Review: Howl by Annalise Grey

Howl by Annalise Grey
My rating: 1 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters
Published: January 4, 2012
Pages: 217
Publisher: Self-Published
Source: Requested Review
Format: eRead
Purchase At: Amazon.com

**A copy of this book was provided to me through Godreads's 'Authors Requesting Reviews Program' and by the author in exchange for an honest opinion/review. Thank-you!**

Goodreads Summary

Nineteen year old Sophie Matthews is a line-walker between two worlds - human and werewolf. She lives around humans but is never truly part of their world. That is, until she is spotted by a hiker.

What should have been a passing glance becomes so much more as Sophie falls for the one thing she is forbidden from ever having: a human mate.

Adding to her stress is newcomer Daniel, the arrogant wolf on Sophie's tail.

Then several humans are killed by a mysterious and dangerous beast within the pack's hunting grounds. The humans begin whispering of wolf-men roaming the forest and the threat of discovery looms heavy around the pack.

Everything is falling apart and Sophie realizes just how little control she has over her future.

Will she risk everything - her heart, her family, and her safety - for a chance to control her own fate?

Firstly

Gosh, this book hurt. I think I'll start with the positives - I will try because, unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the good. But first, we need to understand something: This book definitely did not do anything for me, but that doesn't mean I'm saying the same will be true for you.



Go ahead and read the book for yourself if you disagree with my thoughts on the matter. In no way do I delude myself into believing that people take my reviews as the final word in the regards to whether they choose to read a book or not. People will undoubtedly make their opinions up themselves. But firstly, a book is not expected to work for everyone, period. Please, do not take on the defensive just because you happened to think Howl blew magical glitter everywhere and could possibly save the world, curing cancer on the side. NO. Let's just not, okay? No trolling. Capiche?

My Thoughts

Bah!! I think I'm frustrated. In this case I really don' know what to do other than maybe find a rock, sit atop it, and scratch my head awhile until something in regards to this book finally makes sense. I guess I just don't see why any of it was worth it. Granted, this is a DNF (Did-Not-Finish) review and everything I say should be taken with this in consideration, the book didn't make sense. It's characters made even less sense, and the writing made the story very hard to progress let alone enjoy.

But the blurb promises something original. From the summary above, it can be gathered that Sophie is a shape-shifter. Truthfully, nothing really strikes me as new with the premise, and I have read a fair amount of shape-shifter novels in my day. Usually I can tell if a book will be some serious awesomeness by the blurb, in this case, I was wrong. Sophie isn't the kind of protagonist I was expecting at all, and she exists within a book absent of any real story. Not only was there a problem with continuity, but, Sophie didn't really strike me as a girl with anything new to offer. Some aspects of her life were really odd at best:

- Like how her family insists on cleaning so much. I don't get it, not one bit, and why are all the wolves limited in terms of appearance? I've read of shapeshifters with multiple eye colouring, and to limit them to just one shade - grey - takes a lot more from the genre than should be allowed. It adds nothing.

- Her distaste for humans in general really struck me as condescending, and when you consider that she eventually falls in love lust with one, it really doesn't make sense. I kept reading and asking myself, why?! Why is this girl willing to risk so much, the family she is apparently so close to, for a human she considers beneath her at best? I recoiled at the author's attempts to jazz it up with lines like, 'he was comfortable to be around' when their conversations suffered from massive info-dumps and stilted grammar.

- Her relationship with Jaime is laughable because it consists of the typical instalove and the literally 'electrifying' chemistry pandemic currently sweeping the YA genre. Even if I wasn't reading this to review, it would still be clear how little sense their relationship makes, how lacking it is in substance. The reader is treated to witnessing one short date between the couple, as well as a summary of some supposed others that happened somewhere along the line, but basically these take place all before a really weird consummation. Quite frankly, this scene creeped me the fuq out. When this happened, I had to pull back a little and be like, dafuq?!.

Just recapping, but she meets him - and naturally he's attractive as a Greek god - and because of his dashing looks, this girl concludes that he might be worth throwing everything away for. Her sister just gave birth And she looked better than a Botticelli painting doing it. I'm not going to get into that. but who cares really? God forbid Jaime decides to tattle her family out to the authorities, those young'uns are gonna learn fast how to run on their little wolfie paws away from impending SWAT teams! Kidding. Wait, no, I'm serious! This could eventually be one really big problem. And I think that something is terribly wrong when I am the one considering things which never cross the protagonist's mind.



You know what? Looking back I still do not get it; Sophie alienated me with her great attitude of superiority, confusing me when she chose spontaneously to risk the existence of everyone she cared about on a whim. I can stomach instant attraction, heck I get it, but at least let there be a valid reason! There were too many contradictions going on for my liking; Sophie loves her family but doesn't really think too hard on betraying them, and Jamie states a couple times at the beginning that he respects her brother. And yet, he sneaks behind the man he respects back with his little sister. Jamie has no problem keeping their relationship quiet, not really, he's fine with meeting clandestine even at her brother's workplace. Some respect! I didn't buy it.

They were just two people thrown together, nothing more. Could something else have happened? Possibly. But you have to understand, a lot of things occurred before I decided to let this book go, and yet all of them were pretty inconsequential in the end because I still couldn't finish. Sadly, Howl is the kind of YA novel which could go 200+ pages without anything really going on. Sure, I only got 30-31% far, but there is a reason for that, the story never progressed significantly enough for me to care. And eventually I just gave up. I'd had it, with the plot that didn't cut it and the characters and writing that begged no indulgence. I was done, the end.



So, like I said, this review is a DNF and you should take it lightly at best, but those are my thoughts and you're free to consider them. I couldn't read anymore of this. Just, no...

1 genie: it wasn't that great, obviously, and I would 

NOT recommend the read. 

Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
My rating: 2 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Retellings, Horror, Shapeshifters, Romance
Published: June 7, 2010
Pages: 324
Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.
Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

My Thoughts

It was good for a while and then it got creepy, fast. I loved that Pearce had such ingenuity as to take a staple classic like Little Red Riding Hood and then flip it completely up it's axis. The bond between the sisters was incredible and for a while I even went as far as to admire the connection the two shared. Until I realized what was happening, that is. Until then I was all for this one as a four or five genie read and was a huge fan, probably even going as far as to say I envied the characters, Rose and Scarlet. That notion didn't last long however, and certainly not past the point when they moved to the city and Rosie started her classes. Then reality set.

This book is really creepy, no joke. I don't admire their relationship (Scarlet and Rosie's) anymore because of how wrong it seems. I hope that I never share a bond like that with anyone in my life. Honest.

Something about it just wasn't right and I hate the co-dependence so intricately laced in every sentence, that one needed the other's permission for the very slightest of things. It was as if they owned each other. Almost. Silas kind of screws things up in that department, but he and Rosie's relationship was never 'sparks are flying' for me; it just kind of happened one day and then they were in love. Not my ideal romance!

I recommended this book to my sister (she's 14) and then to her friend who is 15 just to know their opinion and they liked it. Maybe it is just me, but going on with this read never happened once I set it down to rest. I could try again someday, if I ever felt the need to scare myself silly with the thought of owing anybody in this world so much of me that I was practically bound to them, but that day is very far away.

Review: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
My rating: 1.5 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Zombies, Shapeshifters, Vampires, Horror
Published: May 14, 2009
Pages: 293
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Library Loan
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

In Strange Angels, Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

My Thoughts

I realize that I cannot keep doing this to myself, that is, reading books I do not like, for the pure sake of getting it done. Doing so has proven time and time again to be a complete waste of effort. It has taken me forever just to get 70 pgs into this!! I started another book after dumping this entirely, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and it is brilliant! At 70 pgs with Mafi's book, I never wanted to stop. With Strange Angels I always wanted it to end.

And make no mistake, I'm not hating without a reason, I wanted to like this, I really did, it just never worked out that way because:

I. Hate. Dru.




She's egotistic, boring as heck, generally ungrateful and CONDESCENDING. Ah, Dru, let me count the ways I hate thee:

1. How dare you prance around acting "above" everyone? What makes you so great, kid? NOTHING. I don't care if you could out-barter me when it comes to arguing in the secret underworld black market for canned leprechaun feet! As far as I'm concerned, You. Are. A. Tool.

It's great that some people really liked this, I get that some readers will disagree, but this definitely wasn't for me. The action was slow moving and the characters far too over-thought to provide natural or even enjoyable reading.

The author tried hard to make Dru so, so, so B.A. And all through I kept getting these obvious and weird Rose Hathaway nudges of similarity like, 'look here! She's B.A. doesn't give a f--- and does whatever she wants. Isn't she familiar? But not overly so, so that I could possibly go to prison for attempted plagiarism? You're a teen, right? Love her, love this shit! Please, I'd love to hunt her down, effectively now.

2. This bothered me to no end. One thing I will never get over is how she describes Graves - her only friend so far and with the attitude this girl has, I don't blame anyone for keeping their distance. So Graves basically takes her in, and yet she persists in making him out to be some circus freak. St. Crow even writes him as a, half-breed because of his mixed race.

Whatt De Frickson Racers?!? When did we start talking about dogs here; or are people from mixed coupling not considered human?? She makes him pathetically self-conscious, gangly and just an oddity. As is mentioned many times throughout the book, Graves does not know what to do with himself. Ever.

It's told from first person, whatever, but do I honestly need minute by minute detail on how awkwardly the boy sits/handles himself or how all of his strange complexities can somehow be linked to the fact that he's mixed. GET. OVER. YOURSELF. Children from interracial couples are so freaking adorable! How dare you point a hand at that, St. Crow?

At this point, around pg 40-ish I was already frustrated beyond belief. You know when you stick a book down and want to go back to it? I never did, on the contrary I was relieved whenever the opportunity arose to get as far away from Dru as possible.

3. As a protagonist, Dru sucks. She is stale, uninspiring and just there to act obnoxious. Sorry, but future installments having pretty covers aside this is the real reason I ever picked Strange Angels I cannot deal with Dru; and since she is the main character here, I thought it might be best to cut my losses.

I never grieved for her.

I never rooted for her.

Heck, I never even liked her. Poor Graves, he did though, too much if you ask me. That girl makes Bella Swan and Luce from Fallen look like freaking optimists. She treated him as well as St. Crow implies of him, like a dog.

*Sigh* To wrap things up because I really do not want to be meanerany more honest about this, 1.5 genies is all this book is getting from me, nothing more and if possible a lot less. If it wasn't for the (wasted) potential. The whole 'real world' deal is pretty sweet, it just sucks that Dru tries to make it exclusive to a fault. I'm sure St. Crow isn't a bad writer; she just has very poor characters.

Review: Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill
My rating: 4 of 5 genies
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Magic, Vampires, Shapeshifters
Published: July 6, 2010
Pages: 368
Publisher: NAL Trade
Source: Library Loan
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit, Chicago's newest vampire. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene-and to spy for the vamps while she's at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan's offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Unfortunately, someone is gunning for Gabriel, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She'll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals-not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries-old master vampire.

My Thoughts

This one, in my opinion, was the most enjoyable of all three. Also, Merit's real name is not that bad for all of you out there wondering. They made a very successful movie with that name and Vampire Diaries (my guilty pleasure) features it as well. It is actually pretty and a little back story into why Merit hates it, would be appreciated.

But back to business. Let me start off by saying, Twice Bitten has got to be my favorite book in the series - so far. It had everything I wanted and I hated that it took me 2 days to finish; I'm trying to get to the point where I can do 300+ pages in a single day, this book certainly deserved to be read in one.

Were there problems?: Yes. I think my library bought one of the earlier editions published of this book and I found maybe 2 typos. Distracting, yes, but not unbearable - just a little bit of a stumbling block. Just barely noticeable.

Eh, the whole social mixer mentioned in Friday Night Bites never took off, and I do not remember if Neill really mentioned why. Obviously I can see why - what with the shifter threat looming and other drama - but she should have made it more important. I mean this is Merit's punishment and instead of that kind of vibe, I got that it was an unfortunate assignment.

Also the name thing with the Keene siblings was puzzling. Why didn't their mother just name the oldest starting from A and then go down to G, why the other way around?

Biiig Ups: To Catcher! He's working his way into my heart and standing up for Merit makes me think that he can't be all that bad, really. And his relationship with Mal seems more legitimate this time around. They consummated a little soon for my liking, but they care a lot about each other and I can accept that. To all you teens out there though, do not go around bed-hopping. Want a sport? Take up volleyball. Sex is for married couples, it works only for Catcher and Mallory because they are fictional and by law of H.A.E. they will eventually marry. The guy/girl who knocks you up does not have to abide by such rules and hence, could leave you pregnant without a moment's notice. It has happened to friends of mine, so don't copy everything you see.

Also a huge shout out to Gabriel Keene, I couldn't be more pleased with his and his sibling's addition to the series, I hope for good things. They were this clan of terribly good-looking males, and I was in Heaven!

The Mystery: surrounding Gabe's son makes me think...Is there something in store here? Can't wait! It has something to do with Merit though...Hm.

The Romance: Had me hooting and grinning like a crazy hat! Ethan and Merit are undoubtedly a favorite couple of mine and their love for each other - which it is - burns me inside. Ah, I was satisfied and gratefully pleased for the change in Ethan. I love to see a character develop and this change was one long-awaited.

Overall: Neill does not disappoint! If you've read the others this one is a must-have you can't possibly pass up on. Be mindful of a sex scene in particular if you fall under the underaged category, but pick up this book if you don't! Also mild-coarse language may ensue.

Review: The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 4 of 5 genies
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Romance, Action
Published: April 12, 2011
Pages: 359
Publisher: Harper (HarperCollins), New York
Source: Library Loan
Format: Hardcover
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island.

Until now.

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet.

In The Gathering , New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy.

My Thoughts

This book makes me proud to be Canadian. Not only is it written by Canadian author, Ms. Kelley Armstrong, but the depiction of the actual country is unlike any I have seen to date. When people think of Canada, it is a given that certain stereotypes come to mind. Some being:

- The Toques. These frozen ice-people cannot go anywhere without them. Are we even sure that those babies aren't staple-glued on at the time of birth? Every Canadian owns one.

- The Beer! Canadians are supposedly so drunk....so drunk that this sentence will be left unfinished, I am too drunk at present to write.

- HOCKEY. Give one of them, Canadians, a hockey stick and they will love you forever. We live and breathe hockey, hockey on the weekdays and weekends. Yes, baby, all the time!!



- Next: with "Eh"? being the most 'supposed' commonly used word, there really isn't much to add. Our conversations are stilted as we drizzle maple syrup on everything. Except hockey sticks; that would be blasphemous.

And to all those pre-assumptions, I answer with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXtVrD...

Tell it, Joe!


Basically...

What I'm getting at here is that The Gathering very much so featured a Canadian setting but without its many stereotypes. Maybe this is because the author has first-hand knowledge of the place, but it was a welcomed relief to read about Canada in the summer/fall not winter, and hockey wasn't mentioned not once! Yay for miracles. This book as I discovered, is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only is the setting very appropriate, but its characters are wonderful. By all means there should have been a love triangle in this book; any other author would have set it up as one. I mean, the childhood friend vs. the edgy new bad boy, who wouldn't pay money to read that? Not to say that some wouldn't love this I wouldn't, but Armstrong takes a very different route in that Daniel's role seems very much solidified. I cannot imagine him as anything other than Maya's rock, that is who he is throughout the book and never once does he abandon the position. He's there, and because Ms. Armstrong is so confident of him - as well as her other characters - the book feels complete.

That said, there were a ton of weird things going on in this book, and I loved it. I kept flipping the pages because they felt so light. The story wasn't told on one page, but on very many and I needed to read all of it! There are some books which cannot boast this much, but The Gathering is not one of them and it can.

Setting was brilliant and the plot such an adventure. Maya makes for the perfect protagonist. I like her sense of intuition and love that she doesn't sit around for chapters contemplating but acts whenever necessary; this is a very mature character, her attitude towards relationships as well as everything else is to be admired, Maya feels so much wiser than a 16 year old.

The only grievance, I think, would have to be with Raffe, and just because I felt that in this glittering package of fullness he was the least complete. I didn't know him. The desire to know him was there, but his character felt in many ways a cliché at times; the bad boy who keeps secrets stuffed away like some addiction, the past which still haunts him... I've been there before. He needed something extra, and near the end it seemed as though he would deliver, but somehow he failed to. This is why I need the second book, The Calling, I really need to see him grow.

The sequence of events are high-action and packed with flourishing detail, and this book is a great addition to the Shapeshiter/YA Paranormal genre. The pacing is fast and the mystery within its pages will keep you reading for hours on end.

A solid 4 genies. It was a solid read and I recommend it to fans of Kelley Armstrong as well as newcomers. This was my very first book of hers and it is certainly not going to be the last!

Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
My rating: 2.5 of 5 genies
Genre: Shapeshifter, YA, Paranormal, Mystery, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Horror
Published: December 22, 2009
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 372
Source: Library Loan
Format: Hardcover
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

My Thoughts

BEWARE, SPOILERS AHEAD!!! I can't imagine reviewing this without any, I am still verily enraged. *Sigh* I am also not breaking this up into categories because there isn't much to discuss. In my opinion, this was a heavily character-oriented book; 'setting' wasn't a major deal and 'plot' was told mainly from a character's point of view, so I will discuss them.

Rating: 2.5 genies, because I find myself stuck in this state of tolerating the obscenities witnessed in The Dark Divine and despising major chunks of this novel.


I've got mixed feelings about this one. The concept was far from bad but the execution left much to be desired. I feel a lot like this right now:



Because a great majority of these characters ground my balls to near-extinction. Let me clarify, I have no male genitalia to speak of, but if I did...work with me here, people, they would be very greatly diminished!! The characters were stupid and annoying as BUCK. Flipping Chimpanzees could have done better.




I won't go into excruciating detail, no, I just can't because then I would need to burn something and the likely candidate would be this book. And I can't do that, my library needs this monkey-fuchi back by Monday, to screw up somebody else's day. I can't deny them that, can I? So I review to somewhat give people an idea of what they're really getting into beforehand.



I WAS FOOLED ONCE AGAIN BY THE PRETTY COVER. The cover is so prettytotally irrelevant to the actual story mind you, but stillso promising. I thought that nothing could go wrong with such a mysterious and gorgeous looking cover, and I was so wrong. There I was giddy and thinking as I started my journey with The Dark Divine that the overall story really would be something, that there would be all this tension and romance - angst is my guilty pleasure - and I would finally be satisfied by an exciting conclusion. PSSHH! Ahahaha, that was a good one!




Not. No, I was disappointed, it really is very sad.



That's better...


Grace: Ah, Grace was insufferable with a bolded, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD!! For once, please? Someone mentioned in their very correct review that she tries to be 'everything to everyone' they were right, because Grace is as wishy-washy as they come. Much of everything she did/didn't do annoyed me, from making promises she never intended to keep to playing with Daniel's heart like it was playdoh. That boiled my grizzles, and you know what? I never really cared about love confessions in YA unless they were really good; but this is the exception, and I hated that she told Daniel she loved him. Why? Because right after she did, the truth about him came out and she left the guy like he was turd on the road. Now I ask you, dear enlightened readers, wouldn't someone truly in love know to trust the person they care for?

Wouldn't they seek them out to discuss the matters troubling and at hand instead of say, agreeing to go out with some sleaze because something that person did annoyed you?!? That is not love okay, that is lust, and I would like for us to be honest about that.

People lust all the time. That is why Hollywood (and real-life) marriages break up so fast. Because people like what they see and want it. It is the misconception of our generation and the media today that we can dare to call the unions between man and woman which, usually have durations of 10 years or lessor in Kim Kadarshian's case, 72 days,love. That's what I felt like Despain did.

Honestly, by 150 pages into the book I still did not know what the eff Daniel did that was so awful. If I was any less of an addict when it comes to screwing myself royally over, I would have stopped flipping pages a long time ago. Let's face it, Grace is a stale protagonist who did not deserve nearly half of the praise she got. So her name's 'Divine' and her dad's a preacher. So? There were all the little stereo-types flourishing the pages too, like how she wore boxy clothing and never swore in public, had craptastic internet and no cell-phone. Puh-leeze.

Okay, some preacher kids are like this, complete angels, but others are the worst. Why was Grace supposed to be the stereotype when she seldom stuck to it? Grace did whatever she wanted and as her redeeming quality we were reminded that she was the pastor's kid and whatever she did really was for the best of everyone.

She didn't mean to disregard promises.

Or do whatever she wanted.

Or always get in the way, somehow.

She 'loved' Daniel one minute and dropped him the next; literally it takes her seconds to break her promise to him about going to the dance with good for nothing April! And another thing, this book has made me thoroughly shifty/anxious about telling people stuff, especially if they have Grace Divine tendencies to blurt the whole enchilada out to the nearest cocker spaniel! Goodness!

Furthermore, there was no reason for me to believe in Grace and Daniel's love. The author tried to make their "love" seem somehow worthy of all that she aims to sacrifice - her soul and family - but it never really came across because of the severe lack of history given to the foundation. What was he like when they were younger? How did he and Grace interact? From all I have to go on, there was absolutely no reason for romance between them to exist, there just wasn't.

He was her brother's friend. And he teased her. So?

Daniel: Again, there was not nearly enough reason to care about him as much as Gracie did. No history between the two of them was given and he was just that guy the protagonist really liked and didn't have remotely a reason to. Not to say I had a problem with Daniel. No, I liked him up until the last chapter when he started spouting some Star Wars-esque nonsense. I almost laughed off my non-existent balls at that point.

Jude: I really did not know how to feel about him. At one instance he was this sweet, sweet, boy. But then the next? A complete jerk. He had a lot going on and granted the circumstances were crazy as anything for him and his family, but really? Why did Despain have to draw up the image of The Prodigal Son? I am Christian and all my life that story and the 'good' brother have been referred to in one way. Bad. He was jealous and unsympathetically blind to the struggles of his sibling, selfish overall. With this being the case, I can only wonder, why then would an author do this to such a pivotal character? Why would she confuse the reader by painting a character one way - in a positive light - and then tainting him with such a harsh comparison later on?

That ruined Jude for me. I couldn't even feel bad when he ran away. All I saw was that older brother from The Prodigal Son and I always wanted him gone anyway. It was like, Jude go bye-bye? Yes!

The Parents: The dad was far too shady for any pastor. Dang, if I went to his church I would look thrice around to make sure that drug dealings weren't going down behind some closed off door and he knew of it. He was trying to help the people he cared about, I get that, but he could have been so, so, so much better.

And the mom? She did not have OCD tendencies, she was OCD, big time. The things Grace described her doing to cope with stress are not what normal people do. I have OCD tendencies and you do not catch me cutting rug hairs with scissors to ensure they are all the same length.

No, see that's crazy.



And finally...


April: Oh April, darling, twisted April. Gosh, have I really wanted to twist your fictional neck 20 times already? Darling, it feels much longer than that...With people like her, who needs friends? People who when they start dating your sibling forget all about you and then occasionally pop in and out to tell you what to do with your life?

Forget that.

Nuh-huh, I don't think so. Let me also add and make perfectly clear that all the dog references did not help at all. All I could think when she turned up was: Oh there's April, the bitch. Because that's what a 'dog' who whines and makes weird/creepy yipping noises especially if their female is called and well, April is female, isn't she? Right?

Grace was stupid to think that this user/fake was hanging around for anything other than her older brother; as soon as she got Jude, April was pretty much out of the picture. Like totally.

And I hated those two together. They made me hurl my lunch out with the fury of a thousand tornado's. Literally.

The only thing that made me happy in the Jude-April regard was when he totally skipped town and little Miss I'm Your-Friend-For-Your-Brother-Alone got nadda, nothing, which kind of proves that the freaking yipping cocker spaniel of a triffler got what was coming to her.



Thank you, Despain, for giving me that even though you probably did not mean to. I appreciate it.



Overall:

It has untapped potential written all over and it really could have been much better, I went in with high hopes and came out disappointed. But for some reason I'm going to read the next book. It has higher ratings than this one and I want to see how this whole wolf-bite thing develops; so sue me, I'm curious. You're all free to be just as inquisitive and adventurous in picking this up, only thing is, don't go in with your hopes too high like I did.

Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
My rating: 4 of 5 genies
Genre: Paranormal, Drama, Romance, Fiction
Published: April 7, 2009
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 341
Source: Library Loan
Format: Paperback
Purchase At: TheBookDepository.com or Amazon.com

Goodreads Summary

First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student's introduction into a society of vampires.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker-and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she's traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude- and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan's attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood.

My Thoughts

Abrupt, like that lovely picture of Homer, would be the only way to describe my experience with Some Girls Bite. I felt suddenly thrust into Chicago and the World of Merit/Cadogen House; and having never visited said destination, I experienced certain trials relating.

For those of you who don't know, Canada is cold. Really cold. It also kind of sucks to live here, (sometimes), and seeing the world through Merit's eyes was not always easy because Chicagoans have it easier than we do. Also because the characters all seemed established - the relationships, Merit's life and profession - even her waking up in a limo, aware of vampire existence and suddenly one herself seemed like events taken place in a previous book. I took to Mallory - an excellent character and best friend - but adjusting to this time where vamps have outed themselves to the public, took almost half the book for me.

Ultimately though, I'm glad I stuck with it. Neill paints an excellent location for this story, and while I was expecting some kind of vamp sorority life out of Cadogen House, complete with its very own hazing and bullies - don't blame me I dealt with crazy Monica from Morganville before picking this - I got business and professionalism instead. The Cadogen vampires have a system and only 100+ vampires actually live in the mansion with head honcho, (and total hottie), Ethan Sullivan. The other 200 something work in the city and provide the house dollar, while those who guard the building get money from the House. For that I have to say not bad, Neill! The idea for that was brilliant and totally ingenue and I give her props for that. I eventually adjusted, settled into the feel of this author, and enjoyed her humor and easy prose once I found myself.

The plot was easy enough to follow along with; I particularly disliked the Sorcerer undertone to the story, and how abruptly that seemed to wedge itself into Merit's tale. Catcher seemed a little too "gruff" for me and at times bordered on rudeness with his snark, not to mention he and Mallory's original meeting still has not been expanded on, unless I am actually supposed to reconcile myself with the fact that the force of the universe gravitated them to one another. If so, am I to blame the Forces for their, (hate to say it), almost easy-sex pace, the hook-up that I am now meant to take is true love? Doubtful.

However I am quick to forgive. Because the chemistry between Ethan and Merit was smoking enough to pull my attention from Catcher and Mal's sex drama. Ethan was the main man, he was boss! Seriously, and he isn't even perfect! The guy has to be the most pretentious male lead I have ever met, and I don't even care. By the way, anyone else notice how that never happens, flaws I mean? The guy-toy always has to be impossibly correct in all three categories.

As are the following:

-Freaking perfect Edward Cullen hair (check)

-Perfect body (Ethan has that too)

-And excellent behavioral tendencies, humbleness, etc. (Huh, nope.) BTW Patch does not count in this list, dude wanted Nora dead for like 3/4 of hush,hush; I do not support abuse! Or Fallen angels who like to touch but not feel (the ideal pedophile).

I loved that she mentioned it, fudge! that she even had the respect for her reader's intellects and their ability to pick up on it that she refused to ignore the trait, or make Merit Bella-oblivious to his shortcomings. She does not try passing off his ego as manliness and certainly doesn't make the mistake of sweeping under the rug his issues with trust or committing to relationships.

She brings those faults to light. And I'm a fan because of it. Everything regarding my confusion over how sorcery in this book works aside, I respect her and will read this series to the end. Because of Ethan, and because Ms. Neill thinks I'm smart. The events that took place left me a bit skeptical to how good of a heroine Merit would be, but the other books make up for it and she becomes more sure of herself. Thankfully!

Now I leave with a closing note from our resident Einstein:


Excellent, Homer!

4/5 genies: A great read full of entertaining characters and charm. Recommended!