Review: Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen

Title: Evil Librarian

Author: Michelle Knudsen

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Romance, Humor

Format: Hardback

Pages: 352

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: September. 9, 2014

Source: Own

Description: #EvilLibrarian He’s young. He’s hot. He’s also evil. He’s . . . the librarian.

When Cynthia Rothschild’s best friend, Annie, falls head over heels for the new high-school librarian, Cyn can totally see why. He’s really young and super cute and thinks Annie would make an excellent library monitor. But after meeting Mr. Gabriel, Cyn realizes something isn’t quite right. Maybe it’s the creepy look in the librarian’s eyes, or the weird feeling Cyn gets whenever she’s around him. Before long Cyn realizes that Mr. Gabriel is, in fact . . . a demon. Now, in addition to saving the school musical from technical disaster and trying not to make a fool of herself with her own hopeless crush, Cyn has to save her best friend from the clutches of the evil librarian, who also seems to be slowly sucking the life force out of the entire student body! From best-selling author Michelle Knudsen, here is the perfect novel for teens who like their horror served up with a bit of romance, plenty of humor, and some pretty hot guys (of both the good and evil variety).

Review: I really enjoyed it, it was funny and is well-written. I loved Chynthia she has a smart mouth and her inner voice was hilarious. She will do anything to save her friend, Annie who falls for the librarian, Mr. Gabriel who is a demon. Cyn and someone else who I'm not naming try to find a way to get rid of Mr. Gabriel. People are killed, deals are made, and relationships develop. It also involves a play.

Dislikes: I felt like it dragged on a little bit. More demons come into the picture and I think they was unnecessary. 

Quotes

• "Rows of shelves are packed tightly with books, labeled with little signs that say things like WICCA AND SPELL BOOKS, MAGIC HISTORY, and CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE FICTION."
• "I love my minons"

4.5 Stars

Mini Reviews: The Promise of Amazing & Ninth Grade Slays

Title: The Promise of Amazing

Author: Robin Constantine

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 371

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Published: December. 31, 2013

Source: Own

Review: I loved the writing and the two main characters, Wren and Grayson were so cute together. I didn't like what had happened towards the end, how no one really got in trouble, like the so called best-friend. The drama could of been better.

4.5/5 Stars

Read: 9/1/14 - 9/3/14

Title: Ninth Grade Slays (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #2)

Author: Heather Brewer

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural, Horror, Vampires

Format: Kindle

Pages: 300

Publisher: Speak

Published: April. 17, 2008

Source: Libary 

Review: I didn't like it as much as the first book, Eighth Grade Bites. In this one, you learn more about Vlad and his vampire abilities. Josh, Henry's cousin comes to stay with them and we learn that he's keeping a secret. Vlad meets new vampires and encounters a vampire from the first book. He has to deal with bullies, the girl he likes, a photographer from the newspaper in school who finds out about him, and a vampire slayer who wants to kill him. The ending was where all the action happened, you learn about who the vampire slayer is, friendships are broken, someone almost dies. 

3.5/5 Stars

Read: 8/15/14 - 9/4/14

ARC Review: Jackaby

Title: Jackaby

Author: William Ritter

Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal

Format: ARC Paperback

Pages: 304

Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers

Published: Releases on Sep. 16 2014

Source: Own

Description: “Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

Review: Jackaby did remind me of Sherlock, to his trench coat, his hat, and weird personality, love him. I really like Abigail Rook, she wants adventure, she wants do to something that isn't boring and then she finds it by becoming the assistant. Now about the plot, I loved it. I wasn't expecting that plot twist. I don't if it was just me but I felt that the color Red was Symbol to the creature who was killing people. Besides Supernatural creatures there is a ghost and a duck with an interesting background. I really want to read more with these characters. More of there Supernatural adventures and more on their backgrounds.

4.5 ouf of 5 Stars

Review: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Description: In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret…

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

My Review:

I won an ARC copy from randombuzzers.com

(A little Spoilers)

This is my first time reading from this author and I LOVE Stacey Jay writing in this. I love the way it is written. I Loved the plot. I loved the Characters and different POV’s. I loved reading Gem’s POV more than Isra. Sometimes she annoyed me but I still love her. She wants to change her City and help the Banished people. She realizes that the real monsters is her and the people in the dome. I wanted her to speak up for herself, in a part when she was talking to Junjie he just treated her like a child still even if she is the Queen. She didn’t even try to defend herself and make him listen to her because he should follow her orders. I hated that part. And when she let’s everyone talk behind her back. She always talked about how no one listens to her, but she doesn’t make them listen to her. I was so happy when she said “I’ll make them listen” Then she got her sight back. Bo, he confused me, he wants to be a great king and make his father proud. He don’t care for Isra but he doesn’t want her to die because that would mean his future children would die too. He said he wants to be king, but doesn’t. I felt sorry for him, because of his father. His father manipulated him like he did with eveyone else. Junjie wanted whats best for Yuan but he didn’t listen and did many things wrong. I loved Gem, he tries to be Cruel but he’s not like that. I love that in a guy, a guy who acts cold but they really care. Sometimes I wanted Gem and Isra to say what they was thinking, to stop lying and tell the truth. I loved there arguements and when they first kissed. I don’t want to say much but I LOVE IT!! (sorry if I rambled)

5 out of 5 Stars
Read: August. 8 - August. 10 11:31pm

(Side Note) I really read this whole book in one day. I started on the 8th at 11pm till the morning of the 9th. I stopped at chapter 10 or 11. Went to sleep. I didn’t read for that whole day because of stupid reasons. Then today, the 10th at around 12am I read and the when I woke up at 4 or 5pm I started reading until I finshed at around 11pm. I ignored my dog and I didn’t even care about eating. This is the first book where I really would not stop reading until I finished it. My heart is pounding.

My Fantasy Books

Review: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Description: It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

My Review: I love everything about it, how its about games from the 80's, the whole plot, the characters, the romance, the humor, the details, the information (the was a lot of info, but to me it wasn't useless info), the author because he must of had to research all this 80's stuff unless he already knew stuff. Love the Game Action. I love when Aech and Wade met. And when Wade and Art3mis met, that was cute. Love the happy ending. I love the Oasis (being inside a game would be cool plus virtual school and all that other stuff that was mentioned in OASIS) but it's was kinda crazy how Wade can just lock himself inside all day without going out in the real world but people do, do that in real life too. But he found Love so he wouldn't spend all his time in OASIS anymore. Anyways, If you are a game nerd or just a nerd, this book is for you. Again, I LOVE THIS BOOK!

5 out of 5 stars

Read: July. 17 - July. 22 , 2013

Review: Howl's Moving Castle

Description: Sophie has the great misfortune of being the eldest of three daughters, destined to fail miserably should she ever leave home to seek her fate. But when she unwittingly attracts the ire of the Witch of the Waste, Sophie finds herself under a horrid spell that transforms her into an old lady. Her only chance at breaking it lies in the ever-moving castle in the hills: the Wizard Howl's castle. To untangle the enchantment, Sophie must handle the heartless Howl, strike a bargain with a fire demon, and meet the Witch of the Waste head-on. Along the way, she discovers that there's far more to Howl—and herself—than first meets the eye.

My Review: I seen the movie years ago and I love it, even own it. I just found out it was a book because back then I wasn't reading as much. It's sad to say, but I love the movie more than the book. I liked the book but it didn't 'WOW' me. I love the characters but sometimes Howl was annoying. In the movie he was childish and nice. In the book he is kinda mean. What I didn't like in the book was the lack of Sophie/Howl moments like in the movie. In the book, Sophie and Howl are always fighting or howl insults her. In the movie I can see the connection/Love from the beginning til the end. Somethings I was confused about which I'm not going to talk about. The last chapter was interesting, but in the ending Howl and sophie are together now. It mentions that sophie loved him, but Howl? I don't know what to say. I'm being Bias but I love the movie more. I'm scared to read book 2 because they are not the main characters and I want to read more about Sophie and Howl Life.

3 out of 5 Stars

Read: July. 14 - July. 17, 2013

Review: Friends With Boys

Description: After years of homeschooling, Maggie is starting high school. It's pretty terrifying.

Maggie's big brothers are there to watch her back, but ever since Mom left it just hasn't been the same.

Besides her brothers, Maggie's never had any real friends before. Lucy and Alistair don't have lots of friends either. But they eat lunch with her at school and bring her along on their small-town adventures.

Missing mothers...distant brothers...high school...new friends... It's a lot to deal with. But there's just one more thing.

MAGGIE IS HAUNTED.

My Review: My first Graphic Novel this year. I really liked it. The drawing was cool. At times I got scared of the shading, I didn't really that. I liked the story. I didn't get why Maggie was being haunted by a Ghost and what did that ghost wanted and why can her brothers see it too?

4 out of 5 Stars

Read: June. 7 - June. 8, 2013

Review: The World of the Hunger Games

Description: The definitive, richly illustrated, full-color guide to all the districts of Panem, all the participants in The Hunger Games, and the life and home of Katniss Everdeen.

Welcome to Panem, the world of The Hunger Games. This is the definitive, richly illustrated, full-color guide to all the districts of Panem, all the participants in The Hunger Games, and the life and home of Katniss Everdeen. A must-have for fans of both the Hunger Games novels and the new Hunger Games film.

My Review: Its a good book for someone who didn't read the Hunger Games book but seen the movie and didn't know what was going on or didn't know who was who.

3 out of 5 stars

Read: June.10 - June.10, 2013

Review: The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy)

Description: The False Prince is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point—he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

My Review: Not much to say but that, I LOVED IT!!!! I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT. THE TWIST AT THE END (LAST TWENTY CHAPTERS). READING THOSE LAST CHAPTERS, I HAD TEARS IN THE CORNER OF MY EYES, NOT BECAUSE I WAS SAD BUT BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY REALLY GOOD. I'M GLAD I PICKED THIS BOOK AT A SCHOOL BOOK FAIR. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK 2 AND I HOPE BOOK 3 COMES OUT THIS YEAR.

5 out of 5 Stars

Read: April.6 - April.12, 2013