The Mortal Instruments #4: City of Fallen Angels

Who will fall in love, and who will find their relationship torn apart?
Who will betray everything they ever believed in?
Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.
In the heart-pounding fourth installment of the Mortal Instruments series, the stakes are higher than ever.

What I enjoyed reading in this fourth installment of the series are Jace and Simon. Both has a great story to tell. On the other, Clary, as always, still lack of story aside being a lover, non-stop supporter of Jace.

“That’s a mango.” Simon stared at Jace. Sometimes it really was like Shadowhunters were from an alien planet. <—- patience Simon hahaha XD

Jace counterpart Will. Ah. Herondales. Will, for one, was quite involved. Somehow in a few conversations which made me almost complete and utterly on my knees begging for more Will mentions, haha! I miss Will already! I want to focus this review on Jace and Simon. I'll not say they are my favorite characters, no. However, both carried stories that sums up the whole Mortal Instruments series, in my opinion. Especially Jace. Oh Jace, yes. Since from the beginning in City of Bones, he's the reason why – he took the readers to the Shadowhunters' world. He always bring that to all readers. Jace has gotten us all engrossed and stick to him – throughout his journey from mundane world to Seelie Court, to Alicante in Idris until to this book at a scaffolded building something something street. Sorry. I seem to forget the long address of the place.

Anyway, I'm so impressed at the vocabulary used. A wide usage of very difficult words that I have to get myself a dictionary by my side. At all times. I'm still pretty weak in English. Apologize my bad English reviews too.

Not only the fact that the author uses good description and very intense emotions but I love how she somewhat put Jace and Simon in a situation where they can sort of hang out and be friends, finally haha!! I love them both! Interesting characters! And in a way they fallen into the same trap. Pretty connected. Well-organized plot.

“You made a pet out of me, and then you left me. If love were food, I would have starved on the bones you gave me.” -Magnus Bane

We thought of Simon – a character in the background but I realized – he is as important as Jace making whole lot of sense in each chapter of the book – every page you turn you have to have either Simon or Jace there. Other characters are merely just story which, in my opinion the spotlight or main event isn’t happening on their part. Don’t get me wrong I love to have to read the sugar-coated the author has written and put extra effort on masterpiece but GAH the story is what I’m chasing for in a book sometimes whether it has good romance or not – if the story has STORY to tell, I’m in!! The twist at the end – Oh my heck! “We are one.” Killer!!

There are also down right hilarious conversation between/among characters which I didn’t regret laughing out loud even if means people will look at me thinking I’m crazy. “You know what’s awesome? Having a vampire in our band. This is the thing that’s really going to take us over the top.” really? hahaha Here comes the part about sexy vampire mojo. So it was Kirk who call the Simon that LOL go sexy vampire mojo (two timer) Simon HAHAHA

And in this case, 4 stars right away after I finished the amazingly brilliant book!! City of Lost Souls – here I come!!!

Slide

She sees through the eyes of a killer…

Everyone thinks Vee is narcoleptic, but her secret condition is far more terrifying. When Vee passes out she slides into other people’s minds and can see the world through their eyes. It’s been happening for long enough that she thinks she’s gotten a handle on it. But nothing prepares her for sliding into someone holding a bloody knife, standing over someone’s body.

Vee wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? She can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, let alone the police. But when someone else ends up dead, Vee knows she must find a way to unmask the killer before they strike again.

Slide is a killer read written with a brilliant and super-slick style that will leave you breathless.

The book cover does a good job. It’s appealing to me. And I might add that the cover is a UK one. I think it’s my first time to like a UK book cover version. I’m pretty impressed- it’s nice in a way, the eye is sort of hypnotizing you or something, haha!

Once you turn the page to chapter one, it started off – a little bit confusing to me at first but as I carried on reading, the pieces of how her ‘sliding’ works is coming together well enough. I liked the book. I’m thinking about giving it 3 to 3.5 ratings. The story was not really something I found strikingly creative. Somehow it is – where the mystery solving comes in really is cool to me. That’s one reason why – I love mystery solving. Characters that may have the capable of having a motive to target innocent people/ do bad stuffs. I love being part of the whole book seeing from another’s perspective. Who you kidding? That’s awesome, right!

Slyvia, is a good character. Using her ability to ‘slide’ into another person not for her benefit to get revenge on people who hurt her in the past but simply carry it and help others – she finally found a purpose to make good use of her ability where justice is served.

And through Sylvia’s ability she discovered beyond what she sees with her own eyes and come to grasp every thing that she never come across before. It’s all new to her.

I personally like to learn to come up with good questions like Sylvia when she was doing her independent investigation, she pretty much… well I can say that she’s got lots of very good questions. I would like to have that kind of mental power..hmm probably it has to do with her ‘sliding’, eh? I’m jealous. Oh yeah, not that she’s real. So, it’s fine.

Do check this book out or even better purchase it to any local bookstores where it’s available!! I’m planning to read the sequel! Now, I wait… haha.

Happy reading to all bookworms! Cheers!

Flipped

The first time she saw him, she flipped. The first time he saw her, he ran. That was the second grade, but not much has changed by the seventh. She says: “My Bryce. Still walking around with my first kiss.” He says: “It’s been six years of strategic avoidance and social discomfort.” But in the eighth grade everything gets turned upside down. And just as he’s thinking there’s more to her than meets the eye, she’s thinking that he’s not quite all he seemed.

This is a classic romantic comedy of errors told in alternating chapters by two fresh, funny new voices. Wendelin Van Draanen is at her best here with a knockout cast of quirky characters and a hilarious series of misunderstandings and missed opportunities. But underlying the humor are two teens in transition. They are each learning to look beyond the surface of people, both figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and who they want to be with.

The first book I am reviewing in the year 2013! This is such a great, magical book! SO many memorable quotes too! 5 stars!!

“She’s the same as she’s always been; you’re the one who’s changed. And, son, from here on out, you’ll never be the same again.” –Chester (Grandad of Bryce)

“I knew we weren’t rich, but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything.” –Juli
“To be held above the earth and brushed by the wind, it’s like your heart has been kissed by beauty.” –Juli

“But every once in a while you find someone who’s iridescent, and when you do, nothing will ever compare.”

“One’s character is set at an early age, son. The choices you make now will affect you for the rest of your life.” –Grandad to Bryce

“The tree’s gone, but she’s still got the spark it gave her. Know what I mean?” — Grandad to Bryce
Bryce, deep within Juli, she’ll always have the love for nature.

“His hair smelled like watermelon.” –Juli !! HAHAHAAH!

“Juli loved that tree. Stupid as it was, she loved that tree, and cutting it down would be like cutting out her heart.” –Bryce

“It’s that way with people, too, only with people it’s sometimes that the whole is less than the sum of the parts.” — Chet to Juli

“… most people don’t look beneath the surface until it’s too late.” –Chet to Juli

“Other people thought it (sycamore tree) was ugly, but I never had. Maybe it was all how you looked at it. Maybe there were things I saw as ugly that other people thought were beautiful.” –Juli

“Nothing new there, but now it really bugged me. Like all of a sudden I didn’t fit in anywhere. Not at school, not at home…and every time I turned around, another person I’d known forever felt like a stranger to me. Even I felt like a stranger to me.” –Bryce

“It was like seeing inside the Bakers’ world had opened up windows into our own, and the view was not a pretty one.” –Bryce

“… I wondered at how much emotion can go into any given day, and thought how nice it was to feel this way at the end of it.” –Juli


I love how positive Juli is despite of every thing that’s happened in her family and between her and Bryce. I don’t think I can be ever like be Juli. I’m doing the best I can though. There are quite a number quotes that’s so memorable that will always have you think deeper of what’s all about. It’s really a great book and adorable.

I really love Bryce’s Grandad, Chet, Juli and Juli’s dad. They probably have the same characteristics that are interesting. They do not look just outside of things but beyond and what’s really underneath. Some people are blind because when they see nice things for their eyes, they want it when it’s actually ugly.

Both Juli and Bryce learned their lessons and I really love the author getting the readers into both side of Juli and Bryce’s perspectives. I can see that they did both learn from each other. For Juli, she learned that it’s only in people you see the beauty but also the nature and before she put everything she is in a person, she gotta have to know him/her very well, not only the outside. The most important is what’s inside, everything that’s beneath the beautiful surface. Juli got that while Bryce, he saw what was really happening in his home – his family. All the haze, fog, mist or whatever that got him blind for years were completely vanished when it dawned on him of what’s Juli to him and all of his life he had been living in a not-real world. Probably a deceptive world. Bryce thought his true friend is Garrett but in the end….what happen? He wasn’t at all.

Here comes Chet, the one who will open their eyes to what they do not see. And he gave good riddles that you have to figure out yourself and I guess he do that so you’ll be even curious.

Simple story that tells a lot about family, true friendships and last but not the least, finding who you truly are and it is not an objective at all, it’s to bring out your uniqueness self. Remember, you are the light of this world. Shine your light and let the whole world see!!

Sweet Evil

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
 
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

I keep holding my breath like someone is taking the air out of me and away from my lungs! Oh my gosh! This book is killing me like are you trying to kill me or what? Even just the introduction between Anna and Kaidan, the connection between them, GAH! It’s literally killing me to death because of their delicious flirting. OMG. I can make out Kaidan’s h-o with t accent! Oh good! I’m such a fangirl over these YA characters!!

I’m so gonna die right at this moment and seriously fangirling mode is switched ON like it can never be switched off! Never! Kaidan!!! I don’t even know how to breathe through my nose!! It’s choking me! Kaidan omg omg Kaidan!!! I practically fans myself with my bookmark and it doesn’t seem to make myself not to feel hot over Kaidan!! I even used a Sci-fi book to fan myself!!! AAAAAAHHH!! Remarkably Kaidan is freaking h-o with t guy!!! EVER!!

He’s even trying to kill me with his flawless skills with him playing drums!! I’m not really into drummers but Kaidan extremely get me on the hook!!

I’m so happy. Happy. Sweet Evil is sweet!! Utterly delicious!!

I gotta give it 4 stars though. Minus 1 star off the rating. I have my reasons by the way. Believe me I really really do like it. The romance and paranormal that puts into a story—brilliant!! However, I was kind of upset with 446 of pages and there weren’t really exciting story to it. Mostly it was about between Anna and Kaidan. Most of the 3 stars were for that deliciously irresistible romance—perfectly written, good use of vocabulary which i’m so impressed at with the author. 1 star for the plot—it lacks of story. It’s missing it’s important points. So many events that happened but then along somewhere part of the book it got lost to what it really wants to tell the readers. There was a story about them being Nephs and stuff but then much of it wasn’t put into action or something. Like the author was too focused on the lovebirds which I’ll not say is a bad thing. I’m still considering whether to give 4 stars. Yes, I’ll still give 4 stars! Good that I still have a soft heart toward books.

“…there is no way of truly knowing one’s heart until one is put to the test.” <–I like Kopano's wise advice. Really. He's a natural, kind guy I think I'll like too!

Anna: “How do you know if a drummer is at your door? … The knock speeds up and he doesn’t know when to come in.” lololol XD

I’m looking forward to the sequel and I hope it gets better than this!

Beastly

I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog, but a horrible new creature who walks upright – a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.

You think I’m talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It’s no deformity, no disease. And I’ll stay this way forever – ruined – unless I can break the spell.

Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I’ll tell you. 

I’ll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and a perfect life. And then, I’ll tell you how I became perfectly beastly.

Lindy’s Diary captures all the romance and edgy mystery of the original!

3.5 stars, approximately 4 stars!

I actually watched the movie first before reading the book. I didn’t know that Beastly was a book before came the movie. Seriously. However, i’d still prefer the book to movie. More detailed and got me a couple of laughter here and there between Will and Kyle. But still I wish I hadn’t watched the movie because all along while reading, I imagined Lindy as Vanessa Hudgens which I didn’t get it why she kept popping up in my imaginations though she’s not what I really imagined Lindy looked like.

I love how both characters loved sharing their interests in English Lit (believe me I’m not good in English Lit—I only got a chance to get an A just because we did a drama. I like acting. I did well. Surprise, surprise to English teacher).

Anyways, it’s nice that the author wrote this fairytale retelling. It’s nice and I really enjoyed it! I LOVE it!! The memory of me, first time watching Beauty and the Beast Disney movie when I was young kept rushing through my head…a good, cheerful, hopeful, magical, memory. All those flashbacks, I love Beauty and the Beast. It’s one of my favorite Disney movies. And now my head is stuck with the song Beauty and the Beast as well though it’s not a bad thing—I’ve always wanted to watch it again. I hope I can have the time to.

I love Kyle’s tutor, Will, so much that he kind of reminds me of my English teacher—Mr A. Will is wise and helpful. Funny man too! Pretty much the exact English teacher I have.

I’m glad too that I read this Beastly edition that includes Lindy’s diary—her diary described much more of what happened between her and Kyle and from her diary I understood more of their experiences and some of the events I think I missed—like Adrian and Lindy sent gifts to 2 kids. I won’t spoil it for you though. And yeah, you’ll find more interesting extras to read in this edition of the book! It’s fun, adorable to read!

Definitely a read for anyone! Fantasy, romance, fairytale lovers/fairytale retelling lovers whoever you may be of lovers…it’s amazingly magical!!! I’d love to reread it if I have a handful of time again with me.