YA

Review: Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Spellbound #1

spellbound -cara lynn shultz What’s a girl to do when meeting The One means she’s cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn’t been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Connor, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she’s irresistibly drawn to— Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can’t stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma’s been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives— visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

3 Drink Me Potions

Let’s just say that initially, Spellbound did not start off as pleasantly as I would have hoped. The protagonist, Emma, just annoyed me with her immature attitude and her analogies for situations. For example, right off the bat into the story, we see Emma complaining about attending her new prestigious school with her baby cousin. And by “baby”, there was only a two-year gap between them in age.

I knew that juniors did not hang out with the lower classes. It was like hanging out with a bunch of vegetarians and wearing a bacon necklace.

I let that slip by, as a few other reviews I read prior to beginning the book warned of Emma’s strange comparisons. However, what really annoyed me was the way she handled a comment that she had no smart comeback for.

Anytime I couldn’t think of something clever to say, I just told the person they were whatever we were talking about….
“It’s dinnertime, kids,” she [mother] would call from the kitchen. “Turn off the TV.”
“You’re a TV!” we [brother and I] would call back in unison.

Heck, I know this “joke” brings back fond memories of what her family used to do, but she did this several times throughout the story at the most random of times. It was just seriously tiring to read and felt unnecessary to add.

Oh, and this book really went all out with the cultural references. There were mentions of more pop culture things than most stories would go, kind of like those movies where branded items were “discreetly” placed for viewers to see. Cara Lynn Shultz mentioned things like Jay-Z music videos, Family Guy, Hulu, and countless more references pitted throughout the novel. I’m not normally the kind of person who minds any acknowledgement to current popular culture but this was intense. So for anyone out there who actually does mind, I’d warn you about that considering it even got on my nerves. I didn’t even understand every little reference she used either. Is the author trying to sound like she knows teenagers very well and had to use whatever tidbit she could get her hands on to make it seem so? I have no idea.

BUT, that’s where my annoyances stop. It was a lot of grievances, I’ll admit, but I eventually warmed up to the story a bit. A thousand year old curse that somehow seems linked to the antique necklace Emma was given to by her late brother? A somewhat stereotypical yet still charming guy who was hard to understand? I thought it was worth the shot to keep going.

Here’s the shorthand of what Spellbound felt to me.

The pacing
It wasn’t all that exciting for a long while into the book. I think it made it easier for me to breeze through the first half because I was reading the ebook version, otherwise flipping so many physical pages might have deterred me a lot earlier. But, as soon as the curse was first brought to light, it did intrigue me more.

Shultz did not just briefly mention a story of long ago, but actually went into detail of how it came to be. I like the intricacies of detailing what had brought such events to pass instead of breezing through a short tale because it didn’t matter as much as the present.

From there, the story unfolds at a decent pace, although it wasn’t strangely exciting either. This brings me to my next point.

The predictability
I should’ve known how the curse would’ve played out by the end of the book. I will admit, I was hoping for a far more intriguing and original way to conclude the story and break the curse. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take too many guesses to figure that out. The action and climax that led up to the final conclusion at least still had me intensely waiting it out.

The only part that I couldn’t piece together was the involvement of her brother, Ethan. His role was always unclear to me, and to this end, I’m still uncertain as to how and why he was acknowledged into essential portions of the plot.

Also, I didn’t see how Emma’s impending “death” would arise from. In hindsight, I should’ve seen it coming, but I was too focused on another crazy character and the predictability of the exact “moment” it would happen in.

Unoriginality
I must admit, a lot of this story wasn’t very original or…new. Reading it, you get a lot of the “ah, been there, done that” moments, like you’ve read this piece of the plot before or figured it would play out sort of in this way.

The characters weren’t very well-developed. Sure, Emma’s friend Angelique was definitely different, considering she was a practicing witch. But it was the stereotypical kind of portrayal of one. Do they have to be all loner types that jump at the opportunity to whisper an incantation for someone? Another example would be Emma’s baby cousin, Ashley. She’s just an enthusiastic girl who looks up to Emma, rather naive and way too perky about everything. Kind of the ideal little girl attitude who worships an older role model. There was never any real depth to any of them.

Emma and even Brendan felt a little bit like that at times. Yes, Emma grew up in this story (thank God!). I wouldn’t have lasted if she was still so annoying. However, they still need a dose of character development that felt lacking. Brendan’s mysterious, but he’s apparently kind-hearted with good intentions underneath everything. I’d rather Shultz showed me that rather than just tell it.

Concluding thoughts…
Okay, I will admit, this was not a glowing review. Or what would have been expected for a 3-star review. But for some reason, I still liked it enough to give it 3 stars.

It may not be original, but Shultz incorporated elements of stories which made me like those stories in the first place. So sometimes, originality isn’t the key to a great story as it can get confusing when authors try to make everything brand new and never done before.

I liked the intrigue behind the curse, the anticipation of Emma’s impending predicament, and their romantic moments(albeit, not a romance that was as well-developed as I would’ve hoped for, even though they are soulmates). Okay, the romance may fall more into the category of “could’ve been better”…

Either way, Spellbound was enjoyable enough to keep reading on a boring afternoon (or on the commute from school). If you don’t expect too much and just take the story as it is, it can be entertaining to follow along.

Overall Recommendations:
Spellbound held grievances that were definitely big enough to take note of. Initially starting off with an annoying protagonist, lacking well-developed characters and the use of strange prose throughout the novel, this may stack up to be more than one can take.

I suggest that if you already sound disgusted at these things, this isn’t the book for you. However, if you just want a mildly entertaining romance with its moments of darker intrigue and suspense about a curse between star-struck lovers, then give it a go. This book isn’t for everyone, so be warned. At most, it may surprise you to be quite enjoyable, and at worse, it may end up in further grievances.

Spellbound is a lot of surprising things, so keep your mind open as you dive in. That’s my best advice. Not the worst debut novel I’ve read, but certainly not near the best. Entertaining enough to thrive off boredom, but ultimately, it’s a forgettable novel that leaves no lasting imprint.

YA

Review: Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: The Watersong Quartet #2

lullaby -amanda hockingDon’t miss the next chapter of Watersong, a bold new series that will enchant you, entrance you, and hold you captive under its spell
Now that Gemma Fisher has inherited Penn, Lexi, and Thea’s curse – and all the strange new powers that come along with it – she has no choice but to run away with them. Devastated that she has to leave everyone she loves behind, she’s still determined not to give in to the unspeakable hungers that plague her.
Unfortunately, they’re growing stronger every day, and she’s not sure how much longer she can resist.

Harper won’t give up on finding her sister Gemma, vowing to get her back no matter what the cost. The search draws her closer to too-gorgeous-for-his-own-good Daniel, and tests her fiercely guarded independence like never before. She’s always been the strong one who everyone else depends on…. Can she let herself depend on Daniel?
As Gemma and Harper plunge deeper into a magical world they barely understand, it becomes painfully clear that Gemma’s old life may be lost forever. But can she still hold on to her humanity?

2.5 Drink Me Potions

Lullaby picks up right where Wake left off. No, seriously. The cliffhanger from the previous book? It’s like an hour passed and that’s where this book starts. I’m starting to wonder how the timeline of this series is going to go. Wake was like only a few weeks at most, if not less. Boy, do relationships change fast. Is this series going to last the timeline of a few months before summer ends? At least, that’s the first thing my brain asked upon starting this book. But I digress.

Here is what I thought about this book…

The pacing
I wanted to scream in frustration at this book sometimes. Honestly. If this was a show instead of a book, this book would be considered a “filler episode”. Nothing much happened in Lullaby. Sure, Gemma is figuring out how to be a siren with her new “sisters”, who are rather creepy and very bee-yotchy. Harper, Daniel and Alex are frantically trying to find her. I swear though, this is how the first part of the story goes.

Gemma’s POV: at some location with the sirens, particularly Penn being an ass and taunting her to “feed” on some poor man soon

Switch to Harper & Alex’s POV: makes Facebook page/missing posters/calls the cops/worrying incessantly = pretty much most of their POV for like a good half of the book

Oh, and what’s worse? Daniel doesn’t pop up as much until later into the book because Harper’s avoiding him. I love that girl, but man, I wish their flirtation would take the next step already. She has got to see how much he cares for her and accepts her even when she’s in one of those cold-hot mood swings. Overall, there wasn’t a lot happening. At least, not as exciting with the level of pacing it was written in.

The sirens
My goodness, I wanted to punch Lexi sometimes. She’s so whiny and needy at the same time. It’s like she’s in some power play constantly, wanting to be Penn’s favourite but also wanting to have that kind of power for herself as well.

Penn is her usual bossy yet scary self. She doesn’t like to share her men, both as toys or as food, and she’s so manipulative of her sisters. Of all villains and mean girls out there in other stories, I think Penn wins the award for “Most Hated Character”. I got to give kudos to Hocking for making such a flawed and easily hateable villain.

Thea, I feel, has potential in being more than what her sisters seem like at the surface, which is self-centred, cunning, heartless men-eating monsters. To put it nicely. I feel there would be a lot more to her role in the sirens’ past….just not in this book. My biggest question left from here would be Why the heck would she let Penn boss her around like that when she’s the oldest sister?

Last thoughts
I wouldn’t say to let Lullaby deter you from reading the series. It does push the story along a little bit, and there were very cute romantic moments with Harper/Daniel and even Alex/Gemma. It was just slow and sometimes felt like Hocking didn’t know what to do to fill up this sequel with. I only kept reading at such a fast pace ’cause I desperately wanted to see something exciting happen. I guess I’ll be waiting for Tidal for that to happen.

Overall Recommendation:
Lullaby honestly feels like the middle book syndrome but magnified by 10. There weren’t a lot of things going on in this book. Not much of the mythology aspect progressed, most of the protagonists were just searching for Gemma and not doing anything else exciting, Gemma was preoccupied with her new siren abilities, yada yada yada. At most, this book’s goal was to slowly move the plot forward, but it barely did even that. There wasn’t much excitement to it, which was a disappointment considering Wake most definitely had that going for its intriguing plot. Hopefully this means that the series can only go up from here, and maybe some answers will finally be given. One can only hope.

YA

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: The Watersong Quartet #1

wake -amanda hockingFall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They’re the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone’s attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs.  She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door.  He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back.  Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever.  She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove.  They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price.  And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

3.5 Drink Me Potions

Wake was a very easy read. I personally haven’t read too many books diving into the story of the sirens. Sure, other parts of Greek mythology have been overdone, but the aspects of sirens in Homer’s Odyssey is intriguing.

The mythology itself
I really enjoyed how Hocking incorporated sirens and their Greek history into this story. From the blurb, it’s quite obvious that the sirens were going to make Gemma as one of their own. However, there was quite an amount of suspense in the anticipation of when it would happen, and why they do what they do. Right smack in the prologue, the air of suspense starts building as bodies are dropping in the small seafront town of Capri.

It was nice to have a clear and straightforward description of the mythology so it wasn’t like I had to piece together what had happened to the sirens in the past that made them who they were. Of course, hearing their story really added to the intrigue of what the gang of main characters were going to do to help Gemma out of this situation.

The characters
It sometimes is annoying when there are more than one protagonist’s POV to switch back and forth from. I’m waiting anxiously to see what happens to one person, then I turn the page and it’s….the next chapter with someone else’s POV happening elsewhere.

BUT, this didn’t make me as annoyed in Wake.

First off, this story is written in 3rd person perspective, which is a rather rare thing these days in the YA genre. It made it easier to understand what more than one character was feeling at a time. What got me through the switching of POVs was the fact that Gemma and her sister Harper are both such great characters.

Gemma is impulsive sometimes, but she feels the call of the ocean even before becoming a siren. She works hard to be the best swimmer, and she’s pretty without feeling cocky and boastful of it. Harper, on the other hand, is the older sister and acts bossy sometimes. But she has the heart to love anyone, even a rugged older guy living on a boat.

This brings me to say…

The “romance” aspect
I loved that this series doesn’t focus on just one couple, but on two . I felt that Alex and Gemma’s relationship happened rather fast. Like, I understand that he’s the boy next door and there were simmering feelings going on for like the last while. It just didn’t build up as nicely as I would’ve liked it to, but there were still very touching moments between the two.

Harper’s not the kind of girl who feels there’s time for a relationship in her life. With a mom who acts more like a teenage-obsessed fan of Justin Bieber’s, a father who forgets his lunch I swear all the time, and a younger sister who she feels responsible for, there are a lot of things on her plate. So her deliciously crazy attraction towards Daniel was very enjoyable from the start. He was the opposite of her in so many ways. He was more relaxed, living out of his grandfather’s boat while looking for odd handyman jobs to do. Harper was college-bound and here was this “slob” who kept trying to flirt and appease her after their rather awkward first meeting. This potential relationship kept me very interested in seeing more of it later on.

Concluding remarks
Although I highlighted the things I enjoyed in Wake, it just wasn’t quite 4 stars or even 5 stars material. The pacing was a little slow at times, especially when the sirens kept taunting Gemma and Harper but didn’t do anything just yet . Alex and Gemma’s romantic chemistry was a little off for me in this one. I kind of wished there were more moments that made me say “Ah, I can see why they’re falling so hard for each other”. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the two of them together, but I’m just being nit-picky.

Anyway, it’s definitely worth the read, especially as the first of a series.

Overall Recommendation:
Wake was a different read, in the sense that it focused on a part of Greek mythology that was darker and not necessarily as popular. Sirens were loose in Capri, wrecking havoc and leaving bodies in their wake. And Gemma has caught their eyes. The level of suspense builds as Gemma and her sister Harper finds themselves caught in a curse from over two thousand years ago.

With budding romance in the horizon for both sisters and a mild-pacing of the story, Wake should be given a try and maybe it would get you sucked into the world of the Watersong series.