Tag: ya paranormal

REVIEW: The Beautiful – Renée Ahdieh (ARC)

Published on by Breanna3 Comments

42265183Title: The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1)
Author: Renée Ahdieh
Rating: ★★★★

ARC provided by the publisher through BookishFirst.

The Beautiful is a dark and decadent fantasy that captures the reader’s attention from the first page. The mysterious, atmospheric setting really provides the perfect backdrop for a paranormal vampire book.

Renée Ahdieh once again shines through her writing and world-building. Her descriptions of New Orleans circa 1872 were so vivid that I could easily paint a picture in my head of the scenes. There’s also a very dark, mysterious vibe present that highlights the paranormal aspects of the story.

From the other reviews I’ve read, people seem to disappointed that for a vampire book, the vampires are not very present. And yes, I was expecting more, however I think the pacing was excellent and the mystery keeps the reader on their toes. It also is very apparent that the next book in the series is going to full of vampires (and other paranormal creatures!) and I, for one, am extremely excited to see where Renée Ahdieh is going to take this series, especially after that ending!

The Beautiful is perfect for fans of the YA paranormal genre, and for those who enjoy engaging characters, rich descriptions, and a dark, atmospheric setting.

REVIEW: The Devouring Gray – Christine Lynn Herman (ARC)

Published on by Breanna8 Comments

36535913Title: The Devouring Gray (The Devouring Gray #1)
Author: Christine Lynn Herman
Rating: ★★★★½

ARC received through #booksfortrade on Twitter.

The Devouring Gray is a release I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while, and I super thankful I was able to get my hands on an early copy! This spellbinding book is full of supernatural spookiness with a lot of Riverdale + Stranger Things vibes and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. 

The Devouring Gray is completely atmospheric. The vivid descriptions really brought forth the creepy elements and made it easy to become immersed in the story. The plot follows the founding families of Four Paths, and how they use their gifts to protect the town from the Gray. The types of magic the families possess were dark and mysterious, and I loved the gothic vibes. 

The story is told through three POVs, but there are arguably four main characters. I wasn’t that invested in the characters to begin with, but I changed opinion by the end and came to really like them all. Usually if I don’t connect with the characters, I tend not to like the book, but the plot and writing were so good it was easy to overlook. The romances are very subtle, and while I didn’t like either of the pairings at first, they did begin to grow on me by the end. I’m looking forward to the next book and the continued growth of these characters and their complex relationships with each other!

The ABC Book Challenge | B

Published on by Breanna3 Comments

Happy Friday! I’m here with the next letter in the ABC Book Challenge. Two of my absolute favorite books ever – The Bird and the Sword and The Book Thief – are included here, so besides the fact that my name also starts with a “B”, I’m very partial to this list! 

MEMORABLE TITLES THAT START WITH THE LETTER “B”

BOOKS STARTING WITH “B” ON MY TBR

REVIEW: Slayer – Kiersten White (ARC)

Published on by Breanna4 Comments

34723130Title: Slayer (Slayer #1)
Author: Kiersten White
Rating: ★★★★

ARC provided by the publisher.

Firstly, I would like to give a shout out to the lovely ladies at the Riveted booth at YALLfest for letting me play the lollipop game nine times until I finally won a book – it was totally worth the eight times of disappointment to get this! 

Slayer was an absolute blast to read. And if you’re unsure about whether this book is for you because of all the Buffy references let me ease your mind: I’ve only ever seen season one of Buffy, and I not only tremendously enjoyed this book, but could also easily follow along with the plot and world. 

Kiersten White did an amazing job crafting this book and maintaining the same vibe and humor as the show. Slayer was so fun and entertaining! I loved the protagonist, Nina. She’s not the typical “strong” heroine we meet in a lot of YA fantasy/paranormal books: she’s reluctant to step into her newly appointed role as Slayer, and would rather spend her time at home reading (same) or as a medic healing others (also same). She struggles between her need to kill and her desire to fix. 

“How can I reconcile my natural instincts to take care of things, to heal things, with what my calling actually is?”

I had no problem getting through this, even when the beginning was a bit slower. I really enjoyed following Nina’s progress and growth as a character, as well as her relationships with her sister and friends. There were a few twists at the very end that have me very excited for the next book! Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Buffy, have a passing admiration for the show, or just enjoy fun demon-slaying books, Slayer will not disappoint! 

WWW Wednesday #17

Published on by Breanna3 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words in which the three W’s stand for:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

39348113WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. This is my first Sanderson novel and I’m really excited! 

 

34723130WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

Slayer by Kiersten White. You guys, this book is seriously so much fun. I cannot wait for everyone to read it! 

 

36492488WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

We Hunt the Flames by Hafsah Faizal. I’ve been waiting for this book ever since Hafsah first announced she was in the midst of writing something and I hope it lives up to all the hype!