**QWERTY**

Fade by A.K. Morgen
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

What do you do when you realize nothing in your life is what you’ve believed it to be?
When Arionna Jacobs loses her mother in a tragic accident, her world is turned upside down. She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father. Dace Matthews, a teaching assistant at her new college, is torn in two, unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him.
When they meet, everything they thought they knew about life unravels. Dace has intimate access to Arionna’s mind, and something deep within her fights to rise to the surface. They don't understand what's happening to them or why, and they're running out of time to sort out the strange occurrences around them.
Their meeting sets an ancient Norse prophesy of destruction in motion, and what destiny has in store for them is bigger than either could have ever imagined. Unless they learn to trust themselves and one another, they may never resolve the mystery surrounding who they are to one another, and what that means for the world.

Actual rating: 0.5 star (Well, it's slightly better than Ever)



The Lord has given me strength to stomach this book, so here is what I came up with:

When I first saw the book blurb '....She’s forced to leave her old life behind and move in with her father (heard that before)...unable to communicate with the feral wolf caged inside him (yup, definitely about werewolves or shapeshifter, nothing new)...Norse prophesy-

Wait, what?

Norse prophesy?

Do you think what I think?


*flails*

Yup, apparently I wanted to read this book because of Loki. Well, not entirely...because I wanted to see myself what's all the fuss about the horribleness of this book. LOL. I couldn't agree more with the other reviewers, but for the sake of entertainment, I shall review this with character interview style!

***SPOILERS ALERT***

Me: *Clears throat* Hi Arionna! 'Nice' to have you here with us. So, let's get straight to business. During your mom funeral, you saw a wolf. And what did you feel at that moment?

Arionna: I wonder if he'd lost a loved one too. Do animals feel loss like us? Do they grieve, too? I hoped not.

Me: *Eye-twitch* So instead of running away from the scene and warning everyone else about the presence of the wolf, you wondered...did he (oh, you know its gender too)...ermm..lost a loved one too?
How...considerate.
Okay, moving on. When you first laid your eyes on Dace, you felt...

Arionna: Oh, I felt like I knew him. I felt...peaceful. As if looking at this beautiful boy washed away everything that happened since Mom died. I felt right in the way I never had before, not only unburdened and aware, but complete. Like gaping hole inside me had fillied with him. I think Dace felt the same way.

Me: *Snorts* I mean, sure! Your mom would feel so proud to see that you were moving on because...you met, ermm no, saw a random guy from a distance. And I believe Dace said he was not used to seeing beautiful girls standing on crumbling walls every day when he first met you?

Arionna: Yeah, he'd call me beautiful. *blushes*

Me: .......Uh, right. And then he held you gaze, an absolutely predatory gleam in his eyes. Nothing human reflected in that look, but something complete male did. His desire brushed across your thoughts like a caress. He wanted you, wanted to claim me. You was a virgin, but you wanted him to claim you?

Arionna: *Nods sheepishly*
Me:
Tell me, girl. Which part of the word 'rape' that you didn't understand?
Anywaaaaaaaaaay, how do you view yourself?

Arionna: I'm just a girl. Just a sad, messed up girl. Nothing special about me at all.

Me: *Blink blink* Uhuhjustanothermarysue.

Arionna: What did you say?

Me: Nothing. How did you meet Dace for the next time?

Arionna: Call it instinct or whatever, but I knew he'd snow sooner or later when I went jogging in that area. Around forty-five minutes later, he showed up.

Me: Ermm..so, you just waited randomly for a random guy for 45 minutes in random area. And when he did show up, you didn't want to talk, you wasn't ready to face him. You felt like you might start crying if you opened your mouth. You didn't let him touch you and you were half afraid the scene from Thursday would repeat if he touched you. Hmm.

Arionna: Yup.

Me: Then, Dace said you two are probably soul mates? In your second meeting?

Arionna: Aha, yes.

Me:
And then a few minutes later, you guys were kissing each other senseless? And you even hoped that he takes away your virginity against a tree?

Arionna: Yes. Whoaa...why you get so uptight?

Me: Me? Uptight? Eh, of course not. *wipes sweat on forehead* Okay, so you met a girl, a friend of Dace and what did she think about you and Dace?

Arionna: Chelle thinks maybe I'll be good for him.

Me: (Weird town, everybody thinks Arionna and Dace are soul mates. Really? How sweet!) And I also noticed you have a tendency to pass out or cry whenever you think the situation got better of you.

Arionna: Well, I couldn't help it.

Me: (Damsel in distress level 9000) Okay, tell me something. When Dace told you about what he really is, how did you feel?

Arionna: I thought I'm like him, I thought I'm not me.

Me: Instead of having a hard time believing Dace, you thought you're like him? You're just- Wow! I'm speechless. And you are really an incredible young woman, you know that, Miss Arionna? Because your heart felt like cracking open when you heard the death of Dani, the girl you're barely know.

Arionna: I-

Me: Yes, you're so incredible, Dace like to call you love? Like, I never heard of any of my friend's boyfriends calling their girlfriend love. The only person who uses that term of endearment is that lady from the post office. She even called me cupcake once. I wonder why Dace doesn't call you that. Huh.

Arionna: He-

Me: And suddenly halfway throughout the story, everybody isn't really a human? Yay! Now, we have a love child of Fallen and Shiver.

Arionna: Yup, that's the idea! And here's my favourite quote from the book, "...well, had the wolf not be so eager, I wasn't sure I'd still be a virgin.

Me: Arionna?

Arionna: And Dace replied 'telepathically' of course. 'Do you honesltly think I'd take your virginity on a picnic table?

Me: What r u're doing

Arionna: And I asked 'Why not?'

Me: Arionna?

Arionna: It's better than the back of a car.

Me: STAHP!
(And punches are flying)

Me: Okay, kids. I think we're done here. Kthxbai.

Did I care about the mythology? No. I was too distracted with the level of intelligence shown by the characters. But I think that's the only thing that worth the 0.5 star because everything else is just wrong on so many levels.

Bonus time: I think my tablet got so petrified with my decision to read this book despite all the warnings. I brought it on board during my Dolphin Explorer cruise, or Dolphin Fin Explorer cruise as I'd call it (I only saw the fin of the dolphin, that's why. But what do I expect with a $8 cruise! Pffttt), and somehow I accidentally left it(I think my tablet just got scared too much until it decided to be left). And my tablet did have valid reasons to be scared.

View all my reviews

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.
Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.
Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

This one is like one massive parody of all-things paranormal. I might like it if I was fourteen. The plot is very similar to Hex Hall, at least up until the point where I decided that this just doesn't worth my time.

Annoying, self-conscious, whiny heroine who thinks she's funny.

Her life had toilet-bound stamped all over it.

Suddenly, Kylie started feeling people turn and look at her. Or were they looking at all of them?

Stupid, spineless best friend.

The she recalled how Sara had given in to Brad's "needs"-Brad who was the love of Sarah's life-yet, within two weeks of giving in, the love of Sara's life had dumped her. What was so special about that?
Since then, Sara had dated four other guys, and she'd slept with two of them.

To Sara, fitting in was...everything. If blue eye shadow was rave, you can bet Sara would have blue eye shadow before the week was out.

I didn't read far enough to know how the love interest, Derek and Lucas are like.

Just found out there'll be five books in this series.

May God have mercy for all those trees sacrificed in the making of the remaining books.

View all my reviews

The Shapeshifter's Secret by Heather Ostler
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

She tried telling herself to stop, but it was useless. Something had fully claimed her mind and body. A sound began to erupt from inside her chest, a deep sort of growl that seized her entire being. She felt as if there was a grizzly bear inside her, trying to escape. And then a deafening roar echoed from her mouth, only inches away from Lancer’s face. It took everything inside of her not to attack him.
In Julia’s life, timing is everything. Like the time her paranoid father put bars on her window so she wouldn’t sneak out at night—even though she’s never given him a reason not to trust her. Or the time this weird new kid showed up at her school and pretty much every girl in sight instantly and inexplicably fell in love with him. What was up with that?
But as time moves on, things in Julia’s life go from strange to seriously impossible. Now it’s all she can do to keep herself and the life she’s always known from falling apart.
This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very last page. Get lost in a world of hidden royalty, shifting alliances, and dangerous vendettas, but don’t ever forget: nothing is what it seems.

This e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley and Cedar Fort Publishing.

I hate bashing a book by a debut author, but dear Heather Ostler, my feeling after I finished your book is identical to the feeling I got after I had been Rickrolled.
Oh, that famous ankle-dancing simply melts my heart

Like, if I were to pull a prank on an innocent victim, I'd tell that person to read this book because;

This fast-paced action-adventure story is packed with humor, romance, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing to the very last page. Get lost in a world of hidden royalty, shifting alliances, and dangerous vendettas, but don’t ever forget: nothing is what it seems.

Remember that? It's from the blurb. And I got almost nothing of those.

I'VE BEEN TROLLED BY THE BLURB!!!

It was bit unfortunate because I read this right after I finished with Daughter of Bone and Smoke, so it was like one of those moments when you just ate a banquet from a top restaurant, you come home and someone offers you a plate or yesterday's microwaved lasagne.

To add salt to the wound, I was forced to read this on my laptop, in pdf format because somehow I couldn't copy it into my tablet (and I don't have a kindle account to ask for the kindle format).


I had several moments where I was so tempted to pile this in my DNF shelf but unlike Wilde's Fire, I kept telling myself to move on because for the first 280 pages out of 330, there was technically nothing going on! How am I supposed to write a review if I had nothing to review on?

This is so frustrating because look at the cover! It is beyond gorgeous!!!

*Tries to calm herself by singing soft kitty*

I'm sorry to say but the opening can't get anymore cliche than that. Set in a US high school, Julia and Sierra are two besties. One day, a new boy, Caleb enrol in the school and he seems to know a lot about Julia and Julia is instantaneously drawn to him.

Usually I'd be grateful when I know that ***Spoilers ahead*** the mysterious guy like Caleb is not the protag, Julia's love interest. That's new! But no, her romance with Terrence was all over the place and more like a customary jock-cheerleader relationship than an actual love.***Spoilers finished***[the mysterious guy like Caleb is not the protag, Julia's love interest. That's new! But no, her romance with Terrence was all over the place and more like a customary jock-cheerleader relationship than an actual love. (hide spoiler)]

The story did pick up afterwards. The home raid and the escape whereby Caleb saved Julia's life was surprisingly well-written. Now that I thought about it, it seems like someone else was writing those parts.

What happens next reminded me a lot of Hex Hall...

...and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret.

Tom Riddle Julia is a descendent of Salazar Slytherin Siron, therefore she's the only one who can open the chamber portal...

Sophie Julia's grandmother mother tries to kill her...

The idea of a school for wizards shapeshifters and water people (yes, that phase is used by the book), the invisibility cloak rock, the bitter Prof Snape Mr Knightley yada yada.

No, simply no.

It's puzzling me that this is a stand-alone book because lots of background information was thrown in the book, some of them are not relevant at all and at the end, ***Spoilers ahead*** Alexis escaped and the government still remained corrupted. And the lie detector ring! I thought it'll come into use somehow!***Spoilers finished***

And last time I checked, this book is tagged as Young Adult not Juvenile or Middle Grade but the writing is very basic and simple. And if I have a middle-grader sister, I would still ask her to avoid this book because I hardly found any inspiring characters or valuable lessons out of it.

God...what's with the teenage angst and deserting your friend because he didn't tell you he has a girlfriend?

And these dialogues...


I imagined them coming out of this girl

Yup, the infamous annoying facebook girl

So...I should expect that this book has many twists and turns?

The only twist I got was at the end, and it wasn't even remotely surprising because I long had expected it to be an inside-job.

Sorry, but I'm off to grab an aspirin.

View all my reviews