Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

I have to give a shout out to Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this wonderful baby as an e-galley.  I was super excited to read this one, so as you can imagine, I read it as fast as I could.

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

I was instantly hooked by the hypnotic cover.  And my curiosity was again piqued once I read that this was going to be in a guy's POV.  It's not that I have anything against reading in a guy's POV, I was just surprised.  You don't see a lot of that out there.  So instantly, I was all in for this one.
And here we meet the wonderfully broody and depressing Calder White.  I thought he was pretty cool.  He knew he was absofreakinglutely hot, but he wasn't all cocky about it.  He didn't care for his nature--which was to lure, drown, and soak in the energy of people.  He was a no go for that.  If anything, he wanted to be normal.  So in all, he had me head over heels in love with his personality....and...ahem....looks.

Anyway.
Then, there came his assigned job his sisters game him.
Here, I was a no go.  He became Creeper One Thousand with his task, which was to gain the trust of one of the Hancock sisters.  He hid in closets, bushes, eavesdropped, and stalked his way around town.
Uh, hell no.
I constantly had to remind myself that this was just him doing what he was supposed to do even though he didn't want to do it.  In my head, I was all, "Don't be another Edward Cullen, don't be another Edward Cullen.  Sweet Harry Potter, stop following her!"  Well, it seems that I can't very well use my mind yelling abilities on a book.
But, things got better and he stopped being all Creeper Status Alert.  He didn't want to do his job his psycho-crazy sisters told him to do.  He wanted to be himself and alone.....with Lily. *snickers*
Story wise, this baby was awesome with a side of rainbow sprinkles.  The mythology was just fantastic.  It was a great spinoff of our beloved Ariel and other favorite mermaid tales.  It was dark and twisted and doesn't exactly have a fairytale ending, considering these mermaids kill people for their energy and three out of four mermaids in the area really wanna kill one specific person.  The imagery was fantastic and vivid.  And knowing me, that's a big feat because I'm always on the lookout for some good imagery.  I could practically taste a salty breeze coming out of my laptop.
Overall, my excitement for this book was not wasted on.  It was an excellent story and I can't wait to see what happens next, whatever that may be.  Though, I hear it's in Lily's POV.  I gave this pretty five out of five shiny stars.  It was great.  A lovely and exciting tale.  I had problems leaving my laptop just to eat.  That's how good this was.
And on top of all of this, I hear Anne Greenwood Brown has an awesome signature.  I'm on the lookout for it!  I can tell ya that!

City of Lost Souls, You Guys

I'll start this off by saying that I could not wait for this baby to come out for all the world to see.  I've been in love with the series as soon as I started reading City of Bones.  And I didn't even want to read the Mortal Instrument Series because I thought why would the modern story be better than the Victorian story? (I first picked up Clockwork Angel.  Best book in the world!)  Anyway, I gave The Mortal Instruments a shot and I've been deep, deep, deeply in love with them, all five so far!

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.
No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?
Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.
And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?
Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

So, I don't know what I can really say about this beauty.  No intelligible words come to mind.  In my head, I'm all 'love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love'.  And I'm not sure how I can exactly make a decent review with just that.  I'm in love with these series so much, I have Shadowhunter fever.  They're all I think about and I'm pretty sure I've picked out a parabatai of my own. 
First of all, it was beautifully written.  Gorgeous settings and an exciting plot.  There's plenty of action and fighting with the right amount of romance--just the way I like it.
Clary is as feisty as ever.  She's tough and smart and knows how to handle her man.  Plus, she's strong and independent.  That's why she'll always be one of my favorite characters of all time.  But in CoLS, she has no idea what she's gotten herself into.  And that's why she needs help from ......These guys!
Simon, my nerdy little book vampire boyfriend, will do just about anything for Clary, and that includes risking his life.  Isabelle and Alec will go along with Clary's adventures because not only are they friends, but usually whatever Clary's doing, Jace is not far behind.  And Magnus, well, he'll go anywhere or do anything for Alec (Malec=the cutest couple in all time book history.  It deserves an award.)
And, so there's this HUGE and EPIC adventure that ensues that also involves Maya and Jordan (remember him?).  But I can't tell you anything about it or I'll end up spilling my guts out, which consists of CoLS.  So, I'm not saying anything but I wish that there was more Malec time.  They're my favorite characters to watch grow and develop.  I love being in there company, in a sense.  I wish we could get to see more of them!
P.S The ending?  Whyyyy??  Why did you do that to them, Cassandra Clare? WHHYYYY?!?!?! *drops down on knees and throws arms out, looks as raining sky* 
Anyway, this baby's got five out of five stars.  Excellent read, and it's long, too.  Super enjoyable and totally worth the wait.  It's everything I could have wished for and more. *goofy smile*

The Passionate Bookworm

Although, I am fairly very new to the book blogging world, I've made some awesome friends on Twitter.  That could be because I'm a Twitter-addict, but oh well.  What can ya do?  Anyhow, I have this certain friend.  And her name is Michelle.  And she runs this GREAT blog over at The Passionate Bookworm.  And as her blog title states, she is passionate about books.
But there's more.  She's also a very talented artist and has an etsy shop over here.  And while she's making all of these amazing tee shirts for all of her adoring and devoted blogger fans, she can't do it all.
So, this is the plan.  All of you reading this go head over to this link: Fundraising/Raffle Giveaway!
It doesn't matter whether it's one dollar or twenty!  Anything you do with help contribute to Michelle's cause.  She wants to keep doing what she loves, but sometimes she's gonna need your help.  And look at all of the pretties she's giving away just because YOU helped do something for her!  It's irresistible!  So, get over there now and help out!  Help be that helping hand.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

I heard about this book a while before it actually came out.  I guess I was fairly excited for this one. 

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I thought that The Selection was a very original and different approach to a futuristic/dystopian world.  I didn't get exactly where the setting was, but I didn't mind that much.
I really liked America's character.  She's different than the rest of the girls that are after money and fame.  She doesn't want any of that, so I was already liking her by the first few pages.  She wasn't materialistic and that was cool with me.  If there was anything I didn't like about her was that she wasn't very trusting.  Although, it's kind of understandable that she doesn't trust this handsome prince that plans on marrying one of them.  But, when she receives the opportunity to open up and vent, she stays cocooned up in her own depressing thoughts and hides away.  Can't she see a trusting person she can talk to????  He's smack dab in front of you, woman! 
Things got better as the book progressed. I was happy.
What I didn't like about the book, unfortunately?  Well, it just didn't hold that spark that made this book that much better.  Honestly, I think the entire story could have been wrapped up in one book.  And The Selection was pretty short, too.  Although, I'm not sure where Kiera Cass is going with her idea, so I could be wrong.  The whole thing reminded me too much of The Bachelor, and I do not like that show.  And the only exciting things that went on were the kissing and the two rebel attacks, and the attacks weren't THAT attack-y.
Overall, this pretty gets three out of five stars.  This book just needed that extra umph to really be a great book.  Once again, I feel so bad for giving a book less than four stars, but sometimes it happens.  I'm still looking forward to the next book, though.  Kind of excited to see what happens next, too.  I think it's the girly girl part of me that's really looking forward to it.
Oh, totally Team Maxon!

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Okay, so I was very, very reluctant to read this book.  I read the first one and was not impressed by it at all.  In fact, I gave it one star.  Only one star.  I didn't like The Gathering at all.  Nothing really happened on it and nothing even remotely was resolved.  So as you can see, I was not exactly excited to read The Calling.  In case I didn't happen to like this one, I borrowed it from the library and read it.

Maya Delaney’s paw-print birthmark is the sign of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly anyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it’s only a matter of time before she’s able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.
Now, Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they’re kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. Plentiful action and romance in this second installment in the Darkness Rising series will keep readers enthralled to the last page.

Let me first start off by saying that The Calling was a HUGE improvement from the first book.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The story had more dimension and content to it.  I hated giving The Gathering only one star.  I truly hate not liking a book, but it's just what my opinion thinks.  So, I was very happy to read and enjoy this book.  Very happy.
Maya grows as a character and so does Daniel.  Honestly, I think they need to hook up.  It's not that I don't like Rafe--because I do--but I just feel that Maya and Daniel have more of a history and it's not all about lust and stuff.  But, of course, Maya is still head over heels for Rafe.  Go away, Rafe!
This was all adventure, which I absolutely loved!  The gang get trapped on an island after a helicopter crash and have to try to find their way home.  In the first ten pages, I'm pretty sure, like, three people die.  It was pretty intense.  I happen to like intense.
And going on with how Maya grows as a character.  She really didn't believe in herself and what the kind of potential she could have if she did.  It really annoyed me in the first book, but I guess that's a common problem with teens.  But in The Calling, she gained more confidence.  She's a true born leader and it shows.
So here it comes....my rating of this book......Can you guess what it is?...No?..Well, I won't bother wasting your time, then......My rating is......drum roll, please....Four out of five shiny and golden stars!  I was very pleased with this book.  Extremely so.  And here is the time where I tell you all after this review to go out and read this book, if you've read The Gathering already.  Don't read this book if you haven't read The Gathering.  That is all. :)
Happy reading, all!

Revived by Cat Patrick

Sorry for the look of my header image on here.  I'm still trying to figure things out and hopefully I'll be making myself my very own blog button soon!  So, just ignore it at the moment as I review yet another book.

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.
A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

I was instantly hooked when I first saw the cover.  I didn't have to even read what it was about for me to pick it up at my local library.  I knew instantly that I'd be interested and hooked.
Daisy was a very confusing character for me.  She's not exactly timid, but she's quiet and does not make many friends.  She knows that if she dies she can most likely be 'revived' and life will go on as normal and tra la la.  But, she would do things that are wreckless and also out of character, when comparing it to her overall personality.  I have to say she was one of those characters I did not connect with, unfortunately.
Don't get me wrong, though.  Revived was actually a good book.  It wasn't fantastic like WOW that was awesome, but more of okay, good book.  It was something different than what I usually read, which now includes dystopian, but centers around fantasy and action, sometimes even historical.  Putting all of that aside, it was an okay book.
I thought it was pretty cool that there was this drug that could bring people back to life, but there are rules and restrictions to it, some of which I understood and others I didn't necessarily get.  There wasn't any action, really, in this book.  This is more of a mystery, which I thought was interesting.
Overall, this book gets three out of five stars from me.  It was good, but not something I would pick up again.

The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking

Today I have a surprise for you all . . . It's called Three Reviews in One Day!  Well, let me get started.
I got all three at the same time and decided to read them all in a row, so here it is.
First up, Switched.

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.
With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.
I thought this book was very different.  When I first heard it was about a changeling, I thought it was about faeries, but no; it's about trolls.  That was something new.
When readers are first introduced to Wendy, I thought she was a spoiled brat.  All she had to do was throw a tantrum and stomp her foot and she got her way with her brother and aunt.  And then she starts to gain abilities and it didn't help what I thought about her.  And she was ridiculously oblivious--which was understandable--but it was annoying.
But then my opinion about Wendy changed.  I probably would have acted the same way she did about the situation and I'm no better with my temper.  She doesn't exactly become the idealic leader I'd want her to be by the end, but she's on her way, and she knows it, too.
The plotline is very interesting.  Trylle is like a tribe of trolls that live under the radar of humans.  They use changelings to inherit the money of wealthy families, ditch them, and use their money to help keep the community prospering.  Twisted, isn't it?
Obviously, the main character does not approve of the situation and there are mysterious opposing forces.
Honestly, I really did enjoy this book, just not as much as I liked the others in the series.  I gave this book four out of five.  It's a really nice series, so I suggest you read it!


Wendy thought she finally understood who she was and what she wanted, but everything changes when the rival Vittra come after her. 
She's caught between two worls, torn between love and duty, and she must decide what life she is meant to lead.

This one, I thought was a step up from the first one.  The relationship between her and Finn is absolutely infuriating.  One moment, they're all lovey dovey and then the next they're screaming at each other, her caught up between what she feels is right to do and her feelings and him caught up in his duty.  Practically, they can never be together.  It's impossible in a society like theirs.  Technically, they can never be together since it's unheard of, punishible even. There is no Them in a world like theirs.
I really loved all her Trylle friends.  They were entertaining and a beacon of light in Wendy's unhappiness.  They made her happy and laugh while her realy mother wanted to rip out Wendy's throat, figuratively speaking.  The two of them do not get along.
And then there's Loki, a very mysterious character not formally introduced to the characters.  He's a jerk, but he's not content with his life.  I liked him, in all his Vittra glory.
Five out of five stars!

With a war looming on the horizon, Wendy’s fate seems sealed. But everything she sacrificed might be in vain if she can’t save the ones she loves.

Her whole life has been leading up to this, and it’s all coming to an end.
Man, this book was an improvement from all of them.  Secrets are uncovered, love hurts, and war is coming, the inevitable.
I was really excited about the impending fight scene I knew would be on it's way.  This is what the other two books lead up to.  The end. 
Wendy is a complete martyr in this book.  She understands her duty as princess and is willing to give up her life for the sake of others.  And she does.  This was finally the kind of leader I was waiting for her to be.  She mindlessly throws herself into the arms to danger, and it was very exciting.
And, boy, some of the secrets in Ascend were a complete surprise for me.  I could barely imagine what was being hidden from her in the other books and then in this one--bam!--it hits ya!  I could have never guessed some of the secrets here.
In other words, it was a great book.  Five out of five stars for me!

And that's it for my Three Reviews in One Day special.  Until next time, read!  I know I will.