Blog Hop and Follow Friday!

Hello blog hoppers!

Welcome to The Smarty Owl.

Newbies: be sure to check out our reviews!

Old Followers: thanks for coming back :)

Again. Lack of posts. We hate it as much as you guys do. This week, our schedules have been brimming with heaps and piles of boring homework, sluggish days, and power-walking back and forth in our ocean of a high school, in a race to beat the bell. As you might have noticed, I even hadn't had time to write this post any sooner (it's 9:10) and I stole the same layout from last week in an effort to micro-optimize my time (I really should be doing my homework.) Anyway, I hope you have a great week! I am expecting my long overdue Sleepless review to come out sometime this week so stay with me here :)

and sorry for the boring colors. really annoying technical difficulties with colors right now >:(

Follow Me Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books

I'm totally loving Crazy for Books questions by the way. Very creative.:

Post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months.

Answer:

---My favorite review of Okapi's would have to be her Poison Study review. It is the best one she has written. She masterfully interlaced supporting evidence with strong, confident opinions and weaved them together in beautiful prose. That specific review had been a finalist in a book review competition, and I believe she deserved that honor through and through.

See her awesomesauce review of Poison Study by Maria V. Synder HERE

---The piece I'm most proud of producing is my Firelight review. It just so happens that it was my latest review, which just confirms that I'm improving a little more each day.

See my review of Firelight by Sophie Jordan HERE

Blog Hop and Follow Friday!

Hello blog hoppers!

Welcome to The Smarty Owl.

Newbies: be sure to check out our reviews!

Old Followers: thanks for coming back :)

And also to our loyal followers, we are oh-so-sorry for the lack of posts this week :( High school is hectic! We still need to fix up a scheduling system, but no worries, we'll deliver :)

Follow Me Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books

And without further ado, this weeks blog hop question:

Do you judge a book by its cover?

Answer: Despite the constant hearings of "don't judge a book by its cover" I must admit that I honestly do. It is not right, and it doesn't do the book justice, but while browsing shelves, I really can't help but snigger at the books with bad covers. Covers honestly make an impact on whether you pick up the book at the store. A novel with an alluring, interesting, unforgettable cover will linger in your mind forever until you finally have to submit and buy it. Unattractive covers however, make you lose interest even if the synopsis is intelligent. Those covers always give you the feeling that the book might just be as bad as the cover. Of course, with everything in nature, there are exceptions. The Harry Potter covers are a bit childish and not very curious, yet the content and words hidden beneath it proves to be infinitely better. The Twilight covers are elegant with just enough mystery in them to pull you in. Although once you get to the meat of the novel, you realize the cover was giving you false hope. This is just my personal opinion.

I love covers that have actual connections to the novels, yet still make you long to uncover the unknown by reading it. And that is also how we judge our covers here on The Smarty Owl. After every review, there is a paragraph displaying our thoughts on the cover. We rate them out of 5, 5 being the best. We also provide an explanation for our rating so be sure to check it out in the future!

Example: Our cover examination for The Book Thief

"Cover: 3.5/5 - I personally enjoyed the cover. First of all I thought it was well designed artistically and second, this cover would have hooked me at the bookstore (if my mother hadn't bought my copy for me). Like the actual book, the cover has quite a bit of symbolism in it too. In our perspective (Okapi and I pondered about the symbolism in the cover for a bit), the dominoes represent the people, both Jewish and German, who are getting knocked down by the hand, who we think is a representation of Hitler using words to hurt people. Thus causing a whole chain reaction leading to death, violence, and hurt to many. Though such a strong message is portrayed in such a simple picture, we believe that the picture could relate to the book a bit more, and therefore our rating of a 3.5 out of 5."

10 Reasons I Loved and Hated Mockingjay (SPOILER FREE) [with side commentary by Rica Eat World]

Though this review is spoiler free, PLEASE DO NOT READ IT if you haven't read the previous two books: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Note: Commentary by Rica will be in THIS COLOR

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Dystopian

Target Audience: Teens and adults. (very violent)
Pages: Hardcover - 400 pages

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost. - summary from Goodreads

Two years ago, The Hunger Games astonished readers with its gripping action, screwed up society, and mesmerizing characters. (5 hoots)

Catching Fire once again dazzled readers with a plot riddled with horror and beauty. (4.5 hoots)

Readers, marinated with the suspense that the last pages of Catching Fire drizzled, waited for Mockingjay, the most hyped and extolled book of the year...


5 reasons I loved Mockingjay

"Fire is catching! And if we burn, you burn with us!"

1. The plot unfolds very differently from what one might expect, but Collins manages to execute it beautifully. Mockingjay is destined to be controversial since it's a completely different type of book than the previous two; it has more discussable aspects for people to base opinions on. This book makes readers realize that the trilogy is far greater than the much debated love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, and even greater than the first Hunger Games itself. Mockingjay is about the ethics of war, government, the personal battles of the characters, and the future of Panem. Katniss compares the war to an astronomical Hunger Games, where the players are everybody, including President Snow. The sudden plot spins will flabbergast readers, and the book ends with the flourish of a controversial, brilliantly shocking conclusion. Collins employs the most merciless, brutal ending possible, obliterating any of the book's entertainment value. At first, I disliked the epilogue since it seemed incomplete and wishy-washy, but in retrospect, it ends the book impeccably, with a simple, beautiful last line that tones the series with finality and wrenches at my heart. Though the ending is morbid, I'm glad that Collins didn't end this book with a sugary, Disney movie ending. Readers finishing Mockingjay will feel heavy, stunned, and fragmented.

--Like Okapi, the plot's dives and curves left me both stunned and breathless. I literally found myself gasping out loud late into the night, an accomplishment for Collins considering that with most intense moments in intense books, I just make a mental gasp, too lazy and not shocked enough to use my breath. And also, I loved the violence. :)

“'Oh, no. It costs a lot more than your life. To murder innocent people? It costs everything you are.’”

2. The intense action...and deaths. Toward the end of the novel, tearing this book from my eyes would have been physically impossible. Once again, Collins is creative with the menaces that threaten to hurt Katniss and company. Mockingjay is violent, possibly even more so than the previous two novels, with battle scenes mirroring Iraq and other war zones, places where violence kills a plethora of innocent people. The severity is gripping, horrific, yet passionate so I cannot look away. Collins makes the war more emotional by elaborating on some of the characters' personalities. Thus, a few deaths slam harder onto readers' hearts, splattering the book with vivid shades of emotion and loss.

--In reality, whether we like it or not, people do indeed die. And that's the way it should be in books. Not just the characters left on the sidelines. Death is stealthy and by the way of nature, it carries off souls that we hold dear to us. Collins plays this beautifully in Mockingjay, and though the deaths of certain characters does tug on my heartstrings, it completes the book in a way that makes it all the more realistic and enjoyable.

"Because something is significantly wrong with a creature that sacrifices its children's lives to settle its differences. You can spin it any way you like... But in the end, who does it benefit? No one. The truth is, it benefits no one to live in a world where these things happen."

3. The ethics. While the previous two books brush upon ethics, Mockingjay elaborates on the morals embedded in the story. The Hunger Games deals with the rights and wrongs of sacrificing children to control a society, and this book continues to face this dilemma. During the novel, Katniss's moral compass swerves a tad off balance, and she will never be able to truly redeem herself from the innocent she killed, making her a questionable heroine. However, ultimately, she manages to regain her morals at the end in a glorious, tense moment. She rebels against cruel demagogues and those who attempt to secure a seat of power using unethical tactics. Mockingjay ventures beyond the cruelty of the Capitol; Collins's passionate prose dives into the corruptness of human nature. Readers will have nightmares about the horrific world inside Mockingjay long after they turn the last page.

“We’re fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction.”

4. Growing characters. Collins nurtures the characters from the previous two books, and their personalties acquire a new dimension. The reader will glance at the burning anger in the deep chute of Gale's soul; Finnick adds a whole other aspect to his profile; Prim transforms into a strong young heroine; and the rest of the ensemble evolves. Katniss's personality develops fragile, tortured areas that never made appearances in the prior books, and she makes it clear that she'll never be healed. The backstories of Finnick and Haymitch underscore the brutality of the Capitol, shocking me enough to put the book aside for a moment. President Snow remains a manipulative, heinous villain, and his permanent, literally bloody mouth is nefarious touch.

“We’re fickle, stupid beings with poor memories and a great gift for self-destruction.”

5. The unforgettableness. Whether due to the gory violence, vital messages, breathtaking plot line, or compelling characters, I will never forget Mockingjay. This downright gripping story is passionately moving, a dismal but beautiful end for a fantastic series. The more I think about Mockingjay, the more I relish it, finding it an apt way to conclude the trilogy. Due to the brutality, this book is hard to read, and I doubt I'll reread it for a long time, unless to clarify some parts. Though the trilogy is over, the haunting echo of Mockingjay's ending will forever resound in the minds of readers across the world.

--The ending was just how I wanted it to be! No spoilers though, I promise :)

Bonus Reason:

6. The food. Whenever Collins describes what Katniss eats, my mouth salivates and cravings wrack my body. In fact, during the eight hour period I read Mockingjay, the only time I abandoned the station of my couch was to snag some oatmeal, which I normally abhor, but Collins causes me to pine for it. My mouth longed to taste the creamy blue frosting when Collins describes a cake Peeta bakes. Her frequent mention of edibles makes me want to lick the food straight off the page. Her technique of mesmerizing the readers with food reminds me of J.K. Rowling, whose feast paragraphs pop the food off the page.

--Remember the lamb stew from the first Hunger Games? I would like to assure you that they make an appearance in Mockingjay as well. Dried plums included. :P

5 reasons I disliked Mockingjay

1. Katniss's emotions. Most of Katniss's emotions consist of being “empty” or “numb”. In fact, I cannot recall her feeling anything else, which gets really annoying; after a while, her monotone feelings make me want to scream at her in frustration. When loved ones die or she achieves something close to peace, Katniss never wavers from feeling “numb” inside. I kept waiting for other emotions to show, yet all she relinquishes is a torrent of whininess and self-pity. Katniss is expected to be broken after two Hunger Games, but she is so unstable that it's hard to relate to her. She never pulls herself together, and the book becomes a serenade of broken notes.

--The reason why, unlike the other two, I will not re-read Mockingjay countless times, is that this book doesn't really make me happy at all. While I love the action, this book was lost in an abyss of everlasting gloom. Tension reigned. Being locked into Katniss' mind, I was forced to listen to the torrent of depressing thoughts that plague her, causing me, as a reader immersed in her world, to be depressed as well.

2. Katniss the pawn. Many reviews grumble that a pawn of war, controlled by upper forces, replaces Katniss's independent warrior girl image. I have mixed feelings about this. First of all, I'm glad that Katniss's invincibility aura seen in the prior novels melts away, because now she is more realistic against the gruesome backdrop of a warring country. However, I am not a fan of Katniss being so easily manipulated, because she never decides on her own, unlike the liberated girl seen in The Hunger Games. Manipulating Katniss grows dull after a few pages, and I miss her dynamic sequences of independent action. In Mockingjay, her acts of defiance include skipping classes and hiding in the closet, callow "rebelliousness" that can only be found in high school. Also, she never becomes a true Mockingjay, a symbol for the rebellion in Panem, because superiors always control her, except for a single scene near the end of the book when Katniss actually thinks for herself.

3. Strange pacing. Unlike the previous two breath stealers of the trilogy, Mockingjay arrives on a glacially slow note. After barreling through the beginning, questing for the action, I found myself entrenched in the slow middle that consists of cameras and creating propaganda, not the expected action. If Mockingjay was not part of The Hunger Games I would have been bored out of my mind. Fortunately, toward the end, the speed accelerates, throwing the reader into the same level of excitement seen in The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Panting, Mockingjay rushes off stage a little too fast, leaving the reader broken and hanging.

--The beginning was sluggish as Collins sets up the scene. I know this is inevitable, but I felt that Mockingjay would've been a bigger hit if Collins has kicked it off with a bang. The intro largely consists of Katniss' thoughts as she staggers through the remains of District 12. Paragraph after paragraph went by with no dialog whatsoever, up until page 15 when someone FINALLY released me from the droning lines by saying something. As much as the very beginning bored me, I was still intrigued, longing to quench my thirst for some action.

4. Keeping track of new characters. Collins rapidly introduces character after character, barely leaving me time to remember their names before their tragic demises. She completely glosses over their personalities, only talks about their names, and in the end, I do not care if they live or die. Remembering the soldiers' names is an arduous task; Collins clumsily announces their presences. The leader of District 13 takes on a blurry identity, and the book would be more wholesome if readers know what makes her tick.

5. The bleakness. While I see why Collins wants to strip this book of hope and happiness, comic relief is basically nonexistent in this story. The darkest of the trilogy, Mockingjay is devoid of Peeta's humorous remarks, and the only dialogue close to lightness is Haymitch's half hearted jokes. Even J.K. Rowling manages to squeeze in some jocular comments amidst the lethal battles of Deathly Hallows, resulting her series to conclude in victorious, grand swoop, despite all the death. The book is violant enough to squeeze away any smidgeon of entertainment readers found in the previous two novels. Mockingjay somberly marches out, depressing and grave.

--See my response of #1: Katniss's emotions.

An observation...

Once scene in the book seems directly pirated from the pages of Twilight. Did the conversation between Peeta and Gale while Katniss is half asleep remind anyone of a certain Edward/Jacob conversation that took place in a tent? I'm starting to dislike the whole scenario where the I-think-she's-asleep heroine accidentally overhears a heart to heart between her top two contenders.

--I too saw the stark similarities and yet, though I found the exchange in Eclipse sappy and cheesy, I must admit that I didn't mind this snippet in Mockingjay. After countless pages of non-stop action, it was a fresh change to read about this soft moment between our two heroes. To hear their thoughts on the topic after being deprived of scenes concerning this issue for so long, was refreshing and gave the book another angle.

In conclusion...

This book is ineffable, the good outweighing the bad. While not my favorite in the trilogy, it lived up to the hype and ended Katniss's journey in a stunning and different manner, which definitely outweighs a boring and predictable closure. This book is bound to receive more varied opinions than the previous two, due to its controversial plot twists and conclusion. Despite the imperfection, Mockingjay is destined to brand the trilogy as a classic.

--Agreed.

Cover: 4/5 - Overall, this cover is mediocre, and my least favorite of the trio due to the washed out colors. However, this ambiguous cover is imbued with symbolism. Unlike the previous two covers, the Mockingjay breaks free from the constraints of a pin, and it glides through the air, wings outstretched. The realistically drawn bird in center stage symbolizes that the rebellion is real and in the spotlight, or it could represent Katniss during the time she's needed the most. The background, a hopeful sky blue, represents freedom and promise for the citizens of Panem.

Rating:

4.5 hoots

Books before this:
The Hunger Games
Catching Fire

Source: Bought from Amazon :)

Updates from Rica Eat World :)

Hey guys! Hope you're all having an apeagesauce week so far. I just wanted to share some new discoveries found by Okapi, myself, and my good friend Angelatarantula over at The Book Buzzer. So here we go..

1. So while shopping in the city, we came across a cutesy (but ridiculously expensive) clothing shop. While browsing, we gawked at this:

Is that not the kewlest ceiling decoration you have ever seen!? We loved how the lights were protruding from the stack of books. Very creative.

Okay moving on.

2. The next day, after seeing that mind-blowing show piece above, Angela's dad was kind enough to teach us the game of bridge. The three of us had been wanting to learn about tricks, trumps, bidding and all the fun stuff. Inspired by The Cardturner by Louis Sachar, a great 4.5 Hoot novel about a kid who plays bridge, we were eager to follow Alton, the main character's, footsteps in learning the complex, strategic game. It turned out to be VERY fun and I totally recommend you guys learning how to play. The basics are quite, well, basic, and you'll probably be able to pick up on it soon enough. Okapi and I partnered up against Angela and her dad. While we were able to win two rounds, we managed to loose to the opposing team overall. 0 against -250. Curse their "double" bid.

3. Angela found this uber cool site called Save the Words. According to the site...

"Each year, hundreds of words are dropped from the English language.

Old words, wise words, hard-working words. Words that once led meaningful lives, but now lie unused, unloved, unwanted.

Today, 90% of everything we write is communicated by only 7,000 words.

You can change all that. Help save the words!"

So once you get to the site, you see a plethora of fascinating, mostly unknown words. All you do is click on it and "adopt it." Adopting the word means...

"I hereby promise to use this word, in conversation and correspondence, as frequently as possible to the best of my ability."

That way, that one word won't forever be forgotten. Let's engulf the world with cool words once again! :) This week, I adopted the words: pamphagous, fopottee, and tortiloquy. (These words are so uncommon, that my computer put the red squiggly under them, marking them as typos when they are indeed REAL words.)

Check out the site HERE

So that's it for updates. What did you do this week? We totally want to know! :)

Firelight by Sophie Jordan - Rica's Review

Title: Firelight

Author: Sophie Jordan

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Target Audience: Teen Girls

Number of Pages: ARC - 323 pages

Release Date: September 7, 2010

With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret. -Summary from Goodreads

My expectations for this novel were pretty similar to my thoughts of other paranormal romances: as if by fate, a boy and a girl meet, fair amounts of swooning, they fall in love, paranormal aspects prevent their relationship from flourishing, they conquer it together, everything works out, and then thats the end. Knowing this, I still grasped at the faint hope that this book would bring something new and more satisfying. I was relieved from the surge of vampires and werewolves and I hoped reading about dragons would be a refreshing change and just perhaps obliterate my bias on paranormal romances.

My hopes were shot down to a blunder. Personally, this book was the quintessence of ordinary, sprinkled with a few more aspects to frown upon. The story starts with Jacinda in her draki dragon form, cornered by a brutally handsome hunter boy.The two were alone, and the cave was alive with sparks when their touches met. Jacinda knew she could never forget the boy who betrayed his dragon hunting family to spare her life. When Jacinda left her dragon pack, known as a pride, she and her family relocated to a small town in the desert. Jacinda and her twin sister Tamra enrolled into high school. On their first day, as unrealistic as it may be, Jacinda saw the boy hunter who spared her life, Will. I knew this meeting was inevitable, but the pure odds of this happening were so far off, that frustration still managed to tug at me.

Will and Jacinda's relationship was utterly flat and could only be a fictional romance. Their love affair was almost instantaneous. It was as if their relationship had been in fast-forward while I was still at play, unable to be swept into their rhythm. Admittedly, I am usually a sucker for male lead heroes in books, but Will's character was so unrelatable to real-life heroes, that it was hard for me to feel a connection to him. Jacinda was probably the best character out of the lot. She was pretty well developed with a strong, brave, and slightly rebellious personality. She turned out pretty like-able. It was depressing to watch her struggle with her family and surroundings, but it was nice to see her inner draki come to life when in the presence of Will.

Apart from Jacinda, I couldn't care for the other roles any less. Tamra and Jacinda's mother particularly pushed my buttons. The pair were unbelievably selfish. Tamra was born without the ability to manifest, or in other words, morph into draki form. Like Filch for example, born into a wizarding family with no wizarding powers; a squib in the world of Harry Potter. Anyway, due to this stroke of unluckiness, Tamra had never fit in well in the pride, and was always quietly jealous of Jacinda who was the prized jewel in the pack. Unlike Tamra, Jacinda's mother was able to manifest, but she too didn't feel like she fit in with the other dragons. While Jacinda and her draki are one, Jacinda's mom didn't feel such a bond with her draki. A piece of soul, trapped in a reluctant body. So, Tamra and their mom, put their own wishes ahead of Jacinda's, and moved to a desert in hopes Jacinda's draki would wither and die. Throughout the whole novel, the duo consistently ignore Jacinda's pleads and complaints, and instead feeds her with phrases like, "it's for your own good" and so on. Their obtuse minds made them annoying to read about.

It followed the basic plot line I mapped out in the first paragraph, up until the ending. The ending was abrupt, rushed, and as unsatisfactory as getting only a pair of socks for Christmas. I'll put it this way. This book was like a struggling hike up a steep mountain. The trek up the side was more or less uninteresting and at times I did think about giving up, yet my eyes were set on the climax, the most exciting and rewarding part of the journey. Then without warning, it's as if I was kicked down the mountain in an accelerated tumble. The climax was basically the ending of the book. The ending was a huge cliffhanger, one that posed a lot of unanswered questions, one that was conducted poorly. Actually, after reading the ending, I seriously thought that the ARC I read was unfinished somehow. I couldn't believe it was the ending. It was so sudden that I thought a chunk of the ending must've fallen out or something. Normally, cliffhangers make me extremely eager to read the sequel, but in this case, the ending was so shockingly annoying, that all curiosity was sucked out of me.

I really had hopes for this book. Draki were new to me, alluring even. I wanted to know so much more about them. Jordan lacked information about them, the bits that I craved most. The one aspect that was new to YA bookshelves, the author didn't describe as much. Instead, this book was stuffed with a cheesy relationship that failed to touch my heart. I don't doubt that other teen girls will be thrilled with this Twilight-esque novel, this one just didn't impress me. There have been mixed reviews on this novel, and I believe that it does some-what deserve to be checked out. I would probably read the sequel, just for the sake of it and in hope that it would improve.

Cover: 2/5- I'm not the biggest fan of the cover. The close-up girl doesn't appeal to me. Personally, I think it gives it a bit of a more tacky look. Though I like the fire-y gold colors, this cover isn't special from other ones on the shelves.

Rating:

2 Hoots

To view Okapi's review of Firelight, CLICK HERE

Blog Hop and Follow Friday!

You know the drill :)

(Book Blogger Hop is hosted at Crazy for Books, while Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View)

This weeks Blogger Hop question:

How many blogs do you follow?

Answer: Currently, I'm following Google Connect Following 242 fantastic blogs and I'm sure to be following more in the future. If you wish for either me or Okapi to take a look at your blog, just leave a message in the C-Box or comments!

Blog Hop and Follow Friday!

It's Friday!

(Book Blogger Hop is hosted at Crazy for Books, while Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View)

This weeks blogger hop question is...

How many books do you have on your 'to be read' shelf?

Answer: Shelf? More like a bookcases in my case. There are SO many books out there that I'm just dying to read. Countless actually. I used to keep adding books to my good reads, but later it just became a hassle to keep having to search for books and add them to my list. It would've honestly gone on forever. So, I trying my best to rely on my little brain to remember all the fantastic titles I'm determined to read eventually.

What about you?

Remember to enter our Firelight by Sophie Jordan giveaway!
(ENTER HERE!)

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine

Author: Bree Despain

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Target Audience: Teen Girls

Number of Pages: Hardcover- 372 pages

Grace Divine-daughter of the local pastor-always knew something terrible had happened the night Daniel Kalbi disapeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood. Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother. As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul. - Summary from Goodreads

I had wanted to read this book purely out of the fact that everyone was obsessing over it. I had known it was a paranormal romance novel, but any further knowledge was cut short there. I had never really bothered to read the synopsis and so for this first time, I had to dive in without any faint idea on what I'm about to get myself into. But no worries. The plot was so indefinitely obvious, that I assumed the big "mysterious" truth about Daniel from page 65, and to further clarify, reaching 65 is a matter of minutes. The font is obnoxiously bolded and therefore, each page only consists of a handful of words.

Grace Divine, narrator of the story, is flavored more on the blander side. She's just one of those typical girls abundant in those typical paranormal romance novels. I couldn't help but roll my eyes on a few occasions as I lived through her point of view and read her thoughts. As in all romance books, Grace would sigh at Daniel's sinewy bicepes or marvel at his scuplted abs. This was expected, and I am thankful that Despain didn't go overboard on the swooning like Meyer did in the Twilight novels, which every few paragraphs a sentence like "Edward smelled good" just had to snake their way in. What really got me to utter a sarcastic "wow",was the goody-two-shoes-ness of Grace. I realize that she is the pastor's daughter and therefore must be a model citizen, but her immeasurable integrity was basically a slap in the face. I honestly doubt pastor's kids in the real world are this angelic, and so, I'd say that her character was borderline unrealistic.

The overly simplistic and undescriptive writing was hard to miss, as if a blinking sign blaring the words"slightly amateur" hung over head. The voice was ordinary and unmemorable. Not once did any of her sentences strike me and make me feel envious for not being able to construct a sentence quite like that. In addition, historical facts were skewed to fit Despain's fantasy, leaving me more than unsatisfied with the explanations for Daniel's "issues". The novel is also brimming with religious, "do the right thing" types of messages, which although add an element to the book, I find unecessary. Though nothing great, her flow of words wasn't completely unbearable. The writing is never really the most important part of a novel, and even though it might not be anything congratulatory, if aided with a solid plot and wonderous characters, the reader could still carry on forth.

This book was like a narcotic; simple and addictive. Despite its flaws, I could not put it down. Why? Because of Daniel Kalbi. He is soley the reason why I'm giving this book a 3.5 instead of a 2. Daniel is like the glue that binds the whole book together. Daniel was thrust into the beginning of this novel as a "bad boy" being, but throughout story, readers grow to like him and see that he's not really a bad boy at all. He is merely a boy who was rejected too many times and is desperate to be loved and wanted. His past of being abused by his father had scarred and marred him forcing him to be closed off from the world. And ever since a fateful, tragic, night with Jude, Daniel had fled and left everything behind, including Grace. Now that he's returned, Grace often has flashbacks involving him, and it is semi-sweet to experience them. Though they are saddening, it is truly rewarding to watch Daniel grow as a man and face up to his curse. It was refreshing to read about a character like Daniel, one that is actually likeable and not so overprotective of his lover that it crosses the line and just steps into annoying. Through their past memories, it seems as if Grace and Daniel were destined to be with each other.

Overall, Despain failed with her bland, unrealistic narrator, predictable plot, and juvenille writing, but achieved greatness in her story of Daniel as a problem-proned teen. The side story of his past is intriguing, captivating, and beautiful. It's what makes the book. Personally, I think the book would have been more successful if Daniel just remained a mortal with Grace and the two fight their way through the paranormal together without all the religious aspects. I believe the story would be more unique than the other paranormal romances on the shelves these days. This novel is not for those who long to pick up a Twilight-ish book, but for those who want to read about a strong, individual character's journey through troubled times. And even though I ranted about all of its flaw's, I'm still eager to read book two, The Lost Saint.

Cover: 3.5/5 - I really like the cover. It's mysterious (a lot more mysterious than the book itself) and alluring. The colors contrast fabulously from the snowy, marble white, the dark ominous black, and the eye-catching, vibrant violet. However, the pair of legs don't really have anything to do with the book. Though they might be pretty, I don't even know why they're there. It makes sense that the sash is violet (as you will see when you read the book), but the legs don't correspond with anything in the story. Also, I'll be sure to pick up that color nail polish next time I visit the local drugstore. And as for the cover of The Lost Saint, I really wish the publishers stuck with the brilliant violet theme as opposed for the leg theme.

Rating:

3.5 Hoots

Source: Won from a contest on Squeaky Books. Thanks a ton!

Waiting On Wednesday: Desires of the Dead

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: Desires of the Dead

Author: Kimberly Derting

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Suspense

Release Date: March 15, 2011

Goodreads Summary:

The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.
When Violet Ambrose's morbid ability to sense the echoes of those who've been murdered leads her to the body of a young boy, she draws the attention of the FBI. She is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that will endanger more than just her secret...but her relationship and possibly her life as well.

Why I Want This:

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that this book will be as good as The Body Finder, if not better. The Body Finder (Click HERE to see a review) was one of those compulsively readable books, those that won't allow you to do anything productive until you reach the end of its tracks. Though it was not one of the best books I've ever read and I personally think that Violet and the plot of The Body Finder had a blander taste, I enjoyed it enough that I am eagerly anticipating the sequel. I do hope that Desires of the Dead will deliver a more shocking plot and provide even more reasons for me to love Jay Heaton :) I long to continue on with the story of Violet and Jay and I am quite curious to see what Violet's morbid "gift" will take me this time.

--> And by the way, though I find the cover very pretty, I still don't know what that thing is. Is it an echo? I had the same question about The Body Finder as well. Help?

What book are you waiting for? Please comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts! :) Have a good Wednesday!