From the shelf: Dangerous Creatures (Dangerous Creatures #1)

Title: Dangerous Creatures
Author: Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Witches
Date read: June 14, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★☆ (3.5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Finally! A spin-off involving my favorite couple. Link and Ridley. This happens after their high school graduation where the whole gang is going to live separate lives. Ethan and Lena off to college, John and Liv to London, Link and Ridley to New York. What I loved is the binding spell of the 6 friends carves as rings. It's like having this sliver of hope that even though this was Link and Ridley's story, it would mean that we haven't seen the last of the other well-loved characters. Ridley always had an issue in expressing and receiving feelings because she's a siren. And the trouble started when Link told her he loved her. There were new characters, an old nemesis who seeks revenge and Lennox Gates. Yep, even I don't know which I would love more, Link or Nox . I would've given this 4 stars but I was a bit confused at the beginning. Plus, it was always mentioned that Ridley is a siren, like rubbing it in every time. This always happens to me whenever I start a series, even though this is a spin-off. The plot was like wine, it just keeps getting better and better. That cliffhanger was frustrating! Now, I would have to wait a whole year to find out.

"Dangerous Creatures (Dangerous Creatures #1)" gets: ★★★☆ (3.5/5) 

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: The Fault In Our Stars

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Type of book: E-book
Date read: June 8, 2014

Summary (cr: goodreads) 

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Reading this before eventually watching the movie is a must for me. I know I'm late but as the saying goes: better late than never. And because I always make it  point to read the book before watching the movie, I've experienced a million heartbreaks because of this. This novel is based on a true to life cancer warrior who finally succumb to it and I think this is the author's tribute. I loved how the characters : Hazel and Gus were witty and talked like chronic geeks. Its like an escape from an inevitable reality. Eventually of course they fell in love, realize that their hero of an author wasn't inspiring at all and later someone dies. Though it was weird because I exepected another person to die..what a twist. This had the taste of reality and makes one appreciate and treasure everyday and the simple things. It didn't reduce me into a puddle of tears just like everyone expected. There were some parts I got teary-eyed to  especially the part where you feel the parents' struggle to save their child because that's what they do, protect and love their child unconditionally. I can't help but compare it to what Jojo Moyes' wrote in 'Me Before You' (which pushed me into a short depression but that's another story) Overall it was witty, not mushy but realistic.

"The Fault In Our Stars" gets: ★★★★ (4/5)

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Dangerous Dream

Title: Dangerous Dream
Author: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Date read: June 7, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.

Where's a Linkubus when you need him?

 My Review: (also in goodreads)

After I found out that a well-loved series was going to have a spin-off, I was ecstatic. Most especially when I found out that my fave couple Link and Ridley was going to be the main protagonists of the story. This short story is like a transition from Lena and Ethan's story to Ridley and Link's romance. Ethan just finished his commentary followed by Link onward to Ridley. I think the plot would be interesting and I would definitely anticipate it.

"Dangerous Dream" gets: ★★★★ (4/5)

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Inferno

Title: Inferno
Author: Dan Brown
Genre: Suspense, Historical Fiction, Thriller
Type of book: Hardbound
Date read: April 9, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

In the heart of Italy, Harvard professor of symbology Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces . . . Dante’s Inferno. Against this backdrop, Langdon battles a chilling adversary and grapples with an ingenious riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret passageways, and futuristic science. Drawing from Dante’s dark epic poem, Langdon races to find answers and decide whom to trust . . . before the world is irrevocably altered

My Review: (also in goodreads)

I am once again trapped into a world of power and deceit as I enjoy the 4th installment of the Robert Langdon series, Dan Brown's 'Inferno'. This novel now takes a path in understanding Dante's 'Divine Comedy'. Sounds familiar? I also loved a trilogy which references Dante but in its romantic take on the Divine Comedy. This, however patterned Dante's famous work into a suspense plot. Robert Langdon, after surprisingly wakes up at a hospital in another country. And the weird thing was he doesn't remember anything that has transpired in the last few days, apparently he has retrograde amnesia. The only clue he has are the weird hallucinations and the fact that he was in Florence thus his adventure to find out the truth begins there. Once again, the author had the same formula of an out of the country adventure, mind-boggling clues and an intelligent partner in crime. I finally read what everyone is ranting about: 'The Gates of Hell' scene. As a Filipino, am I offended? Well, is it bad for me to be alright with it because its beneficial to the story? Nope, I'm not offended and yes, I think its beneficial to the story after all fiction is fiction and I'll just leave it at that. All in all I enjoyed this book (yes, I read it in a day...I still got it) and I can say it has played me like a nauseating rollercoaster ride. Everytime I would conclude a clue, the author gives a twist. That was great. As for my rating? 'Angels and Demons' still got my number 1 having 'Inferno' come in a close second followed by 'The Last Symbol' and 'Da Vinci Code' tying for the third spot.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: The Distance Between Us

Title: The Distance Between Us
Author: Kasie West
Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Chick Lit
Date read: April 8, 2014
Dawn Rates: ★★★ (3/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop.

So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company.

She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

 My Review: (also in goodreads)

The protagonists, Caymen and Xander happen to meet because of an errand for his.grandmother. I was amused at Caymen's sarcasm. I was also quite weirded out at how fast the pace was and I didn't guess her mom's secret. Although, I was confused at why Xander's relatives were too nice to her eventhough she wasn't rich. All in all, it was a light, funny chicklit read in one sitting.

Till the next read...