Review: Eve (Eve #1) by Anna Carey

Eve (Eve #1)
by Anna Carey

Published December 1st 2011 by HarperCollins

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

After a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth's population, the world is a terrifying place.

Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a bright future in The New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school's real purpose--and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she's ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. But when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: December 1st 2011

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Format: paperback, 318 pages 

Series: yes

Source: my own copy

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When I first started reading Eve, I had no idea what it was about. I had just reached over to my pile of unread books and it was sitting there, so I grabbed it.

It's not 'Oh, my, this is fantastic, everybody should read this before they die, here's a copy', but it is a good, intense read. A little silly and slow at times, sure, (I mean, this IS YA), but the whole post-apocalyptical situation is so terrifying and aggravating, Eve's world so indignant, and the action scenes so... 'heart-racing', that it becomes well balanced. :)

I'm strange about the books I keep and the ones I trade, but this one... well, this one I'll keep. It's not a 5 stars book on the whole, mind you, but for a few excellent scenes... it gets very close to it. I get the feeling Anna Carey could do so much better, but that maybe she held back sometimes because she wanted it to become a YA book... her violent scenes are so... no-nonsense and clear and disgustingly real, they're blood-curdling in their simplicity. I think she would make an AMAZING Adult writer. Really. Here's hoping, right?

That scene with the pregnant students tied down... yeesh. >.< *shudders* It still resurfaces in my mind randomly. And I've read it over a month ago. O.o I can also still recall the almost-rape scene... the yellowish color of the evil man's teeth... how sweet the the orphan boys were. You see? It's about the little things, the very well-written few parts that suck you in! But there can't be that many of those, because it's supposed to be for young audiences... and, really, JUST 318 pages? I though this kind of books normally could go up to 368 pages, or am I wrong? I am aware this is a series, however, I feel the story could have been slightly improved in those 50 more possible pages... 

The romance was cute and light, not insta-love, which is a certain plus... friendship was also nicely dealt with in Eve, and so was jealousy and betrayal. I can't wait to read Once and Rise. I am really looking forward to learning more about this weird, evil King that forces young girls to study for years straight only to tie them down and get them pregnant until they die of exhaustion and/or childbirth. I mean, seriously? How freaking mean and black-hearted can you possibly be? If you only want them as 'sows' for reproduction, why make them study so hard and hope for the future so bad? Like that'll make better babies! ... Or maybe he does it so they'll have something to occupy their brilliant minds with while they're tied down and knocked-up for the twentieth time, so they won't break so quickly? I don't know.... >.> Like I said, Carey is the boss here. ;P

Have you read Eve? What did you enjoy the most about it? If you haven't read it, do you feel like reading it?

Manga Rec #7 - Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 by Karuho Shiina

Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Vol. 1 

by Karuho Shiina


Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine...for a horror movie. With her jet-black hair, sinister smile and silent demeanor, she's often mistaken for Sadako, the haunting character from Ringu. Unbeknownst to but a few, behind her scary façade is a very misunderstood teenager.

Shy and pure of heart, she just wants to make friends. But when Kazehaya, the most popular boy in class, befriends her, she's sure to make more than just that--she's about to make some enemies too!

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This is another one of my dear favorites. Never has a manga touched me as deep as this one.

Sawako makes me think of a younger, sweeter and more naive version of Sunako. They do have many things in common. They're both kind of dark (even without trying to. LOL), long-haired (Sadako/Samara, anyone?) and shy. Oh, and they both have 'chibi' versions. (in order of the images: Sawako and Sunako):

 

Sawako is just SO good it should make your teeth hurt, but incredibly, they don't. Because she's very believable. You end up pitying her, then cheering fervently for her to start developing into the wonderful, social girl she we all know she can be.

Kazehaya is very cute, or should I say kawaii? He's a boy, sure, but also very kind and shy, and he ends up falling hard for Sawako, scary stories about her and all. He's the one who influences people to start getting closer to her and see how great a person she is.

There are many highly amusing characters in this manga, but some deserve special mentions, such as the closest friends the heroine ends up making, Chizuro and Ayane, the quiet and distant Ryu (Kazehaya's best friend) and the crazy teacher "Pin".

There is an anime version and live-action. I've watched the anime, but, as usual, I still like the manga better (even though Sawako is gets cuter in color).

I haven't had a chance of checking just checked out the live-action version, and it was cute. The adaptation was very good, but live-actions are too short. A lot of good parts of the story were lost.

If you have free time, you really should check this manga out. Volume 12 should come out on Jan 3, 2012. The series ends on volume 15, so we're almost there. :) I'm very glad VIZ Media is keeping up with it. If you try it out, you won't regret it.

Weekly Manga Recommendation #5 - Skip Beat! 1 by Yoshiki Nakamura

Skip Beat! 1

by Yoshiki Nakamura

Paperback, 184 pages

Published July 5th 2006 by VIZ Media LLC

Kyoko always thought that Sho, whose family took her in when she was small, was her prince charming. However, when Sho heads for Tokyo to make it big as a musician, Kyoko goes with him and has to quit high school to support his dream. But soon, being in the big city makes Kyoko realize that she has show business ambitions of her own!

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This manga was really one of the best finds for me. The drawings are so amazing! The mangaka can make you explode with laughter with just the characters' expressions! :D

But unlike most manga, the art here is not the most important thing (though it is pretty good). The plot is. The storyline is very well thought of (you find yourself really WANTING to know what happens next, really caring about the characters), the characters are all greatly written, they're complex, full of feelings and they touch your heart. I've never felt this way about fictional people before. O.o  I just want them to be happy in life and together. LOL

Kyoko is my favorite heroine of all. She's dark, she's funny, she becomes unbelievably strong, and yet, you feel sorry for her and want to help her. Or kick her. Well, both. LOL.

Ren, the hero, has a special place in my heart. He's gorgeous, talented and kind-hearted. And had a very rough past we're only now starting to learn about. I love him.

Like I said, all the characters are very rich and interesting, but the main ones always stuck you more. :) You'll love them, I can bet my right arm on it. LOL

 Here are some unbelievably funny screens:

Don't you just love those crazy faces? And the little voices inside her head? And how she crushes them? LMAO! You can see how she grows a backbone and stands up to the bully.

And here you can see how cute and 'flexible' she can be when she wants something. :D

The anime version is very good, too. But I still prefer the manga.

This is, no doubt about it, one of the best mangas I ever had the pleasure to read (and I've read quite a lot...). I am proud to say I own the complete collection up to now (it's still ongoing, with already over 25 published volumes and more planned for next year).

If you have to read ONE manga your whole life, please let it be this one. ;)

*I'm not being paid in any way to gush over this title, I just really want you to read so you can see for yourself how outstanding it is. :P *

Friday Recommends #2

 Friday Recommends is a meme hosted by Pen To Paper.
This is where we can share a book we would highly recommend. 

The rules for Friday Recommends are:

• Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
• Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
• Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
• Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
• Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
• Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My choice this week is:

Darcy and Fitzwilliam: A tale of a gentleman and an officer

by Karen V. Wasylowski

Paperback, 464 pages

Published February 1st 2011 by Sourcebooks Landmark

A gentleman cannot survive without his best friend...

 

Fitzwilliam Darcy and colonel Fitzwilliam couldn't be more different. Darcy is quiet and reserved, and carries the weight of his responsibilities on his shoulders. His affable and vivacious cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam is a confirmed bachelor whose military feats have made him a hero, and whose devil-may-care personality hides the torments within. Cousins, best friends, and sparring partners, Darcy and Fitzwilliam have always been there for each other. Then life gets complicated, with unrequited love and unresolved deeds from the past raising their ugly heads, and family difficulties threatening even the most steadfast friendship. Will these two strong personalities find a way to align, or will the vicissitudes of life and love tear them in different directions and destroy the family they have always worked together to protect?

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I won this title from a giveaway and I'm so glad for the opportunity to read it, because otherwise I may have never heard about it.

I've never been much of a Jane Austen fan, but I loved this 'sequel' to Pride and Prejudice. LOL

The cover is absolutely gorgeous, the writing is fluid and fun, the intimate / romantic scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth are so cute, and there are SO many great quotes!!!

The book is divided in 'two volumes', being the first about Dracy and Elizabeth and the second about Colonel Fitzwilliam and Amanda Penrod, a character of Wasylowski’s creation.

I happened to enjoy the first part better than the second, because I could relate more to Lizzy than I could to Amanda, but both of them had very well-written 'stories'. It IS a big book, but you're never tired or uninterested in any way. The author makes sure of it.

But among all, my favorite character had to be Lady Catherine. A very difficult woman, but super funny and with a great heart. ;)

Some of my favorite quotes:

“I myself find women to be unbelievably wonderful creations.”

“I suppose you will continue with this treacle even as I beg you to stop.”

“Well, think about it…” Darcy continued, looking up from his work.

Fitzwilliam groaned.

“They give back to you double and triple whatever little you hand them.”

“I think I’m going to be ill, Darcy. Please stop.”

“You hand them disparate items of food, and they give you back a wonderful meal. You provide them with four walls and a floor, and they give you back a loving home. You give them your seed,” Darcy’s eyes misted, his voice choked with emotion. “You give them your seed, and they give you back the most precious thing of all—a child…” They sat in silence together.

“And God help you if you give them shit.” Fitzwilliam was calmly packing tobacco into his pipe, and his eyes met Darcy’s for a moment. Understanding flashed between them.

“Amen to that, Cousin.” Darcy crashed down to earth, quickly resuming his work”

- and -

“Did you just spit on your hand before you patted down my hair?” he asked indignantly.

“Oh, I did no such thing. Now be still. Of all the rude, impertinent accusations to make! Bend down lower. I will have you know that members of the aristocracy do not have ‘spit’ as you crudely refer to it, young man. We do not acknowledge saliva in any form. Straighten your collar. There, you look nearly presentable.” She grumbled in aggravation, “Do you even own a brush?” Grabbing his chin, she brusquely turned his face from side to side. “For heaven’s sake, Richard, what did you use to shave—a shovel?”

“Leave now, Catherine, and I may spare your life.” There was a moment of quiet from behind the door. “Go, woman! I intend to begin ravishing my wife shortly; however, I will not even consider it before I see that little dwarflike body of yours waddling down this corridor! Away with you! Shoo!”

There are many other great ones here.

If you like historical romances with drama, humor and strong female characters, this is definitely your read. ;)

Weekly Manga/Manhwa Recommendation #3 - Evyione 1: Ocean Fantasy by Kim Young-Hee

Evyione 1: Ocean Fantasy

by Kim Young-Hee

Remember the tale of the little mermaid that fell in love with the dashing human prince? Now, imagine the roles reversed, as a romance blooms between the beautiful Evyione and a dashing young merman. It's a unique twist on timeless tale that is sure to leave you spellbound.


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WOW. The illustrations are SO beautiful!!! The art in this manhwa is jaw-dropping.

Really, the artwork is absolutely fantastic. Drool-worthy.

No, I am not repeating myself, I am just THAT impressed by it.

A deliciously handsome (and long-haired. Did I mention he has the most amazing long hair? Please ignore my mini hair-fetish attack.) merman, Yaxin, King of Ledent, falls in love with a human princess. Really, old Ariel has NOTHING on him!!!

This is a beautiful tale of love and hurt. I couldn't help but keep on cheering for our yummy merman, Yaxin. He gave everything up to pursue the woman of his dreams, Evyione.

Evyione is the princess of a country called Embonia. On the night of her 18th birthday she fell from her ship into the sea and was rescued by Yaxin, who leaves her on the shore. She is rescued by another man who returns her to her country, but she can't forget the beautiful long hair of the man she saw that night... and then he appears on her castle, nude, mute and wet. Woo-hoo!

What a sight. But many problems arise for our poor merman, after all, at that time period people didn't take the appearance of strange naked men very well. Specially if they can't read, speak or even stand, let alone walk. (he just came out of the sea and got his legs, guys, give him a break!)

Unfortunately only two volumes were released in the USA, but they are so beautiful, such unbelievably gorgeous gems... how can we ever get enough? Come on, Udon Entertainment! Entertain us some more!!!

Here you can see the two posters that accompany the printed versions of the manhwa. Tell me they're not to die for!

I found this really great post on Why You Should Read Evyione (and want more).

Trust me, you won't regret getting these manhwa.

Friday Recommends #1 : Jack Knife

Friday Recommends is a meme hosted by Pen To Paper.  This is where we can share a book we would highly recommend. 






The rules for Friday Recommends are:

• Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
• Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
• Pick a book that you've read, and have enjoyed enough to recommend to other readers. It can be a book you've read recently, or a book you read years ago - it's up to you - but make sure you tell us why you love the book (like a mini review). You make the post as long or as short as you like.
• Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post after posting your blog post.
• Put a link back to pen to paper (http://vogue-pentopaper.blogspot.com) somewhere in your post.
• Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My choice is:

Jack Knife

by Virginia Baker

Whitechapel, London, 1888.

For Inspector Jonas Robb, each night brings new terror. But this night is different. It's brought two strangers-David and Sara-who have arrived in London seemingly with no past. What they do have is incredible knowledge about the Whitechapel fiend known as Jack the Ripper. Because David and Sara do have a past. It just happens to be in the future.

Sent back in time, they're in pursuit of a 21st-century madman whose purpose is to change history. As the body count rises, Sara and David realize that their quarry and Robb's have become linked in a way that threatens not only Victorian London, but the very fabric of time.

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This was a great book! I got it at a local bookstore and a day later I found out it was out of print, (O.o) which made me ever happier I bought it in the first place. If you look at the reviews of this title on Goodreads, you'll see that there are all kinds of opinions about it. Some people absolutely hated it, and some, like me, absolutely loved it.

I've always enjoyed time-travel romances, so that was part of the reason I got it. The other was the 'Jack-the-Ripper' part. It really got my attention. *-*

Okay, okay, maybe some things were a bit over the top, like the too-modern gadgets used by the time-travellers from 2007, and maybe the beginning of the book was a bit slow, but it was all worth it afterwards!

The book gets better and better, the characters are very interesting and complex, and the heroine was super strong. I loved her!!! It was very satisfying to see some of the things she told those chauvinistic assholes from the 19th century. LOL.

Also, even though it is fantasy, the author obviously did her homework on the time period, the clothing, locations and the Ripper murders, which made the book even more fluid and pleasant to read.

But, just a small 'spoiler' here, the ending was very unnerving. I get it that the author was trying to be as realistic as possible, but romantically speaking, she broke my heart. >.<

With that out of the way, it is a shame this book is not very well-known. It's almost the same as with The Sterkarm series. They are gems that need to be discovered.

Too bad the author didn't write anything else, either. A waste of talent.

Believe me, it is worth your time. I bought it as a gift to two of my friends already, and they loved it too, so I'm glad I did my job spreading the word about it to them, and now to you. ;)

Sixpence Bride (Timeswept) by Virginia Farmer - Review

Sixpence Bride (Timeswept) by Virginia Farmer

Jilted by her fiance, Tanner had to struggle not to believe that her own value had been somehow diminished. Still she knew better than to let that fear ruin her tour of England. But no one had explained to her that there would be a mock bride auction—or that she would be sucked back in time to the close of the eighteenth century.

Suddenly Jocelyn found herself in another time, another body, and in a real auction—being claimed by a real hunk of a man. Still, her bride price hardly seemed flattering. And the handsome Garren had not yet shown her the attention for which she yearned. But as she began to make this new body her own, she saw interest flare behind the lord's reserved facade. She'd soon show him—and herself-in pounds or pennies, no one was worth more than his...

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My Review:

It was such a quick read, super funny and cute. Loved the heroine Tanner/Jocelyn and the story, but I really would have enjoyed it more if it had a further development.

I would've liked to see how Nelwina fared in the 21st century, what they would feel if they returned to their original time and then traded bodies again, a little more romance between the main characters, a clearer ending for the villain... it felt quite rushed and short, as if the author had to cut a lot of the story out.

Too bad, it could have been a 5 star! :) I will read it again, though.