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Title:
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Pages: 178
First Line: "The newspaper headline glared at me from a little metal vending machine: SEATTLE UNDER SIEGE -- DEATH TOLL RISES AGAIN."
Summary: Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes, and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood...life before she became a vampire.
All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certanties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself, and above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't nkow: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.
Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as her. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?
Source: Back of book
Review: In true Meyer fashion, her characters are below average, as is the writing style. Just like her other novels, however, the story itself is original, creative, and interesting. With this novel, she does a better job at forming the universe which readers missed out on in the Twilight saga. Though I haven't compared the end scene with Bree's scene in Eclipse, I'm curious to. I feel some parts in this were added to the conversation which didn't take place in its mother novel, but I could be wrong. I was very interested in Fred's character and somewhat shocked by Riley's. He is not as I imagined him in Eclipse. The added Volturi plot was very interesting as well. It's a quick read and definitely worth it if you've read the rest of the series. You could even, for the most part, read and understand without having read Twilight. This made me wish Meyer did this for other characters, as well, especially Quil and Claire.
Worst part: The characters were flat as always with Meyer.
Best part: The idea of the story. Meyer is a great story teller. Many people won't admit to it, but it's true. She's great at weaving plot lines -- just not great with characters and the actual words.
Grade: B (almost a B+)
Other Books by This Author: The Host, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and (the failure of all enders), Breaking Dawn Fail.
52 / 50 books. 104% done!
Title:
Author: Adam Selzer
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fantasy, YA, humor
Pages: 177
First Line: "Watching a vampire make out with an idiot is kind of like going to the farmers' market and noticing just how many farmers have lost fingers in on-the-job accidents."
Summary: Eighteen-year-old Algonquin "Alley" Rhodes doesn't need to watch Twilight to know what it's like to be around vampires. Her school is teeming with them -- along with zombies and werewolves, of course. A few years ago, all the post-humans "came out of the coffin," and now they're just a normal part of life. But the movies don't tell the real story. Real vampires are brooding, self-absorbed jerks who run around acting all emo. That's what Alley thinks, anyway.
Then one night Alley goes to the Cage to review a local band, the Sorry Marios, for her school's blog. Alley's known for her sarcastic wit, and she can't wait to rip apart the band's set. But when a special guest singer, Doug, hits the stage, his soft, crooning voice stops her heart. He seems like a real goth, not like the lame wannabes at her high school. And for the first time, pale skin and black clothing are hot to Alley.
When she and Doug start dating, Alley's so swept off her feet she doesn't suspect anything, despite a few odd signs: he never changes his clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally, her best friends clue her in: Doug isn't just a really sincere goth. He's a zombie.
Alley knows she has to break up with Dough but soon learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of. And the school's vampire clique, a group as tightly knit as the Mafia, has its own plans for Alley's future. will Alley survive her little experiment in dating the undead?
Source: Back of book
Review: A truly amusing book. Not fantastic literature or anything, but a quick and fairly rewarding read, poking fun at pop culture's recent fascination with vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. The ending, while I won't give it away, is more what I wish Meyer had done with the Twilight series. Original and very funny, plus easy to read. I understand, from the author's website, that IKAZAILI has been optioned by Disney for a Disney Channel Original Movie. I imagine that its quality would suit the book well, as it's not worth it for the silver screen, but I'd love to see a film production of this.
Worst part: I felt the vampires were really irrelevant, and thrown in there just for kicks.
Best part: The 1930s references. Considering my own obsession with the era, I was pleased.
Grade: B
Other Books by This Author: Get Suspended and Influence People, Pirates of the Retail Wasteland, I Put a Spell on you, Andrew North Blows Up the World and The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History.
53 / 50 books. 106% done!
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Pages: 178
First Line: "The newspaper headline glared at me from a little metal vending machine: SEATTLE UNDER SIEGE -- DEATH TOLL RISES AGAIN."
Summary: Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes, and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood...life before she became a vampire.
All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certanties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself, and above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't nkow: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.
Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as her. As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?
Source: Back of book
Review: In true Meyer fashion, her characters are below average, as is the writing style. Just like her other novels, however, the story itself is original, creative, and interesting. With this novel, she does a better job at forming the universe which readers missed out on in the Twilight saga. Though I haven't compared the end scene with Bree's scene in Eclipse, I'm curious to. I feel some parts in this were added to the conversation which didn't take place in its mother novel, but I could be wrong. I was very interested in Fred's character and somewhat shocked by Riley's. He is not as I imagined him in Eclipse. The added Volturi plot was very interesting as well. It's a quick read and definitely worth it if you've read the rest of the series. You could even, for the most part, read and understand without having read Twilight. This made me wish Meyer did this for other characters, as well, especially Quil and Claire.
Worst part: The characters were flat as always with Meyer.
Best part: The idea of the story. Meyer is a great story teller. Many people won't admit to it, but it's true. She's great at weaving plot lines -- just not great with characters and the actual words.
Grade: B (almost a B+)
Other Books by This Author: The Host, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and (the failure of all enders), Breaking Dawn Fail.
52 / 50 books. 104% done!
Title:
Author: Adam Selzer
Year of Publication: 2010
Genre: Fantasy, YA, humor
Pages: 177
First Line: "Watching a vampire make out with an idiot is kind of like going to the farmers' market and noticing just how many farmers have lost fingers in on-the-job accidents."
Summary: Eighteen-year-old Algonquin "Alley" Rhodes doesn't need to watch Twilight to know what it's like to be around vampires. Her school is teeming with them -- along with zombies and werewolves, of course. A few years ago, all the post-humans "came out of the coffin," and now they're just a normal part of life. But the movies don't tell the real story. Real vampires are brooding, self-absorbed jerks who run around acting all emo. That's what Alley thinks, anyway.
Then one night Alley goes to the Cage to review a local band, the Sorry Marios, for her school's blog. Alley's known for her sarcastic wit, and she can't wait to rip apart the band's set. But when a special guest singer, Doug, hits the stage, his soft, crooning voice stops her heart. He seems like a real goth, not like the lame wannabes at her high school. And for the first time, pale skin and black clothing are hot to Alley.
When she and Doug start dating, Alley's so swept off her feet she doesn't suspect anything, despite a few odd signs: he never changes his clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally, her best friends clue her in: Doug isn't just a really sincere goth. He's a zombie.
Alley knows she has to break up with Dough but soon learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of. And the school's vampire clique, a group as tightly knit as the Mafia, has its own plans for Alley's future. will Alley survive her little experiment in dating the undead?
Source: Back of book
Review: A truly amusing book. Not fantastic literature or anything, but a quick and fairly rewarding read, poking fun at pop culture's recent fascination with vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. The ending, while I won't give it away, is more what I wish Meyer had done with the Twilight series. Original and very funny, plus easy to read. I understand, from the author's website, that IKAZAILI has been optioned by Disney for a Disney Channel Original Movie. I imagine that its quality would suit the book well, as it's not worth it for the silver screen, but I'd love to see a film production of this.
Worst part: I felt the vampires were really irrelevant, and thrown in there just for kicks.
Best part: The 1930s references. Considering my own obsession with the era, I was pleased.
Grade: B
Other Books by This Author: Get Suspended and Influence People, Pirates of the Retail Wasteland, I Put a Spell on you, Andrew North Blows Up the World and The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History.
53 / 50 books. 106% done!