Gracelig by Kristin Cashore

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Review

One of the things I liked most about this book was that it wasn't predictable at all; While reading I coud imagine what the main story was about and what could happen next but what happened to the characters themselves, was a totally diferent case.

There's the story main line (the cause of the story) and then, the interactions between the character, so while the love's part was well developed, it was left in the background. I must mention too that sex is mentioned in the book, but nothing explicit.

The pace is constant, maybe a bit fast or slow at some point, but mostly it was well paced and easy to read.

The characters were well developed as well. Katsa is a lonely girl who has lived apart from everybody because of her scaring "grace". She accepts what the others think about her and feels they have reason. But Katsa doesn't want to be a a monster, so when, thanks to Po, she finds a new meaning for her "grace" she starts feeling better about herself.

Po, in the other hand, seems to be very proud about his "grace", but he hides a secret about it that can't be revealed. He tries and tries to make Katsa see she isn't as bad as she thinks and that love isn't a chain that imprisons.

Overall: Graceling was a very enjoyable read. An adventurous story about morals, principes and love.

Waiting On Wednesday (8)

Snap by Carol Snow

Madison Sabatini thought she knew who she was. Then, in a flash, everything changed. Now Madison finds herself stuck in a strange, sleepy beach town, and she throws herself into her one passion: photography. But when bizarre figures start appearing in her photos—people who are later reported dead—Madison begins to question everything about who she is...and who she wishes she could be. Both chilling and relatable, this is the story of a normal girl who finds her life spinning strangely out of control. Carol Snow once again deftly blends teen-angst realism with paranormal suspense.

Doesn't it sound good? I don't really know why , but my interest for Ghost books has increased a lot and this one specially looks thrilling (I love photos in which seems to be a ghost or something like this ^^). I can't wait to read this one.

Waiting On Wednesday was started by Breaking The Spine.

In My Mailbox (5)

This week I'm really happy because I received a lot of great books.


Received


The fabulous Readergirlz sent me this two books I won at their blog:
Pants on fire by Meg Cabot

Katie Ellison is not a liar.
It's just that telling the truth is so . . . tricky. She knows she shouldn't be making out with a drama club hottie behind her football-player boyfriend's back. She should probably admit that she can't stand eating quahogs (clams), especially since she's running for Quahog Princess in her hometown's annual Quahog Festival. And it would be a relief to finally tell someone what really happened the night Tommy Sullivan is a freak was spray-painted on the new wall outside the junior high school gymnasium—in neon orange, which still hasn't been sandblasted off. After all, everyone knows that's what drove Tommy out of town four years ago.
But now Tommy Sullivan has come back. Katie is sure he's out for revenge, and she'll do anything to hang on to her perfect (if slightly dishonest) existence. Even if it means telling more lies than ever. Even if, now that Tommy's around, she's actually—no lie—having the time of her life.

Better Latte Than Never by Catherine Clark

There's nothing more annoying than working in a coffee shop inside a gas station—and not being able to drive. And having to deliver coffee to your bus driver.
Kamikaze Bus Driver sips his coffee, then charges back into traffic before I can even take a seat. I reach out for a seat back to hold on to, but the bus swerves and I fall onto the end of a seat that's already taken, right into the lap of none other than Mike Kyle.
I'm shocked. Mike's never been on this bus before. This runs against the laws of nature. I'm just so stunned I can't help blurting, "What are you doing here?" completely impolitely. Then I realize I'm still sitting on his lap.

They also sent me two bookmarks (really nice) and four cute pins with the Readergirlz logo.

I also got two book (I really wanted to read this series) from Random house. I won them at Starry Night:

Kiss me Kill me by Lauren Henderson

When Scarlett Wakefield transfers from St. Tabby's, a posh private school outside London, to Wakefield Hall Collegiate, the world-renowed prep school that her grandmother runs in the English countryside, she is relieved that no one knows her dark, haunting secret.
A few months ago, Plum Saybourne, the queen of St. Tabby's "Smart Set", surprisingly invited Scarlett to an elite party with a guest list full of the hottest names in British society, including Dan McAndrew, Scarlett's secret crush. Before the party, Scarlett had only imagined what it would be to have her first kiss with Dan, but on the penthouse terrace, Dan leaned in close and she no longer had to wonder. Their kiss was beautiful and perfect and magical, and then...
Dan McAndrew suffocated in her arms.
No one knows how or why Dan died, and everyone at St. Tabby's believes Scarlett had something to do with it. After all, she was the last person to see Dan alive. But now that she's safely hidden away at Wakefield Hall, Scarlett would rather forget that it ever happened.
Only she can't. Especially when she receives an anonymous note that will set her on the path to clearing her name and finding out what really happened to the first and last boy she kissed.

(Sequel to Kiss me Kill me) Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson

After discovering that someone saw what looked like Dan’s emergency EpiPen in A-lister Plum’s designer handbag, Scarlett and her tough American sidekick, Taylor, sneak into a posh London nightclub, where Plum has a private table. Scarlett is stunned to discover a piece of evidence that might implicate another girl in Plum’s exclusive circle, Lucy Raleigh. Which means Scarlett must cast a wider net in order to catch the right suspect.Back at school, groundskeeper Jase is hoping to take Scarlett’s mind off her troubles with some heart-stopping kisses. Scarlett can’t help but feel guilty for indulging in romantic rendezvous when she should be hunting down Dan’s killer. However, once Scarlett finds out how Lucy is connected to Dan, she knows she must drop everything and travel to the McAndrew estate in Scotland to hunt for more clues. But when she arrives, Scarlett becomes the target of a dangerous hunt herself.

And finally I won this amazing book at Imperial Beach Teen Blog:

Bad girls don't die by Katie Alender

Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.
When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.
Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?


So that's what I got this week, what did you get?

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren.

"Say It Again" Saturday (2)

"Say It Again" Saturday was created by the fabulous Karin.

Sometimes while reading a book I find some sentences that I have to write down because for some reason they catch me.
Today I'll post some "quotes" of:

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

" 'They are asleep. You can come over now, but I have to meet you outside'. This was more for my protection than out of consideration for the slumbering children. First of all, I don't know how much more I could take of the unicorn-inspired decor. Their toys were all over the house. Second, Brant and a couch -or worse, an empty master bedroom- were a very bad combo. He morphed from vaguely risqué fling to bad-boy octopus man whenever he was in the vicinity of any marginally promising flat surface." (pg 3-4)

"Just inside the door stood a grungy-looking girl. There were dark, baggy circles under her eyes, her hair was chopped in rough chunks colored a variety of faded-out shades (but mostly black), there were few spots on her face that didn't sport piercings, and the leather cuffs at her neck, wrists, and waist all had metal spikes sticking out. She was wearing about fourteen layers, torn fishnet stockings, and combat boots. She stood there, pigeontoed, face downturned, dragging a rucksack with one hand and a half-filled military-issue duffel with the other." (pg 140)

I really enjoyed reading this book so I hope you do too^^.

I love you guys!

I'm very happy, I really apreciate all the support you're giving me, it truly is very important for me to know you like my work, and it gives me a lot of energy^^.

Since I'm writing about this topic, I would like to apologise again; This has been an awful month. I've been sick and I've had a lot of exams so I haven't post much, but since now I'm less busier now, I'll do my best and I'll continue spreading all my love for YA books. : )

This award was given to my by Franie from Leer es adictivo. She is a Spanish blogger who has an amazing blog I've just discovered.

And I recived this one from Lilibeth from ChicaReader, a very nice new blog by a girl with good taste for books.

Thanks again*.

Fighting! XD

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen

Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...

Real unicorns are man-eating beasts with cloven hooves, bulletproof hides, and horns full of deadly poison. They can outrun a sports car and smell human virgin warriors descended from Alexander the Great.

Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for more than a hundred years.

Or not.

And it is up to sixteen-year-old Astrid Llewelyn to hunt them down.

Suspensful, romantic, and witty, RAMPANT is the exciting YA debut of Diana Peterfreund.

Review

First of all I want to thank Lenore again for sending me this wonderful book, which, I have to say, I enjoyed a lot.

I was very eager to read Rampant but since I had never read any book similar to this one before, I didn't really know what to expect.

The plot caught my attention since the first time I read it, I mean, MAN-EATING UNICORNS! I thought it was a very original and promising story. And indeed it was.

I really liked to see trough the eyes and actions of Astrid. She was a great character.

I enjoyed her point of view of all the things that happened to her and, of course, her ironic tone that sometimes made me laugh.

I kind of had a problem with the other girls names; I somethimes found myself looking to the previous chapters to remember who was who.

About these girls' character, there was a bit of everything, I think there weren't two with the same personality.

I would have liked to know a little more about everyone's past and maybe that they had a bit more of action in the story; I know they are secondary characters but they are also important cause they're hunters as well as Astrid so thay could have had some more protagonism.

Apart from that I have no more complains.

The book was written in a nice way with a few touches of Alexander the Great (one of my favourite historical characters).

Overall: If you get this book you won't regret it. It will be out soon*

Reasons Why

I'm sorry, it's been a while since I posted last time and I haven't written any review lately.
I've been really busy so I didn't have time to check my blog and maybe I don't write anything this week neither 'cause right now I have a terrible cold (yes, I've spend all winter without beeing sick and now that the nice weather is coming I catch a cold).

Again I'm sorry, and well since I'm sick I've some more time to spend reading so I'll return with a lot of energy and new reviews^^

Thank you to you all that keep reading my blog ; )