Review: Immortal City

Review for Immortal City

By: Scott Speer


(Kindle) Location 746 "It was one of those moments in life, Maddy thought, one of those moments where you had to choose between what you knew was right and your friend." 




SYNOPSIS:
Angel City is an alternate universe where instead of the media and general populace worshiping celebrities and keeping up with their day to day activities - the world instead worships Angels. At some point after WWII, Angels decided to come out of the closet so to speak and turned the business of saving lives into just that - a business where only those who can afford to pay for protection benefit. 


Maddy is a "poor" girl with a close group of friends who doesn't care about the Angels. She spends her time focusing on college apps and the scholarships she needs to attend. However, that all changes when Maddy captures the attention of THE hottest Angel and she likewise feels a irresistible attraction to him. 


REVIEW:


This review is going to come off a little...biting...but I just can't help it. 


It's very easy to write a novel where you simply take everything from the real world and instead of the word "celebrity" you simply insert "Angel." Granted the author did try to put some flesh to Angel history by having had them reveal themselves around 60 years ago, but simply put - I was not impressed by this so called alternate universe that was really in fact too similar to reality. 


And I just have to say... I could not get over that the author felt that if someone shops at Target - it means they are poor! Oh poor Maddy - she can only afford Target! What? Hello, Michelle Obama shops there...and honestly the $100 I end up spending there goes way further at say Walmart for example. Maybe this wouldn't have bothered me if he hadn't mentioned it like 5x...


Lastly, what is this book about? Love? A message about society? It's difficult to tell because there isn't a clear cut focus. The result is that I didn't feel a real connection between Maddy and Jackson and I didn't really care to find out more about the Angels. 


Then as usual I looked up the author to see if he had a website - and lo and behold what did I find out? He is the ex-boyfriend of a celebrity. Scott Speer So not only does this now sound like he has a bone to pick with the very world in which he exists!!!! but now I was able to understand why he thought Target was such a low grade store! 


Bottom Line: While the premise is very clever and original - that's about all that's interesting about this novel. I also can't help but think author uses himself as a canvas for his main male character's supposed good looks!


Rating:  ♥  = eh, not so good

Review: Original Sin

398 Pages
Published in 2011
By: Lisa Desrochers

"I'm feeling just short of terrified, but as I melt into her, the fire spreading under my skin settles into a warm glow. I deepen our kiss, needing to feel closer, wanting this-my first kiss with my first girlfriend-to last forever."  p.214

 "This time, the force of His power is unbearable - unfiltered Hellfire ripping through my body and destroying everything in its path. The last thing I hear before everything fades into agonizing black is my own scream." p. 285

SYNOPSIS:

Luc adjusts to his new human form while dealing with demons who have been sent to retrieve him back to Hell. When the demons on his tail discover that he has become mortal, and to boot is tagged for Heaven, they stick around to find out how he did it.


Gabe can no longer resist Frannie and so leaves her protection in charge of her twin brother Matt. But Matt is not as experienced with being a guardian, and finds himself grappling with emotions of lust, guilt, and maybe even love for Luc's new neighbor, Lilli.


Things are going well for Frannie and Luc and Frannie tries to develop her Sway. But just when she begins to settle into a summer routine things go drastically wrong - her friend Taylor is caught up with a demon, Matt is not around to protect her, she struggles to master her Sway, and ...worst of all...she discovers that she may not be able to trust Luc after all.

REVIEW:

The one thing that I can say is that this is no filler book. Often what you see with the second book in a series is that the author simply expands on a weak storyline, maybe introduces a new character, makes one revelation, but inspires tons of more questions.


Original Sin is not like that. Fans of Personal Demons are treated to another thrilling roller coaster ride with plot twists and new adventures. She also develops all of the characters to further reveal their fears and dreams.


Unfortunately the characters lose their individuality. What I LOVED about Personal Demons was that all of the characters came across so strongly. With Original Sin at times I even forgot from whose view I was reading.


Luc also becomes a boring, emotional fellow and Frannie vacillates between worry about Taylor, worrying about her Sway or hooking up with either Luc or Gabe. And then there's Matt. A sort of blank character who helps to move plot along because of his involvement with Lilli.


Yeah, I'll read the third book to see what happens. But I'm not as excited.


Bottom Line: I like how different the concepts are in this book. I hope the author picks up in book three where she left off in book one. And just as a side note, the events in this book become much more mature in terms of violence and sex. Not for tweenies.

♥ ♥ .5 = liked it

Review: Torment

464 Pages
Published in 2010
By Lauren Kate

"She had to believe there was more to what she felt for Daniel: a valuable, locked-away history that added up to something bigger than a few nights of blissful kissing and a few more nights of arguing. Because if the past had no value, that was really all they had." (p.149)





SYNOPSIS:


Torment picks up almost immediately after the end of Fallen. Luce is transported to a new school to shield her from the enemies, and Daniel and Cam have adhered to an 18 day truce. As a part of this agreement Daniel is supposed to stay away from Luce, but cannot help popping in at times.


Luce finds it difficult to fit in with the kids at the new school, mainly because they are either rich human kids, or Nephilim, humans mixed with angel blood. Yet, Luce is able to form her own little circle who help her to learn more about her past, and cheer her up whenever she is upset.

In this second installment, we see Luce discover more about her past and learn to face her fears.

REVIEW:

Torment does what a second book is supposed to - keep the readers interested in the story by revealing a few secrets, but overall leaving the big picture unanswered. In this way, it was (sorry to be corny) but a torment to get through this book.

We have the same set up (Luc at a new school), where everyone seems to know her past and the truth about her relationship with Daniel - whereas Luc remains in the dark. Why doesn't she simply question the other characters more agressively? Or, grab one of those textbooks they mention numerous times as how they learned about her?

Once again, Luce spends her time either being caught up in Daniel whenever he appears, or in the throes of depression when they have an argument and he goes away. Cam is also a completely flat character in this novel, whereas in the first one I'm sure we all were tempted to have Luce end up with him.

There were some cool aspects about the book - for one Luce is able to peer into some of her past lives. (But then again we only see like two and they are both from recent eras when the indication is that Luce has been around for eons) and Luce does begin to explore her feelings for Daniel in order to find meaning in their attraction. Also, in the end Luce finally stands up for herself.

I will be reading the third novel - but only to end the (excuse me for being corny again) torment of not really knowing what is going on!

♥ ♥ = not too bad, not too great 

Review: Devil's Kiss

336 Pages
Published in 2010
By Sarwat Chadda

" The car rocked gently. A pair of bare white feet landed softly on the hood, and a dark coat fanned out, covering the windshield. A silver of light caught the bright terrible edge of a broadsword; a familiar one with a hacking blade. Then the windshield shattered." (p.186)



SYNOPSIS:

Billi is an unwilling member of the Knights Templar, a group dedicated to hunting down evil supernaturals. Though she yearns to lead a 'normal' life, her father, the leader of the group,  gives her no choice but to balance school with physical and academic training for the group. 


When Billi meets Mike, she finds herself drawn to him. He seems to understand her need for independence, unlike her old friend Kay, who dreams of the day when his psychic powers will be valued as highly as those of a knight. 


Yet, Mike is not the average bad boy that he first portrays himself to be. Then Billi and Kay inadvertently release an ancient evil signal into the world. Added to that, children are dying mysteriously, the Angel of Death is intent on capturing a treasure the Knights protect, and Billi learns of a prophecy that alters everything she has ever known about her father. 


REVIEW:


Unlike most YA novels, the supernaturals in this novel are all evil and the entire setting of the novel is very dark. This at first spooked me out, but as Georgia often points out, that's only because I'm a wimp. 


Having had to put that aside, I really began to enjoy the novel. The author is very adept at making Billi seem real although her life is so different from what we all know. Her emotions flow off the pages naturally, and we understand the reasons behind her choices. 


The reader also witnesses the growth in Billi's maturity. By the end of the novel, she is a champion we can all admire. What I also liked about this novel was that the story was adventure packed and plot driven. There was not a major focus on a love story and none of the characters fell in 'lust' at first sight. 


Another aspect of the novel that I really enjoyed, was that the author brought in a lot of various cultural and religious variety, which is extremely rare in this genre. 


I do recommend this novel and I am trying to get my hands on the second one. However, I would note that I do not think this is appropriate material for anyone below high school level. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I think it is too gory and dark for young readers. 



♥ ♥ ♥ = really liked it

Review: Personal Demons

368 Pages
Published in 2010
Author's Webpage

"I slam my head into the wall. Suddenly, I need to know why Frannie is so important-what their plans are for her. But I don't know, and I won't." (p.72)

"He kisses me deeper as a tear slips from the corner of my eye. I feel like I'm suffocating, but I can't push him away. I want him closer." (p.232)


SYNOPSIS:


Frannie knows she's not the average teenage girl, but nothing prepares her for the path she is about to take.

It's halfway through the year when a new student joins Frannie's high school, Luc. Despite his 'bad boy' aura, Frannie finds herself drawn to him. What she doesn't know is that Luc is on a mission from Hell to retrieve her soul.
Eventually, another new student, Gabriel, poses some distraction from Luc with his angelic good looks. Frannie feels safe and loved when she is with Gabriel.

But Gabriel is here on a mission as well - to claim Frannie's soul for Heaven.

Caught between her attraction for two guys that are completely different, Frannie has no idea that her choice will alter the balance between good and evil in the world. 


Who does she choose? Why do both Hell and Heaven want to claim her soul?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------REVIEW:

First of all, let me just say, that Luc is super hot. Is it possible to gush this much over a character in a novel? Luc is not your typical cryptic or over emotional bad boy. He's bad alright, but his mischievous humor is what really solidifies his character. Yummm.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I'll move onto the plot. hehe.

The characters in this book are sexy and witty. The plot keeps you guessing until the end. And the reader is as confused as Frannie as to which is the better guy. 

The author crafted a story that was intriguing as well as different from what's out there. Even when I thought I had figured out 'the big mystery,' there were still a lot of unanswered questions that had me racing to finish the book.

The author is very adept at bringing the characters to life, especially in continuously altering between two character views. While I usually find this writing style annoying, the author utilizes the method in such way as to keep the plot moving and keep the reader hooked.

There were some aspects of the novel that I did not like. For instance, we do not get enough of one of the guys' perspectives. Also, I felt that the pace and depth of the novel were dropped momentarily when Luc reveals his true self to Frannie. All the while we are treated to a slow buildup in plot, except in this section. 


Would I recommend this book? That's a definite yes. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

♥ ♥ ♥ = really liked it