Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
(Nightshade, #1)
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: October 19, 2010
Hardcover: 528 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Buy:Amazon
Source: Bought
Challenge: A to Z, Off the Shelf, Book Blogger Recommendation,  350 Page
Rating: 

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

After hearing such great things about this book, I bought it last Christmas with a gift card my husband got me, and I finally got to read it. I've been dying to read it for a long time, but there just isn't enough time in the day to get through my tbr list! 


I know a lot of books don't live up to their hype, but boy this one was one. It lived up to the hype and went way over it. I know some people may be getting tired of werewolves (I love werewolves!), but this is a unique take on it. Werewolves and witches. It's amazing!


What makes a great book a lot of time when I'm reading, is the characters. But this one was definitely the plot. I mean, the characters were AWESOME! But the plot? The plot was unique and intriguing and just kept throwing new and exciting things at you. 


Sometimes I would think, "Oh, this is going to happen next.", but it didn't! I was left with my mouth hanging open and my eyes on overdrive trying to take in everything on the page so I could flip to the next one.


I've been looking for another book that has a strong female character. A kick-ass, strong female character. (i.e. Rose from Vampire Academy.) And I haven't really found many lately, but Calla? Calla is DEFINITELY kick ass. She cared about her pack, she put her pack in front of her own happiness. I'm not going to get into that because it would giveaway some of the story, but you'll understand once you pick this book up. 


Yes, there is a love triangle in this book. But I really can't figure out which guy I want Calla to be with. They both have their qualities and both sound smokin' hot. Sometimes I like Shay more, and sometimes it's Ren. 


Hopefully the next book (Which I'm currently reading! Yay! That's how great Nightshade is, I read ONE book after this book before I took on Wolfsbane.) will help me figure out which side I'm on. 


Overall, pick it up. Do it. If you haven't read it already, please get a move on it. It's not your typical werewolf book. And the writing is amazing. It keeps you reading and keeps you interested and wanting more. Andrea Cremer is definitely on my author watch list now. 


The cover is gorgeous. I can't figure out if I like this versions cover, or the new paperback cover better. I'm really mad, though, because once I buy Wolfsbane for my shelf, my covers aren't going to match. Anyone know where I can get a new book cover to put on my hardback? I've seen them around the blog-o-sphere. 

The second book in this series is Wolfsbane. It was released on July 26, 2011.

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent
(Soul Screamers, #1)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: July 29, 2009
ARC: 288 pages
Age Group: Young Adul
Buy:Amazon
Source: Harlequin Teen
Challenge: A to Z, Off the Shelf, Book Blogger Recommendation
Overall:

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. 
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Oh my! This was so unique and refreshing. I can't believe I took so long to read this. Now I'm dying to read book 2! And sadly, I don't have it. So I'll have to put a hold on it at the library to get it sent to my library. I wish I could have it in my hands RIGHT NOW. 


But anyway, I should of known this would be a great series. I've read the first two books in Vincent's Adult Urban Fantasy Shifter series. If you haven't read them or heard of that series yet, you should definitely look it up. They are good. 


This is a great start to this series. The character's are well developed. I really liked Kaylee and Nash. Those were my two favorites characters. Wait, I can't forget Tod! I haven't decided who I like better yet, Nash or Tod. Hmm.


Kaylee seemed like a normal teenager, except for the whole knowing someone is going to die a few minutes before they do. So that was really good. I love when writer's can do that, make someone seem really normal without knowing their secret and when you do it comes as a surprise. You know what I mean?


I was hooked from the first chapter, and the writing kept me reading and reading and reading. Ha! 


Overall, very, very interesting read! I was sad to see the first book end, especially without having the second. I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on the second book very, very soon. Vincen't has made it to my author's to look out for list. I'm really interested in checking out her other adult series as well. 


I really like the cover for this book. But I can't figure out if I like the US cover better or the UK version better. I like how dark the US covers for this series are, but then again I like how bright the UK ones are. *sigh* 

The second book in this series is My Soul To Save. It was released on December 29th, 2009. 

Wake by Lisa McMann

Wake by Lisa McMann
(Dream Catcher, #1)
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: December 23, 2008
Paperback: 224 pages
Age Group: Young Adult
Buy: Amazon
Source: Bought
Challenge: A to Z, Off the Shelf, Book Blogger Recommendation
Overall: 

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

I read this book at the beginning of this month (September).  I have been trying to figure out what to say in my review. It has really made me think about the rating of it, because it's not really a three, or really completely a four. I really liked this book, but it wasn't my favorite. 


It was a little hard to get into and a little hard to read at times because the sentences were kind of choppy, but I got into it after a little while and got used to it. I really liked the idea of Janie being able to enter someone's dream, but I wouldn't want to live someone's nightmares! 


I want to read the next book in the series, but it's not at the top of my list. 


I feel bad for how Janie has had to grow up. Her mom isn't the best at all, she needs to get stuff together and start acting like a mother to Janie. She's an alcoholic. 


I'm glad she started making friends, plus maybe more, with Cabel. He seemed like a nice guy. Can't wait to see how much farther that goes in the next book.


Overall, I'm sorry I don't really have much to say about this book, hopefully it will get a lot better in the second book. Which I will try and pick up soon. =) Also, I will be checking out more of McMann's books, I'd like to see how the rest of her writing style is. 


The cover fits the book well, but isn't one of my favorites. 

The second book in the series is called Fade. It was released on February 10, 2009.