Wither by Lauren DeStefano

"In the not-too-distant future, because of genetic engineering, every human is a ticking time bomb."

9/10




Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication: 03.22.11
ISBN: 9781442409057
Page Count: 358
Ages: 14 and up (Grade 9 and up)

Lauren DeStefano Official Webpage

Wither by Lauren DeStefano is about the future. In the future, AIDS and other diseases are cured. There's nothing dangerous--except yourself.

Here's what you missed during 70 years in the future..

So AIDS is cured and so is all the other diseases...and generations went by being almost immortal until one generation comes and their lifespan is dropped to 25 for men, and 20 for women.

Back to our book:
There's Rhine, the girl who's still 16 but miserable. Rhine was kidnapped, taken to the House Governor to be wed. There's Gabriel who is the servant of the House Governor whom Rhine is attracted to. There's Rose--the current House Governor's wife whom he truly loves but is dying. Also, a huge list of problems, topped with LIFESPAN OF 20 AND 25.

What I like about this book:
It's very futuristic and interesting. It's not the cover nor the title that grabbed my attention to read this book, but the summary. Who wouldn't want to read a book about where AIDS is cured but then you'd die when girls turn to 20 or 25 for boys? The idea of this book is just simply amazing.

What I don't like about this book:
The dark fantasy/romance surely dominates the shelves of Barnes and Nobles, Borders and other bookstores (not to mention the front page of Amazon/Ebay, etc). It's getting boring, to be honest. Plus, most of the writers are trying to write in the same way...That's why it's a 9.

BUT. I would love to read the second book!

Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love

"Them. I can't name Them. Not out loud."

-Maggie Stiefvater's The Hounds of Ulster

My Rating: 8/10

Publisher: Running Press Teen
Publication: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7624-3949-2
Page Count: 416 pages
Age Range: Young Adult

Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love is a compilation of 13 short stories from Sarah Rees Brennan, Becca Fitzpatrick, Caitlin Kittredge, Karen Mahoney, Daniel Marks, Justine Musk, Diana Peterfreund, Michelle Rowen, Carrie Ryan, Maggie Stiefvater, Rachel Vincent, Daniel Waters and Michelle Zink.

The Assassin's Apprentice by Michelle Zink
The first story was one of my favorite stories from the whole book. It's about a girl named Rose who lost her whole family because of a devil named Bael--the devil murdered them all. Rose wanted revenge and that's when Asher came by to assist her.

Simple and sweet, I would love to read a whole book about this story. 10/10 <3 style="font-style: italic;">

Errant by Diana Peterfreund
This story is about Elise, a royal princess who will soon marry. There is a unicorn hunt that's necessary for her since her parents are long gone. Gitta, a unicorn hunter, met Elise because Gitta is paid to hunt for Elise. Gitta helps Elise discover that Elise doesn't need to be controlled by Elise's elite society and her to-be-husband (who's a cheater, by the way).

This story was okay...I like the meaning but not how the story was told. I just feel like some details weren't important, and some were missing. 6/10.

The Spirit Jar by Karen Mahoney
This is another one of my favorites! Moth is a vampire who's assigned to retrieve an Arabic book by her master. Adam, a Djinn (or, genie), also was after the same book. Adam needs it to put his dead girlfriend's soul to peace, after his girlfriend was killed by a psycho-magician. Together, Adam and Moth (after some arguments of who gets the book) fights Bilal (the magician) so that Moth can bring the book to Theo--Moth's master--after putting Adam's girlfriend's soul to peace.

The Spirit Jar was fast paced and lovely, and Moth's story was originally from The Eternal Kiss. 10/10 :D

Lost by Justine Musk
Lost is also one of my favorite story. Sasha was always good at finding things--she just can picture everything that needs to be found. Sasha thinks she never met Haiden, the mysterious guy who seemed to know her well and somehow Haiden teaches Sasha mystical things. Sasha was blindfolded and was told to find an X mark on the ground of the house she never stepped into before. Haiden was teaching Sasha to find lost souls. Sasha was special, and Haiden wants her to be by his side. Who was Haiden, and why did Haiden stopped her to eat the apple?

I think this story was very well written and sweet. I really don't want to spoil it for everyone, so I'll just say this is 10/10. :)

The Spy Who Never Grew Up by Sarah Rees Brennan
In the beginning, the story was very confusing--there's a lot of events in history that are mixed around (and that part is very interesting) and Brennan took Peter Pan into another level. Peter Pan is actually a spy for everyone who will pay, a thief and a kid. Ashley, whose ancestor was Wendy, was dragged along Peter Pan's adventure.

I love this story from the middle to the end, not from the beginning; good idea but in the beginning...it was just a bit random. 7/10

Behind the Red Door by Caitlin Kittredge
This is another one of my favorites! Kittregde wrote a ghost story--about a girl named Jo who's different and doesn't have a lot of friends. Her best friend, Ani, spends a lot of time making out with her girlfriend Deirdre and sometimes leaves Jo alone. There's a creepy house where everyone's told that there were millions of people died in the house, and Deirdre challenged Jo. Jo took the dare, and went in. There, she saw Nicholas who was very kind to her. Jo likes Nicholas--her like grows into need and what she thinks is love. Nicholas, though, was just using her. Nicholas isn't who he seemed to be, and Jo is in a big trouble.

This is one of the rare story that took a turn in a direction that I was not expecting. This happens very rarely, and for surprising me, I love this story. 10/10 XD

Hare Moon by Carrie Ryan
Hare Moon is a forbidden love story about Tabitha and Patrick; two individuals who lived in a different community (one gated and clean, the other forests and wildlife). Tabitha is the kind of girl no one would marry because there are better girls, but Patrick seemed to take an interest of her. Tabitha meets Patrick on the gate every day, praying Patrick will ask Tabitha to leave and explore the beautiful forests with him. But one day, Patrick stopped coming and Tabitha gave up wanting to marry, so Tabitha becomes a nun. Tabitha discovered a letter from Patrick (which Patrick used to tell Tabitha that he loves her) and wistfully yearn for him. Then one day Patrick came back, telling Tabitha that his family died from an unknown virus except him and his little brother. Patrick asks for medicine, and Tabitha took the risk to hide Patrick in the church. Tabitha betrays her community for love--and it will bring everyone misery...

I liked it very much and I'd love to read The Forest of Hands and Teeth (which was included--bits of it--in this short story). 8/10

Familiar by Michelle Rowen
This is another one of my favorites (maybe I have too many..but oh well!). Brenda's mom is a successful witch and wants Brenda to follow the tradition. Brenda doesn't really care...Brenda was told to pick a familiar--a pet which supposed to enhance witch's magic--and she picked Owen, a kitten that looked "half dead". Owen was a shifter--he wasn't supposed to be there. He was a guy, who needed his bracelet--which Brenda took--back to reclaim his place in his family. Even though they're not boss and familiar, there's a connection between them that wouldn't let each other get hurt, no matter how little Owen shows his care or how Brenda acts stupid.

This story was simple and focused, I enjoyed it very much! 10/10

Fearless by Rachel Vincent
Sabine is a mara, a girl who feeds when people dream of their fears. Sabine broke some rules and was sent to a similar place to a juvenile detention center. There's something wrong in that place--Sabine can sense it because the place is fearless. Something--something like Sabine--is sucking everyone's fear, making them abnormal (whereas a mara makes them think of the fears and make them normal). Nash, a bean sidhe (or banshee), Sabine's boyfriend helps Sabine to figure out what's happening and how to get Sabine out of trouble...

It was okay...7/10

Vermillion by Daniel Marks
Ghosts have missions--Velvet and Nick are assigned to team up with Amie to catch a soul that messes up with the living. Velvet and Nick are a couple, but Amie's trying to get in the way. There's something off about Amie, and Velvet wants to stop her without losing Nick. This story is about love, trust and whether someone can choose their paths well or not.

I love this story! 9/10

The Hounds of Ulster by Maggie Stiefvater
The story is about Bryant (not a real name of the main character) who lost a friend named Sullivan. Throughout the story, Bryant gives mystery about losing Sullivan. This story is more philosophical than any of the other story in the book. It defines true friendship and how one cope to losing it, being rebellious and wishful thoughts of wanting things to stay the same.

I like this story because it's more mysterious than the others--it's less romantic, less bloody or ghostly, and Stiefvater never mentioned what "they" are throughout the story, but when readers read this, I'm sure they'll want a follow up novel by Stiefvater. ;) 10/10

Many Happy Returns by Daniel Waters
This is the last one of my favorites! The story is being told from Cal's perspective, who is the father of one of the girls that died. There was a car crash and Mandy (Cal's daughter) was in it. Before Mandy's trip, Mandy told Cal that Mandy thinks she's in love with Jake--her boyfriend. Then Mandy died. Every other teenager in the crash had seemed to wake up with a miracle. Some parents are happy that their children are safe and sound. Some, like Jake's parents, wants to leave the dead plain dead; it's strange to have your son die one day and alive but different another day. Jake's parents think he's a freak. Time passed and Mandy still hasn't woke up. The story is about Cal, waiting for his daughter to come home.

I love this story! Original and sweet! 10/10

Becca Fitzpatrick
In the ARC I received, Becca's story was TBA (to be announced) so...I didn't get to read it. :(

Knight Angels: Book of Love by Abra Ebner

"'Her guardian angel?' I was confused. What died and made him so privileged?"

My Rating: 8/10

Publisher: Crimson Oak Publishing
Publication: June 2010
Page Count: 346 Pages
Age Range: Young Adult

Abra Ebner's Official Knight Angels Website

Abra Ebner has written an amazing story about love and trust. In Knight Angels: Book of Love, Ebner wrote from different characters' perspective. I take Jane as the main character because Jane is the girl who was supposed to die, but saved by Max, her guardian angel.

The quote on the header is from Wes, Jane's childhood friend who has always been in love with Jane. Jane knows it, but only pities him because Jane doesn't feel for Wes in that way.

Emily does, though. Emily is Jane's sister who's high most of the time. She has a reason--she can hear people's emotions. Her mother and her sister's concern for her--which makes Emily sick because they don't know about her at all. Wes' thoughts that's filled with Jane and Jane and Jane. Sick.


So Emily feels people's emotions.

Max was killed a long time ago. But because he saved his family, he became an angel. Because he saved Jane, he became her guardian angel.

Jane sees people's death; the way people die. She dreams weird things.

Wes is a shape shifter.

Greg, Max's twins (who killed Max's family and murdered Jane's father and Jane) wants to kill and ruins it for everyone.

But Max finally can show himself to Jane. He won't let Jane be hurt after all these time.

What I love about this book: One, it's about angels...(of course) and two, it was different. The relationship between Emily and Wes and Wes to Jane makes the story different and good. It was the mystery of Greg that makes me want to keep reading it, though, most of all. I want to know why Greg..hates Max so much.

What I dislike: The cliff hanger at the end! I want to read the second book RIGHT NOW!! OoO..

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

"I realize only one person will be damaged beyond repair if Peeta dies. Me."

My Rating: 10/10

Just like The Hunger Games, Catching Fire also gets a perfect ten! It's an amazing book! Read it!

Katniss survived her Hunger Games. So did Peeta. Now she is back at home, where so much had happened.

Gale took a bit of rebellion, and the Peace Keepers wounded him. Katniss, now living in a rich mansion along with her family, tends to his wounds.

Then comes the annual Hunger Games. This time, the Capitol decided to do the unusual; they want to bring every girl and male tribute from each Districts that had won the title of Hunger Games. Old, or young. Haymitch does not count. It is Katniss and Peeta, the champions of District 12.

I think if I spill more than this...it'll be such a spoiler to the book!

What I like about the book: The new settings and Collins' imagination of the second Hunger Games! (the actual game Katniss played in order to survive). The characters grows more and more complicated, but if we read the first book we should be able to follow Katniss' line of thoughts easily.

What I dislike about the book: THE CLIFFHANGER AT THE END. Period.

I seriously can't wait until Mockingjay comes out! Everyone who HASN'T read this book is missing out so much! If it's slow in the first chapter of The Hunger Games, keep reading! It'll be one of the best books you've ever read!

Suzanne Collins' official website

P.S: Thanks, Scholastic (again) for giving me a chance to read the book! :) I finished it in 3 hours right after The Hunger Games! I couldn't stop reading it!