Category Archives: Gothic

YA Series Review: Vampire Kisses 1-3 by Ellen Schreiber

Titles: Vampire Kisses, kissing Coffins, Vampireville
Author: Ellen Schreiber
Published: October 1st 2008 by HarperTeen
Type: Romance, Vampires, Supernatural

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Summery: 

A new guy in town.

Rumors of vampires.

Dangerous first love.

This is where it all begins. . . .

The mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood empty for years. But one day it seems to be occupied, and its mysterious, handsome inhabitant Alexander Sterling becomes the source of much talk around town. Raven, a vampire-obsessed Goth-girl who has always considered herself an outsider in “Dullsville,” is determined to uncover the truth surrounding the secretive Alexander. As she gets to know him, and their spark intensifies, Raven finds herself in some unanticipated situations. Can Alexander make her lifelong dream come true? But love always has its complications—especially when it can only be awakened at nightfall.

The first three books in Ellen Schreiber’s bestselling Vampire Kisses series capture the thrill of a most unusual romance.

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Vampire Kisses: Raven is a unusual girl she dresses on the goth side, she isn’t shy and to top it all off she wishes to be a vampire. Raven has a huge obsession over vampires. She watches and day dreams that one day that will come true. I love Ravens personalty. She is sassy and isn’t scared to be herself.

When a family moves in the mansion. Rumors spread that they are vampires. Raven dreams start to come true. she gets close to the boy and starts to believe he is really a vampire. Never leaves the house, only leaves at night. Lives in the spooky attic. Bats fly around. Raven has to stop the town from hating him and find the truth.

The book is really funny for the most book. I couldn’t take the book serious enough. Right when you start to believe his not a vampire the ending fools you. I did like the book. It did feel like more a spoof of vampires at times.

Rating: 3 stars

More reviews under the line.

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YA Book Review: Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

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Title: Revelations (Blue Bloods #3)
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Published: November 11th 2009 by Disney/Hyperion
Type: Paranormal, Romance, Vampires
Source: PBS
Paperback

add-to-goodreads-button3Summery: Schuyler Van Allen’s blood legacy has just been called into question: is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force.

When an ancient place of power is threatened in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high, the battle is bloody; and through it all Schuyler is torn between duty and passion, love and freedom.

Romance, glamour, and vampire love collide in the highly anticipated third book in the best-selling author Melissa de la Cruz’s Blue Bloods series.

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I have to say this series just keeps getting better. There is a little more action going on in this book compared to the rest even tho it doesn’t happens until towards the end. you could tell the the book was leading to something much bigger then what we have been dealing with in the blue bloods series.

I really enjoy Melissa Writing. She knows how to keep you reading. You could really feel the characters in her writing. you don;t they to be told who you are reading about , it just comes to you easily. The characters all have such different personality’s it’s really hard to get confused on who is who.

The more the books go the more i find Jack and Schuyler are annoying together.  I really like all the characters just hate the obsessed romance they have. It get’s pretty clear that they are not meant to be together. you can’t feel the connection between the two. I more of Sky and Ollie. I really feel bad, he cares so much for Sky but no matter how hard he tries to make sky get it, she just doesn’t see. I wanted to slap her a few times in the series…i mean come on! yeah jack is like awesome but how can you say no to Ollie?

There was a few parts in the book that had me close to tears and parts that really shocked me. The series just keeps getting better and darker when it comes with the plot. Not only does Sky have to deal with Mimi but she also has to deal with darker evil then the sliver bloods and protect her grandfather.

The book was full of shocking turns that literately had me gasping for air and me going ” No, no…omg, omg!” Bliss has more of the spotlight in this book..her character in Revelations is really important..and i was shocked on finding out what happened to her and Dylan and everything.

The book does have some little flaws but the overall book itself overpowers them. If you haven’t read the first book in the series…i will repeat read it. You will love the characters good and bad. like i said the book really does just get better and better, so far anyways. Even tho i do feel like the book could have done without the love triangles.

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YA Book Review: Betrayed A House of Night Noval

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Title: Betrayed ( A House Of Night #2 )
Author: P.C Cast, Kristin Cast
Published:  2007 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Type: Paranormal, Vampires
Paperback, 310 pages

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Summery: Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night.  She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs–like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

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I was NOT a fan of Marked the first book in the House of Night Series..and i’m very disappointed that the second book betrayed was not good at all. I didn’t finish that book. i felt like the Awkwardness in this book was hard for me to keep on reading. I think the whole series covers are awesome i just wish the story was awesome. Zoey’s personality and actions just annoyed me. I hate not finishing a series, like it just drives me crazy when i don;t finish a series…but i just couldn’t deal with this series at all. Maybe the 3rd book and up are better books and worth the read but i just CAN’T. It’s not i dislike the book. i do like the whole concept the authors tried to aim at. But it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t lose myself in the books. I couldn’t relate to the characters at all. Honestly if the book was in Aphrodite’s p.o.v..then the book might just have something. The love triangle in this book was just confusing and lame and awkward..if you’re gonna do a love triangle then just do it right..that’s all i ask.

I Don’t want to total hate on this series. there is people who liked the whole series. I just couldn’t wrap myself around it. If you liked the series that’s awesome. I am happy you like it and find the good in it. If you haven’t read the book in my opinion i don’t recommend it but if you like to risk it and think you might like it and if you like a Darker version of twilight then you might just like the series.  then go for it. Please let me know what your pros and cons of the series is.

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Book Review : Marked By P.C and Kristen Cast

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  • Title: Marked ( A House of Night #1)
  • Authors: P.C Cast, Kristen Cast
  • Year Pub: 2007
  • Type: Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy, Fiction
  • I was given this book Via BookMooch

About the Book: The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird’s world, vampyres have always existed.  In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire — that is, if she makes it through the Change.  Not all of those who are chosen do.  It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling.  She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx.  But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers.  When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny–with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

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My Review : On the back of the book it looks like a good read but the book itself…well not so much and i usually just love Vampire books. The book Marked is different then the average Vampire books. There was very little parts that i did enjoy of the book but like i said Very little. it had a LOT of awkward parts that had me putting down the book for a while. Zoey goes on about oral sex more then what i would want to read in “YA” Book actually i rather not read about oral sex at all and i am 22 years old and that stuff just bugs me. the book would’ve been good if they just left those parts out all together.

The writing was such a bore that i kept glancing at the words instead of actually reading it. Now this is just what i thought about the book, I know someone who just loves the series..but everyone is different so i am not gonna judge. so i guess it doesn’t completely suck, if you can get passed the awkward parts. It kinda reminds me of Twilight if Bella went to a all “vampyre school” Zoey is really boring and plan like bella.

It took me a while to actually getting myself to get this book because of mix reviews and now i completely understand why a lot of people didn’t enjoy the series.

Here are some quotes from the book

“Actually, since I’m gay I think I should count for two guys instead of just one. I mean, in me you get the male point of view and you don’t have to worry about me wanting to touch your boobies.”

“You are old beyond your years Zoeybird. Believe in yourself and you will find a way. But remember darkness does not always equate to evil just like light does not always bring good.”

“I’ve found that the way a person feels about cats-and the way they feel about him or her in return-is usually an excellent gauge by which to measure a person’s character”

“The problem, of course, was that turning into a monster was the brighter of my two choices. Choice Number 1: I turn into a vampyre, which equals a monster in just about any human’s mind. Choice Number 2: My body rejects the Change and I die. Forever.

So the good news is that I wouldn’t have to take the geometry test tomorrow.”

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All in all this book is worse then Twilight. Read at your own risk.

Dance of the Red Death By Bethany Griffin

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About the Book From Goodreads

Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death.

In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city.

Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero.

With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget.

My Review 

Let me start off saying i did really enjoy the book, but with that being said i still like the first book better. It true when people say “The first is always best”.

Dance of the Red Death is a lot darker then the first book, it goes more into the Red Death…and lets just say there is a LOT of death in this book. The book starts off from where it left off in Masque of the Red Death. Where they left the city city on a steam flying ship, when the city went to chaos. Life is pretty complicated for Araby, Especially with Will and Elliot. Not gonna get into those parts cause of Spoilers. But omg i am so Team Will( Even tho what he did to Araby, But you gotta do what you gotta do to save your family ). Elliot just seems so different in this book then the first, but i guess that’s understandable.

And omg the Ending to the book, just like WHY JUST FREAKING WHY? MY FREAKING APRIL! The ending will rip you’re heart out and piss you right off, and When i reached the last page i wanted to throw the book out the window, like i screamed “THAT WAS IT!? WTF” The Ending didn’t suck, It just sucked the way it ended.

I was so Happy( More like Jumping up and down Screaming) When i got this book in the mail. I couldn’t wait to read it. I just really Adore Bethany Griffin. And Masque of Red Death was just amazing.

If you love YA Steampunk, Dystopian and Science Fiction, The Masque of the Red Death Series is the Books for you.

Dance of the Red Death (Masque of the Red Death, #2)
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( I won this book In Goodreads )

YA books to read this August!

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Crown of Midnight By Sarah j. Maas, 2nd book to the Hit, Throne of Glass. Book comes out August 27th 2013.

Book Summary From Goodreads

An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king’s contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king’s bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she’s given a task that could jeopardize everything she’s come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon — forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

About this author

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Sarah J. Maas lives in Southern California, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much coffee, and watches absolutely rubbish TV shows. When she’s not busy writing YA fantasy novels, she can be found exploring the California coastline.

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)

 

 

 

 

 

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Black Spring By Alison Groggon book comes out  August 27th 2013

About the book from Goodreads

Inspired by the gothic classic Wuthering Heights, this stunning new fantasy from the author of the Books of Pellinor is a fiercely romantic tale of betrayal and vengeance.

In a savage land sustained by wizardry and ruled by vendetta, Lina is the enchanting but willful daughter of a village lord. She and her childhood companion, Damek, have grown up privileged and spoiled, and they’re devoted to each other to the

 point of obsession. But Lina’s violet eyes betray her for a witch, and witches are not tolerated in a brutally patriarchal society

. Her rank protects her from persecution, but it cannot protect her from tragedy and heartbreak. An innocent visitor stands witness to the devastation that ensues as destructive longing unleashes Lina’s wrath, and with it her forbidden power. Whether drawn by the romantic, the magical, or the gothic, readers will be irresistibly compelled by the passion of this tragic tale. 


About the Author

32401 Born in 1962, Alison Croggon is one of a generation of Australian poets which emerged in the 1990s. She writes in many genres, including criticism, theatre and prose. Alison Croggon is the author of the young adult fantasy quartet, The Books of Pellinor. The first volume was nominated in two categories in the Aurealis Awards for Excellence in Australian Speculative Fiction in December 2002 and named one of the Notable Books of 2003 by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. The series has since been released to critical and popular acclaim in the US, the UK and Europe. Her new novel Black Spring will be released in 2012 and a children’s book, Jimmy Wonderspoon (ages 9-12), is available as an ebook. Her poetry has been published widely in anthologies and magazines in Australia and overseas. Her most recent poetry publication is Theatre, (Salt Publishing 2008). Others are Ash (Cusp Books, Los Angeles 2007), November Burning (Vagabond Press Rare Objects Series, Sydney, 2004); Mnemosyne, (Wild Honey Press, Ireland, 2001); The Common Flesh (New and Selected Poems) (Arc Publications, UK, 2003) and Attempts at Being (Salt Publishing, UK, 2002). Her first book of poems, This is the Stone, won the 1991 Anne Elder and Dame Mary Gilmore Prizes. Her novel Navigatio, published by Black Pepper Press, was highly commended in the 1995 Australian/Vogel literary awards and is being translated for publication in France. Her second book of poems, The Blue Gate, was released in 1997 and was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Poetry Prize. Attempts at Being was shortlisted for the Kenneth Slessor Poetry Prize in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. In 2000 she was the Australia Council Writer in Residence at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (UK). Alison has to date written and had performed nine works for theatre. Her performed work includes the operas Gauguin (Melbourne Festival 2000) and The Burrow (Perth Festival, Sydney, Melbourne 1994-95 and broadcast by ABC Radio), both with Michael Smetanin. Her plays include Lenz (Melbourne Festival 1996), Samarkand and The Famine (Rules of Thumb season, Red Shed Company, Adelaide 1997 and ABC Radio 1998), Blue (CIA, La Mama, Melbourne and the Street Theatre, Canberra, 2001). ABC Radio commissions include Monologues for an Apocalypse (2001) and Specula (2006). She also wrote lyrics for Confidentially Yours (Playbox Theatre 1998, Hong Kong Festival 1999). Many of her poems have been set to music by various composers, including Smetanin (Skinless Kiss of Angels, Elision New Music Emsemble), Christine McCombe and Margaret Legge-Wilkinson (Canberra New Music Ensemble) and most recently Andreé Greenwell. She was Melbourne theatre critic for the national daily newspaper, The Australian, until 2010, and keeps a blog of theatre criticism, Theatre Notes. at http://theatrenotes.com  

Black Spring

 

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