Book Review: A Darkness Strange and Lovely

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.  Quoted from Goodreads

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Despite the numerous books I've read to the contrary, zombies aren't really my thing.  Yes, I adored Warm Bodies, and I appreciated World War Z, but it isn't a selling point.  So, last year when Something Strange and Deadly came out, I passed it by.  But then all the reviews were so positive and this ADSL kept popping up on everyone's most anticipated for 2013 list, I decided I had to check it out. So here's me, jumping on the Susan Dennard's bandwagon.

Really, I've thoroughly enjoyed this series.  It's addictive, and while I'm super glad I waited until the second one came out so I could read the first two in a row, I can't wait for the third one. 

First, there's the lovely Eleanor.  I adore her as a main character.  Sure, she has her very stupid moments, she's way too impulsive, curios, insecure, headstrong, and makes loads of mistakes, but she's always trying.  Plus, nothing she does is inconsistent with her character.  She's the same, albeit slightly improved/braver/more heartbroken, girl we meet in the beginning of the first book.  

This book we also get introduced to the absolutely delightful Oliver (and a few more excellent characters, but none I loved as much as him).  I adore his character.  It's light, funny, but he also brings so much gravity to the book.  What happens between him and Eleanor (and don't worry all you Daniel shippers) was heartbreaking and perfect and horrible at the same time.  He's a great source of both conflict and comfort, and more than anyone, I really love what he brought to this second installment.

Now for everyone else, and I do, remarkably, mean everyone. All the characters that you love (and hate) from the first book make an appearance.  I wasn't sure how much some of them would, considering the change of scenery and all, but everyone gets their moment. I absolutely adored Eleanor's individual relationships with each character. Nothing was cookie-cutter, and even characters that only appeared for a chapter or two this time around still exacted an emotional pull on her and me as a reader.  It's probably one of the things I love most about this series.  The characters and their relationships are constantly changing and keeping you guessing.

Then we have the lovely Daniel.  He really only gets better as the series goes on.  This was the perfect second book for their relationship. I won't tell you exactly what happens (misunderstandings, fights, teamwork, etc.) but it continues to solidly build their relationship, and I can't wait to see how the third book plays out.

Now, in case you're getting tired of all these glowing character reviews, there is action.  Tons and tons of action piled on top of itself.  We have hellhounds and demons, murders and kidnappings, all on top of the ever present zombie threat.  And it's mostly set in Paris!  

This is the sort of book you can't put down.  It has great characters and loads of action.  It's a innovative 4 stars for me.  Really this series has been one of the discovery highlights of my July reading.  Now I'll have something to look forward to for next July, and I'm already counting down the days.

Book Review: If I Should Die

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.
After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?    Quoted from Goodreads

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Absolutely perfect ending.  I'll admit, I was a little bit afraid for this book. Don't get me wrong, I love the first one, but the second suffered a bit from sophomore slump syndrome. Still, I was hoping this third book would live up to the first.  It completely surpassed it.  Maybe because it was a bit more up my alley.  This book was more action, more history, less insta-love and broken hearts. Don't get me wrong, it still had that, but it was much more an action based book and less your standard paranormal love story. 

First, with two exceptions, I felt like everyone in this book really stepped up. They were all great people to begin with, but each was given a chance to shine. We've had two books to get to know and love these characters, and now, in this third one, each one has grown into someone special, had to confront their fears, something that makes you love them more. Kate, especially, grew up and came into her own.  She was always good, and they still sometimes shove her into her "oh, you're human" corner, but she never gives up.  She's always fighting for Vincent and the rest of the people she loves. 

Secondly, we get an ending that is, in some ways, a beginning.  It resolves off the major plot points, and we get a world full of hope.  There are just enough changes that the outlook is hopeful, without changing the world and the mythology so much you're left not knowing what's going to happen to them all.  Of course there are a few sad points. Relationships change. People die, and not in the I'm coming back in three days kind of way, but it makes everything more realistic when there are sacrifices involved.  

Plus, I really loved what happened to Jules.   Okay, this paragraph may be a little spoilery, so don't read if you don't want a few hints about what will happen.  This book was never a love triangle.  In fact, one of the things I liked least about Die for Her, the short novella from Jules POV is that he was so in love with Kate. Still, when there are two boys in love with the same girl, you pretty much know one of them is going to be unhappy for a time.  What most authors do is introduce a second love interest (usually halfway through the last book) as a sort of consolation prize, so everyone can get their happy ending (Breaking Dawn, anyone?).  This does not happen here, and I'm grateful.  That always comes across as a little contrived to me.  I still enjoy Jules as a character, but I'm glad everything isn't tied up with a nice, neet, overly artificial bow.  Plus, maybe Amy Plum will do a spin-off series like Richelle Mead.  I haven't heard anything, but I could easily see that happening.

If you're looking for another great sereis that is now complete, you should check this out.  I mean, we get Paris as our setting and a unique mythology that really is different from most everything out there.  This is a lovely 4.5 stars for me (a solid one star more than either of the two previous books).  Honestly, I couldn't put it down.  Yes, I was excited for it to come out, but it was so much better than I expected, it really surprised me, ensuring I'll absolutely check out what Amy Plum is writing next.

Theater Thursday: Warm Bodies

This book came out in Oct. 2010.  I noticed it, read the summary, and dismissed it.

I'm not really into zombies, despite their rampant popularity right now. I've read the occasional book (okay, one), but I just don't understand the fascination.  Then I saw the trailer for Warm Bodies a few weeks ago, and I might reconsider my stance. It helps that this looks more like a comedy than a horror, which is more up my alley. Anyway, check out the preview below.  I'm actually pretty excited.

So, yeah.  That's the trailer.  Now I'm debating reading the book. My problem is this. I don't like to read the book too close to the movie release date.  This one is scheduled for Feb. 2013, which is only a few months away.  If I read the book too close to the release date, I remember too much, which leads to me not liking the movie as much as I want to.  I don't have time to forget all those pesky details that the movie left out or changed.  On the other hand, if I wait for the movie to come out, then when I read the book, too much of the setting and characters are supplied by the film, which doesn't always do the book justice.  Either way I'm looking forward to the movie.  If you are interested in reading the book, here's a short summary below.

R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.

After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead and the blurry line in between. Quoted from Goodreads

If you've read this and love it, let me know.  Right now I'm thinking I'll read this after the movie, but you're free to try and convince me otherwise.

Book Review: Alice in Zombieland

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


"I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish." Quoted from Goodreads

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The new teen version of the popular trope to turn traditional classics into horror stories?  No. This is not the next Pride and Prejudice and Zombies book.  In fact, besides a few hidden gems and nods to the original story, it's not really like Alice In Wonderland at all.

Alice never believed in monsters and thought her father was certifiably crazy until the accident, when she watches zombies eat him . . . and we're down the rabbit hole.  I'll be honest, this book has a lot of the standard YA stereotypes: girl moves to a new town, absent parents, super-hot and mysterious guy, special powers and secrets she was previously unaware of, etc.  But despite all this, the story is still fresh and fun.  It doesn't have to reinvent the wheel to be original.

The pacing of this book is perfect.  There is action and mystery, secrets and reveals that keep you up reading way later then you wanted (and yes, I stayed up until 1:00 reading, even though I was trying to be asleep before midnight).  The zombies themselves are rather fascinating.  They aren't your typical rotting corpses. Think Zombie-Ghosts. With teeth.  There are still a few details I'm a bit confused about,  but there are two more books, so I'm sure all my questions will be cleared up.

Plus, zombies aren't the only villains.  I love books with multiple threats, and this one delivers. Yes, you've got the straightforward zombie menace, they want to eat your brains, etc.  Then there is the more sinister, evil disguised as good threat, that adds an amazing dimension to the plot.

Alice herself is inquisitively charming. I liked seeing the contrast between her inner pain and doubt and the tough, somewhat sarcastic face she presented to the world. I adored her best friend, Kat.  I know the name is somewhat overused recently, but she is loyal, funny, and absolutely confident.  Even though she's a secondary character, she could be the main character, as in, she has her own stuff going on.  She isn't the goofy side-kick or the annoying idiot that makes the hero look better in contrast.  She keeps her own secrets, has her own love life, and yet is always there for Alice when she needs her. And Alice's grandparents, they were adorable as they tried to relate to a traumatized teenager by using her "slang." It was too cute.

If you're looking for romance, it's also here. I liked Alice and Cole's chemistry and that she didn't take any of his crap.  She absolutely won't let him, or anyone else, intimidate her, even if they're "doing it for her own good." Yeah, that's a line I get sick of. Still, it's use is minimal in this book, so I'll let it pass.

If you're looking for a book with fun characters, creepy monsters, and a few good fights, this is one to check out.  I was a little leery when I first picked up this book, but it absolutely earns its four stars.  The writing is good (I mean, this is the author's 30th book or something, so it should be), and I found it to be a fun surprise.