**Notice** Due to transfering back from a godaddy hosted wordpress blog back to blogger, reviews published before june 2017 don`t all have a pretty layout with book cover and infos. Our apologies.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Layout Crisis

My dear readers =P

You all know how I love playing around with layout and I created a new one this afternoon, I just don't know if I should use it instead of my current one.
So I decided to ask for your opinion.
You can see the new layout here: http://tyngatest.blogspot.com/
**Update, changed the backgorund on new layout**
Please let me know in a comment and/or vote on the Left sidebar poll.

Thank you very much for your input!!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox

Before getting to serious buiness,
would like to thank The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every weeks =)

I didn't think I would get any books this week, but I ended up with a surprise on friday ^^

For Review:
Original Sin by Allsion Brennan (Thank You Tricia)

What did you get this week?

Ravenous or Scorched Winner


The moment has come to announce the winner of either Ravenous or Scorched (winner's choice).
With the help of random.org I picked a winner from the 76 entrants and the lucky duck is...


I am about to email you, you will have 48 hours to respond with your choice of book and your mailing address! Your price will be mailed to you by Sharon herself.

I would like to thank Sharon once again for her generosity!

Friday, January 29, 2010

City of Glass - Cassandra Clare

" Amid the chaos of war, the shadowhunters must decide to fight with the vampires, werewolves and other downwolders - or against them.
Meanwhile, Jace and Clary have their own decision to make: should they pursue the love they know is forbidden? " - Book Cover


Clary's mother is still in a coma at the hospital, Valentine is on the loose and Jace & Clary just learnt they are siblings, which makes everything much more complicated. Can it get any worst?


The Lightwells have been summoned by the Clave after the events of New York and Clary wants to tag along in hopes to save her mother from her condition. But Jace won't let her, and Clary, true to her stubborn self, will find a way to make it to the City of Glass anyway.
Not a classy entrance, and one that will create many waves in a community on the edge of a big crisis - a war is coming.

I LOVED City of Glass, the entire book is a rollercoaster of emotions and nothing is what is seems. Friends and foes mix in together to give this novel an amazing depth and a fair share of betrayals and surprises. Clare's suspense was nicely calculated and I didn't see any of the major events coming, so Kudos for keeping us on the edge of our seats.

A story with so many first plan characters can easily be overwhelming, but The Mortal Instruments series is so well written, you are fond of every characters. If I had to pick a favorite, I honestly don't know you I would choose.
I love Clary's determination, Simon's originality, Isabelle's style & attitude, Alex's "secret life", Jace's sense of humour & fondness for Clary, Luke's gentleness & fierceness. Each and every character as this little something that makes them so unique and lovable.

It was also nice to visit Alicante. The Mortal Instrument series' world has always been great and unique but it was even more interesting to be in the core of the Nephilims' world.

I loved the end, there was a grief and sadness in the air balanced with a good share of happiness and I was quite pleased with it. I felt like the loop was closed, no major cliffhanger and the series could have ended right then, but I'm really happy that there will be a fourth book early 2011. I can't have enough of this world and it's characters!

If you haven't started this series yet, you should really pick it up. It's a Fantastic story with action, love, treason, grief and so much more, a unique world you won't forget!

Read an excerpt (there's also audio excerpt available)






 
The Mortal Instruments series:

City of Bones
City of Ashes
City of Glass
City of Fallen Angels (March 2011)

Book Stats:
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens Paperbacks (Jul 6 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1406307645
ISBN-13: 978-1406307641

Book Source:
Personnal Shelf

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Trailer Thursday - The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare


This meme was inspired both by Dark Fairie Tales and Stop, Drop and Read.

Since I've been reading City of Glass this week, I thought it would be a great idea to show you some trailers of this great series! If you haven't read it yet, I strongly suggest you get to it!
They even release a HC with all 3 books in 1, I wish I had it hehe!





City of Bones





Jace & Clary




I couldn't find any trailers I liked for City of Ashes, but you can see City of Glass trailers on my review (soon to come) =)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Waiting on wednesday - Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Waiting on Wednesday



This meme is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

I just realised I had never posted a WoW for Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs and I am SO excited about this book! I really can't wait to get my hands on it and see what kind of trouble Mercy will get herself into this time.

Product description (from goodreads.com):

Being a mechanic is hard work. Mercy Thompson, for instance, just spent the last couple of months trying to evade the murderous queen of the local vampire seethe, and now the leader of the werewolf pack - who's maybe-more-than-just-a-friend - has asked for her help. A book of fae secrets has come to light and they're all about to find out how implacable - and dangerous - the fae can be. OK, so maybe her troubles have nothing to do with the job. But she sure could use a holiday ...

Release date:
March 30th, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Sharing my Addiction



I spontaniously decided to created this button to showcase my addiction.
And since I'm suse I have that one in common with most of you guys I'm offering you to put the button on your blog to!
Let's be proud and show the world we are addicted to one of the best art form out there!

Read & TBR Shelves

It's been a while since I posted a picture of my bookshelf, since there is now 2 of them =P

First here's my read shelf:


Yes it seems empty I know =P
But to my defense, I gave and lend many ^^

Now, hold your breath, my TBR Shelf:


For a closer look...





Scary right?
I never know which book to read next, there's just too many great options!
It's a lovely problem though =D

Teaser Tuesday - City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

" "I don't have a reason to lie to you. Not now." Jace's gaze remained steady. "And quit baring your fangs at me. It's making me nervous."
"Good," Simon said. "If you want to know why, it's because you smell like blood."
"It's my new cologne. Eau de Recent Injury." Jace raised his left hand. It was a glove of white bandages, stained across the knuckles where the blood had seeped throught." -p.141

I laughed out loud when I read it at work, I had to quote you that one =P

Monday, January 25, 2010

Xmas after Xmas



These are the packages I will soon send out.
Yesterday I posted a list of books I had to give away, and so far I gave 19 of them.

I was really surprised to have such a big response in such a small amount of time.
I guess it kind of balances off for me not being able to offer much for my 500 followers giveaway =(

I'll try to do that again when I have a bunch of extra books!

Don't forgot, you still have 4 days to enter to win either Ravenous or Scorched by Sharon Ashwood!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Books up for Grab!

Hey everyone!
I have some extra books I wanna offer, but I can't afford the shipping. So the books are yours as long as you want to pay for shipping.


How we would work:
Email me ( TyngaUF (a) gmail.com ) with your shipping address and the book(s) you want to request.
I will email you back with the estimated shipping fee from Post Canada.com
If you agree, you can pay me Via Paypal, if you don't have an account, we can work something out =)
If you have any comments/questions, please comment below!

First Category:
These books are available ONLY for blogger who will REVIEW THEM.
Those books were sent to me a while ago for reviews, but I just can't wrap my mind around them =(

(Links to goodreads.com)

Gwenhwyfar by Mercedes Lackey (brand new)
 Denfeders of the Scroll by Shiraz (brand new)


Second Category:
Open to everyone!
(links also to Goodreads.com)

(from top left to bottom right)

Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy (read once)
In The Blood by Adrian Phoenix (brand new)
Rush of Wings by Adrian Phoenix (started reading but didn't like)
My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel (brand new)
Monster by Walter Dean Myers (brand new)
Death's Mistress by Karen Chance (brand new)
Wake by Lisa McMann (read once)
Greywalker by Kat Richardson (read once)
Candor (ARC) by Pam Bachorz (used)
Bleeding Violet (ARC) by Dia Reeves (read once)
Murder Under a Mystic Moon by Yasmine Galenorn (brand new)
Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (brand new)
Witchling by Yasmine Galenorn (read once)
Changeling by Yasmine Galenorn (read once)
Darkling by Yasmine Galenorn (read once)
Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn (read once)
Night Huntress by Yasmine Galenorn (read once)
Demon Mistress by Yasmine Galenorn (read once)


You pobably noticed there are 2 ARCs in the list, Please take note that I am in no way selling them.
You are only paying for the shipping. I'm against selling ARCs.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Montreal Canadiens won 6-0!!! *obviously not book related*

I just came back from the game! it was INSANE! My team won 6-0, my favorite player had 2 goals and 1 assist.
Couldn't have been any better, huge thank you to my sister, I had an awesome night!!!

Here's are some moments!

The team's warm up:



Team's getting on the ice, yes I am the one you hear yelling in the back lol!



Now some pictures!

My sister showing her support!


My sister and I


Showing my Pretty Cammalleri Jerseys! <3 Cammalleri


Our Seats neighbours, They came straight from Newfound Land for the game!
We had great fun!



Sorry if it takes a while to load!
I just wanted to share my excitment with you guys!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox

Before getting to serious buiness,
would like to thank The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every weeks =)



Books Bought:
 
Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
Blood Cross by Faith Hunter
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper
 
Books won:
 
Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler (Thank you Rachel)
 
I also got a very special non-book-related gift this week. As some of you may know, I'm a HUGE hockey fan, and my little sister called me on monday to invite me to a hockey game tonight! Montreal Canadiens vs New York Rangers and I am so Excited! I've been thinking about it all week! We'll be 13 rows from the ice it's gonna be totally insane!
I haven't been to a game for the last 6 years because the tickets are to damn expensive, so I am beyond excited!
I'll post pictures tomorrow ^^ This just is to kool to not be shared with you guys, even if it has nothing to do with books!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Angels' Blood - Nalini Singh

"Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best - but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job.  Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option - even if the tasl is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break..." - Book Cover

Before Resuming this book, I'd like to introduce you to the world it takes place in.


The world is lead by a group of Archangels, each ruling their own areas. They are known by everyone, and they are creating vampires, also known figures. Vampires are Angels minions, and after being turned they have to serve for centuries before being free. But sometimes some vampires are rebellious, and that's when Elena Deveraux step into the action.

Elena is a born-hunter. She was born with the ability to smell and track vampires, so Angels and Archangels hires her to recover their wayward vampires and drag em back home. Only this time, Raphael, Archangel of New York, hired her to track another archangel who embraced the dark side. I hope you are ready for action and one epic chase because this is what you'll find in that book.

Think angels are fluffy innocent beings preaching peace and forgiveness? Guess again. Angels are powerful, single-minded and remorseless. They will get rid of anything stepping in there way, and the life of a single human spawn means absolutely nothing.

Elena is a stubborn, big-mouth and reckless woman while Raphael is seductive, powerful, vindicating and control freak archangel. As you can guess, that's one explosive combination - figuratively and literally.
They spend most of the book fighting each other while trying to achieve a common goal, and it's a very interesting relationship. Elena is hunted by nightmares of her past, on the other hand, Raphael's past is so long he isn't sure there's any humanity left within himself.

While most of the book is filled with sexual reference and sexual tension, there's only one real sex scene, and honestly that's the way I like it. I enjoy sex in a book, but with moderation and that's what Nalini gave us in that book. The book was in no way weighted down by the sexual aspect of the story, so kudos to the author.

The end is was very powerful and very surprising, plan to read the last 100 or so pages all at once 'cause you won't be able to put the book down. It's intense, heart-stopping and heart-breaking.

I definitely recommend this book, I can't wait to put my hands on the next installment.


Read an excerpt

Foreign covers:





UK // Germany


Guild Hunter Series:
1. Angels' Pawn (e-release, early 2009; this novella is written to stand alone, so it can be read at any stage in the series. Angels' Blood is the first book in the series.)

2. Angels' Blood (March 2009)
3. "Angels' Judgment" in Must Love Hell Hounds anthology (September 2009)
4. Archangel's Kiss (February 2010)
Book Stats:
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley (MM); Original edition (Mar 3 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425226921
ISBN-13: 978-0425226926

Book Source: Personnal Shelf

Trailer Thursday - Dear John by Nicholas Sparks


This meme was inspired both by Dark Fairie Tales and Stop, Drop and Read.

What's a better book trailer than the actual movie trailer?
I can't wait to see this movie, I'm gonna need a kleenex box with me, I'm such a sentimental lol.
Enjoy!


Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday - Fireworks over Toocoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Waiting on Wednesday



This meme is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week I chose a book you're not used to see on my blog, but god it seems so good!


Product Description (from amazon.ca):

Every so often that story comes along that reminds us of what it’s like to experience love for the first time—against the odds, when you least expect it, and with such passion that it completely changes you forever.



An unexpected discovery takes eighty-four-year-old Lily Davis Woodward to 1945, and the five days that forever changed her life. Married for only a week before her husband was sent to fight in WWII, Lily is anxious for his return, and the chance to begin their life together. In honor of the soldiers' homecoming, the small Georgia town of Toccoa plans a big celebration. And Jake Russo, a handsome Italian immigrant, also back from war, is responsible for the elaborate fireworks display the town commissioned. But after a chance encounter in a star-lit field, he steals Lily's heart and soul--and fulfills her in ways her socially-minded, upper-class family cannot. Now, torn by duty to society and her husband--and the poor, passionate man who might be her only true love--Lily must choose between a commitment she's already made and a love she’s never known before.


Am I the only one seeing movie potential in that synopsis?

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Teaser Tuesday - Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

" Someone so beautiful shouldn't exist, she thought, it was impossible.
I'm only beautiful to you, Elena.
She didn't tell him to get out of her head this time. She kicked him out. "
Angels' Blood p. 168

Monday, January 18, 2010

The big 500!



Yes wai!!! I hit the big 500!
Thank you so much everyone, when I started back last summer I never thought I could get that many people interested in what my French Canadian self as to say ^^

I am currently after-Xmas broke, so I can't do a huge giveaway like I did last time, but I still want to offer you a lil something!

As some of you may know I am offering my amateur services for blog design, so I would like to offer a custom-made banner and button for a lucky someone!
You already have an awesome banner and button?
 Then what about an original button for a meme? Or an upcomming event?

Interested?
Here are the rules:
- You MUST indeed be a follower (click on the right if you wanna become one)
- Must fill the form below.
Of course this contest is internationnal!
As usual you can get extra entries by spreading the word, just provide links =)

Ends Feb. 5th, 2010.




Saturday, January 16, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox

Before getting to serious buiness,
would like to thank The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every weeks =)

This week was another great week!


For Review:
Captivate by Carrie Jones (Thank you Penguin Canada)

Bought:
Darklight by Lesley Livingston
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (if you remember last week I won Catching Fire, well I had to buy the first one ^^)
My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent (I already had an ARC but I wanted a final copy ^^)
Immortal - Anthology
Nice Girls Don't Live Forever - Molly Harper

Friday, January 15, 2010

Captivate by Carrie Jones

" Zara and her friends thought they'd solved the pixie problem. And they did - sort of. The pixies are all locked away, deep in the woods. But the king's needs grow stronger each day that he is in captivity, while his control over his people weakens. And it's enough to draw a new king into town. Astley claims he is different. He claims there are pixies who can live peacefully with humans, that it doesn't have to be all violence and nastiness all the time. Zara wants to believe him ... until Astley also claims that she is fated to be his queen. There is no way Zara would ever turn pixie. And she's got good friends who will make sure of that. Besides, she and Nick are so in love they're practically inseparable. But when the very thing Zara wants to protect most is exactly what's at risk, she is forced to make choices she never imagined..." - Book cover.

Zara and her friends locked away her father and his pixies hoping to save the humans of this town, but unfortunately nothing is that easy. It seems that more and more pixies comes to town and they need to take care of them to. Why would they come to Maine? Can they feel there's something wrong with he king? Doubts are confirmed when Astley shows up in town to claim the territory as his own. But Zara won't let that happen.

I LOVED Captivate as much or even more then Need, I really feel for the characters and so much is at stake in Captivate. Zara is now stronger and more confident, and driven by a strong need to protect the ones she loves, and pretty much everybody in town. But protecting them proves to be one difficult task.

Devyn is getting better and unfortunately for Is, an old girlfriend of his shows up in the picture and seems very interested in him again. Poor Is is broken-hearted, I really felt bad for the poor girl, she's always so sweet and caring.

I have to admit I had some tears boiling under the surface at some moments of the story, but I won't tell you why and when, it wouldn't be nice.
But seriously if you loved Need, run and get yourself a copy of Captivate. As the title say, I was Captivated by the story and read it in only a few hours.
It's passionate, engaging, emotional and honest. Everything you can ask for!

Read en excerpt





Need Series:
Need
Captivate
TBD

Book Stats:
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury US (Dec 22 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599903423
ISBN-13: 978-1599903422

Book Source:
Review copy sent by Penguin Canada

Interview & Giveaway with Sharon Ashwood


Hello my lovelies!
I am really honored to introduce you to a great fellow Canadian, and fantastic author Sharon Ashwood !

She very nicely accepted to do an interview in honor of her last release Scorched (December 1st, 2009).

Without any more waiting, here's what came out of our "meeting" =)


Would you like to introduce your Dark Forgotten series to readers who haven't laid their eyes on them yet?


The Dark Forgotten stories fall between paranormal romance and urban fantasy. There are elements of both in the books, but each has a romance at the centre of the story. In this world, the supernatural creatures—vampires, werewolves and so on—live side by side with humans, but it’s not an easy relationship. There is a lot of tension between species. Vampires are particularly dangerous, because their bite is filled with a venom that gives a highly erotic and addictive rush. Humans can be enslaved with as little as one bite. Some demons, on the other hand, have the ability to steal your soul with a kiss. Basically, you have to be careful who you date!

As the story progresses, we discover the Castle, an interdimensional prison for the supernatural. That adds a whole new level of problems. I should also say that there is a lot of magic, fight scenes, and adventure in my books.

Ravenous was your first novel, how did the publication process go?

Getting a book out the door is never simple. Ravenous went through quite a few drafts before it hit its stride—it began as a project I concocted for fun with an online critique group. One day I thought—hey, this could be a whole book! Then one day I submitted it for publication and was completely surprised that it was accepted. I have a wonderful editor, and she worked with me until it was the best possible book.

With shelves full vampires and werewolves, how do you think your series stands out?

My stories have a lot of humour. They’re about the collision between the monsters and our everyday world. I mean, what kind of pension benefits do you give a vampire? When you arrest a werewolf, does he go to jail or the pound? Can you unionize zombies?


It’s also about obligations and relationships—not only love, but also loyalty, friendship, family, colleagues and all the other connections we have. If you’re hundreds of years old, there’s baggage. If you’ve just been made into a demon—well, then what? Nobody likes you anymore. How do you find a place to fit in? Nobody’s life is simple


Oh, and I have sexy vampires. That never hurts, does it?

I know there was a 3rd novel announced in the series, how many can we expect?

I’m working on a fourth—I have plans for a couple more after that.

Let's learn more about you =)


What's your favorite book ever?

Kind of depends on my mood. I love swashbuckling classics like The Three Musketeers, but I also love a lot of young adult books, such as The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, Alan Garner’s stories, and Susan Cooper’s novels. I’ve always loved a good fantasy adventure.

Your favourite perfume?

Armani Emporio. It’s a bit on the spicy side.

Where are we most likely to find you at 11pm?

Getting ready for bed. I have a day job! I like to read in bed though, and a good book will keep me up late.

What's the latest movie you saw on big screen and what was it?

I saw Sherlock Holmes, and I highly recommend it. It’s tons of fun!

Your biggest dream?

That’s simple—I want an abundant supply of enthusiastic readers to entertain. Any storyteller will say the same thing!


Thank you SO MUCH Sharon for taking the time to stop by Tynga's Reviews, it's very appreciated!
If you wanna say a little something to Sharon, feel free to leave a comment she'll stop by to take a look!

She generously offered a copy of either Ravenous or Scorched to 1 lucky reader (winner's choice).
(click the book to read an excerpt)


Here are the rules to follow to get your hands on one of those!

- Open Internationnal (Thank you Sharon!)
- You MUST be a follower (Click on the follow button on the right if you're not already)
- You MUST leave a comment on this post and fill the Form.
- Ends January 29th, 2010.

Extra entries:
+5 for tweeting/sidebar about this post.
+10 if you make an actual blog post.
+5 for referring someone (+2 for being referred).

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Trailer Thursday - Shiver by Magie Steifvater


This meme was inspired both by Dark Fairie Tales and Stop, Drop and Read.

I have this book at home, but haven't read it yet. So many books, so little time =(




Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday - Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Waiting on Wednesday



This meme is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week's pick will release on February 2nd, Can't wait to put my hands on it!


Product description (from Nalini's website):

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…


They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…
 
Second in the series, you can also look for these 2 books to help you hold on!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Teaser Tuesday - Captivate by Carrie Jones

Teaser Tuesday


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
-Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

"Pixie Tip. Pixies are not good. The are evil. Not bad-hair-day evil,
 but scary-movie-that-still-freaks-you-out-when-you-go-to-bed evil. Actually? Way worst." - p.24

This is actually the title of chapter 3, but I thought it was good =)

Bleeding Violet - Dia Reeves


"Love can be a dangerous thing….


Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe." - Book Cover

Hanna is a manic-depressive. She is 17 years old and never met her mother, when her father dies, she decides to show up on her mom's door steps for better or for worst. For worst, her mom doesn't want her here and would do anything to get rid of her, so they made a deal. If Hanna fits in within 2 weeks she gets to stay, if not, she goes back to her aunt. Portero is more than she bargained for though, can she handle it?

As much as I wanted to like this book, I didn't. Let me explain why. First of all this book felt more like SciFi then fantasy, and I don't like SciFi. When I think of Bleeding Violet, the word weird instantly comes to my mind, but the word isn't strong enough.
Monsters hiding in windows, turning you in glass statues if you touch them?
Doors appearing out of no-where with dead people inside?
Mother and Daughter naked on a beach carving glyphs into a naked boy's forehead?
A girl being eviscerated by her friend to get rid of a nest of little demons?
Just not my cup of tea, really.

I can deal with weird stuff though, I would have to say the thing that bothered me the most while reading was the fact the all the weird events didn't seem to fit in together, like there are some holes in the book's matrix that would help me make some sense out of it. I felt like I was trying to put a puzzle together, but I had pieces from multiple different puzzle, so for obvious reasons it wouldn't fit together.
If you read the book, is there some kind of explanation I missed that would help me make some sense of that world?
I read the book until the end hoping some bits of information would help me, but unfortunately it didn't happen.

On the other hand, characters had some potential. Hanna is very interesting, her illness is a major part of the story, and I liked Wyatt (Hanna's boyfriend). Rosalee (Hanna's mom) is a whole new level though. She's possessed and have a major case of multiple personality disorder, makes it kinda hard to follow sometimes, but it adds an edge to the character.

This book really wasn't for me, but I'm not giving up on Dia Reeves, it was her first novel so I'll wait and see what else she got up her sleeve.

Read an excerpt

Here's a list of other reviews of Bleeding Violet:
The Hiding Spot
Once Upon a Bookcase
So Many Books, So Little Time

Books Stats:
Hardcover: 464 pages

Publisher: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (Jan 5 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416986189
ISBN-13: 978-1416986188

Book Source: Review Copy sent by Simon and Schuster

Saturday, January 09, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox

Before getting to serious buiness,
would like to thank The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every weeks =)

This week was an awesome week! I'm really excited once again about the books I've got ^^


For Review:

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves (Thank you Simon & Schuster)

Books Bought:

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater
Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

Books won:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Thank you Anna)

Books Given to me:

Firespell by Chloe Neill
Raven's Strike by Patricia Briggs
Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Awesome week wasn't it? What did you get in your mailbox?