Archive for Book Review
PURITY by Jackson Pearce Book Review
Publication Date: April 24th 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Rating: 
– Acceptable | 
Book Summary: A novel about love, loss, and sex — but not necessarily in that order.
Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby’s father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives — in other words, no “bad behavior,” no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.
Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision — to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.
Purity by Jackson Pearce Book Review Overview:
- Oh hey, this book is more about sex; there’s friendship and father/daughter relationships and mourning (intense!)
- I loved the relationship between Shelby and her dad; it was so nice to read about how they both grew closer because of this debutant ball
- Would have liked an ending that was a bit more tied up
PURITY by Jackson Pearce is so straight-forward to the point that it was predictable – but it’s not something that is necessarily a bad thing. Jackson Pearce makes the reading experience a fun one regardless of the predictability because of her relatable characters and the overall execution of the novel. However, I still found that something was missing from PURITY to leave a lasting impression in my mind.
The main thing that stood out to me about PURITY by Jackson Pearce was the fact that this book actually manages to cram a lot of heavy and serious material in such a little and pretty package. From the very first page, you know as a reader that PURITY by Jackson Pearce is way more than just a book about a girl trying to lose her virginity on a deadline. Shelby is still mourning the loss of her mother, and she keeps her memory alive by keeping the three promises she made to her mother before she died. PURITY by Jackson Pearce is about Shelby’s internal struggle to live by these promises.
I absolutely enjoyed reading how Shelby mended her relationship with her dad. More than anything, this book is about how a father and daughter learn to cope and live after the death of a wife and mother. Shelby and her dad had a truly awkward relationship at the beginning of PURITY by Jackson Pearce, so it was such a rewarding treat as a reader to see them slowly bridge the gap between them.
I felt as if the ending of PURITY by Jackson Pearce left me hanging for more. I didn’t expect the ending to be tied up complete with a Happily Ever After, but I shouldn’t have felt like the ending was so abrupt.
I enjoyed PURITY by Jackson Pearce and I can see why so many readers are her fans. I look forward to reading her other novels. However, while I enjoyed PURITY as I read it, but it was missing something for me to leave a lasting impression.
Other Book Reviews:
Mermaid Visions
A Reading Nook
RJ Does Books
About the Author
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Jackson Pearce currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a slightly cross-eyed cat and a lot of secondhand furniture. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy and currently works for a software company even though she auditioned for the circus (she juggled and twirled fire batons, but they still didn’t want her). Jackson began writing when she got angry that the school librarian couldn’t tell her of a book that contained a smart girl, horses, baby animals, and magic. Her solution was to write the book herself when she was twelve. Her parents thought it was cute at first, but have grown steadily more concerned for her ever since.
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Book Review, Three Stars - Audience: Young Adult, Author: Jackson Pearce, Book: Purity, Borrow It, Genre: Contemporary, Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers | 
1069 words
OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout Book Review
Series: Lux, #1
Publication Date: May 15th 2012 by Entangled Teen
Rating: – Poor |
Book Summary: Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.
Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout Book Review Overview:
- Mary Sue-ish characterization aimed at book bloggers
- Over-repetitive descriptions of vanity
- Lack of chemistry
There are so many things I want to say about this book that I don’t even know where to begin. Unfortunately, most of them are negative. It sucks because I loved Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Half-Blood passionately. It also sucks because my best friend, Loreal, bought me a copy of this book for my nook – and if you know me, you know that I never ever buy anything for my e-reader. (Library for the win.) I had high hopes for my second read from author Jennifer L. Armentrout, but unfortunately, OBSIDIAN did not meet my standards of a good read.
Yeah, argue with me on this one, but Katy is not just coincidentally a book blogger. Honestly, she struck me completely as a not genuine character. She reminded me of a Mary Sue – a fan fiction term that I hate using when reviewing a book, but there’s really no better way to describe Katy. Katy is a Mary Sue for the book blogging community. She’s snarky, kind of kick-ass, and stubborn with a banging body but she doesn’t know it! GASP! And the best part is… she reviews books on her book blog! I don’t know… I just felt like OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout was trying too hard to cater to a (very) specific target audience and it was obvious. I don’t want Katy to be the idealized version of myself. I want her to be her own unique character.
And then of course, there’s Daemon, the love interest – or as how I like to think of him: The Biggest Jerk Ever. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout plays on the whole forbidden romance between human and alien. Alright. I usually eat up forbidden romances like it’s nothing. But the romance in OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout was just all wrong for me. It didn’t even feel like Daemon was playing hard to get for me. He was just a jerk. He would have a rare tender moment with Katy in one scene then totally acting like she’s nobody the next. Not acceptable. Not sexy and definitely not cool.
… And don’t get me started on the over-repetitive descriptions of how sexy Daemon is. Because seriously, I got it the first time. The guy is a looker. But I really do not need a reminder every time the guy pops into a scene.
I couldn’t even enjoy the excessive banter between Katy and Daemon because the chemistry itself felt a little too forced. I didn’t feel an internal struggle with Daemon. I felt like he could turn off or on his views on friendships with humans. The danger about the friendship didn’t really sink in with me, and because of that, Daemon’s excuses were pretty lame without some strong backing.
Unfortunately, nothing went right for me in OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L Armentrout, and I will probably not continue with the series.
Other Book Reviews:
Book Rants
Elegantly Bound Books
Justin’s Book Blog
About the Author
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Jennifer L. Armentrout Lives in West Virginia. All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true. Well, mostly. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.
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Book Review, Two Stars - Author: Jennifer L Armentrout, Book: Obsidian, Borrow It, Genre: Romance, Genre: Science Fiction, Publisher: Entangled Teen, Series: Lux | 1094 words
THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda Book Review
Series: The Hunt, #1
Publication Date: May 8th 2012 by St. Martin’s Griffin
Rating: – Exceeds Expectations | 
Book Summary: Warning! This summary is really spoilery! Geez, publisher. In a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction, seventeen-year-old Gene has only managed to survive by painstakingly concealing his true species. If the bloodthirsty creatures surrounding him knew what he really was–a human–he would be devoured swiftly and terribly. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the last remaining humans, it thrusts him into the fight of his life–and into the path of a human girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible. Now, he must learn the art of the hunt and elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing. But most importantly, Gene and the girl he loves must find a way to forge a life together in a brutal world that’s bent on their destruction.
The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda Book Review Overview:
- World-building like you’ve never read before. Finally, a book about a human who realizes he’s vampire-prey
- Relatable hero; who doesn’t want a human to win?
- This is something that I don’t say lightly: If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, chances are you’ll like THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, too.
In this backwards world, humans are going extinct. In THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, the main character must hide in plain sight by living among the vampires and pretending that he is one of them. But then he is chosen to participated in a government-sponsored hunt to track down the few remaining humans and eat them. Things just got a little more complicated…
As a reader who never quite fell into the whole vampire craze, I was so happy to hear that there was a finally a vampire book that appealed to me. In THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, vampires are the bad guys, not the love interests. The world-building is quite awesome because it steers away from the stereotypical vampire love that has saturated the young adult market. Humans have always been prey. But what makes THE HUNT so original and fresh is the fact that his characters know that a date with a vampire means he’ll be dead before dessert and not a happily ever after. But it makes me wonder: why have I never picked up a book like this before?
What’s funny is that I never noticed that the author never uses the main character’s name – or should I say, “designation” – until 2/3 of THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda. I think it’s a bit unfair that I start using it now when I got so comfortable just reading from his perspective without ever knowing it. I also think it’s unfair that the summary gives it away. And speaking of the summary: Dude, the summary gives away like the biggest secret in the book. There are a ton of surprises along the way for the main character, and some of them you see coming way before the big reveal. While I usually don’t like predictability, I was hooked into THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda because of the great execution. You can’t help but think: Hey, I might know what happens later on, but right now, I just want to cheer for the hero. Humans rule. Vampires suck.
It’s so easy to relate to the hero of THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda because as a human, you cannot help but put yourself in the hero’s shoes. There is nothing that makes the hero particularly special; it’s the fact that blood runs in his veins that makes him a target. Against all odds, he’s survived on his own surrounded by vampires and it would really suck for him to just get eaten up.
And I guess I should explain why this would definitely appeal to The Hunger Games fans. The set up of the actual hunt is quite similar to The Hunger Games. Each of the participants of the hunt were selected through a random lottery. Upon their selection, they were sent to the research facility to train for the upcoming hunt. Beyond the set up of the hunt, there are few other similarities that would remind readers of The Hunger Games.
Furthermore, Fukuda set up a great pacing in THE HUNT. The last few chapters of the book were complete nail-biters. Andrew Fukuda really drew out the tension and built it up until the very end when the Hunt began. THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda is an impressive first installment of a new series that I will definitely keep up with. And after the massive, jaw-dropping cliffhanger, let’s just say that I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.
Finally, I think this is the paranormal / vampire book that can appeal to boys. The romance is minimal at most and the gore is at its best. There’s no sparkly vampires in THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda.
Other Book Reviews:
Diary of a Book Addict
WinterHaven Books
About the Author
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Find the Author
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Born in Manhattan and raised in Hong Kong, Andrew Fukuda is half-Chinese, half-Japanese. After earning a bachelor’s degree in history from Cornell University, Fukuda worked in Manhattan’s Chinatown with the immigrant teen community. That experience led to the writing of
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Book Review, Four Stars - Action Packed, Audience: Young Adult, Author: Andrew Fukuda, Book: The Hunt, Genre: Action, Genre: Paranormal, Masterful World-Building, Must Buy, Publisher: St Martin's Griffin, Series: The Hunt | 1387 words
- Hahaha Funny
- Keeps You Guessing
- Heartwarmer
- Makes You Think
- Page-Turner
- Poetic Prose
- Romantic Read
- Tear-Jerker
