REVIEW: TWILIGHT: GRAPHIC NOVEL #1 BY YOUNG KIM AND STEPHENIE MEYER.

Title: Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1
Author: Young Kim and Stephenie Meyer
Series: Twilight: The Graphic Novel #1
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: March 16th 2010 by Yen Press
Source: Bought from Biblio
Pages: 224
Genre: Art, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

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I won't make this one too long because I think I have made it clear enough how much I love Twilight! I owned the Twilight Graphic Novel Two for years and it was just last April when I stumbled upon a copy of Graphic Novel One so I devoured in one sitting. I loved how Kim gave life to the characters and made me relive the sweet feelings while I was reading! The graphic novel didn't include scene by scene but captured what I think are the essential ones. Kim is pretty good with what she does. This graphic novel is just perfection. Especially the first time I glanced at Edward!!! Ugh my heart!

I can't wait to complete the rest of the graphic novels and I wish they would finish until Breaking Dawn. I loved this so much I can't even find the words or ways how to express it. You should all pick this up!

""And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…" he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
"What a stupid lamb," I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion.""

"Without the dark, we'd never see the stars."

REVIEW: THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU AND ME BY JESS ROTHENBERG.

Title: The Catastrophic History of You and Me
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Jess Rothenberg
Edition: Paperback (International Edition)
Publication: April 18, 2013 by Speak
Source: Bought from National Book Store
Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary, Suicide, Romance, Paranormal
Trailer: to follow

Synopsis:

Brie is the “biggest, cheesiest, sappiest romantic” who believes that everyone will find their perfect someone, so when Jacob, the love of Brie's life, tells her he doesn't love her anymore, the news breaks her heart, literally, and she dies. But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie revisits the living world to discover that her family has begun to unravel and her best friend has been keeping an intimate secret about her boyfriend. Somehow, Brie must handle all of this while navigating through the five steps of grief with the help of Patrick, her mysterious bomber-jacketed guide to the afterlife. But how is she supposed to face the Ever After with a broken heart and no one to call her own?

I've read this last June and I forgot most of what happened to it. That is my major issue, I need to review a book right after I closed the last page or else, I wouldn't remember it. Well, depends on the impact of the book but just like this one, I remember only selective parts of the story.

Brie died from a - legit - broken heart. Her heart split into two just after her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her anymore. Now, her 'soul' kind of wandered around because she has to finish some business on Earth. Together with Patrick, another soul, they sort of agreed to avenge her death but then, realizations - how cliche - happened.

What I did enjoy though was the prose. I easily get attached to prose that is relatable and very conversational. Plus the humor just had me cracking so bad! Am so glad I picked this one up after contemplating for so long. I gave this 4 stars because it was an easy read and that I didn't get completely bored with the entirety of the story. Most parts are predictable though and a little too good to be true. But I liked Patrick and I was curious as to how Brie's connected to his past even though I don't remember it being explained further. There were moments when Brie irked me but I guess, dying the way she did would make me crazy and angry.

To make this short, this book ended sort of happy. Because Brie was given a chance to go back and correct all the the possible start of mistakes. That took off one star for me. Just didn't agree to that concept, I mean, what would be the use of you know, living your life at the fullest if you regret everything you didn't do. There is just no point in it for me. Also, the romance didn't quite give me the thrill I was looking for.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me is a breezy and fun read! I can recommend this to anyone who loves to mourn and laugh with their characters. Just be prepared for the feels in this one!

"Turns out, hell's not so much a burning, scalding pit of fire and misery. It's actually much, much worse than that. Hell is when the people you love the most reach right into your soul and rip it out of you. And they do it because they can."

REVIEW: MORTAL DANGER BY ANN AGUIRRE.

Title: Mortal Danger
Series: Immortal Game #1
Author: Ann Aguirre
Edition: Paperback (international Edition)
Publication: Feiwel and Friends / August 5, 2014
Source: Finished copy sent by the publisher
Pages: 374
Genre: Mystery, Paranormal
Trailer: Not available.

Synopsis:

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

In Ann Aguirre's Mortal Danger, Edie Kramer has a score to settle with the beautiful people at Blackbriar Academy. Their cruelty drove her to the brink of despair, and four months ago, she couldn’t imagine being strong enough to face her senior year. But thanks to a Faustian compact with the enigmatic Kian, she has the power to make the bullies pay. She’s not supposed to think about Kian once the deal is done, but devastating pain burns behind his unearthly beauty, and he’s impossible to forget.

In one short summer, her entire life changes and she sweeps through Blackbriar, prepped to take the beautiful people down from the inside. A whisper here, a look there, and suddenly . . . bad things are happening. It’s a head rush, seeing her tormentors get what they deserve, but things that seem too good to be true usually are, and soon, the pranks and payback turns from delicious to deadly. Edie is alone in a world teeming with secrets and fiends lurking in the shadows. In this murky morass of devil’s bargains, she isn’t sure who—or what—she can trust. Not even her own mind.

This book made me feel like am playing some kind of a single player game. There were moments I absolutely liked it and there were frustrations in between. While reading and disliking Mortal Danger, I was trying really hard to focus on just getting through with it. I avoided thinking about the possible loopholes I can talk about in my review. This way, I get to avoid critique-ing the entire plot and *probably* just enjoy what Aguirre presented.

Erin was bullied until she was broken. She reached a point where checking out was her best option. Her parents couldn't be relied on that much because they were scholarly enough and their expectations of her were high, she didn't have friends and she felt so ugly that the only best thing she thought she has was her grades. She was about to jump off a bridge when Kian stopped her and gave her an alluring option - revenge. She was offered 3 wishes though she's not sure what the catch would be. She took it and let Kian guide her through the game. Her first wish was to be beautiful (ugh). After Kian worked on her using I don't know what (magic? science?), eerie and dangerous things started happening. And I felt like she was about to be broken the second time around.

Mortal Danger started strong. I liked how Aguirre planted the root of every decision Erin would make in my head. In the beginning, I was transported to the life of a bullied high schooler and seeing it from her perspective intrigued me. Erin was supposed to be successful in her attempt to check out but Kian stopped her. The book claimed Kian was no longer human but that I truly didn't understand. But the concept of someone as mysterious as Kian offering you 3 wishes made me hopeful. I used to wish for it when I was little. I pegged that a Genie in a Bottle or something is just out there waiting for me to make my wishes. BUT THEN when Erin wished for her makeover, everything went down the drain for me. YOU COULD HAVE EASILY GONE TO THE GYM, SALON THEN SHOPPED FOR CLOTHES! That wish changed how I looked at Erin and at the book. DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO USE BEAUTY AS A SCALE TO MAKE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER? WORTHY? CONFIDENT? COME ON. Then the second wish absolutely made me hate her but the last wish kind of redeemed her from my impending anger. At least for a bit.

Honestly, I didn't know much about Kian in the book. Only bits and pieces were shared and I wanted to know more about him not just his favorite color or movie. I wanted to understand his relationship with Raoul, how he ended up working for that creepy company and why was he ready to leave everything behind for Erin! I wanted to understand how it all works but my brain couldn't wrap it up.

What really, REALLY threw me off (aside from the fact that the book talked so much about how being beautiful can make life better) was the genre. It started from contemporary to sci-fi then to paranormal to horror to mystery. There's also a little bit of mythology and fantasy. It would have been a very intriguing one but I guess I got confused and I didn't enjoy shifting from one kind of genre to a bunch of others. It would have been a thoroughly enjoyable one if one genre shone brighter than the others. But that's just me, okay?

Mortal Danger can be summed up in one word: dangerous. A game no one knows how to win, Mortal Danger leaves you gambling for answers and striving for survival.

Thank you Pan Macmillan Asia for the review copy!

"Hateful words had a way of worming beneath the skin, until they became the unbearable echo in your head."

"Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do."

"Neither of us is unbreakable. We shattered, but we put the pieces back together and I love the way your fractures shines."

"He was the only star in my firmament, shining in darkest night, so I could always find the path."

REVIEW: OF TRITON BY ANNA BANKS.

Title: Of Triton
Series: The Syrena Legacies #2
Author: Anna Banks
Edition: Paperback
Publication: Square Fish (Macmillan) / May 23, 2013
Source: Finished copy sent by the publisher
Pages: 246
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Trailer: Watch HERE.

Synopsis:

Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half-Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

Once again, Anna Banks infuses Emma and Galen's points of view with humor, intrigue, and waves of romance.

*Some spoilers*

Galen is trying to prove to Grom that the long-lost love of his life is alive. It took a while before their paths have crossed but that isn't the only trouble that they have to face. They have to make the Syrenas acknowledge that the Princess is indeed the alive but Jagen is in the way. He's trying to manipulate the Syrenas that they needed change, that the Royal Family has neglected their people for so long that they truly didn't need them anymore. He's using the opportunity to overthrow the Royal Family and Galen is trying to let Emma out of this. But their love has to be tested yet, their friendship and and even loyalty.

Of Triton is an easy read one can enjoy any time. I enjoyed how fast-paced the story is and it was like, everything is plain straight-forward. Banks' writing is absolutely enjoyable, her ability to dash wit in every chance she gets makes the story even more lovable. I cannot wait to flip through Of Neptune to see through the series.

Emma however, bored me a little bit. She assumes a lot of things, she decides on behalf of others and she's (as always) stubborn. Her self-centeredness seeped up. Unfortunately, I didn't fully connect with her in this book. Even if her Poseidon gift deemed useful, there were just moments I felt as if her emotion left her. There was just something off about her in this sequel. But I adored Galen even more. He's logical, brave and his unselfishness shone bright. I liked how he's giving his might to bring his people back together at the same time, protecting humans. His character pretty much developed in a very relatable way. Though I hated how he easily believed Toraf betrayed him. He should have given Toraf at least the benefit of the doubt because he is is bestfriend but he didn't. It's as if their friendship didn't matter. And lastly, why didn't they anticipate what could have happened to Rachel? That was a hundred point seven percent their fault. I mean, come on. That was absolutely uncalled for.

Of Triton is a sequel sprinkled with hearts and tears then bottled up with the right amount of humor. This installment pushes the rage, loss and happy buttons in moments no one would anticipate. Balanced carefully, Of Triton is the go-to book if you want a light and fun paranormal read.

Thank you Pan Macmillan Asia for the review copy!

"My dad always told me that holding a grudge is like swallowing poison and expecting the other person to die."

"Only land dwellers worry about storms."

REVIEW: WILLOWGROVE (HEMLOCK #3) BY KATHLEEN PEACOCK.

Title: Willowgrove (Hemlock #3)
Author: Kathleen Peacock
Edition: ARC
Publication: Katherine Tegen Book / January 6, 2015
Source: Gifted by the author
Pages: 368
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Trailer: Not available.

Synopsis:

Willowgrove is Kathleen Peacock's riveting conclusion to the Hemlock trilogy, a dark, romantic, paranormal suspense series that pits friendship against survival, and trust against love.

Ever since Mac's best friend, Amy, was murdered, Hemlock has been a dangerous place. But now that Mac, her boyfriend, Kyle, and Amy's ex, Jason, have investigated a mass breakout from Thornhill, a werewolf "rehabilitation" camp, the danger has only grown. Fear of the infection spreading is now at an all-time high, and anyone with a scar is suspected of being a wolf.

What makes Mac even more afraid, though, are the dark experiments that the warden of Thornhill was performing on wolves in a secret asylum called Willowgrove. Uncovering the truth about what happened may be the only way for Mac to save everyone she loves and end her nightmares for good.

There is no other perfect ending to Hemlock series than Willowgrove.

After finding Kyle and busting out hundreds of captured werewolves in Thornhill, Mac didn't stop wondering who is behind of it all. She couldn't stop thinking why the werewolves are being experimented on and tortured. She feels like she has to do something to help her friends even after the dangers they just faced. She knew she has to keep on digging the truth because that would have made Amy happy and that would keep her werewolf friends from danger. Her friend Serena is never the same after the experiments and she keeps getting worse. While trying to figure out the best action to keep everyone safe, Mac, Kyle, Jason, Serena, Trey and Eve found a horrible truth about the origins of the virus - that led to unexpected turn of events.

Willowgrove is the best book to end 2014 with. I enjoyed flipping through it until six in the morning and felt satisfied with how the series ended. It was such a hopeful ending, more like the beginning of the end thing -  where you know this is the last book in a series but felt like the story just started. Willowgrove amazingly clutched on to the intensity of Hemlock and Thornhill then slowly rested the story to its final page. I was heart broken over the end of my favorite series but still smiled and rejoiced because a) answers were revealed b) friendship proves no boundaries c) SEXY TIMES YO.

Willowgrove is perfect for laid back reading. I loved how Mac turned to be someone who didn't need saving, how Kyle made laugh out loud, how Amy stayed for Mac *cue tears* and how MY Jason proved his loyalty. Truly, friendship (when it's real) is one thing you can hold on to in times of doubt. This amazing friendship being almost the center of Willowgrove made me appreciate the story more. Romance was so intense in a sense that Mac and Kyle held on to what they have and even if times are worse, they didn't allow their relationship to abandon those people who matter to them. The bond their love and friendship brought them expanded not only to themselves but to their friends as well.

Filled with action compensated with amazing display of eternal love and friendship,Willowgrove is startlingly impressive. Delightfully engaging, Willowgrove is one of the best series enders I read! Totally commendable!

Thank you, Kathleen Peacock for my signed ARC!

"There wasn't a single part of me that didn't want him to stay. But I loved him enough to want what was best for him. Even if I wasn't it."

"Revenge probably tasted sweeter when it came with washboard abs."

"I had been brought up to believe that caring about people was a weakness, but loving Kyle didn't make me weak. It made me strong."

REVIEW: SILENCE (HUSH, HUSH #3) BY BECCA FITZPATRICK.

Title: Silence (Hush, Hush #3)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Edition: Hardbound (Signed)
Published: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 448
Source: Bought from National Bookstore
Genre: Romance, Paranormal (Angels)
Trailer: Here.

Synopsis:

WHEN SILENCE IS ALL THAT'S LEFT, CAN THE TRUTH FINALLY BE HEARD?

Nora Grey can't remember the past five months of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks - with no one knowing where she was or who she was with - she tried to get her life back on track. Go to school, hang out with her best friend, Vee, and dodge mom's creepy new boyfriend.

But there is this voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows.

And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.

Then Nora crosses paths with a sexy stranger, whom she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers...and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

Nora woke up in a cemetery not remembering anything in the past 5 months of her life. The last thing she could remember was her biology test. She couldn't settle with what information she was given so she tried to learn what truly happened to her on her own. She found out Hank Millar was dating her mother, she missed school, she became friends with Marcie Millar, Vee lied to her and she couldn't remember who's Patch. In trying to stitch iffy events, her memories were slowly coming back and the truth not only hurt but ignited a rage she didn't know she's capable to feel. She has to do something about the welfare of her mother and the boy she loves most at the expense she's willing to pay -- even if that means she'll have to fight Patch.

The pull I felt while reading Hush, Hush and Crescendo died in Silence. The title did justice to the story but I believe, this is the worse in the series. I didn't truly buy why Nora lost her memories because it didn't add up to anything. A good chunk of the book was dedicated to her, trying to remember. So why shouldn't I just re-read Crescendo, then? Instead of developing into someone who's learned from past mistakes, she became that damsel in distress who needed saving. Thankfully, she didn't do something stupid (as a reader wold expect) despite the memory lost and still trusted Patch, I just simply didn't click with this story. A little boring yes and I can call this book the buffer in the series. You can skip this and the entire series would still make sense.

Patch's development though, gave me butterfly kisses. I adored how vocal he became about his feelings. I loved his ways of showing how he truly cared for Nora and Jesus, the way he held her? Bone-melting. He's full of surprises and I truly, absolutely fell hard for Patch in Silence.

Silence is an okay read. Not too bad but not that good either. Still dark and cunning, one can feel the balance of good and bad. Patch's mushy side appeared and that's all am after.

"The only way I'm going to survive this is by clinging to what I do know."

"How was I supposed to jump forward, when the platform beneath my feet had been yanked out?"

"Piece by piece, I let Jev break down my defenses. I swayed and dipped against him, letting him set the rhythm. I was overly warm, my head clogged with smoke, and the moment began to feel unreal, only making it easier to believe that later, if guilt or regret haunted me, I could pretend it never happened. While I was here, trapped in the club, trapped in Jev's eyes, he made it too easy to succumb."

"I can't move forward until I know what I left behind."

""There's only one thing I know for certain anymore." He turned, his eyes a clear black. "That I would do anything for you, even if it means going against my instincts or my very nature. I would lay down everything I possess, even my soul, for you. If that isn't love, it's the best I have.""

"If you need more reason, I love you. This is uncharted territory for me, but I need to know that at the end of the night, I have you to come home to."

REVIEW: TRIAL BY FIRE BY JOSEPHINE ANGELINI.

Title: Trial by Fire (The Worldwalker Trilogy #1)
Author: Josephine Angelini
Edition: Paperback
Published: September 2, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan)
Pages: 374
Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher
Genre: Romance, Paranormal (Witches)
Trailer: Here.

Synopsis:

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying experiences that others in her hometown of Salem take for granted, which is why she is determined to enjoy her first high school party with her best friend and longtime crush, Tristan. But after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class, Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly, Lily is in a different Salem—one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruelest of them all is Lillian . . . Lily's other self in this alternate universe.

What makes Lily weak at home is what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. In this confusing world, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone and a love she never expected.

Have you ever had those times when you strongly wanted to throw away a book only you can't because of a single, gorgeous character? Well, this is one of those times.

I've fought with myself multiple times whether to mark this book as DNF or just continue reading. Honestly, DNF-ing was the easiest thing to do but I felt compelled to finish it because a.) it isn't really a habit of mine to DNF books and b.) this was a surprise gift by the publisher. So I gathered all the sense in me and still worked my way hard to finishing it. AND I DID.

Trial by Fire has been getting a lot of buzz on Twitter the past few months but I have minimal knowledge about it. It was about Lily, a sickly teenager from Salem, Massachusetts. Almost every microorganism known to man can be a trigger for her allergies. Her best friend Tristan, looks after her and she happens to be in love with him. Good thing though, they are getting there. On the night of the first party Lily attended, she was given a spiked drink then she caught Tristan making out with someone and she felt so betrayed. Her allergies and emotion took the best of her and went down with the worst seizure. Feeling all kinds of humiliated the next day, something weird happened to her, she woke up on a different Salem -- where witches rule the place and magic exists.

The story has a very alluring world building. I believe this is the first multi-universe story I've read and the construction of it was a little intimidating but lovely to read. It was not very easy to go through, maybe because I was also confused, but I get the picture. Mostly. The scene-shifting gave me a hard time focusing on it, too. Like, I was so into Rowan/Lily one minute and then I wouldn't have any idea the scene shifted to Gildeon or Carrick. Like, I was expecting a little breather in between. And because of that, I would go back to the previous page, skim it and try to wrap my brains around it so I could move on. Repeat.

I also had issues with the dragging pacing. I might not have enough patience but seriously, it was too slow for me. Also, the science reference drove me insane. That alone pushed me towards the DNF basket and just shoot for 3 points. I loved it but there were moments I felt like I was reading a science/text book. It didn't help for me because I wanted to escape that reality in life through books and yet, here I am, hearing all about thermodynamics, physics, biology and even OMG calculus. The book sounded too pretentious for me even though I know, the characters in this world have the ability to remember everything they read. You know, it didn't click for me.

One thing that didn't work for me as well was the Claiming. It was truly something that bothered me while reading not because of the process of how they do it but by how confusing the story became. I mean, I could no longer separate their memories from what currently is happening. Aside from sharing bits of memories, the background narration was really off. The story flow was zigzagging up until the end.

What about Lily? Lily was so weak but a good hearted character. The only problem was, since the time she was transported to this other Salem, she didn't STRONGLY show how badly she wants to go home or how she misses her true sister or even her real world. She EASILY adapted to this other Salem and didn't SLIGHTLY show any level of curiosity as to what the heck really is happening to her/around her. Just because she has Rowan, she fell for what was laid on the table in a snap. And the transition from being a normal human to a powerful witch didn't impress me. I didn't understand how they trained her or how fast she got accustomed to her powers which again, made the book pretentious in my taste. Like, she was only given some stones and she's immediately the most powerful witch in Salem. Wow. How unsettling.

"I want you to be everything I loved about her and nothing I hated." The romance part was so unfair for me. What, just because she looks somebody else doesn't give any man the right to fall for her THAT instant. We all should be loved for who we are and not because you know, I look like your damned ex or something.

This whole experience deserves 2 stars (or even 1), so to speak. But I gave it 3. It went up one star because of: a.) Rowan Fall -- he's the most caring male protagonist I can remember I encountered. He didn't show arrogance knowing how powerful of a mechanic he is (though he's impatient) and how much bravery he showed to admit his vulnerability made me swoon for him. Given that he's gorgeous, his entire character balanced the rightness and wrongness in a perfect sequence. (I also love Caleb and Other-Salem Tristan) And b.) THAT FREAKING ENDING. The ending was the climax of the story in my opinion. It was a full blast cliffhanger ending and I seriously can't calm myself right now.

Trial by Fire is something I wouldn't re-read in the near future but would still recommend it to readers who love multi-universe plots, intense endings and one of the boys kind of relationships. Though I am a little disappointed, I am still giddy to know what happens next!

Thank you Pan Macmillan for the review copy!

"Funny how quickly the mind moves, but how slowly time does when you’re in pain."

"There comes a day when every girl loses the stars in her eyes. And then she can see clearly."

"They'd shared more than memories the night before. What they'd experienced was a communion."

REVIEW: CRESCENDO (HUSH, HUSH #2) BY BECCA FIRTZPATRICK.

Title: Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Edition: Hardbound (Signed)
Published: October 19, 2010
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 427
Source: Bought from National Bookstore
Genre: Romance, Paranormal (Angels)
Trailer: Here.

Synopsis:

Nora Grey's life is still far from perfect. Surviving an attempt on her life wasn't pleasant, but at least she got a guardian angel out of it. A mysterious, magnetic, gorgeous guardian angel. But despite his role in her life, Patch has been acting anything but angelic. He's more elusive than ever (if that's possible) and what's worse, he seems to be spending time with Nora's archenemy, Marcie Millar.

Nora would have hardly noticed Scott Parnell, an old family friend who has moved back to town, if Patch hadn't been acting so distant. Even with Scott's totally infuriating attitude, Nora finds herself drawn to him - despite her lingering feelings that he is hiding something.

If that weren't enough, Nora is haunted by images of her murdered father, and comes to question whether her Nephilim bloodline has anything to do with his death. Desperate to figure out what happened, she puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations to get the answer. But maybe some things are better left buried, because the truth could destroy everything - and everyone - she trusts.

**SPOILERS**

What in the world is wrong with Nora?

Seriously?

After being swept away by Hush, Hush (am referring to my lovely experience of re-reading it), I knew that I have to get through Crescendo as soon as possible. I am hooked, seriously hooked to Patch. And I know you can't blame me, people.

So after Nora sacrificed herself to kill Chauncey, Patch's nephilim vassal, this should have made Patch human. But Patch rejected it so Nora wouldn't die and Patch became her guardian angel instead. Everything seemed to be falling into place however, Nora broke up with Patch. She felt like Patch turned his back on her after she confessed she loves him and chose to cheat with Marcie Millar. As if on cue, Scott, her childhood friend, came back to town after his parents divorced and weird things started to happen. Weird things like Nora seeing his dead dad so alive in a cafeteria, Vee dating Rixon and Scott talking to her in her mind.

I have so much hate for Nora in this book. The frustration and anger I never thought I would feel exploded in my face because SHE IS SOOOOOO DARN RIDICULOUS. Her decisions made me want to pluck her out of the book and set her and Marcie on fire together and I wouldn't stop until I see their ashes on the ground! She is unbelievable and impossible. I cannot even tell you how hard she frustrated the heck out of me. People are trying to protect her but she kept toying with danger. She is a death magnet. Gaaaaah!

But despite the hate I have for Nora, there were moments I saw sense in her *rolls eyes* decisions. She had these good intentions but her executions were just tough shots. Like how she broke up with Patch. I hated her (after two chapters) when she acted so immature and self-centered though I know she just wanted to save Patch from being banished to hell forever. Like how she kept coming to Vee for help when she knows she's putting her bestfriend in danger and the worst part was her jealously. I understand where all those came from but hell, I couldn't handle her childishness. Even though I wanted to strangle Marcie's neck with my belt, she still should have trusted Patch and she should have known better. Marcie's a bitch and she's capable of ruining someone's life. But Nora took Marcie's words and didn't believe Patch at all. What kind of a person is she really? She couldn't love Patch deeply just like how she claims if she couldn't trust the damn boy! She even had the decency to use Scott to make him jealous! Then she went all that way to steal Marcie's diary but didn't read it! Plus, the fact that she's trying to outsmart the angels gave me headache. What part of "angels" didn't she understand? GAAAAAH NORA!!!!!

I also saw some inconsistencies with the story. What happened to Elliot after the incident in Hush, Hush? I felt like he was totally cut off from the series altogether which find odd because I think, he's an important character, too. Was it also that easy to elude the police about Chauncey's death? How did the oath of fealty truly work? And why is suddenly Rixon the bad guy? I didn't see it coming because it felt off to begin with. Patch and Rixon have been friends for how many centuries and what, just like that Rixon was instantly the villain? I don't buy it. I gave Patch more credit than he deserves so, no. I just wouldn't buy that Rixon the villan part.

Again, despite these conflicting emotions I have for Crescendo, I still rated it 4 stars when it could have been 1 or 2. The reason behind is I strongly liked how Hush, Hush and Crescendo made me cancel everything in my damn boring life to just read it. The story is pulling me that I swam smoothly with its flow. I liked and enjoyed watching Nora ruin her life and push the love of her life away from her, I liked how she learns from her mistakes and what made me connect to the story isn't the Paranormal aspect but more on the contemporary aspect of it. I had this mighty connection to Nora's feelings that covers up the hate I have for her stupidity. Did that make sense? And hello??? PAAAAAAAAAAAATCH!!!! Also, that freaking ending!!!! There is no way she is sisters with that Marcie the bitch. I hope it's just another plot twist.

What I am now expecting from Silence is more maturity and consistency because I would hate to hate this series. Am hoping it wouldn't come to that.

Crescendo got the best of me. The mix of loss, frustration and anxiety nearly drove me mad that putting it down will just add up to the agony! A gripping paranormal story that would put you on the edge, Crescendo didn't disappoint. Crazy plot twists I almost couldn't handle with swoon worth romance my heart couldn't almost take, it was truly, absolutely one heck of a ride!

"..the moment I fell in love with you was the moment you'd leave."

"..I didn't want to spend the rest of my life alone and tortured by the knowledge that everything I'd done meant nothing without [Patch]."

"The anger was beginning to wear off, but mostly I wished I could stay caught up in its fever forever. The emptiness it left behind ached more than the sharp, fiery pain I'd felt when [Patch] walked out."

"I cared about us. But the cold truth was, nothing I said or did could change the stars."

"Just because it's in the past doesn't mean it's easy to forget."

REVIEW: WORLD AFTER BY SUSAN EE.

Title: World After (Penryn and The End of Days #2)
Author: Susan Ee
Edition: Paperback
Published: November 21, 2013
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Pages: 438
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Genre: Dystopia, Romance, Paranormal
Trailer: Not available.

Synopsis:

In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

I bought my shiny copy of World After last year during its release week but I didn't get at it right away. I was just busy I guess. But I enjoyed Angelfall so much that I didn't forget what happened in the story even after a year later.

Everyone thought that Penryn is dead. She rescued Paige and got stung by the scorpion locust that slowed her heartbeat and paralyzed her entire body. When she finally wakes up, the people from their camp thought she was an anomaly just like Paige who is stitched back together like some Frankenstein experiment. She tries to fend for Paige but she's different now, she couldn't even keep any human food down. When Paige attacks and feeds from a human who initially tried to harm Penryn, she was almost killed by the people from the camp but they were herded by the locusts. Paige ran away and Penryn tried to find her again. Along the way, Penryn did her best to know what truly happened to her sister and where is Raffe.

I was a little disappointed with World After. I mean, the world building was still crafted beautifully and Penryn is still kickass but I wasn't that really impressed with the development of the story. It dragged. It would have been nice if the slow pace is compensated with a thorough and well-slated back plot but it didn't. I still have a ton of questions left from Angelfall only to be jumbled up with the questions from World After. The Apocalypse business isn't still clear. Instead of getting answers, the story focused on Penryn and only Penryn. There were parts and moments that didn't add up to the entirety of the novel and I think it would have been a good opportunity to present what is lacking. Well, benefit of the doubt, there's still books 3 and 4 so those might provide the best answers to all this.

Also, am all about Raffe here. Without the legions of angels and Raffe of course, this wouldn't have happened. But Raffe's part here was just minimal. It was starting to get annoyed that I was past half the book and he's still nowhere to be found. It was that moment when I was so tempted to DNF it. I found Rafee finally only to be separated with him again. Like, I was only with him for a hundred pages or even less. And honestly, I want unlimited Raffe.

What I enjoyed though are the obvious things: Penryn is still the kickass protogonist I met in Angelfall, Paige (though not the Old Paige) went from being vulnerable to someone who can defend herself (the way she did morbid things to Beliel left me in awe), Raffe, though torn with whatever he was sworn to to falling in love with the Daughter of Man, remains rational, brave, romantic and handsome and my favorite of all, the mystery behind Pooky Bear.

World After is a promising sequel to Angelfall. With its undeniably chaotic world to unbearably romantic struggles, it did try to deliver what was expected of it. Dark world, morbid ways of living and horrible creatures await -- reasons to be hopeful until we get Book 3.

"Body language says a lot in the world, and the last thing I need is to look vulnerable."

"You're a hero. I'm hoping you'll restore my faith and show me that we're worth saving."

"You broke me out of the grasp of a living horror when I thought all hope was gone. You gave me the opportunity to crawl back to life when no one else could."

"I watch him get far from me. He never even knew I was near."

""Don't let me go," he says."

REVIEW: ONYX BY JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT.

Title: Onyx (Lux #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Edition: Paperback
Published: August 14, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 366
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Category: Paranormal, Romance
Trailer: Here.

Synopsis:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies..

**WARNING: FULL BLOWN SPOILERS BELOW.**

I was THIS close, THIS close in DNF-ing Onyx. I couldn't connect to it at all a hundred plus pages in and I find a lot of flaws in it along the way. Seriously, I was THIS close. I hated how I saw a lot of Twilight punch lines and scenes that I kept asking myself if this was a fanfiction of some sort. I even said simply make Edward Cullen an alien instead of a vampire and tadah, you have Onyx. This series is ridiculously expensive (for a paperback) here in the Philippines so I had to finish it. I just want to at least think that my money wouldn't completely go down the drain. If it wasn't for that shallow mindset, I would never have finished it. AND THANK GOODNESS I DID. THANK GOODNESS I TRIED SO HARD TO FINISH IT BECAUSE OMG DAEMON BLACK IS HOTTER THAN SUMMER IN THE DESERT!

So Onyx took off immediately after Obsidian. In the story, Katy is weirded out with herself because after Daemon healed her, she suddenly had X-men powers. She's out of control and if she couldn't master her newly acquired powers, she might expose Daemon's secret accidentally. It might bring the DOD back. Since school just started, she met Blake, a handsome new guy who has hot shots for her. Daemon don't trust Blake a single bit but Katy likes to try to date a normal guy. But trying to be normal fired back because Blake is just like her -- mutated human after being healed by a Luxen. Blake knows a lot about the Luxen and the mutation and offers her training. She agreed even after Daemon didn't. After Katy accidentally saw Bethany in the flesh, the mayhem began. Betrayal, loss, pain are just a few things that transpired. A lot has changed. But one thing remained - Daemon and Katy's we-wanna-kill-each-other-because-we-hate-each-other-but-we-are-really-inlove relationship. Also, Dawson's alive but he's lifeless. Irony is a bitch.

What I hated so much about Onyx aside from those annoying repetitive lines is Katy. It took her a novel and a half before she accepted what she truly feels for Daemon. She's so hypocrite. She knows she loves him to death but she just kept denying it as if it would make her forget or be normal again. I hated how she pushes Daemon away. She can't change the fact that no matter how hard she tries to avoid falling in love with him to prevent Dawson/Bethany fate from happening again, bitch, Daemon is Daemon! She even had the decency to be jealous with Ash when she just exchanged salivas with Blake! Ugh! Also, I hated how she set Dee aside like that. She claims she's her best friend but best friends don't do that! The worst she did? She didn't trust Daemon of all people! AND THAT CAUSED THEM ADAM!! SERIOUSLY!? What the hell is wrong with this character?

..heavy breathing..

As I continue to read, my rating surprisingly went up from DNF to 2 stars to 3 and then I settled for 4 stars. WHY? AFTER THAT RANT ABOUT KATY, WHY 4 STARS? BECAUSE HOLY MOTHER OF SMOKED BACON, DAEMON BLACK EXISTED. His entire being made this book so much better. From being the most annoying MC to being the most protective, loving and sweet alien, MY OVARIES EXPLODED! Their love-hate relationship somehow thrilled me because it wasn't all cheesy and hearty but it was also fun to see how they would almost want kill each other every damn day. It was unique in a way that despite their war-inducing differences, they manage be clingy and needy at the right moments. And Daemon Black just simply have this aura of being a bad boy with a marshmallow heart which is what I usually go for, probably the Alien mojo but it makes him THE one. Am not making any sense here but Daemon is everything a man should be - loyal, sweet, someone who values trust and loves his family a lot.

Onyx is a bowl of emotions mixed perfectly. It is hair-gripping, wall-punching, vocal chords-wrecking sequel that one would love and hate then love and hate repeat. Onyx, I can now confidently say, worth the time and money. Absolutely a fun read, I will definitely read Opal next and treat myself with a yummy tall glass of DAEMON BLACK.

"Some things are best left...unknown, you know? People search for answers and they don't always like what they get. Sometimes, the truth is worse than the lie."

"And I never felt this way with anyone else. Like I'm falling every time I'm around you, like I can't catch my breath, and I feel ALIVE - not just standing around and letting my life walk past me. There's been nothing like that with anyone else."

"There was something soul-burningly beautiful about being on the brink of losing control, tumbling over into the unknown, and I wanted to fall and never resurface."