aRedMoon

Book Read: April 2012
Review Written: April 23, 2012
Review to be Posted: Immediately
Book Release: April 24, 2012 by Random House Children’s Books

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It’s out tomorrow! Ahh!!!

Zero is an artist. Depending on who you talk to, she has a couple different names. Amanda (according to the school rosters), Amy (according to her mother), and to rest of the world… Zero. Because when everything is added up together, she still equals zero.

Thus begins the artist’s story of coming into her own. It’s a relatively straight forward coming of age story, but don’t take that the wrong way. It has its own charms and quirks.

For instance, at the beginning, Zero is in the middle of a fight with her best/only friend. Why? We don’t find out until quite a ways in, but it’s not expected.

The boytoy is also an interesting guy. Wait, no, I take that back – he’s rather bland. He’s supposed to be a musician with a not-so-great past. His dad was in a band way back that scored a Gold. And then the band fell apart. His mom is off in her own little world.

The story twists the above two personal plot lines with Zero’s art wants. She wants to get into the Chicago Art Institute (which she’s never actually seen before, btw) because her favorite art teacher went there. She got accepted no prob, but got denied a scholarship. So she’s going to the local community college to get somewhere. It’s there that she meets the most annoying art teacher known to man, but Zero grows to like her… in a way.

The story weaves these three storylines together to create the book, which follows Zero’s summer after graduation. Where she starts isn’t anywhere close to where she ends.

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I don’t know. The book was okay, I guess. It wasn’t one of the “Can’t put it down” but it wasn’t a “Need to put it down” either. Somewhere in between, where you want to know what happens to her. One of the most interesting parts of it was the descriptions of Zero’s works. She lives in Phoenix, and Leveen (the author, btw) paints us (haha, get it?) some beautiful scenery with his words. It sounds like an amazing place to see.

It’s worth a rental from the library, or if you have a decent coupon, pick it up. Amazon’s letting you save 30%, and I’d say that it’s worth the $12. Pick it up if you get a chance. :)

3.5/5

Book Read: March 24, 2012
Review Written: March 25, 2012
Review to be Posted: April 22, 2012

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So, I’ve been reading some Galleys again, and the first one I picked (though this review won’t be published for a month… urgh) is Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen. It’s due to be released May 22, 2012 and you can see the pre-order link in to the little box to the side.

In some ways, I suggest hitting that Pre-order button NOW and in others say DO NOT TOUCH.

Within the first few chapters, any readers of Cassie Clare’s City of ___ series will note some similarities. I’m sure there’s also shared ideas between a number of YA fantasy books, but this is one that I particularly like and was reminded of… anyways, continuing on.

It’s written in first person, and our narrator is Sam. That’s short for Samantha, not Samuel, btw. She’s a plain and rather boring girl. Short and just there. You know the type. She has a friend named Carly (I couldn’t help but imagine Miranda Cosgrove, though Carly isn’t described at all like her… haha) who is just as much of a nobody.

The story kicks off when Stephen, Sam’s OMG SO HOT crush, takes her upstairs and asks if she wants him to kiss her – dur, of course. He does, and it’s kinda weird… and then he leaves her there. After passing out (quite the kiss, eh?) she heads home and that’s when she runs into crazy homeless(?) boy who calls himself Bishop. And as soon as she touches him, he’s no longer crazy.

He’s the first of a crew of angels (and demons) who are in Trinity (the town) to stop the spread of a disease – humans who have had their souls sucked out by a kiss. They’re called grays – and Sam is one.

They gotta stop this. To do so, Bishop needs to find his team – a task which he needs Sam for. And Sam needs to find out how to get her soul back. Because she’s kinda not liking this hunger that’s building up inside of her. And it’s not just for food. She wants some soul on the side.

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So what’s the good and the bad?

The good… it’s an interesting story and once I got past how I felt like I was reading more Cassie Clare (I keep wanting to call Sam, Clary) I got really into it. I read the entire thing during the two three hour bus rides I had yesterday. I really liked the characters – the interaction between the Head Angel and Head Demon is fun. There is a lot of development to come with those two.

The bad… I feel like I know what’s going to happen. Like I said, it read like a Cassie Clare. So I’m wondering if Bishop/Sam are going to end up as siblings. ~(x-x~)

Also… IT IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES. So now I have to wait for the next flippin’ book to come out!!! Ahhhhh.

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So yes, I’d suggest getting it. But I might also suggest waiting until the series is finished, so you’re not stuck hanging. That’s one of the reasons I’ve refused to read any of the new Cassie Clare books. (I haven’t read Clockwork Angel or City of Fallen Souls because I don’t want to have to wait!)

Rating… 4/5