Riley has the help of her frenemy, Denver Beck, but he is refusing to talk to her because he is mad at her for sleeping with the Fallen angel, Ori. Oh, and Riley made a deal with Heaven to save her ex-boyfriend’s life. All she has to do is prevent the coming war between Heaven and Hell. That shouldn’t be too hard, right? Right?

            I absolutely LOVED the characters in this book. They were all so realistic and I liked how Oliver spelled the words that they were saying in their accents like “ya” for “you”(Southern accent) and “verra” for “very”(Scottish accent). First of all, I loved Riley because I love the name Riley. But besides that, she was completely relatable. She was not fearless, but she overcame her fears when she had to. She was also brave when she had to be, but she occasionally freaked out, but in her situation, who wouldn’t? I know I would have done a lot more than just freak out. On top of all of that, she was really funny. Next is Denver Beck, and I adore both his first and last name. He is also really funny and he’s heroic, so he’s kind of cool. I like him even if I can’t really think of anything to say about him right now. Hmm.

Anyway, I liked the story line of Forgiven, as well. It was really surprising and I thought all of the events flowed together nicely; there was nothing that could have been taken out, then one could read the story just as easily without it; everything had its place, so I thought it was clever. Another note on the characters is that they did not fight a needless amount and they also didn’t fight over the stupidest things; they forgave (but did not forget), the way normal people would. So basically, the characters were like real people and not stupid. The supporting characters were entertaining and really added a lot to the story. I especially loved Master Stuart and Mort. The only people I didn’t like were the bad guys, but that’s what is supposed to happen (DUH) so that was good.

Overall, the Demon Trappers series is incredibly fun and I can’t wait for the next one to come out: Foretold, which comes out in August of 2012. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone and everyone. You will have a fun time reading not only Forgiven, but also the first two books, The Demon Trappers Daughter and Soul Thief. 

I LOVE this book and this series! 5 Smileys!

Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I love the Covenant series. And when I say love, I mean LOVE. I’d say it’s in my top two favorite series with the Divergent series. Anyway…

            Pure continues the story of Alex, Aiden, and Seth. Alex had just gotten home from being kidnapped, tortured, and nearly turned into a daimon when Aiden decides to tell her that he no longer wants to train her or even see her. But that was also after she told him that she loved him; yeah, that was a mistake. Then, the merry bunch must go to the council in New York so that Alex can talk about what happened when her mother captured her. However, before they could leave, there was a daimon attack on the Convenant that left some stunned and one dead (*sob*). After the attack, the merry bunch must travel to New York, where Alex begins her training and becomes closer to her second half, Seth. Alex tries to warn the Council of her mother plans, but will they believe her? Or try to ruin her life, instead?

            Okay, first I must say that this series is hilarious. It is by far the funniest series that I have ever read. Alex’s outlook is very comical and I really enjoyed seeing the world from her point of view, except for when her view included Aiden. He irks me because I could see connections between him and Edward from Twilight and I could also see a connection between Seth and Jacob. All I can say about that is that I sincerely hope that Alex ends up with Seth or I will scream. He is perfect and hilarious and I love him. End of story.          

            The plot was also incredible. There were action scenes slid into the story at exactly the right times and the romance was to die for. Well, some of it anyway. And I really enjoyed reading about Alex and Seth because they were hilarious together; one minute, they want to poke each other’s eyes out, the next they’re kissing. It might not sound so humorous, but believe me, it is. There was only one problem in this book: Aiden. Most girls who read this probably love him and are screaming, “I love Aiden, not Seth, you idiot! Aiden is so hawt,” while they read this review, but I don’t care. I guess I have a thing for the dark horse and the funny one and the relationship that can actually happen. But maybe that’s just me *shrug*.

            Regardless of my semi-ranting, definitely read this book, and if you haven’t read Half-Blood, then read that, too. Now.

Read this because it is AMAZING!! 5 Smileys!

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

As you all know (or don’t know) I am in love with Divergent. It is seriously my favorite book in the history of forever. Going into its sequel, Insurgent, I was so excited I thought my face was going to fall off (I don’t know how those two things are related, but they are. Somehow.). And it didn’t disappoint me. Yay for Veronica Roth! I must say that the sequel was not as good at Divergent, but then again, sequels never are, but as far as a sequel goes, this is one of the best ones that I have ever read.

            Insurgent starts off just moments after the first book ended (which I liked) with Tris, Tobias, Marcus, Caleb, and Peter all sitting on the train together. Dauntless has split into two, the loyal Dauntless and the traitor Dauntless, which close to side with the Erudite in the “war.” While society may be crumbling before their eyes, they must stay strong. However, Peter defects to Erudite and Tobias must put up with his abusive father, Marcus. Tris knows that the Erudite did not begin this war to solely overthrow the government. Marcus tells her that there was a piece of information that their leader, Jeanine, did not want to get out. But what could be so important that she would start a war just to contain it, and that both Tris’ mother and father would and did give their lives for? Tris must find this out, but she may have to go behind the backs of those she loves to do it and lie to those she loves most.

            First, I shall talk about the plot. It was amazingly awesome. It continued to surprise me time and again. There were a few moments when I could not even believe what was happening. This book stunned me and left me speechless. It was tremendous, awe-inspiring, astounding, breathtaking, and splendid (I just looked up synonyms for awesome. Teehee.). The plot twists were incredible and they added a lot of layers to the story. As always, Roth's writing was beautiful. There were profound realizations and incredible conflicts that her characters had to overcome, and she included dynamic characters.

            Tris continues to be awesome. Here are my reasons previously stated in my review of Divergent: “Tris is small and fragile-looking, but she can kick anyone’s butt. She never let’s anyone conquer her or affect her and she knows how to let go of bad memories. She also says things how they are. She is not disillusioned and she knows the truth about people, despite her sheltered upbringing. She is similar to me in this way, so I connected with her immediately. She is a realist; she doesn’t have some unreachable dream that she could never reach; she knows that nothing is perfect, yet she is content with what she has. Tris is definitely my favorite heroine of all time because, among other things, I can connect with her the most. However, she is also strong, she knows how to act in the presence of fear, and she never ignores the negative things to force herself to be happy. She also doesn’t ignore the negative aspects of herself. She knows who and what she is and she doesn’t try to change it. She is confident and strong and amazing.”

            Tobias is also still amazing, but sometimes the relationship problems between him and Tris annoyed me. Not so much so that it made the book bad, but I felt what Roth was trying to get me to feel: frustration, so I guess that’s good.

            There’s not much else I can say about this book because, as I said before, it left me speechless. So here I am, with little speech to give. But I must say that the ending was truly amazing and I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEXT BOOK AHHHHH I NEED IT NOW.

Divergent and Insurgent, as well as Veronica Roth, are amazing. 5 Smileys!

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia

This book took me FOREVER to read. Well, two weeks, but that’s forever for me. It wasn’t because this book was bad. It was actually quite good. But I have this unlucky bookmark. I just now found out that it was unlucky because I noticed that whenever I use this bookmark, it takes me forever to read things. So, no, this book was not bad. I just used an unlucky bookmark.

            The story of Ethan and Lena continues: Macon is alive, Ridley is Mortal, Link is now an Incubus, and school is back in session. Oh, and the suffocating heat, the infestation of lubbers, and the droughts are signifying the End of Days. Abraham and Sarafine could not have planned the end of the world better themselves, and luckily, they didn’t have to. When Lena chose herself to be half Dark and half Light, she threw off the Order of Things. Now, it is up to Lena, Ethan, Link, Olivia, Amma, and even John Breed to bring about the New Order and avoid the apocalypse at any cost. But just how much are they willing to pay?

            I liked Beautiful Chaos because it was entertaining. Ridley was hands-down my favorite character, but then again, she always has been. In the third installment of the series, she continues to be witty, unpredictable, and badass. Lena is another of my favorite characters because I love her poetry, and near the end, we get some lovely poetry, and I like that she’s quirky and strong. Link was another of my favorites because he is hilarious and goofy. However, John Breed wins the award for Best Guy of the Book. He is yummy and he can literally do anything. I don’t want to say too much about that because I don’t want to spoil him for you.

            There was only one problem with this book: it was slow moving at a few parts. But that is it.

            The story line was pretty good. It kept me guessing until the very end. Speaking of the ending, I can’t even believe the ending. I want the next book so badly right now. I’m going to admit something to you guys: I’m not a crier, but I cried at the end of this book. I really did and not even I can believe it. I became really connected with all of the characters and grew to love them over the course of the three books and I can’t wait for the next one! If you have already read the first two books, read this one! If you haven’t started this series READ IT RIGHT NOW!! This is a great, fantastic, awesome series that I fell in love with on the first page of the first book and I am still under its spell. (It’s funny because this is a book about Casters. Teehee.)

This book was awesome! 4 1/2 Smileys!