Review: The Golden Lily

The Bloodlines Saga continues with yet another predicted hit.

Sydney who is an alchemist on duty, and should therefore alienate herself as much as possible from vampires, simply can't do it. She grows even more in this novel, learning about who to thrust and setting aside prejudices. Richelle Mead even gives her a boyfriend, Brayden, an awkward at times rude geek that sparks several humorous situations. But what makes the book worthy of a read is the obvious sentiments between Sydney and fan-favorite Adrian. Never have two characters seemed more destined to be together, and yet unable to make it happen.

The book closed with an open ending that will have me puzzling until I get my hands on the third installment, The Indigo Spell. Just who is Marcus Finch?

Other books from the series

Bloodlines

The Indigo Spell

Top Ten Tuesday: Let me Go

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish


BOOKS WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER IS BEING HELD CAPTIVE

Flowers in the Attic
Mother locks her kids upstairs in the attic.

 The Compound
Father locks his family in a compound claiming a nuclear explosion.

 Living Dead Girl
 Ten year old kidnapped during a school excursion.

 Stolen
 Sixteen-year-old kidnapped from an airport.

 Lockdown
 Falsely incriminated, Alex is held prisoner in an underground jail.

 Pandemonium
Lena and Julian are both held captive. Didn't think it was possible to mix in romance with captivity, but this book does it very well.

 Fever
 Rhine is held captive by a carnival mistress.

Origin
Unable to go outside, Pia lives in a secluded scientific building as an experiment.                                        

Review: Promise Me Something

Friendship and loyalty are tested in Kocek's Promise me Something and the results will surprise you. Reyna knows everything about loss. She lost her mom to a drunk driver and her father to a lover a few months later. The high school she is assigned to isn't the same as her best friends, causing shy Reyna more alienation from the ones she loves. Meeting Olive is the only thing going on for her. The problem is Olive is direct, rejected by others, and often selfish. The problem is Olive is secretly gay.

Kocek touches several LGBT topics, and sadly how being judged by others can lead to suicide. The loss of a parent holds the book together, providing the reader with several teary-eyed moments. Sex is the one thing that isn't discussed in this book. Instead, Kocek introduces Levi, a sweet puppy love interest for Reyna, making sure the harsher and more important topics get the main attention.

A debut worth noticing. Promise Me Something comes out September 1st 2013.

Goodreads

Feature and Follow Friday: Syllabus

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Back to school Create a list for the imaginary English Lit class you'll be teaching this semester.

The two high school teachers I've advised to use Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney in class tell me the kids love it. Plus they also get to watch the movie in class. 

Review: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings

Transforming from girl to woman is a quite an experience -- but transforming from girl to mermaid is a miracle. Period. 

In this first novel of the Real Mermaids series, Hélène Boudreau introduces us to Jade. She isn't the most popular girl in school nor an outcast. Just a normal girl with a crush and a best friend trapped in the grips of her school nemesis. What really sets Jade apart  -- aside from the mermaid gene -- is that her mom drowned when she was young, and her dad is the only one who can advise her about boys and periods. How could her mermaid mother drown? Now that is what Jade is set on finding out.

Although the book is fun and innocently sweet, it tackles the serious issue of single parenting and how it can both affect the child and parent. Standing up to peer pressure is also a major theme in the book as Jade's friend Cori must chose between her or the in-crowd. Sadly, the ending felt a bit inconclusive to make way for book number two.