REVIEW: Awake at Dawn

 Awake at Dawn (Shadow Falls #2) by C.C. Hunter

Author Information: Website | Goodreads 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she only knew who she was supposed to save. And how…But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.

Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything she holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

My decision of not giving up on the series is an absolute no regret. Hunter's second book of Shadow Falls is definitely better than the first book.

“What you are doesn't matter. Because what you are isn't going to change who you are.”

What I liked about this book is the fact that it focuses more on Kylie's identity than Kylie's love interests. It is stated somewhat in the beginning of the book that a friend of Kylie is in danger and she is the only one who could help that certain friend. Instead of whining and bickering about her current state of delirium and worry, she faced her problem and fought it. Kylie really evolved as a supernatural. Despite the fact that she is quite an annoying typical teen, her actions toward the people who are dear to her can really make you smile. She is a reliable friend, albeit dramatic one. Kylie finally accepted what she is and what she wants. The fact that this statement is true made me want to read the next book in the series as soon as possible.  

Another stand out in this book are the secondary characters. Holiday, Burnett, Della, Miranda and Perry are just too amazing to be ignored. They are the people who make you forget what the negative sides of the book are. They, too, are characters that are reliable in terms of protecting your back and providing a ready ear. The unity and determination of the characters to help one another is great! I'd want friends like them!

The issue of the love triangle of the first book is what bugged me because it was overly dramatic. To be honest, I'm actually more interested in Holiday and Burnett's love-hate relationship than Kylie, Lucas, and Derek's love triangle. The lack of action in this book is another downfall. There's less thrill and suspense that happened in this book than the first book but I still enjoyed it!

Awake the Dawn is absolutely better than Born at Midnight in most aspects. I'm proud to say that my annoyance while reading the first book is perished due to my admiration of the second book.  I can't wait to read and write a review on Taken at Dusk. 

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REVIEW: Born at Midnight

Born at Midnight (Shadowfalls #1) by C.C. Hunter

Author Information: Website | Goodreads 
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads):

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Honestly, I don't know how to write a review about this book because I don't exactly know how I feel about the plot and everything.

I read this book in bed, thinking that maybe this book can steal a few hours of my sleep. And yes, it did steal some of my sleeping time -- not hours, but an hour to be exact. After reading chapter 1, I instantly knew that this book won't make me satisfied, but it seems that my mind keeps on wanting more. And so I stopped reading for that night and went to bed.

Halfway through the story, I am pissed. I am pissed at Kylie Galen. She's such a whiny little teen! I mean, she's kind of a martyr for me. And for me, being a martyr is not that admiring. During that time, I instantly made a little motto of the book: "Shadow Falls: A camp full of naughty supernatural teens. Enter if you dare". I'm sorry if I'm being a little negative but I really do think that this book is about Kylie being a crybaby all throughout camp.

I didn't get where the story was heading and that kind of made me want to stop reading it. But I didn't. I didn't because I saw huge potential in this book (which is good!). On with the positive comments. Even if I hated Kylie, I still loved a few of the characters, like Della, Miranda and Perry. They are awesome friends and perhaps they are the reason why I often laugh or smile when reading this book. I see a big space of improvement in the next books that's why I am not giving up on this yet. So yes, I am determined to finish the series because of the potential. And Della. 

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REVIEW: Starters

Starters by Lissa Price 

Author Information: Website | Goodreads
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Buy the Book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined.

After finishing this book, two words directly popped into my mind. "Peculiar & Great". 

The very reason I read this book is because of the cover. I actually hate covers with close-up faces on them but this was an exception. If it were to be put in a bookstore along with hundred of other books, I'd probably pick this book up first because of the beautiful cover. 

Callie is not your ordinary heroine. She isn't annoying (Thank you, Price!), unlike other female main characters out there. She's smart, brave and witty when it comes to handling situations and she sets her priorities first I really adore her and I could probably say that she's one of my favorite female characters of all time. And Blake. He is the epitome of genetic perfection. Blake will really make the fangirls squeal and scream like a lovesick puppy.

The summary didn't quite catch me like the cover did. My first thoughts while reading the summary is that this book is not going to stand out. Well, the plot proved me wrong. Throughout the book, I was amazed with the series of events that took place. I kept on asking myself where this story would end up because believe me, this book is unpredictable.While reading Starters, you can actually feel all the emotions throughout the story. At first you'll feel pity for Callie, and then you'll be outraged by Prime Destinations, and the next thing you'll know, you'll be smiling like an idiot because of the romance. 

What I didn't like about this book is the lack of character description. To be honest, I had a hard time visualizing some of the characters because some features were not fully described. Another hate in this book is in one of the plot twists. *sigh*

All in all, this book is amazing. I found more pros than cons, which is great! The second book is out and I can't wait to read it! I'll definitely keep in touch with the series.

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Back to Blogging!

Hello everyone! I actually miss blogging. I wanted to try something new so I used Blogger instead of Tumblr (I do have a tumblr account though). This blog is about books, books, books, and BOOKS! I hope I'll get a hang on this. I'm actually having problems with my blog layout. Err.