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Book Review: AngelFall by Susan Ee

Apr 11, 2014

First Published: May 21st 2011
Pages: 283 (Kindle)
Publisher: Feral Dream now Hodder and Stoughton
ISBN: 144477851X
Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Synopsis

It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Angelfall

Angelfall has been on my to be read list for before it was even published, but I just never got around to reading it, and I really don’t know why. I really do wish I read it earlier Angelfall is simply amazing.

The writing is just mesmerizing and beautiful. The way that one word flowed into another. Angelfall is such a fast paced novel, I could not put it down. I read it in a few hours just simply because how beautiful it was written. Angelfall captivated me. I cannot explain how much I love Susan Ee’s writing. I think you all just have to read to find out.

The Storyline of Angelfall was really interesting. I have read a fair amount of fallen angel, and angel books in the last few years and Angelfall defiantly stands out from the rest. Susan Ee doesn’t glamourize Angels. She doesn’t make them pretty and loving. She makes them quite damaging and not the most appealing creatures. If you are sick of Angel novels don’t be afraid to pick this one up because man, it’s good. The whole concept on what is happening to the world is interesting, how everything works.

I really enjoy Penryn. Other than having a unique name, she is quite unique herself. I loved that she wasn’t dumb nor annoying. She was an enjoyable character to read and understand. She is so strong especially with what is happening around her. She stands up for herself and doesn’t need her knight in shining armour to save her. One of my favourite scenes in which I think her physical strength is shown is in the camp scene.

What can I say about Raffe… I love him. I felt for him so much throughout the novel and I know I could see how much he actually cares for Penryn, though he does try and hid it. But the ending gave it away, if I say so myself.

I loved the banter between Penryn and Raffe. Not only did it make me smile but just added an extract element to the novel. The characterisation of both Penryn and Raffe was perfect. We see both grow throughout the novel and they come different people. They don’t just get to know each other better, but themselves as well.

Susan Ee’s writing gathered a lot of emotions from me, just from the way she writes. I felt so sorry for Penryn’s little sister. I just want to gather her in my arms and hold her…maybe.

I don’t really know what to think of Penryn’s mum. She kind of was there, but not. She was an interesting character and mum, but she alone didn’t do much for me.

What the Angels are doing while on earth wow. Just I needed to read more and find out what happened next. I also like that Angelfall started off with a bang there wasn’t a dull moment in the whole book, I just turned page after page. Not only did it start with a bang, but definitely ending with one.

Overall, I loved reading Angelfall. It was everything I hope for in a paranormal, fantasy novel. Susan Ee’s writing is amazing and I cannot wait to read World After.

My friends call me Wrath,” says Raffe. “My enemies call me Please Have Mercy. What’s your name, soldier boy?

I’ve never killed anyone before. What frightens me isn’t that I’m killing someone. What frightens me is how easy it is.

Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #2) by Kendare Blake

Mar 26, 2014

First Published: September 2011
Pages: 316 (hardcover)
Publisher: Tom Doherty (Tor Teen)
ISBN: 0765328658
Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Synopsis

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas’s life.

Anna Dressed in Blood

I didn’t really think that I was going to like Anna Dressed in Blood as I hate anything to do with horror and Anna screamed horror. I had heard so many great things about it though, that I just had to pick it up and let me tell you, well I was surprised.

The horror element of Anna Dressed in Blood scared me a lot actually, but I still wanted to keep on reading and reading. It was so intriguing and interesting. I couldn’t put the book down. I think what I might have done wrong was read this book at night.

The book starts off with a bang, and it just kept on getting better and better from there.

I really liked Cas, he is the main protagonist. It’s rare, well for me it is, that I read a book with a male as the main character it was a nice change. Cas is a really interesting character, his personality is really different and quirky. He is also pretty kick-ass if I say so myself. And to say that I didn’t develop a little crush on Cas, then I would be lying. After his father’s murder Cas, feels like it’s his duty to take on his father’s role that he left. The fact that he hunts down ghosts and wipes them out is just so damn cool but if that was me I would be running the other way. Cas is defiantly not your typical 17 year old boy.

The story line is brilliant. It just kept on pulling me in and in. It’s so different to what I am use to reading and what I am used to liking.

Anna, I was totally scared of her but then we find what happens to her, how she died, and I wanted to hold her. She is totally creepy and scared not only me but pretty much everyone else in the book. She has killed so many people that have tried to trespass into her house, we see some of these deaths and we heard about others and let me tell you to me they are pretty gruesome.

Kendare Blake’s writing is simply stunning. It’s is a stunning novel, full of atmospheric spookiness and unthinkable horrors that tears you apart with both emotion.

There was a few twists and turns throughout the novel and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I wanted to know what happened with Anna, I wanted to know how they were going to fix the whole situation that occurs.

I really like most of the secondary characters as well. Normally there are some characters in a novel that I seem to hate. I didn’t like all of them but the people that were somewhat important I really liked.

Again I thought Anna Dressed in Blood was scary and creepy and me reading it at night got totally scared, especially the scenes when Anna goes all crazy and the last few chapters as well.

I really enjoyed Anna and Cas’ relationship, okay yes it wasn’t the most believable relationship it was still very adorable and cute. They just seem to fit each other. Cas is the quirky, somewhat geeky guy and Anna is the girl next door. A murderous, killing rampage one but still.

The ending, gosh what an ending. I was in massive shock I just stared at the last page, I couldn’t believe it was over. I love and hated it. Loved it because it was just so awesome and what an ending to a first novel should be, but hated it because I wanted more and more.

Overall I enjoyed Anna Dressed in Blood a lot, it was written beautifully, the characters were enjoyable and interesting and the plot was so intriguing, everyone should read it even if you think it’s not your style as you can see it wasn’t my genre and I loved it.

Quotes I liked:

“You make me want things I can’t have.” – Anna

Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Mar 24, 2014

First Published: May 1st 2012
Pages: 525 pages (Hardcover)
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0007442912
Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

Synopsis

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. Tris’s initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Review

I really enjoyed Divergent so I was really looking forward to reading Insurgent and I wasn’t disappointed. I have written this view on the assumption that you have read Divergent. So in saying that, this review contains spoilers from Divergent.
If you have read my review of Divergent you might recall that I mentioned that I couldn’t connect with the characters, but something changed in Insurgent.

I connected with Tris and Four. I felt their emotions. I liked that Tris becomes a lot stronger in this book. She stands up for herself and for Four, especially to Marcus, but we also get to see her grief and I was surprised that I felt everything she was feeling. Especially her guilt. I really enjoyed that we started pretty much where we left off in Divergent. You don’t see many YA series, actually many books at all, start off the next installment I where the last left off. It was a change but it was also interesting. Everything just flowed.

Four, I really do love him. I don’t know if it’s just me or not, but I find him very genuine. His relationship with Tris, on the other hand…I love it to death, but there is just so much friction in this book. I dislike how Tris doesn’t tell Four stuff. However there are some of those cute and also steamy scenes, which does make me extra happy. The way that Tris talks about Four is simply amazing. She believes in and loves him so much. I just really enjoyed this.

I love that we get to know more about the different factions in Insurgent, especially Amity, where they refuge after the events of Divergent. Tris is absolutely hilarious under the serum, but also a little concerning. We see how much Four cares for her. The world building in Insurgent is so much better than in Divergent. We learn more about this dystopian world.

Veronica Roth takes on a whole new form in the world building. There are so many twists and turns, as well as many shocks. Including (hope I am not spoiling anything here) the rebellious factionles. It’s pretty awesome. I wanted to rip my heart out when Christian and Four find out how Will dies in Divergent. It’s pretty horrible with both sides.

I love Tris, I really do, but there were so many things that she did that really got onto my nerves and I wanted her to stop her from being the hero all the time. Sometimes, like with that I am learning in Classical Studies, she is full of Furor, of fury and passion, which isn’t a good thing at all. The ending, hmm, I am not sure if I like it or not.

What happens in the last chapters, I was here and there. I liked them to a point. I also found that the middle was very slow in pace and kind of dragged on way too much.

Overall I really did enjoy Insurgent and Veronica Roth wrote some amazing scenes that tore me apart with emotions.

Quotes that I liked:

“Tobias is right about you” I say “you’re nothing but an arrogant, lying piece of garbage” “He said that, did he?” Marcus raised his eyebrows. “No” I say “He doesn’t mention you enough to say anything like that. i figured it out all on my own” I clench my teeth “you’re almost nothing to him, you know. And as time goes on, you become less and less”

…and i press my mouth to his because I know that’s kissing him will distract me from anything…

I know that I am birdlike, made narrow and small as if for taking flight, built straight-waisted and fragile. But when he touches me like he can’t bear to take his hand away, I don’t wish I was any different.