Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Darker Still by: Leanna Renee Hieber
Publication Date: November 8, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Page Count: 317
Format: Paperback Original
Series: Magic Most Foul #1
Genre: Historical, Paranormal Romance, Mystery
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

I was obsessed. It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen--everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable...utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike.

There was a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury never had committed suicide. He was alive. Trapped within his golden frame.

I've crossed over into his world within the painting, and I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked--bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit cobblestone streets of Manhattan. Unless I can free him soon, things will only get Darker Still.

My Review:


I have The Picture of Dorian Gray sitting on my shelf and I have yet to read it. Having read Darker Still, I must pick it up soon! I adored the similarity to the Oscar Wilde classic. Usually, I don't prefer books written in diary form, but this one is an exception. The action was replayed in Natalie's words as if it was actually happening right there so the diary form didn't deplete the action.

This setting is New York City in the 1800's. This is probably my favorite time and place pairing in historical fiction. The wonders and perils of the city were portrayed in a fully descriptive and magical way.

Natalie is the type of girl who doesn't fit in anywhere. Mostly it's because she is mute, or so she thinks. I thought that she was just different and fit in with a different crowd. She soon finds that out when she joins the company of Ms. Northe and the life-like painting of Lord Denbury.

I thought it was great for Natalie to be able to talk with the real Denbury and not have to worry about her muteness. This gave her the strength she needed in the outside world. All of the runes and ancient script in Darker Still was so marvelously creepy and intriguing!

When I started the book, I thought it was a standalone, but alas, it will have more books as it is a series. I am utterly excited about it! There were some great hints in this book about the content of the next.  I can't wait to see what comes next in Natalie and Jonathan Denbury's story!

Official Rating:

Four Un-Birthday Cakes!

Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Fateful by: Claudia Gray
Publication Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 328
Format: Hardcover
Series: Unknown
Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal Romance
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It's 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they're sailing on--the RMS "Titanic"--reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.
 
Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He's in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it's because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .
 
Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec's past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him--and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the "Titanic" is over.
In "Fateful," "New York Times" bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the "Titanic"'s first--and last--voyage.

My Review:

Set with a backdrop of the RMS Titanic, I knew that this would be a mesmerizing read. I've always had a keen interest in the history of the Titanic, and seeing that with an added paranormal element made it so much more enticing.


Tess is a ladies maid for a wealthy British family, the Lisles. This book was completely in her perspective and it was refreshing and surprising to experience what the thoughts are of the servants. In movies, TV shows, and books, the help is usually portrayed in the background or as bleak and unimportant. Hearing what its like to be in the head of a servant in a rich family really puts things into perspective. 


Every character in Fateful has a complex intricacy, even the minor ones. Tess especially. She was incredibly strong and understanding of the strange and unexplainable things that were happening constantly around her. With the feral nature of Mikhail threatening her every move, she braved through it all with her chin up.

Alec was one of those characters who will go to the ends of the earth to protect the people he cares about. While that is admirable all of the time, it is dangerous and reckless sometimes. But still, I couldn't help thinking he'd be anyone girls knight (wolf?) in shining armor. Tess's strength about Alec's secret makes for the perfect coupling of two exquisite characters.The concept of werewolves on the Titanic seemed a bit strange to me at first but became intriguing and thrilling soon after opening the book. The ancient and modern reaches of the Brotherhood made it hard for me to imagine a happy ending, but alas, you will have to read it to find out!

Official Rating:

Four and a half Un-Birthday Cakes!

Other Books by Claudia Gray:

         

Review: New Girl by Paige Harbison

New Girl by: Paige Harbison
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Page Count: 304
Format: e-ARC (Thanks NetGalley!)
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Challenge: 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge, 2012 YA Standalone Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

They call me 'New Girl'...

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

My Review:

When I picked  up this book, I truly had no idea how intense it would be. Filled with lust, envy, mystery, and jealousy, this book sucked me into its web of drama at Manderley Academy.

First of all, let me clarify that this book takes place mostly at a boarding school in New Hampshire. Before even reading the full synopsis, I knew that this would be a great book. Boarding schools always provide a certain inexplicable quality to books that I just can't get enough of.

The perspective switched between Becca and New Girl, Becca's being a year before New Girl's present year at Manderley. I loved how both girls were telling what happened to them at the same time of year. For instance, if New Girl was telling about a dance, so was Becca, only a year before. Before she went missing.

The mystery behind Becca's disappearance I found very intriguing. She had a terrible manipulative and impersonal attitude, but behind her shell was a person more complex than any one of her worshippers at Manderley ever could have imagined. She just got fed too much of popularity and it gained control over her actions. I was constantly wondering if she went missing on purpose to attract more popularity or if someone took her or worse.

New Girl was a frustrating read, but in the best way. The New Girl was always presumed by her peers to be trying to take Becca's place and be exactly like her. That wasn't her intention at all, of course, but people never showed any sign of knowing it. Especially Dana. She was bipolar or something was not right in her head. Not only did she blame New Girl incessantly for Becca's disappearance, she was always chanting songs in her sleep and furiously insisting that Becca was still out there.

From the beginning, I knew that Dana knew more than she was letting on. More than anything, this book was unpredictable. So much so, that I didn't dare predict what was to happen. There were new surprises around every corner and suspense galore!

Official Rating:

Four and a half Un-Birthday Cakes!



Review: Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

Still Waters by: Emma Carlson Berne
Publication Date: December 20, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 212
Format: Paperback Original
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

Hannah can't wait to sneak off for a romantic weekend with her boyfriend, Colin. He's leaving for college soon, and Hannah wants their trip to the lake house to be one they'll never forget.

But once Hannah and Colin get there, things start to seem a bit...off. They can't find the town on any map. The house they are staying in looks as if someones been living there, even though it's been deserted for years. And Colin doesn't seem quite himself. As he grows more unstable, Hannah worries about Colin's dark side, and her own safety.
Nothing is as perfect as it seems, and what lies beneath may haunt her forever.

My Review:


I forewarn you that this book is one you won't want to read in the dark, when you are alone, or when it's completely silent around you. And most of all, in the middle of a storm. That being said, Still Waters was creepy, so creepy. Mysterious too, in the best way.


There really wasn't anything out of the ordinary in the first few chapters. Hannah's boyfriend, Colin, was leaving for Pratt University in a week and she had the idea of surprising him with a last minute trip to the Pine House that his family vacationed in when he was younger.


From the first mention of the Pine House, I  knew there was something off. Colin was acting all weird about it and I found myself frantically flipping pages to see what in the world was up with this place! And the town that surrounds the house is bizarre and eerily empty. It wasn't on any map. I got goosebumps several times when reading the descriptions of the woods and Pine House.


Hannah and Colin's relationship is the one of many people's dreams. She is the unpopular, seemingly plain girl, and he is the one with the girls swooning over him with his ever present camera. Things change, however, when they arrive at the house. Colin starts acting strange and it only gets worse.

Overall this book was terrifying in some parts and I had goosebumps practically the whole way through. I always give props to the author for being able to produce that reaction from an audience.

Is the eeriness of Pine House all in their heads, or is there more to it than just a cozy vacation home? Read it and find out!

Official Rating:

                                                    Three and a half Un-Birthday Cakes!

 

Halflings by: Heather Burch

Halflings by: Heather Burch
Publication Date: February 1, 2012
Publisher: Zondervan
Page Count: 288
Challenge: 2012 Debut Author Challenge, NetGalley Month
Format: e-ARC (Thanks NetGalley!)
Series: Halflings #1
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

 After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

My Review:

This was one of the most refreshing books I've read in while. Books about angels an demons/ good vs. evil always intrigue me and this book was no exception.

Starting off, I automatically loved Nikki's character. She is a black belt in karate and doesn't care what anybody thinks about her vintage t-shirts and boyfriend jeans.  Her friend Krissy bothered me a bit though; she was always trying to get Nikki to conform to a more 'stylish' look.

The concept and manners of the Halflings really amazed me. They really are Lost Boys. As the offspring of angels and humans, they hold no true place to call home. Born out of rebellion, they don't get to chose how to lead there lives.  There is clearly humanity in each one of them though.

In all books that have to do with angels, there is a lot of creation of fictional elements to define them. That was present in this book, but there was also a lot of truth mixed in. The angels and Halflings really had a genuine respect and admiration for humans.  I would love to see more of this in YA fiction, or at least in this series.

Mace and Raven could not be  more different, and yet they both yearn to be with Nikki. Mace does what he's told and never gets involved in any way with humans. Raven is rebellious and dark, toying with humans as he pleases. This got me wondering if there is something more than human about Nikki. She stirs emotion in the beings who were taught to be ignorant of it.

This will definitely be a series to keep up with. The ending left a lot of unanswered questions and I can't wait to see what happens in the next addition to the series.

Official Rating:

Four Un-Birthday Cakes!