Slightly Frustrated

I don't know if anyone follows really closely on the side bar of these posts, but if you do and you've noticed that the "Quote of the Day" and the "Pages Read" are not getting edited there is an explanation. For some reason I don't understand, I can't get the layout changes to save and while this is inconvenient it is also frustrating me. Way more than it should. If you could give me some advice as how to fix this please let me know as the Blogger Help centre is not being helpful at all in this situation. Sorry again so here is a post update.

Quote of the Day:
Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick
"'Okay, yeah, I'm not wild about the idea of waking up one morning with a hankering for a people-burger, but I can't live every day waiting for the other shoe to drop.'"

Pages Read:
Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick
Pages Read: 300/671
Percent: 45%
Pages Left: 471

Once again my apologies. Hopefully this is fixed soon :)

Book Review: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Title: The Gargoyle

Author: Andrew Davidson

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pages: 465

Publisher: Random House Canada

Year Published: 2008

First Line: “Accidents ambush the unsuspecting, often violently, just like love.”

“The narrator of The Gargoyle is a very contemporary cynic, physically beautiful and sexually adept, who dwells in the moral vacuum that is modern life. As the book opens, he is driving along a dark road when he is distracted by what seems to be a flight of arrows. He crashes into a ravine and suffers horrible burns over much of his body. As he recovers in a burn ward, undergoing the tortures of the damned, he awaits the day when he can leave the hospital and commit carefully planned suicide for he is now a monster in appearance as well as in soul.

 But then a beautiful and compelling, but clearly unhinged, sculptress of gargoyles by the name of Marianne Engel appears at the foot of his bead and insists that they were once lovers- In medieval Germany. In her telling, he was a badly injured mercenary and she was a nun and a scribe in the famed monastery of Engelthal who nursed him back to health. As she spins their tale of in Scheherazade fashion and relates equally mesmerising stories of deathless love in Japan, Iceland, Italy, and England, he finds himself drawn back to life- and, finally, in love. He is released into Marianne’s care and takes up residence in her huge stone house. But all is not well. For one thing, the pull of his past sins becomes ever more powerful as the morphine he is prescribed becomes even more addictive. For another, Marianne receives word from God that she has only twenty-seven statues to complete- and her time on earth will be finished.”

My Rating: 5/5

Every once in a while, I find a book that I have so much trouble reviewing, because I simply can not put into words the feelings that it has caused in me. This is the case for this book. This book was a lucky find for me. I stumbled across it at a yard sale, and got caught up by the title and front cover on its own. As I began to read, I became increasingly interested in the story that Andrew Davidson was telling. A story that will forever change my view on what is possible and what is not. I loved this book with all my heart. It’s confusing, but in a good way. The way that a reader can’t tell what is going to happen next, in the way that you aren’t sure what you believe any more. And finally a book that leaves a few interpretations up to you. You can choose what you want to think, it’s not there in black and white, you can let your imagination think whatever it will.  I’d be lying if I said it was like a “Choose Your Own Adventure Book” so please don’t take that from what I’ve mentioned, that wouldn’t be the right way to describe it.  There is so many things I want to say, but not nearly enough words to say them properly and without spoiling this book.

THANK YOU ANDREW DAVIDSON, FOR LETTING MY IMAGINATION WANDER WITHOUT LIMITS!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

First off, I’d like to say that Andrew Davidson (the author of this splendid debut novel), is in fact Canadian. I love to see that there are people here who have tremendous talent, but if that wasn’t enough to catch my eye, he’s from my province. You see Manitoba is a great place, but not many people get to hear about how amazingly talented people from here are and so this is my “shout out” (rereading that, I sound like a moron).

Ok, that’s done now. About the book…. I LOVED IT! I think this book captures never ending love in a new light, in a way that a reader can feel every emotion and understand the pain that comes with a love this deep and true. I also loved that it didn’t give definite answer to everything. Answer to questions like: Why all the never-ending love stories? Was she really crazy or did it all happen? Did the narrator enter Hell? And so many more. It seems that not only did Andrew Davidson’s imagination run wild, he gave permission to the readers to interpret things as they want to.  I also enjoyed the fact that we never learn the Narrator’s name. It gives the novel a mysterious quality.

♥Characters:♥

♥Narrator:  So mystery man doesn’t have a name, which if you’re reading this without first reading the book (SHAME ON YOU) you think it makes no sense. But it’s amazing. This narrator gives an introduction to the story that no other character could have. He has to start to understand that maybe Marianne was telling the truth, that they did fall in love in medieval Germany and are still loving each other to this day. I feel as though he is not the monster that he thinks himself to be at the beginning of this book, but rather the man we see at the end of it. He doesn’t look for the easy way out of things, nor does he give up when Marianne’s time has come. He preservers and carries on. As well, in the beginning we see an arrogant man, who has made some “interesting” choices in his life, but realizes that if these mistakes hadn’t been made and he wasn’t in the burn ward he would have carried out life without meaning. Without true friends, love or passion.

♥Marianne: So its sort of left to us to decide whether Marianne was schizophrenic/manic depressive or really 700 odd years old. I think that she really was this old, simply because of the details she knew and because she had the 2 translations of Dante’s Inferno in her safety deposit. It’s really to bad that she lived so long without her one true love and when he finally comes back, she only has one heart to give him and then she will die. That doesn’t seem fair, but supposedly it was her penance. And now maybe, if there is one, she’s in Heaven. I loved Marianne as a character simply cause you didn’t know what she would do next. She was creative and obviously a very passionate person. I wish she hadn’t died, but it seems like a fitting end to the book.

♥Gregor: I loved that this guy thinks he’s such a badass. He’s a psychiatrist. It’s not that that should be a specific label. Anyway, he’s probably the Narrators best friend in this book after he finally starts to open up to Gregor. I loved that him and Sayuri got married and are expecting. Such a sweet little side love story.

♥Sayuri:  I imagined her to be a tiny little asian woman who had so much energy she didn’t know what to do with it. She really is the reason that the Narrator makes such a tremendous recovery. She pushed him and believed him. A very warm and motherly character.

♥Nan: In a way she was right that Marianne couldn’t take care of the Narrator, but in the end he has learned to take care of himself, so it’s really a gain in the long run.

♥Jack: She is just crass enough that I love her. She says what’s on her mind without a second thought, and although it comes off mean, I think she just sometimes forgets to filter.

♥Note I decided not to include the characters from the stories that Marianne told, including the story of her true love.  I did this because it should be up to you to decide if these characters are true in the whole scheme of the story.

♥Moments to Remember♥

May contain adult content (You’ve been warned)

♥Pg. 43

“The irony was not lost upon me that after making all my money in the skin trade, I was now trading all my money for skin.”

♥Pg. 72

“’I was stoned and I drove off a cliff.’

 ‘He who eats fire, shits sparks.’”

♥Pg.  87

“Now that we had more privacy, my talks with Marianne Engel grew more varied: how to cook vegetarian lasagne; what carnival games are played in Hamburg; the beautiful melancholy of Marcello’s Oboe Concerto in D Minor; the settlement habits of West Coast Indians; why people sing in rock bands; the merits of Canadian literature as contrasted with Russian literature; how harsh winter climates shape personality; the history of European prostitution; why men are fascinated by the concept of ‘Heavyweight Champion of the World!’’ the conversations that might occur between a Jehovah’s Witness and an archaeologist; and how long chewing gum remains fresh in the mouth.”

♥Pg.  147

“A timid hand went up. ‘What about sex?’

‘I like it.’”

♥Pg.  216

“’This book,’ you said. ‘there’s something strange about it. When I first saw it, it seemed to call to me. As if it wanted me to take it.’

 ‘That’s not so odd. I feel that way about book all the time.’”

♥Pg.  322

“’I’m an atheist.’

 ‘Well, God believes in you,’ he said.”

Final Line: “It is moving across time, coming to me in every language of the world, and it sounds like pure love.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Movie Book Comparison: The Hunger Games

I’ve only ever done one of these before so forgive me if I’m rusty. The Hunger Games series is the first book review and spoiler I had ever done (if you look it up you will be extremely disappointed, you’ve been warned). That first writing was when I feel in love with doing book reviews. Hell, I’m not the best at it, but I love reading and I want to bring reading back to the world. There is often times when a movie based on a book will catch my attention but as has happened in the past, but usually I am disappointed.

One thing I have learned though, is as an avid reader you have to realize that although most directors will try to do the best they can with what they can visually represent. I do get upset when certain important events (ok events important to me) get missed, cut or over looked.

I do think that the directors of the Hunger Games did a good job of adapting the book to a script, but there are things that they certainly missed. I think one of the things that made me the most upset is the fact that they cut the how Katniss actually gets the pin. In the book, she gets the pin from a girl who believed in her even though they were the richest of District 12 (another reason why she’s important, in the movie we don’t really understand that there is the Seam and then there is higher up District 12) we see that Katniss actually managed to make an impact on someone. Another things that didn’t impress me was that they didn’t explain the terrace. The terrace is the idea that you can put your name in multiple time for the means of food (oil and flour I do believe) to help get you through the year. This is why so many people don’t understand the conversation in the movie where Gale and Katniss are sitting before the Reaping where they ask each other how many times the others names are entered. A big spoiler next (you were warned) I found it odd that Peeta’s metal leg wasn’t shown at the end of the movie. During the sequel, Catching Fire, this injury plays a prominent part in his characters role. Hopefully they can find a way to recover from missing it in the first movie. I guess in my opinion these things are important and without them, the movie can’t quite do the book the justice it deserves. As well during the ending scenes, I felt that the dogs weren’t done quite right. In the books, they are made to look like the dead tributes. Which only makes the experience more frightening. How would you like to look in the eyes of someone you killed?

Ok I’m taking sides and I hate to break it to you but in most cases I will always say that the books are better than the movies. I’m sorry movie lovers, this may not always be the case. But if you ever ask me to I will give my opinion on a book vs movie comparison. 

Let’s not finish this comparison without seeing the other side. The movie did offer some greater insight to the idea of Panem and the capital. The idea that they really did dress so unusually is amplified in the movie and I love that! I loved seeing Effie and hearing her speak in her Capitol accent, especially how she used the actual quote from the reaping “Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be forever in your favour.” I think that actress did a fantastic job of playing Effie. That what felt the most realistic to me. I also loved the choice of other character, my favourite including Cinna, Haymitch and Rue. Although we don’t see a lot of Rue, she fit the way I had imagined her in my mind. I also enjoyed some of the suspense that the movie brought out, I feel that the music choice helped with that immensely. Especially during the ending scenes.

I am looking forward to watching the next Hunger Games movie coming out in November I believe. I think  that this movie will have to be a bit better than the first as it is close to a completely different cast, but I suppose we shall have to see.

Thank so much for reading my second ever movie book comparison.

Tell me your opinion below or email me at sweetgirlsid@hotmail.com

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment

Author: Lauren Kate

Series: FALLEN (Book #2)

Pages: 269

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Year Published: 2010

First Line: “Daniel stared out at the bay.”

“I can’t lie, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like, it was filled with so much feeling, not just romantic feelings but also curiousity, that it made so much more sense to me. The characters in this novel are expanding and while we say see ya later to some we get to meet so many more interesting personas because of the change in setting. Another, interesting twist, that I thought was clever. A change of setting so easily changes how I was able to view the book. All of this added up to make one fantastic romance novel, that is not too romancy (I’m creating words now, someone call Websters). I can’t believe that I’m starting to really enjoy romance books, not that I can say I’ll ever be able to read a true romance novel, but I’m able to enjoy it. Probably because its not purely romance, it’s also adventurous. Thank God or whatever you believe in! I can’t wait to download the next eBook and get to reading it."

My Rating 4.5/5

I can’t lie, I really enjoyed this book. I feel like, it was filled with so much feeling, not just romantic feelings but also curiousity, that it made so much more sense to me. The characters in this novel are expanding and while we say see ya later to some we get to meet so many more interesting personas because of the change in setting. Another, interesting twist, that I thought was clever. A change of setting so easily changes how I was able to view the book. All of this added up to make one fantastic romance novel, that is not too romancy (I’m creating words now, someone call Websters). I can’t believe that I’m starting to really enjoy romance books, not that I can say I’ll ever be able to read a true romance novel, but I’m able to enjoy it. Probably because its not purely romance, it’s also adventurous. Thank God or whatever you believe in! I can’t wait to download the next eBook and get to reading it.

I also thought I’d mention that if anyone is interested in borrowing free eBooks ask your local library if they have an eLibrary. I know that the Manitoba libraries do and it’s a great and easy way to find a book you might not be able to find at home. Best of luck, sorry for the random chatter.

THANK YOU LAUREN KATE FOR BEING ABLE TO QUESTION ALL THIS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT HEARSAY!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Torment by Lauren Kate

This book is quite a surprise to read. I know that some people must read the first book and think, “Wow this is too much lovey dovey business for me! Where’s the action?” I can tell you that in this instalment there is certainly more action to be had. True, it is still a romance, and it doesn’t shy away from its origins, it just adds on. I loved that in this book Luce is actually discovering stuff about the angelic (and demonic) world. That she’s able to learn so much more about the “shadows”. That’s a huge stepping stone in this book. And she’s strong enough to start wanting to form her own opinion of her past, instead of always having to guess. I suppose now would be the time to go under the Characters heading before I get carried away.

♥Characters♥

♥Luce: I think she’s starting to realize that she shouldn’t always just believe what everyone is telling her, and that she has the right to decide things for herself. True in the past she’s been tied to Daniel, and true she probably loves him more than anything else, but that’s part of a pattern. What if there was more? Since this is her last life to live, as we’re guessing it must be since she wasn’t baptized meaning she won’t go through reincarnation again, she should be able to choose who she ends up with. As well, I know this might ruin some ideas for you, but I don’t think Daniel is the one who tips the balance between Heaven and Hell, I’m pretty sure it’s Luce. I don’t know what she is for sure, but I’m sure there is a chance that she is Nephilim. I was also happy to find that she started tracking down her old families, hopefully meeting some others would go better next time.

♥Daniel: I can’t say that I understand him nearly as much in this book. He tells Luce to stay away from him, only for a little while, but he is constantly going over to see her and stirring the pot. Why wouldn’t you just stay away. Seriously! As well, if someone started treating me like a 5 year old, you can bet your butt that I wouldn’t take it. She was right to argue with him, as he didn’t tell her any necessary information. I’m sorry but sometimes guys are morons…

♥Cam: I think he deserves mention. He must be trying to make Luce see that she shouldn’t just go with Heaven, the “good” side, that maybe the demons side isn’t so bad… that is if she is the one who will tip the scale.  He did a good thing protecting her and driving her back to the school, but you would think he at least would explain more to her.

♥Shelby:  Pretty awesome in the long run, I thought she was a brat in the beginning, but really she had her reasons. Couldn’t believe that she didn’t know that Phill was an Outsider, silly silly. I am happy that she’s trying to look after Luce though, even though she had a crush on Daniel once.

♥Miles: Option #3, I like him. Sweet, easy going, and obviously in love with Luce, but I can’t help but think that he’s too good to be true. Could he be working for a side, and just not  be telling her that. I like him, but I’m not sure if they could even work, guess we’ll see.

♥Steven: What was he is and how he acts, doesn’t seem to add up all the time. He seems more polite, kind even. He did try to help Luce find her past, that is before she took it too far. I wonder about him and Francesca relationship. How can they love each other day to day, knowing that at some point they will have to fight till the death?

♥Dawn and Jasmine: I know we all know the girls who are like this, but at least they’re really trying to be good friends to Luce. Oh, the life of the popular crowd.

♥Moments to Remember♥:

♥Pg. 39

“Jasmine smacked Dawn on the arm. ‘Did you just compare Luce’s unbridled passion to a hot flash?’”

♥Pg. 47

“’My family’s obsessed with me being at Shoreline. You should hear the pressure I get at home to date a ‘nice Nephilim girl for once’’”

♥Pg.  48

“’the way kids here look at me like I’m some legendary freak. Anonymous freak, I got used to. But notorious freak-‘”

♥Pg.  73

“’When you got close enough to see this party, I noticed everyone dancing,’ he said. ‘And I got a little jealous.’

 ‘Jealous?’ Luce asked. They were alone now. She threw her arms around his broad shoulders and looked deep into his violet eyes. ‘Why would you be jealous?’

 ‘Because,’ he said, rubbing his hands across her back. ‘Your dance card is full. For all eternity.’”

♥Pg.  104

“’Hell no, reincarnation is for freaks.’

 Luce frowned and dug her hands into the wet sand, wanting to bury herself in it.

 ‘Hello, that was a joke.’ Shelby nudged Luce playfully. ‘Tailored especially for the girl who’s had to go through puberty a thousand times.’ She grimaced. ‘Once was enough for me, thank you very much.’”

♥Pg.  118

“Cam was smoking a cigarette, humming to himself like he didn’t have a care in the world. Except that he was covered entirely in blood and gore.”

♥ Pg. 142

“”Are we breaking up?’ he asked, his voice weak and low.

 ‘Are we even together, Daniel?’”

♥Pg. 210

“You don’t look so good. I mean- you look great, that’s not what I meant. At all. I really like that dress. And your hair looks pretty. But you also look kind of’- he frowned- ‘down.’”

Final Line: “Always.” (Not the best one, I know.)

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Title: Red Glove

Author: Holly Black

Series:  The Curse Workers (Book #2)

Pages: 325

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Year Published: 2011

First Line: “I don’t know whether it’s day or night when the girl gets up to leave.”

“Curse and Cons.

 Magic and The Mob.

 In Cassel Sharpe’s world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth- he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything- or anyone- into something else.

 That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she’s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila’s been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion-worker mom. And if Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.

 When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue- crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too- they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive But where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone- least of all, himself?

 Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game to dangerous to lose.”

My Rating:  5/5

This book really stepped up from the first one. I feel like I could relate to the characters a lot more, and there was enough suspense that I didn’t know quite what was gonna happen next. That’s always a good thing for me to find in a book. And lately I haven’t  read a whole lot of it, so this was a pleasant surprise. I also feel that Holly Black really dived into the details of the way society works in this scenario. I felt like I actually knew what was going on, and what it was like to be a worker. That’s a really important factor. I loved that the diction had changed from simple to more complex. Using all simple words makes a book boring, not to mention makes me feel slightly stupid. I can understand why she did that, but I’m happy she changed it for the second book. Finally, I loved the twist at the end of the book. I hope to go pick up the third book sometime this week, or at least order it. Can’t wait.

THANK YOU HOLLY BLACK FOR SHOWING THAT STEREOTYPES CAN REALLY HURT, MORE THAN WE’D THINK!

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Red Glove by Holly Black

I was really impressed with how this second book played out. It was a sure step up from the first book. As readers we get to explore the world that the workers live in, and  exploring the characters. I loved that we got to see what Proposition 2 would really mean to the worker community. How law enforcement treats these people just because they were born a certain way. It almost reminded me of how people were treated before a genocide. And when Zacharov talks about how his father was raised and how the crime families started it makes me think that really that could happen to everyone. Its happened to people who feel like an underdog. Its an uprising that could really happen. People are scared of the unknown.

♥Character♥ :

♥Cassel: I feel that he really grew up in this book. He had to think about how to deal with his brothers death, high school, dealing with the Feds as well as a major crime boss, and his brother, Barron. I’d say he’s having quite the senior year. I feel like Phillip’s death was not only a huge surprise to him, but as well the fact that he’d been working with the Feds was another shock. I was surprised as well that Cassel went so far with Lila. I was disappointed that at the end she didn’t understand why he tried to rework her into feeling nothing for him, but now she just hates him. Damn it!  As well, I was surprised that he turned himself in, but what else was he gonna do? He was stuck, but it does make you wonder what Zacharov’s going to do about this whole situation.

♥Cassel’s Mother: She isn’t careful about who she works, she just does what she wants and doesn’t seem to care about if it gets her in trouble. Why would she work a famous politician into backing out of Proposition 2, his main point during a campaign. That looks more suspicious than you can ever guess it to be.

♥Sam: I was disappointed that Sam acted out so much when he found out what Daneca was a worker, I do understand that she should have told him, but how do you even tell someone that? It’s not really first date conversation, is it? But he didn’t shy away from Cassel, although he didn’t know that he had killed people (or helped kill them) before. Hopefully he and Daneca work things out and he continues to support Cassel.

♥Daneca: I didn’t see her being a worker. Especially not an emotional worker. But when you look back it does make sense. I wonder why she didn’t bring that up when Cassel came out.

♥Lila: Its awful that she was cursed to love someone. But I think that she liked Cassel to begin with and they could have made it work. I wish they would have just been together even though she was cursed, but no Cassel had to be the good guy and try to change things back.  Hopefully she doesn’t hate Cassel forever, and understands why he tried to change things back for her.

♥Barron: I can’t believe he figured it out, but I suppose that was bound to happen.

♥Maura: I do understand why she felt that she had to kill Phillip. It’s like being forced to get back into an abusive relationship. Really she was saving herself and Aaron. I wish her the best, but hopefully she doesn’t feel the need to come after Cassel.

♥The Feds: Are they workers? I don’t really know. The way they look at Barron and Cassel, I’d assume not but maybe they consider themselves good workers, instead of bad.

♥Zacharov: The way he explains how and why the crime families became who they are, actually makes sense to me. If you were treated horribly, would you want to go with the flow of a nation that abused you? Or would you fight back?

♥Moments to Remember♥:

♥Pg. 26

“’Whoa,’ I say, holding up my hand. ‘I want more detail. Like does this mean we have to make our own signs? How about ‘Worker Rights for Everyone Except People Who Don’t Need Them’ or ‘Legalize Death Work Today. Solve Overpopulation Tomorrow!’”

♥Pg. 29

“Seriously, this guy-one of the counsellors, I guess- makes it sound like in college they make you write all your essays in blood, your lab partners might shank you if you bring down their grade point averages, and evening classes last all night long. He clearly misses it.’”

♥Pg.  109

“’I’ve seen the way you look at her,’ Audrey says. ‘I know you, Cassel. So that brings me to asking you again- what are you doing?’

 ‘Screwing up,’ I say.

 ‘Good answer.’ She smiles a little, almost despite herself, and leans in to pat me on the cheek. ‘Stop it.’”

♥Pg. 116

“Doesn’t she know that muggers don’t wear ties?’

 I straighten my collar. ‘I’m a better class of criminal. A gentleman thief, if you will.’”

♥Pg.  123

“’You know how Mr. Knight is getting a little bit on the senile side? Like walking past the classroom and having to double back, or putting on his sweater over a winter coat?’

 I nod, although I haven’t had Mr. Knight for anything. I’ve just seen him in the halls. He looks like a typical ancient English professor- tweedy, with leather elbow pads and white nose hair.

 ‘Well, today he came into class, and not only had he forgotten to zip up after a trip to the bathroom, he forgot to tuck his junk back in.’”

♥Pg. 165

“She’s got on long silver earrings that dangle like daggers, and a white dress that rides up her thighs when she sits down. I try not to notice. Okay, I try not to stare, because that would make me crash the car and kill us both.”

♥Pg. 175

“’Besides, you know what’s creepier than walking around your dead brother’s apartment? Sitting alone in a hearse in front of his apartment.’”

Last Line: “After all, hell is supposed to be hot.”

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo

Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen

Author: Lauren Kate
Series: FALLEN
Pages: 452
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Year Published:2009
First Line: “Around midnight, her eyes at last took shape.”

 “What if the person you were meant to be with could never be yours?”

“There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
 Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at Sword & Cross boarding school in Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are screwups, and the security cameras watch every move.
 Except Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce- he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret… even if it kills her.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.”

 

My Rating:4.5/5

 

True to the description, this book is a good romance that involves twists that aren’t that expected. Through out the book I found that as a reader I got to know Lucinda (Luce) and could connect with her. I love that the main character doesn’t have the idea of what’s going on anymore than we do and that makes this more enjoyable as we get to find out some of the information on our own. I do enjoy the idea of good and evil and that is well played in this book. I do feel that this book could have used more description at times I was left feeling confused as the words written didn’t give me something to visualize. I like to be able to close my eyes and see what’s happening. True enough I was able to visualize the characters very well, but the events also matter to me and that’s why I wasn’t able to give this book a full 5. I am excited to start the second book and will be putting it on my eReader asap.
THANK YOU LAUREN KATE FOR A DIFFERENT VERSION OF A PARANORMAL (DON’T WANT TO GIVE IT AWAY) ROMANCE!

 

Thanks for reading,
Love,
Sidny xoxo

Spoiler: Fallen by Lauren Kate

As mentioned above this book is a true romance, and although that is not my favourite kind of book to read I found that this one grew on me. I easily fell in love with the characters and without much difficulty was able to understand Luce’s perspective. I do feel like we missed out on so much information because the fact that Luce might hear it might kill her. That part also confuses me. Why would to much information do her in? That doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me. I do love the idea of good and evil and although more often than not I’m pulled towards the evil in a group, I have to say that Daniel managed to capture my heart. I guess I’m a sucker after all.

 

♥Characters:♥

♥Luce: I might ruin this for those of you who haven’t figured this part out yet, but I’m pretty sure that Luce is a fallen angel or something of the sorts, it would make sense to me because that way if she was killed by Miss Sophia, then Daniel would have been able to win. I don’t know if that’s my twisted way of thinking or I just haven’t had enough caffeine this morning, but hey there’s an opinion. As well, I’m confused at why Trevor and Tom died. Trevor she tried to kiss while Tom she was trying to save and only had him by the hand. Dark magic??? It’s awful that she has a whole past with one man that she doesn’t remember, but hopefully we get to hear more about that in the coming books. Should be interesting.

♥Penn: I felt awful when Penn died. I half expected her to come back and go with Luce, but when she turned out to be mortal, sigh. Hopefully she gets the proper burial beside her father.

♥Arianne: I didn’t see this one being an angel, but I suppose that would make sense. She seemed a bit to punk, but I’m happy we’re breaking a stereotype here. I’m extremely curious about the scars on the back of her neck. How do you figure she got those.

♥Gabbe: I’m not all that surprised that Gabbe turned out to be an angel. In appearance she fits the stereotype. It also makes the hallway talk between her and Daniel make a lot more sense. I actually think that they might be related. I could be wrong though.

♥Daniel: It didn’t take long for me to fall for this guy. Obviously out of this worldly beautiful (see what I did there) and he seems like he’s a good guy all in all. I do wonder about his past that might come up in Luce’s memories. What could be so bad that she’d turn to Cam instead of Daniel? And how well to those two know each other? Have they been fighting over Luce for all of time, or has it only just begun? This is what I can’t over look. A handshake between these two must mean something more than just that.

♥Cam: I knew that he wasn’t a “good” guy, but I think there’s something in him that used to be good, but he hides now. I don’t believe he’s the devil itself, but then who is he really and how did he turn into who he is? How long has he been chasing after Luce? Suspicions.

♥Roland: I didn’t think this guy was evil at all. Seemed like the regular amount of bad boy no more no less and here he turns out to be on Cam’s side. What?!

♥Miss Sophia: Now if someone in a book tells a different character to trust someone, should we believe it? Doubtful! This goes horribly wrong in this story as Miss Sophia turns out to be bat shit crazy. I would hope that someone would catch her, Cam this might be your cue.

 

 

♥Moments to Remember:♥

♥Pg. 74

“A warm feeling came over Luce as she looked around the library. She’d always loved the faintly sweet musty way that only a roomful of books smelled. She took comfort in the soft occasional sound of turning pages.”

 

♥Pg. 154

“’If any of you have ever traced your own family tree,’ she called over the din of the crowd, ‘then you’ll know what sorts of treasures lie buried in the roots.’

 ‘Oh, jeez, please kill the metaphor,’ Pen whispered, ‘Or kill me. One or the other.’”

 

♥Pg. 275

“And Luce brought up the rear, considering what might happen if she were to give her parents her own personal tour of the cemetery.

 Here’s where I served my first detention…

 And here’s where a falling marble angel nearly decapitated me…

 And here’s where a reform school boy you’d never approve of took me on the strangest picnic of my life."

 

♥Pg. 370 

“’Roland.’ Luce turned to him. ‘I need to ask you something.’

 ‘Talk to me.’ He pulled a notepad and a pen out of his black-and-white pinstriped blazer. He held the pen poised over the paper, like a waiter taking an order. ‘What do you want? Coffee? Booze? I only get the hard stuff on Fridays. Dirty magazines?’”

 

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Sidny xoxo