Virtousity by Jessica Martinez

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?
Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.
Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....


 Virtuosity has become one of my favorite books of the year. While you're reading everything just flows very nicely. Also, it's filled with many different twists and turns. And I'd like to thank my awesome friend Harmony for lending me the book!

 Carmen is a professional violinist and nothing else in her life mattered.. until she met Jeremy King. But the problem is he's her biggest competition and she could lose everything she's worked for because of him. Throughout the book it's really hard to decided if you can really trust Jeremy. One second it seems like he's  just trying to distract her from the competition so he can win. And then on the other hand, he kisses her and makes it seem like he really likes her. They try to be "friends" and have a good time but they can't help but talk about the competition which starts to become a problem. They both want to hate each other but for some reason can't. Maybe Carmen really should just listen to Diana and just stay away from Jeremy and focus. But she's sick of everyone telling her what to do and for once she just wants to do something for herself.

 Nerves are a huge issue when it comes to Carmen's perfomance. Just one mistake could ruin everything. Instead of just dealing with it she takes Inderal, which is an anti-anxiety drug. It pretty much blocks every emotion while perfoming. Yes, it helps her do well and not mess up but it's not the same. Carmen doesn't feel the amazement of the music when she takes the Inderal and she doesn't really enjoy it anymore. And the stupid doctor told her it wasn't addictive but she's starting to take more and more.

 Jeremy can be pretty mean sometimes but Carmen is his biggest competitor. Even though he's a huge jerk at times Carmen starts to fall for him. And Jeremy might be the best thing for her. But he could also just be using her so he could win the competition. Who can you really trust when everyone has their own hidden agenda?

 Adios! (:
-Tori

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.




 I loved loved loved Boodlines which is why I'm surprised some people didn't like it. Ever since reading Richelle's Vampire Academy she has become one of my favorite authors. Honestly, I like that she made this new series because at the end of VA it left you hanging with what ended up happening to Adrian, Sydney, Jill, ect. I also like that throughout the book everything ties with her VA series. Even though I miss reading Rose narrate, I don't think (like people say) that Sydney's a boring narrator. I actually find her pretty interesting and it's a nice change.  Mead picked the perfect character for this series because you get to know how she really is instead of just being on the sidelines.

 In the middle of the night Sydney is torn from her bed, thinking  she's in trouble for helping Rose Hathaway. But it's way worse than she thought. Jill Dragomir, sister of the Moroi Queen, Lissa Dragomir, is in danger and has to go into hiding. Now Sydney has to pose as her sister and share a dorm with her at a private school in Palm Springs, California. It's the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty but there's a lot more drama than Jill and Sydney can handle.

 Sydney is an alchemist and pretty much what they do is protect vampire's secrets and humans from vampires. A lot is excepted out of her and once you're an alchemist there's no way out. Also, she can't become to close to the vampires because her people believe that they're disgusting and unnatural. And if you get to close to them the alchemist start to question if you're a vamp lover and if you can really be trusted. The only reason why Sydney is one of them is because her father pretty much made it her life. And the alchemist originally asked for her younger sister to do this job but Sydney was trying to protect her so she volunteered. The golden lilly on Sydney's face is a tattoo that the alchemist use to have a little bit of magic to protect humans.

 I feel SO bad for Adrian! After what happened between him and Rose in the VA series! If Adrian doesn't find someone in this series I'm going to steal him for myself. And towards the end of the book he starts to get better and more stable until.. something happens..(can't give away!). When I read that last sentence I was like oh hell no! I can't wait for book number two to come out! There's going to be so many twist and turns in the next book, I can just feel it. Overall Richelle Mead did it again, another phenomenon start to a new series!

    Bye!
-Tori

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

 Hey guys! Okay, I'm going to be honest. When I first started reading this book I didn't really like it and it kinda reminded me of Twilight. I mean not that Twilight is bad! It's just the beginning reminded me A LOT of it. BUT once getting more into the book I really liked it! Once you find out what Devin and Asher really are it becomes very.. interesting. Throughout the book it's really hard to decide who you can trust. I like the plot and I never got bored reading it, it's just it reminded me of a lot of books I've already read. And jezz talk about a cliffhanger!

Asher is that gorgeous bad boy every girl wants even though he's trouble. At the beginning of the book I hated Asher but he gets a lot better as the book goes on. Throughout the book it's really hard to trust him because one second he's crushing on Skye and then the next he has his tongue down Ellie's throat. Not only that but you never really know if he's using Skye to help the Rebel.

Devin is so sweet. He always follows the rules and is just a good "person". It's also hard to trust Devin because he might be using Skye too. But in the end who will she really believe? As problems start to arise is even hard for the read to trust anyone. One thing I didn't like was that at the end of the book you still don't know who is the one Skye could trust or who she'll choose! It leaves you hanging SO bad.

 I like Skye. She has a good personality and awesome friends. While this whole Devin and Asher thing is going on it stresses her out and overwhelms her and she starts to ignore her friends but not on purpose. Even though her friends have no idea what's going on, they still forgive her and are supportive.

 Overall really good plot and wasn't boring at all. I had some likes and dislikes but.. maybe you'll like it more!

 -Tori

Waiting On Wednesday (2)

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Incarnate | Jodi Meadows | Harper Collins | January 31st 2012

 WOW. This book looks soooo good! I cannot wait to read it. And not to mention the cover is beautiful! Just reading these few paragraphs is making me thirsty for more. Oh and sorry I haven't been updating my blog that much.. I've been so busy with school. >_< Well anyways like I said CANNOT not wait to get my hands on this book!

 Bye (:

-Tori

The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

 

 

 

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Carrier of the Mark | Leigh Fallon | Harperteen

 Hey guys! Leigh Fallon's Carrier of the Mark was very interesting and creative. After losing her mother in a horrible car crash Megan's father finds it hard to stay in one place. She wasn't even able to complete a whole year of school before her father decides to move again. And because of this Megan never had close friends..let alone a boyfriend. But that all changes when she steps foot into her new school in Ireland, she finds herself feeling at home. For some strange reason she can't seem to forget about this handsome Adam DeRis .Everyone in town warns her that he and his family are very weird and to not get involved with them. But Megan can't help the attraction she feels but little does she know, it's actually a fate sealed long ago. After sweeping her off her feet she begins to wonder if it's real what they're feeling or just their power taking over control. 

 Everything seemed perfect until they are told that if they stay together they could begin ultimate destruction. Adam doesn't want to believe it's true so he seeks out to found a solution. Megan will do anything to be with Adam, even if that means giving up her power. But Megan's fate says otherwise.. Everyone is counting on Megan to continue with her fate. But is it worth losing Adam over? Will she chose her power and bring happiness to the world? Or stay with Adam and make a disaster out of everything?

 Just as Megan arrives in Ireland, Adam and his two siblings powers are stronger and harder to control. Her friends begin to question what really going on with them. Even though Megan hates it SO much she has to lie. It's for their own protection (she tells herself). How long will she be able to keep lying to them and her dad? And how many more lies can you really make up before you just break? But like Adam's guardian (Fionn) told her, "you can't trust anybody, there are people out there that will use you for your power."

 Ciao!
-Tori (:

Die For Me by Amy Plum

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

 Hey guys! Once again another fantastic book. It's really surprising that this is Amy Plum's first novel because it's amazing. I really like her writing, I didn't find myself getting distracted while reading, and nothing about the book was boring.

 Kate's life was completely normal until a terrible car crash took her parents away, leaving her and her sister as orphans. Now they must go and live with their grandparents in Paris. Paris?! Awesome right? Yeah, not so much. Everywhere Kate goes it reminds her of her parents, consirding they went to visit every summer. She tries her hardest to avoid the little Cafe they used to go to and the river that they once walked along with their parents. So, the easiest thing for Kate and her sister (Georgia) to do is try to avoid thinking about their parents and their old life. Kate's way of escaping is to go to museums and just sit in front of a painting, close her eyes, and clear her mind. Georgia goes clubbing to dance her sorrows away. But they can't keep their pain bottled up forever. Just as Kate thought her shattered heart could never be fixed, Vincent came into her life.

 Vincent. Vincent. Vincent. You can't help but fall in love with him! He's a complete gentleman and is really romantic. He seems like just a normal breath taking, goregous, mysterious Paris guy. And as soon as Kate spots him at the Cafe Saint-Lucie she can't help but be breathless as he stared at her.Vincent starts to take an interest in Kate and sweeps her off her feet. But he's not exactly normal; he has a terrifying destiny that puts his life in danger everyday. Not only that but he has enemies that will do anything to destroy him. Kate has to choose if she wants to take the same fearful road as Vincent or somehow survive without him. Will the feelings she has for him be enough to stay with him? Or will she move on because she can't handle losing someone else?

 As everything starts to become dangerous Kate starts to fear for not only Vincent, but her family. Geogria is all she has left and they would never survive without one another. Is risking your family's safety and your own really worth it for a chance at love? And what if something happens to Vincent? Will she let herself get attached to Vincent and fall in love? Or just walk away before anything builds up?
 Adios!
-Tori :D

Waiting On Wednesday (1)

To Rosa Alcantara, the exotic world of Sicily, with its network of Mafia families and its reputation for murder and intrigue, is just that—exotic and wholly unknown. But when her life in Brooklyn begins to fall apart, she must travel there, to her family’s ancestral home, where centuries of family secrets await her. 
Once there, Rosa falls head over heels for Alessandro Carnevare, the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, whose handsome looks and savage grace both fascinate and unsettle her. But their families are sworn enemies, and her aunt and sister believe Alessandro is only using Rosa to infiltrate the Alcantara clan. And when Rosa encounters a tiger one night—a tiger with very familiar eyes—she can no longer deny that neither the Carnevares nor the Alcantaras are what they seem. 
Hidden caves, dangerous beasts roaming the hills, and a history of familial bloodlust mean that Rosa can’t trust anyone. Torn between loyalty to her family and love for their mortal enemy, Rosa must make the hardest decision of her life: stay in Sicily with her new love…or run as far and as fast as she can.

Arcadia Awakens | Kai Meyer | Harper Collins |  February 14th, 2012

This book looks so amazing! I like the cover; the snake stands out and looks super creepy.

Bye!
-Tori

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

After a lifetime without freedom, Juliette is finally discovering a strength to fight back for the first time-and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever. The one boy who might give be her only hope.
Juliette is fighting much more than a war. She's fighting the world for the right to be free.
She's fighting for love.
And she's learning to love to fight.
In Tahereh Mafi's electrifying debut, Shatter Me, a girl with superhuman powers is at center of a power struggle in a desperate world full of pulsepounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and choices that will define a future.

Shatter Me | Tahereh Mafi | HaperCollins | November 15th 2011



 Hey guys! Okay, so Shatter Me is a MUST read. As soon as you open the book and read just the first sentence you're like omgah I have to read more! This book is very interesting and has originality. I really enjoyed the way Mafi narrates it. You get to be completely inside Juliette's mind and you get to know what she's really thinking.

 Juliette, seventeen years old, is imprisoned for her superhuman ablities she cannot control. It's been 264 days since anyone has touched or even talked to her. The only thing keeping her sane is a notebook and a broken pen she keeps under her mattress. Screams throughout the building at night and soldiers marching outside her window let her know she's not completely alone..but it doesn't help. Isolated in the 16 square feet of space all she can do is stare outside the tiny window and wish to see a bird fly by and imagine what fresh air feels like again.

 She's completely alone, she has mixed emotions between hope and just giving up. Until they give her a new cellmate. Adam's(cellmate) course of action leads her right into the middle of the Reestablishmant. Now she's in a diffult sitsuation to make a choice. Will she choose freedom but also have other people suffer? Or will she fight for what's right?

 I loved Juliette. Not only is her superhuman powers amazing(at sometimes scary) but she's also a kindhearted person(but can be pretty badass whaen she wants to be). I think anyone who reads this book when it comes out will agree. All she ever wanted was for someone to love her. And her whole life all she was, was kind to people but they never said "thank you", they just acted like she didn't exist. Juliette overall has a big heart and never gives up hope.

   Bye
-Tori (:

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

  

 Hey guys! So Divergent is so freaking awesome!! Let me tell you I spent my whole entrie Sunday reading this! I love how kick ass Tris becomes throughout the book. Many things happen that caught me by surprise, which I like because most books now a days are so predictable. Divergent is filled with adventure, love, and betrayal. It's got it all!

 Well, in this book once you turn 16 you have to choose a faction. The reason why they are divided into factions is because their ancestors believed that the reason for warring words is because humans were becoming evil or doing evil things. So, five factions were made because they cannot agree apon which human personality was at fault. Those who blame aggression are the Amity, Candor blame duplicity, Erudite blame ignorance, Abnegation blame selfishness, and Dauntless blame cowardice. It helps it know what the five factions mean because it helps throughout the book. If I had to choose one faction it would be Daultless because everyone's so alive, like everything there is such a thrill!

 Beatrice is a born Abnegation. She doesn't want to abandon her parents but she doesn't like Abnegation much. She does believe that selfishness is the reason for acts of evil but she also believes it's cowardice. After living in Abnegation her whole life (having to be covered, everything gray, cannot look at mirrors, only can talk when spoken to) she chooses Dautless which is the complete opposite. And both factors are not very fond of each other. Once she get to Dautless and goes through the impossible to get there that's where she changes her name to Tris. Dautless is very exciting but it has it's downs. Tris has a deadly secret that could get her killed and if anyone finds out, Dautless would be the worst place to be with this kind of secret. But hiding this secret is not that easy as many problems start to arise.

 Bye ^__^
-Tori

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...
Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences

Hey guys! A Need So Beautiful was truly amazing and really sad at the same time. Without knowing who her real parents were Charlotte just wanted a normal teenage life. She wanted to sit with Sarah (her best friend) and hear her complain about how unfashionable she was and she wanted to just spend every waking moment with Harlin (her boyfriend). But as the Need begins to get stronger she starts to be forgotten. The worse part is the Need comes at the wrong moments. When the people she loves need her the most the Need takes over, making her help a stranger. The Need becomes so strong that she can't ignore it. If Charlotte does not choose her destiny she could become something very evil. But as emotions rise and things start to get hard and people start forgetting her, choosing her destiny isn't such a walk in the park. What will she deicide? To go on with her destiny and be forgotten? Or stay on earth and possibly be remembered by the one she loves but become something horrible?

As Charottle's Need becomes stronger she helps a lot of strangers. She doesn't mind helping them but it interferes with many things and it always comes at the wrong moments. And when she starts to realize that this is the reason why people are slowly forgetting her she tries to ignore the Need thinking that may work. But it's super painful and she feels dead and horrible inside and something terrible happens (which I won't give away). The Need comes when she's either with Sarah or Harlin. Sarah thinks she's psychic and Harlin knows she's lying about something. As people start to forget her there's only one person she can turn to, Monroe. But can she even trust him? Is he just trying to make her fulfill her destiny for his own hidden agenda? Well.. you're going to have to read it to find out!

 Au Revior!

 - Tori