Mini-Review: Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Harbinger
by Sara Wilson Etienne

Published February 2nd 2012 by G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy (sort of dystopia)

Publication Date: Feb 2nd 2012

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR

Format: Hardcover, 309 pages 

Series: NO!

Source: My TBR

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With a cover like that you can't really blame me for trying it, right? Even after all the bad reviews I've read of it, I still needed to read it for myself. How was it?

It.

Was.

Torture.

Yup. Just like that. And not the good kind of torture, mind you. :P This was one strange book, if I've ever seen (read?) one. Three quarters of it were so slow, confusing and plain I ALMOST gave it up several times.

I suppose the author tried to maintain an atmosphere od mystery and tension and all that jazz going, but it came out very frustrating and somewhat misleading to me. Yes, MISLEADING just about covers the whole thing.

There was a couple, one I felt I could come to care about... but, clearly, that never happened. They had this nice chemistry and... well, that's it. No, I mean  it. Maybe one little kiss and then BAM, they're lifelong enemies. Or something. It was irritating, because they kept chasing each other, then pushing each other away... that annoying tidbit was partially explained at the end of the book, but not really. Yes, I have a fantastic way with words, I am aware of it.

The whole 'Family' thing was interesting in a sort of creepy way. Unfortunately THAT wasn't well explored in the book. I wish i could have seen more of it. 

This was supposed to be a dystopian world, and that was what really made up my mind about even picking the book up in the first place... turns out it was also one of the things that annoyed me the most about 'Harbinger'. There was NO explanation and almost ZERO world-building concerning their supposedly 'ruined' world. 

I didn't hate this book, I really didn't. But I ALSO didn't even remotely like it. And I wouldn't recommend it. At all. Sorry. Except maybe for super crazy cover-whores. Only THEN it's worth your time.

Authors, a little piece of advice: WE WANT TO SEE THE WORLD BURNING!!!! So, you know, show us. Or at least let us know what came to happen. Best regards, readers of dystopia.

Review: Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

Grave Secret (Harper Connelly #4)
by Charlaine Harris

Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface.

To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contact with other family members. Tolliver wants no part of the man- but he may not have a choice in the matter.

Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before.

And what she finds out will change her world forever.

Genre: Adult, Paranormal

Publication Date: Oct 27th 2009

Publisher: Berkley

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 306 pages 

Series: yes

Source: my own copy

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My Review

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this serias as much as I did. I happened upon the first volume and decided to give it a try after SO many Sookie books. I have always been attracted to the paranormal, i.e., mediums, ghosts, the whole thing. I don't necessarily BELIEVE in the people that say they have the power to talk/see/help the dead, but I DO like to read about it and ponder over the possibility.

I quickly warmed up to Harper and to Harris' no-nonsense narration. She's very to-the-point (no wonder how short her books are), and that is always refreshing to me. Sometimes too much description takes over the real plot and makes the reader lose some of the focus that should be on the story, not the surroundings. Not that Harris doesn't manage to make us aware of the places where the story takes place, she does, but she ALSO makes it all much more easy to digest. The same goes for secondary characters' descriptions. I like it very much, but some may not.

Like I said, Harper was a delight. Even when people kept pestering her to do her corpse-searching job right, and then acting in disbelief about the 'legitimacy' of her very accurate results, she would always find the best way to deal with the complainer. In this last book Harper FINALLY had the chance to prove she is capable of taking care of herself, and I was happy to see it happening, as she always came off quite dependant upon her brother-turned-lover, not to mention almost weak. And not just physically weak, but mentally as well, sometimes.

The book managed to close every mystery that was still open (what happened to Harper's sister, what was the deal with her and Tolliver's other siblings, etc) AND still surprised us some things we didn't quite see coming (at least not in MY case. I could not have been more surprised. LOL). I was also suprised with the romance between them, but I quickly got over it.

The series isn't perfect, sure, but there is SOMEthing about it.... I enjoyed it so much that after I was done with the first book, I instantly grabbed the second, and then so on. I ignored my immense TBR list and found time to read the four books, one right after the other, as quickly as possible. And if THAT doesn't tell you something, then I don't know what else to say. ;)

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched (Trylle #1)
by Amanda Hocking

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publication Date: Jan 3rd 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Format: ARC, 318 pages 

Series: unbelievably, yes

Source: my own copy (ARC), which I got from a trade

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My Review:

Ouch. This review is going to be one hell of a BURN, so I'm making sure to let you know this ahead of time. If you don't like slightly mean reviews, please go check my other, more gushing ones. 

This is the first time I've bothered to write a 1-star review, so you can already tell how much this one bugged me. If this was an ebook, I'd have just deleted it after the first chapter, just to get it over it... BUT, as this one was a physical copy (an ARC, as a matter of fact, so maybe things got better in the final edition?), I pushed myself to actually make more of an effort.

What. A waste. Of livable lifetime.

Seriously.

• Characters: A bunch of maladjusted, rude, spoiled, unpleasant, self-centered, self-important, ignorant MORONS, aka, 'trolls'. They may look pretty on the outside, but damn, they are COMPLETELY rotten on the inside. Talk about assholes. And that applies especially to our dear main-character, Wendy. She has a stupid name, evil powers, an amazing 'host' family and she couldn't be more of an ungrateful, useless bitch. YES, I'm pissed off at her. Her 'mother' really should have killed her when she had the chance. Too bad her 'brother' managed to save her. A waste of oxygen and space, that's all she is. Or, in this case, of paper and ink. If I had to find one good thing about her.... uhm... well, this is awkward. Let's see... maybe.... no. How about... argh. Ok, I got it! She has brown hair and eyes. THAT'S IT. That is ALL that is good about her. (I am fed up with the hordes of blondes and redheads). 
• Plot: It had promise. I was curious about the changeling thing and to see what was the author's vision of trolls, buuuuuuuut... the whole 'I'm too lazy to raise my children, so I'll send them over to wealth human families to be raised as spoiled, rich teens, and then I'll bring them back and use their money, while we pretend I never sent them away in the first place.' Hum... I do not think that sounds like a very good enough reason, if you ask me.

The only reason I didn't DNF Switched was because I found myself in a very boring situation, away from home and other books/options of entertainment, and was forced to read the whole thing for lack of anything better to do. I know, the truth may hurt, but it's still the truth. Otherwise I'd have just given it up and started on the next title from my TBR list. 

In a nutshell, if, like me, you start this book and feel like you cannot go through the freaking FIRST chapter, don't keep your hopes up that things might get better. They won't. So don't bother.

Early Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

If You Find Me
by Emily Murdoch

There are some things you can’t leave behind…

A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: March 26th, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Format: eARC, 256 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

I have to admit that I chose to read this book because I saw somewhere that it was a survival story. And it was. But not in the sense I thought it would be. I expected to see people having to fend for themselves in the middle of the woods, all Hunger Games-like or something... but it was a different kind of survival. A much sadder and realistic one. Two girls had to survive their own mother and the terrible things she did to them. All the things she let others do to them.

Carey raised her little sister by herself, because she learned a long time ago not to count on her bipolar/meth-addict mother. A mother who only cared about making enough money for drugs, a woman who could not be bothered to bring food home for her children, or clothes, or even NOT bring strange, disgusting men over to rape her 7 year-old (until she finally got her period at 13) for pocket change to buy drugs.

Carey is, not surprisingly, extremely mature for her 14 years-old. She would do anything to protect her baby sister, Jenessa. So when a woman from Social Services and a strange man (who looks somewhat familiar) show up in the middle of the forest looking for them, she's ready to fight. But there's nothing she can do. If she wants to keep her sister close, she has to live with this man. Her father. The one her mother said was the reason they had to run away years ago.

Now the two sisters have to learn how to live with the comforts and novelties of modern life. Clean, comfortable, warm clothes. A nice place to sleep. Food whenever they're hungry. Running water. This is all heaven for them, but this new life won't be easy. There's a stepmother involved. Oh, and a very jealous stepsister. And let's not forget about high school. And boys. If only Carey didn't have so much to hide...

This was such a sad, sad book. I loved the way it was narrated. I could almost hear Carey's voice, with her accent and all the missing g's and es's ('don't it?' 'runnin' '). It was such a melodic, dreamy, sad narration. It broke my heart from the start, because I just knew there was something bad to be discovered. 

I wanted to kill Carey's mother. What a freaking monster! How can someone do those things to her own children? Ok, I get it, she was sick AND on drugs, but seriously? Completely unacceptable. At the end of this book I found myself very mad with the opposite sex. I can't even begin to describe how satifying it was to me to read what she did to that rapist. 

Anyway... it was very heart-warming to see them adapt to their new, love-filled life. If anyone deserved it, it was them. I loved this book. I really did. Even if Carey, a girl who lived in the woods ever since she as a child, without proper nutrients and hydration, with next to no protection from the elements, under constant stress and all, being described as 'OMG, the most amazingly beautiful girl ever, she should be on cover of magazines and movies'. That was completely unnecessary to the story and quite unrealistic, but I'm going to let that go. The rest of the book was terrific, so there you go.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

Hunted
by Cheryl Rainfield

Caitlyn is a telepath in a world where having any Paranormal power is illegal. Caitlyn is on the run from government troopers, who can enslave, torture, or even kill her, or make her hunt other Paranormals. When Caitlyn settles down in a city, she falls for Alex, a Normal (someone without Paranormal powers), which is dangerous because he can turn her in. And she discovers renegade Paranormals who want to destroy all Normals. Caitlyn must decide whether she's going to stay in hiding to protect herself, or take a stand to save the world.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publication Date: December 15th 2011

Publisher: Westside Books

Format: e-book, 368 pages 

Series: yes

Source: the author

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My Review

"Sometimes humans are so inhumane."

Caitlyn is a telepath, or, as they are now called, a Para. Paras are in danger in this new fantastical world, meaning Cait and her mother have to constantly move to run away from the Paratroopers that are searching for them in order to enslave them. 

Caitlyn is tired of running, but she knows she can never trust or get too comfortable with the Normals in her new school because the majority of them are Para-Haters and could betray her in the blink of an eye. That only reinforces her decision to not become close to any of them... but this time things are different. There is a cute guy who really seems to like her, and a very nice girl who would make an excellent friend... but they are Normals, and Cait knows better than to trust Normals... doesn't she?

Or maybe this time the real danger lies in the person she trusts the most.

Hunted starts off with instant action, very fast-paced and intense. Things slow down a bit after that, but they pick up in the end. I liked how the author managed to show all the characters' problems, their feelings, explaining to us why they all made the decisions they did. It was very enlightening and made me feel somewhat closer to them.

I specially liked that Cait had a blog, Teen Para, and that she tried so hard to open people's eyes. Her water thing was very interesting as well, and Alex sure sounds hot in his bathing clothes. LOL. Which brings us to the romance part. In my opinion, it seemed to build up a bit too fast, but it was cute nonetheless.

However, I had some trouble accepting that the Normals would treat the Paras like that, with no apparent reason plain fear, even if it IS a very strong feeling. Also, I would like to have seen more of how the Paras were discovered, where their powers came from and all that. 

Oh, and this had nothing to do with the plot, but it made an impression on me and made me laugh internally every time: the use of the verb 'to finger'. I know it was meant in the sense of 'to point at', but I have a dirty mind and... well, you can probably guess what came to my mind everytime I read the phrase "he fingered us, she planned on fingering us" and so on... XD

Hunted was a pretty good book, but it was very different form what I'm used to seeing from Miss Reinfield. Maybe that's why I could't enjoy it as much as did 'Scars' and 'Parallel Visions', I just couldn't help but compare them.

If you like your paranormal fantasy with a lot of drama, then give Hunted a try. ;)

Review: The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh

The Ideal Wife (The Ideal Wife #1)

by Mary Balogh

In this classic tale, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh introduces a hero like no other: Miles Ripley, London’s most irresistible bachelor, who’s about to lose his heart to the last person he ever expected to love—his wife.

When Abigail Gardiner knocks at the door of Miles Ripley, Earl of Severn, the last thing she expects is a marriage proposal. Desperate, she’d come to this charismatic stranger’s home to plead for her future. Instead she shocks them both by saying yes. Her impulsive decision will have consequences neither she nor her new husband can foresee. For Miles has his own reasons for marrying her. And Abigail is harboring a secret of her own. As distrust gives way to desire . . . as, together, they give in to the pleasures of the marriage bed, a devastating scandal threatens their future. Now these two wary hearts will risk ruin and disgrace for a love that has changed them both forever—the kind all seek, but few ever find.

Genre: Adult, Historical Romance

Publication Date: June 24th 2008

Publisher: Dell

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 339 pages 

Series: yes, but can be read as a stand-alone

Source: used book store

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My Review:

So... the minute I read that blurb (and saw this beautiful and brightly blue cover -the three Bs this cover whore absolutely loves-), I decided to go ahead and ignore the surprisingly low ratings for this book and see things for myself.

I had a lot of fun reading The Ideal Wife. Sure, some of the dialogues and actions of the characters were not perfectly 'agreeable' with the time period, nor was the ease with which Miles quickly accepted and fell for Abigail (it was almost insta-love, and it came from the guy first, a surprise in itself) and her oddities, and constantly stood by her side even when Society stated that he 'correct' her bizarre behavior. Yes, like I said, it wasn't very believable... but it does not mean it wasn't enjoyable. It's not always you see the hero falling for the heroine before SHE falls for him, nor is it very often that he turns out to be such an understanding, dear of a husband. The Ideal Wife was the kind of book that really brings out the meaning of 'romance' to mind: something sweet, a little bit too-perfect and, so, very unrealistic. What is better than THAT for when you need to escape real life? It was a great help during my finals. Something light, quick and easy to read that makes your brain relax a bit.

Abigail was a surprisingly strong and amusing heroine from the very start. I was quick to like her... only to almost hate her enough to want to give up finishing the book. I didn't give it up, but I simply could NOT believe some of her ridiculous decisions. How can someone be so smart and so freaking STUPID at the same time? Very annoying. There was no need for all that secrecy and drama and running around behind her husband's back when it was SO VERY OBVIOUS that he would gladly help with the (painfully simple) issue at hand. But then again, the story needed something more to the plot... it just seems to me that the author could have thought of a better way to write it. There was a (grave) surprise, that we never could have seen coming, unveiled at the end. THAT surprise should have been better hinted at, better developed, to make the seriousness of the book come through. 

Regardless of those problems, I liked the characters and the lightness of the story, the strength of their relationship. It was cute and funny. And that's pretty much it.

Review: State of Emergency (Book #1) by Summer Lane

State of Emergency (Book #1)
by Summer Lane

What would you do if the world as you know it ended in an instant?

How far would you go to survive?

Cassidy Hart is your typical High School graduate: a little shy, a little sarcastic, and a little naive. But when an electromagnetic pulse takes down the United States, she's forced to kick into full survival mode when she gets separated from her father.

Yeah. Things suck.

But with the help of a handsome soldier named Chris, she just might find her dad without getting into serious trouble.

Emphasis on might.

Oh. And there's the matter of avoiding getting killed in a world that's quickly turned into an active war zone.

It's going to change Cassidy's life.

It's going to be a major pain in the butt.

Genre: New Adult, Apocalyptic

Publication Date: Jan 18th 2013

Publisher: Writng Belle

Format: eARC, 360 pages 

Series: yes

Source: copy from the author

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My Review

Nobody knows how it started, only that, out of nowhere, technology turned on humans. Cellphones died, lights went out, car batteries wouldn't work... and chaos ensued.

Cassidy Hart finds herself in the middle of it all. But thanks to her well-prepared father, she has a working car, supplies and a scape plan. Until the moment she meets Chris Young, a very cute soldier who asks her for a ride... and then the whole plan starts to fall apart. Now they're both on the run from crazy starving civilians and an even crazier militia group called Omega. 

But why is Omega group so interested in them? And how come her father was so well-prepared for something like this? Was meeting Chris just a coincidence? What is really going on?

Cassie has no idea. But she will find out.

Wow. State of Emergency was pure undiluted action! I really liked the way the writing instantly sucked me into the story and just wouldn't let me go! It was the first I've read from this author and was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it so much. I love survival / post-apocalyptical stories, but they aren't always that well executed, so YAY for State of Emergency! I especially liked that it a New Adult book, meaning that the main character wasn't a teen anymore. We need some more heroines in the 19-25 age range.

However, it was not all flowers and rainbows. This book had many similarities to the TV series Revolution. There was the global shutdown of all electronic devices, the start of journey in search of a family member, the 'help of a handsome soldier', and a crazy militia group stalking them... so I really couldn't help but compare them both.

Cassidy did some really stupid stuff, too. She fell for obvious traps, she trusted people who were clearly untrustworthy, and, in my opinion, she was way too nice for someone in her situation. I'm sure that if it was real life she would have shot some people. Maybe even killed someone. I mean, come on, when people are trying their best to kill YOU at any cost, you're not just gonna stand there and do nothing to stop them when you have the chance to, will you? But, well, I suppose it wouldn't look good for the heroine to be bloodthirsty...

Oh, and there were these parts where Cassie went on and on and on about obesity in America. I was like, HELLO? It's the end of the world, people are killing and being killed all the time, there's no electricity anywhere, there's a militia group enslaving people, there's almost no food and water anywhere and all you think about is how all this is a good cure for obesity? Seriously? If she had mentioned it once or twice, it would be no biggie; sure, it does, in fact, make some sense when you think about it. But she elaborated on it over SIX times. I know, I counted. She didn't worry about people clearly losing their humanity around her as much as she worried about obesity. Well, that tells you a lot about her. Oh, and I'm not saying it's a good thing to be obese, but if Cassie had some more meat on her bones maybe she wouldn't have almost frozen to death that many times. >.<

Chris was an amazing character... he was smart, kind-hearted and unbelievably patient. I liked him a lot. Even if all he did was save our silly, self-desctructive little heroine most of the time. When he wasn't acting like total man-candy, that is. Not that I'm complaining about THAT part. 

Anyway, I actually learned quite a few survival tips from this book. Turns out I just have to do the opposite of whatever Cassie did. ha-har. Well, jokes aside, State of Emergency made me feel a bit worried about how I'd act if the same happened. I just know I'd be totally screwed. O.o It also makes you think about how people can be perfectly civil and kind one moment and then just slit your throat for an energy bar in the next. If the end of the world happens, of course. Or if they are crazy psychos. But you get my drift. It's an interesting, though frightening, concept.

Funny tidbit: All the time I was reading State of Emergency I was picturing Chris as Chris Hemsworth in the movie Thor. Coincidentally, author Summer Lane admitted in her interview to imagine him like that, as well. The guy IS incredibly hot. *-*

 (And, no, this wasn't just an excuse for me to post more pictures of Chris Hemsworth. Ok, maybe it was.)

All in all, State of Emergency does its job very well! It thrills you, it scares you, it keeps you reading like crazy because you just have to see what happens next, and, most important of all, it makes you feel. And that is not an easy feat for a book. I'm REALLY looking forward to reading what happens in the next book! XD

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

I'm curious. What would you do if the world as you know it ended in an instant?

Review: A Breath of Magic by Teresa Medeiros

Breath of Magic (Lennox Family Magic #1)

by Teresa Medeiros

Published February 1st 1996 by Bantam

Precocious Puritan and aspiring witch Arian Whitewood spends her lonely nights dreaming of magic and excitement. She gets more excitement than she bargains for when she crash lands straight out of a witch hunt into the 20th century and the arms of Tristan Lennox, a reclusive billionaire. Arian blows through Tristan's climate-controlled existence like a breath of magic, only to discover that the spell he weaves around her heart is more compelling than any enchantment.

Genre: Adult, Romance

Publication Date: Feb 1st 1996

Publisher: Bantam

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages 

Series: sort of, but not really

Source: My own copy

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My Review

It's been forever since the last Teresa Medeiros book I've read. I forgot how much I enjoyed her storytelling and her characters. :)

A Breath of Magic felt more like a breath of FRESH AIR after so many 'bad' or simply 'ok' adult books I tried this week... I laughed SO hard with it! Really, I can't stress how much fun I had reading it. :) It really came at the best possible moment for me.

Arian is the French daughter of an unmarried woman in the 17th century and never met her father. She's sent to live with a stepfather in the middle of a bunch of Puritans.... which would be okay, if not for the small fact that, uhm, she's a witch. A WHITE witch, sure, but a witch nonetheless. And all is evil in the eyes of the Puritans. Arian finds herself in the middle of an Inquisition, just about to drown when she utters a last-minute spell to try and make time stop, but that actually sends her 300 years in the future, in her flying broom.

Tristan doesn't believe in magic, but, ironically still has some inner hope to find it in the world. Which is part of the reason why he promises a million dollars to whoever proves to him that there is such a thing as real magic out there. Tristan is getting fed up with all the charlatans when, out of freaking nowhere, a girl dressed as a nun appears flying/crashing a broom up in the sky. When she falls/lands right into the middle of the contest. He saves her, and sends her broom for examination, certain that it must had some gadget that made it fly. But while his team of researchers find themselves busy trying to prove it was NOT just a broom, Tristan is about to find himself believing in magic again... and also in love.

Tristan could be very bossy and demanding and rude sometimes, but he constantly made up for it, so all was well. He wore his past wounds as an armor around his heart, but it was very satisfying to see Arian slowly melt it away.

Speaking of Arian, she had everything that could have made me dislike her as heroine, but, surprisingly, did not. I actually LIKED her. And you guys must know by now how bitchy I can be. :P She was smart, but kind and pure in a way that was BELIEVABLE and fitting, not coming out as stupid or over-the-head as they usually do in romance books these days. She was genuinely good and naive. But still strong-willed and determined. Authors, take note of this. Your characters don't need to be total losers/pushovers in order to be good/kind-hearted. 

Their romance was also pure and so, so adorable. There were very few sex scenes, only a couple, as a matter of fact, but they were so... gentle and nonexplicit and just, well, romantic. (I'm very eloquent today). They were heart-warming in their simplicity and candor, and very much perfect in their context. This was a real love story. I liked it immensely. And I'm most certainly NOT a romantic. Yes, I am slightly astonished myself. O.o

I was also charmed by the lovely secondary characters! Copperfield, Tristan's (only) best friend and Indian lawyer. Sven, the poor bodyguard, former manicurist/hairdresser, turned goat. Hilarious! I wish they had books of their own. XD

Miss Medeiros, you managed to write a real gem! One that still remains modern, even after sixteen years!!! I congratulate and thank you for such a feat/treat. :) It will come out a bit cheesy, but it was simply... magical. Really, just enchanting.

My Thoughts on: Origin by Jessica Khoury

Origin
by Jessica Khoury

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home--and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin--a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

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Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Publication Date: Sep 4th 2012 by  2012

Publisher: Razorbill

Format: ebook, 368 pages 

Series: no

Source: My Kindle

If you're looking for an actual review, let me tell you right away: this is not it. This is more like... my impressions on the book, what kept pestering me after I was finished with it. And this is it:

First of all, I'm from Brazil and I really don't think FUNAI (National Indian Foundation (Brazil)) would agree with Americans installing labs in the middle of the Amazon and sacrificing the indians in a search for immortality. But then again, maybe it's just me. And that IS how Fiction usually goes, right?

Apart from that, have you guys SEEN Brazilian indians??? Let me tell you something, from what I gather, USA's Native Americans have such beautiful faces, with strong jaws and well-built bodies. They have long, wonderful black hair and are just, well, so much hotter than Brazilian indians. Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know. What I DO know is that OUR indians are butt-ugly. There, I've said it. I'm Brazilian and I should know. Of course, maybe there are exceptions... none that I've seen, but let's not generalize. Thing is, most of them look like these...

I get it that Eio is supposed to be a half-breed and super hot because of it, but that was kinda hard to swallow. (and since we're on the subject, those half-breeds don't usually come out looking much better, but I suppose there is such a thing as Genetic miracles). Anyway, I tried to picture him looking like something closer to this:

(see some more hot models here)

Oh, and for someone who was supposed to be SO much more intelligent than ordinary humans, Pia sure was stupid. 

There were MANY characters in this book, and I thought it'd be hard to keep up with all of them, but, surprisingly, it wasn't so. I love it that I was wrong. There were some very complex people there!

The romance was very... tepid. Almost non-existent. However, that wasn't the purpose of the book, and I didn't really miss it much. I like a little romance in books as much as the next girl, but in this one, it didn't make much of a difference. I also liked learning the names of some Amazon fruits even I had never heard of before. LOL

The book was interesting, nonetheless. And the writing was quite captivating. A page-turner, in fact, when I ignored all the things that bothered me first. Oh, and I seriously LOVED the man-eating ants. Just... perfection! XD

Give Origin a try and let me know what you think.