The Iron Legends Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
As you know, from this post last week, I obtained a book. And I would have happy-danced when I obtained it, if not for the face that there were people around. You know, real people. The normal kind. But I've finished this book and, as expected, loved it. In case the title of this blog post didn't tip you off, I'm talking about The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa.
My review is split up a bit differently today, since The Iron Legends is an anthology.
I don't have time to get the "Add it on Goodreads" picture, so ADD ON GOODREADS.

Blurby (based on Goodreads summary, slightly chopped up):

Enter the world of the internationally bestselling Iron Fey series. Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of the Iron Fey plus the Guide to the Iron Fey with exclusive information about Julie Kagawa's unforgettable world of Faery.

Winter's Passage
Summer's Crossing
Iron's Prophecy
Three Iron Fey novellas for the first time in print!

Review:

tl;dr review: Two of these stories were a reread for me, and it was so sweet to revisit characters, especially to see Meghan how she was after only one book.

Croak Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Today (*ahem* tonight) I'm reviewing Croak by Gina Damico! Gina is made of win (and she's one of those lucky people with a url that fits her name: check her out at ginadami.co)

Blurby:

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?

Review:

tl;dr version: Hysterical with a super unique voice and original plotline, Croak is an #epicwin

I Am the Messenger Review

Hey Blogger Buds,

I recently read I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. You may or may not know be aware I have a major author-crush on this man. So: review!

Blurby (via Goodreads):

Meet Ed Kennedy—underage cabdriver, pathetic cardplayer, and useless at romance. He lives in a shack with his coffee-addicted dog, the Doorman, and he’s hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. His life is one of peaceful routine and incompetence, until he inadvertently stops a bank robbery. That’s when the first Ace arrives. That’s when Ed becomes the messenger. . . .

Chosen to care, he makes his way through town helping and hurting (when necessary), until only one question remains: Who’s behind Ed’s mission?

Winner of the 2003 Children’s Book Council Book of the Year Award in Australia, I Am the Messenger is a cryptic journey filled with laughter, fists, and love.

Review:

tl;dr version: I am in love with this man, and this book. Shall I compare thee to it? Shall I compare it to a midsummer's day? (Shall I shut up?)

The False Prince Review

Hey Blogger Buds,

I've got a book review today: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen. It was absolutely amazing.

Blurby:

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing.

To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king's long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner's motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword's point -- he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage's rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner's sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Review:

tl;dr version: Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Red Moon Rising Review

This post was scheduled in advance, but I employed some fairies to help me, and their glamour has a tendency to stop working at the most inopportune times, like when you're loading this blog post. It should run smoothly, though. I hope.

Hey Blogger Buds,

To continue the trend, I've got another gag-worthy book for review this week! It's called Red Moon Rising by Peter Moore.

Disclaimer: This is a review of an ARC. It may differ from the final book.

Blurby:

Being only half-vamp in a high school like Carpathia Night makes you awhole loser. But Danny Gray manages to escape the worst of the specists at his school. Thanks to genetic treatments he had as an infant, most people assume Danny's other half is human. Which is a good thing.

Ever since the development of synthetic blood – SynHeme – vamps have become society’s elite, while wulves like his father work menial jobs and live in bad neighborhoods. Wulves are less than second class citizens; once a month they become inmates, forced to undergo their Change in dangerous government compounds.

For Danny, living with his vamp mother and going to a school with a nearly all-vamp student body, it’s best to pretend his wulf half doesn’t even exist. But lately Danny's been having some weird symptoms — fantastic night vision; a keener-than-usual sense of smell; and headaches, right around the full moon.

Even though it's easy to be in denial, it's hard to ignore evidence. There's only a month until the next full moon, and Danny's time is running out.

Review:

tl;dr review: Easily one of the worst books I've read so far this year. Granted, I've read an embarrassingly small number of books this year, but Red Moon Rising takes the cake. (And yes, I did just say "takes the cake.")

Full review: I don't even know how to preface this one. Just...I expected better judgement on your part, Disney-Hyperion.

We'll start at the beginning.

CHARACTERS

His name is Dante, and he goes by Danny. Who names their kid Dante? At least in some way acknowledge that Dante is a strange name. Just think of Samhain* "Sam" LaCroix! (No offense to anyone named Dante. It's an awesome name, and I think Mr. Alighieri was a brilliant writer.) And Dante was an alright, though pretty boring, character.

The only good part in the book (besides for one intense scene near the end, though my mood was spoiled by the non-ending) was Dante's best friend, Claire. Claire was pretty awesome.

THE WORLD-BUILDING

The world-building would be funny if it weren't so terrible. There are mentions of McJagger, the Royalings Tones, and David-Bo E. I don't remember it exactly, but there's a Bob Dylan knock-off...with the first name Dylan.

But that's kind of avoiding the giant pink elephant in the room, isn't it? So let's introduce him. His first name is "Wulf." His second name is "Vampyre." I think he can finish the introductions by himself, but I don't think that's necessary. We all see his draw-backs. And the spelling is starting to make my eyes bleed.

From page one, you're assaulted with new terms, like "crit level" and "SynHeme" with little explanation. Some of the words aren't so difficult to understand, but it would have been nice to know about the glossary in the back before I finished the book.

OTHER STUFF

One part of this book left me shaking in anger. For this reason alone, the book should not have been published.

The "vampyres" are all blond-haired and blue-eyes. And, once upon a time, oh, 70 years ago, the German "vampyres", who are the upper-class, decided to round up all those mangy "wulves" in concentration camps. Reference, much?

That's right. We just compared 10** million human lives to mythical dogs who don't even know how to spell. And yes, I'm aware that this book is trying to show that the way the "wulves" were treated is wrong. That's not an excuse to make Holocaust references. Jews have been called "cur" (though I wouldn't be surprised if this book spelled it "cir" or something else equally idiotic) enough without your help, thankyouverymuch.

*pronounced "Sow-in."

**I'm including the 4 million homosexuals and gypsies

Rating: 0*

Currently Song: I'm not even going to waste my time

Peace,

Riv

Possession Review

This post was scheduled in advance. Unless the robotic monkeys snuck in and messed with everything, the post should run smoothly.
Hey Blogger Buds,
Today, I have a review of Possession by Elana Johnson. Warning: Rant Ahead.

Blurby:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Review:

tl;dr version: There are many better things I could have been doing. Like reading Fullmetal Alchemist. Or stabbing myself with needles.

Full version: This book was terrible. I don't even know what to say. It manages to be both formulaic and uniquely weird at the same time. You're about to find out why.

CHARACTERS

Violet. She's really bland. The most interesting part about her is that she supposedly has cool hair, which she obsesses over. And it's not even particularly intriguing. The characteristic that sticks out most is her stupidity. In the beginning of the book, Vi is locked up with a possibly-dangerous criminal with little-to-no security if he were to, say, try to rape or kill her. All "V" can think about is the way he says the word "nice" and shrugs his shoulders. Never mind that the boy she's been Matched* with--and loves--is waiting for her at home, she's got this hot criminal here who will lend her some hair gel so she can impress people! (Who exactly she hopes to impress when she's locked up with a maybe-rapist is beyond me.)

What else? Jag--the bad boy in our stereotypical love triangle--is hot. And that's pretty much it. Redeemable qualities? Well...he lies a lot. Wait. You're saying that's not a redeemable quality? But Violet does it all the time! And whenever Jag lies to her, she forgives him after approximately 5.3 seconds, so she must not care that much.

The only semi-likable character is Zenn. He's weak and vulnerable, though he's repeatedly called Violet's "sweet, wonderful Zenn." And he wasn't really. This guy has potential, but it's very very minimal.

WORLD-BUILDING

Real "tech" (source)

The world-building is bland and unoriginal, except for this weird bit about character that have mind-control capabilities. What's with that? Is this Doctor Who, where humans have evolved and and interbred with other species to give them new powers? Because the book never mentioned anything like that. It's a futuristic world so...Did radiation alter everyone and magically give them superpowers?

Which leads to my next bit on world-building. They don't have technology and gadgets. There's "tech," also called "techtricity." And Violet can sense and control this "tech" with her mind. In fact, she takes little initiation unless she's sure that her powers are there to save her. Her strength of will and determination only takes her as far as her powers do.

OTHER STUFF

There is, of course, a Resistance. Or Rebellion. Or something. And I learnt absolutely nothing about them in this book. I don't even care to remember their name**.

Violet keeps on mentioned "Vi Speak" and "Jag Speak." As though whenever they say certain things, they mean other things, and they can "understand" each other's double-meaning. Violet, honey, this is what we call subtext. Understanding subtext is part of what makes you a normal, social person.

*Yeah, I linked to that book on purpose. It's nearly identical to this one.

**I used to have a Resistance in my WIP. And then I realized that that is a completely boring name. So I thought up something better.

Rating: 0* No. Just no.

Song that Connects to the Book: I was going to say Me Against the World by Simple Plan, but none of the characters in this book have even close to as much determination and strength shown in the song.

So. That was a bit long.

If you read Possession what did you think? Do you agree with me, or like it for some reason?

Peace,
Riv

The Rules of Survival Review and a Sort Of Hiatus

Hey Blogger Buds,

Those who have been following me for a long time know that I go away every August, to the middle of nowhere without internet. I've considered putting a sibling in charge of the blog, but the Blobfish (AKA: the sister) is super-busy. I try to schedule posts for you, even though I can't put together as many as usual. (I know my blogging has already been pretty...erratic...lately, but that's besides the point.)

I have 2 reviews going up next Tuesday and the one after. I hope to put up another review, though I'm super busy today and I'm leaving tomorrow. I do plan on putting together another few posts, to go up every Sunday (I can't do Sunday and Thursday), but I can't promise. (Seriously--CRAZY busy today.)

I will be back Tuesday, August 21 and I'll put up another post then, if I'm not completely exhausted.

I'm going to have brief internet access, hopefully, on Sunday, August 5th. If you would like to contact me about the blog, I can be reached at RivReads AT gmail DOT com. If you have a more personal, less-official message to send me (I'm going to regret sharing this, aren't I?), I can also be reached at RivReWrites AT gmail DOT com. Blog-related emails WILL NOT BE RESPONDED TO if sent to the second address*.

*Unless you're J K Rowling personally emailing me to offer up a signed ARC of The Casual Vacancy. In which case, maybe.

And, since it's Tuesday, I have a sort-of-mini review for you, as well, of The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin. (Recommended by the aforementioned Blobfish.)

Blurby:

For Matt and his sisters, life with their cruel, vicious mother is a day-to-day struggle for survival. But then Matt witnesses Murdoch coming to a child's rescue in a convenience store, and for the first time, he feels a glimmer of hope.

When, amazingly, Murdoch begins dating Matt's mother, life is suddenly almost good. But the relief lasts only a short time. When Murdoch inevitably breaks up with their mother, Matt knows he needs to take action. But can he call upon his hero? Or will he have to take measures into his own hands?

A heart-wrenching portrait of a family in crisis, this is Nancy Werlin's most compulsively readable novel yet.

Review:

The Rules of Survival was pretty intense, I guess, but I wasn't overwhelmed by it. I do love the style. It was written as a letter (similar to Stolen: A Letter to My Captor) to Matt's younger sister, who was just a child when the book took place. You also, weirdly, know how the book ends before it does. Matt keeps saying how his sister is reading this "after," and she knows XYZ happened. But you still don't know exactly how it's going to go down (I'm reverting to the 80s) until it does, and I was definitely thrown for a few loops. There are multiple climaxes, and they are intense.

One small problem I had was that there was a "big reveal" about Murdoch in the end, something I was able to guess early on. But there was more to it, at least, which I didn't expect.

The Rules of Survival gives you a lot of great insights. Matt's mother wasn't exactly abusive on a regular basis. But that almost makes it worse, because she was unstable. You get inside of Matt's head, and you can understand and sympathize with him, living in a constant state of absolute terror.

I liked the characters well enough, though it's not really my type of book. It was okay, and that's pretty much it. A bit forgettable for my fantasy-centered mind. (I find it harder to care about individual characters when the fate of entire worlds hangs in the balance. And yeah, I'm completely aware that this book is realistic, and, sadly, very commmonplace.)

Rating: 3 stars. It was okay.

Adios,

Riv

Angelfire Review (Linkage)

Hey Blogger Buds,
Sorry for the late post! I'm halfway through Doctor Who (I've officially become a Whovian) and I realize: Hey! Today's Tuesday! I stopped my episode in middle to come here. That's how devoted I am. I put y'all before David Tennant. (This is saying something.)
I don't have a review right here, BUT I've been guest blogging over at The Little Reapers! Yesterday, I reviewed Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton, and today was my favorites list! I use the word epic a lot. Go check it out!

Peace,
Riv

The Fault in Our Stars Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
After an extended [extended] hiatus, I'm back! I just finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green this weekend, so I have a review (if, you know, you couldn't tell from the title of this blog post). I haven't posted a review in...2 months. Wow. For a book blogger, that's pretty sad. I'm also working on my reviewing layout, because I have a tendency to ramble, and I like to keep things clear. I try to get down everything I feel ,but I can talk a lot.
Let's get on with it, shall we?


(Just a disclaimer: My blog is usually completely clean, language-wise, but there is an instance or two of me not being my entirely angelic self.)

Blurby: (Goodreads)

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumors in her lungs... for now. 

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault. 

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Review:

Right off the bat, I did not cry. Everyone cried, and I'm probably cold and heartless, but I did not. Maybe it's because I was stupid enough to read some Youtube comments, and one of the three comments I read just said the ending. Straight out. I hate those people.

But anyway.

If I were to describe this book in one word, discounting the completely true words like "emotional" and "beautiful," I would call tFiOS "existential." Because it is. And its existentialism is both its strongest and its weakest points. Hazel and Augustus are all about how everything will fade into oblivion and humans will not last forever.

CHARACTERS

Hazel Lancaster: Hazel was an amazing character. She's brilliant, and a bit existential without going overboard. She's thoughtful. She's strong and she's weak. She refuses to accept and she accepts. Hazel is real.

Augustus Waters: He was definitely swoon-worthy, even with "1.4" legs. He calls Hazel her full name--Hazel Grace. He owns a pack of cigarettes so he can put the killing thing between his lips and not give it the power to kill. But. His existentialism was too much. Sure, all of his quotes about needing to be remembered and the universe just wanting to be noticed made me think, but in the end, it all turned meta. (My thought process: "Oh, the pain! Wait. Why am I being existential? Darn it, I'm so meta...) And the way Augustus went looking for metaphors were there weren't any just bothered me. A lot. Yet still, he's just such a spirited character, so full of life.

Peter Van Houten: I want to avoid spoilers, so I'll say that I reacted to him exactly how I was expected to. And I was satisfied with his character, for the most part.

Side Characters: There was Isaac, who I absolutely adored from page one. (Or two. Or where ever he showed up.) And Kaitlyn managed to be fabulous, even with her tiny part. My issue was with Hazel's parents. Sure, her dad was the emo crier, but they were still a major cliche. Hazel's mother was a helicopter mom, always there. She surprised me in the end, but I didn't like either of them throughout.

OTHER

An Imperial Affliction: AIA is the imaginary book that Hazel is obsessed with. And John Green presented it as existential, which could have been a major flop. If I had said, "this 'book' is garbage, what is Hazel's deal?" at all the quotes, tFiOS would have been terrible. But An Imperial Affliction was a well-written "book." John Green gambled, and he won.

Source

Prose: The Fault in Our Stars was absolutely beautiful. I could probably pluck at least one quotable quote from each page. I just opened up to a random page. Here's one from page 116: "Most of the time I could forget about it, but the inexorable truth is this: They might be glad to have me around, but I was the alpha and the omega of my parents' suffering."

Cancer: I can't very well talk about tFiOS without discussing cancer. I don't have such a connection to cancer, or even know much about it. But John Green helped me feel all the things anyway. I understood what was going on. And, although I didn't like how the grief was written, Mr. Green cut away all of the crap of having cancer, of how "strong" the survivors are. This book is many things. It's existential, yes, but it's also emotional, it's also beautiful, and, when you put those all together, you get what it truly is: real.

RATING: 8 stars (out of 5)

RELATED SONG: There are a million fan songs I just listened to, my favorite being the eponymous (always wanted to use that word) song by SuperCoolFunnyVideos. (Seriously. The only real instrument is a guitar that two of them play at once. Other than that, they use copies of tFiOS!)

DFTBA,

Riv

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Dragon's Tooth by N.D. Wilson

Happy Monday, Blogger Buds!
I'm posting a review today to take part in Shannon Messenger's marvelous meme. If you don't follow her already, get your butt over to her blog. She's hysterical.

This week, I'm reviewing The Dragon's Tooth by N.D. Wilson. I had to write about it for school, so that's doubling as my review. I was gifted a copy by the author, but these thoughts are completely my own.
Also: The entire time, I imagined Wes Bentley/Seneca Crane as Rupert Greeves. (When I looked it over again, I realized that he's black, a detail I missed the first time. It doesn't change the epicosity level, though.)

Blurby: (Goodreads)
For two years, Cyrus and Antigone Smith have run a sagging roadside motel with their older brother, Daniel. Nothing ever seems to happen. Then a strange old man with bone tattoos arrives, demanding a specific room.
Less than 24 hours later, the old man is dead. The motel has burned, and Daniel is missing. And Cyrus and Antigone are kneeling in a crowded hall, swearing an oath to an order of explorers who have long served as caretakers of the world's secrets, keepers of powerful relics from lost civilizations, and jailers to unkillable criminals who have terrorized the world for millennia.
N. D. Wilson, author of Leepike Ridge and 100 Cupboards, returns with an imagination-capturing adventure that inventively combines the contemporary and the legendary.

Review:
I don't read children's books very often, but when I happened to find myself with a copy of The Dragon's Tooth, I decided to give it a try. And I don't regret it. It was filled with a wide array of characters, all completely unique and different. My only complaint, character-wise, is that the main characters, Cyrus and Antigone Smith, seemed older than their respective 11 and 13 years.
My second problem was the perspective changes. Mostly, the book followed "Cy" and "Tigs," but there are the occasional switches; you get glimpses into the minds of minor characters once in a while, and it often slows the pace.
The best idea, though, was probably the man who launched the siblings’ adventure: an old friend of their deceased father, William Skelton, alias Billy Bones. He's intelligent, fearless, and a tragic character. You glean all this from the few pages he remains alive in.
I really loved the plot. It starts out bizarre, but when things settle down, they're mind-blowing. You have lightning bugs, which electrocute the entire area when their glass cases are smashed. There's Patricia the patrik, a snake that disappears whenever she swallows her tail. Most brilliant of all, though, was the antagonist: Dr. Phoenix, also known as Mr. Ashes, depending on his mood and the presence of a dirty and mysterious lab coat.
As a bonus, The Dragon's Tooth employs one of my favorite plot ideas of all time; I love when authors inundate history into their books. There are famous people mentioned in The Dragon's Tooth. Amelia Earhart has "explorer" status in the exclusive club the book centers around. A minor antagonist is an immortal named Maxi--short for Maximilian Robespierre.
Overall, The Dragon's Tooth was brilliant. I enjoyed it a lot and I'm sure that if I had read it five years ago, it would have easily topped my list of favorites.

Rating: 4 stars. Very good


Peace,
Riv

Current Music: Forever on the Dance Floor--covered by Mike Tompkins (originally by Chris Brown)

A Flyaway Mini-Review; Oh, and POTTER FREAKIN' MORE

(Brownies if you get the "freakin'" reference)
*waves dorkily*

#1:

Flyaway by Helen Landalf

Blurby at Goodreads
Characters: I liked Stevie at first. She has spirit, a personality. But when she refuses to wear clothes that her mom wouldn't like, all I can think is "Ugh! She's such a poseur!"
I hated Stevie's Mom from the get-go. She's self-absorbed, and cares about her "cigs" much more than about her daughter.
The Professor (real name is Van) is sweet...until he falls victim to the "let's turn Boyfriend #1 from a sweetheart into a jerk so our main character will dump him!" trope. (À la Lola)
Alan. Oh, Alan. Let's weigh your actions and excuses. Action: You're rude. Excuse: It's okay, because you're gentle with the injured birds. Action: You're a bully. Excuse: You've had it rough. Action: You publicly outed a Christian. Excuse: (Spoiler. Valid reason, though.) Action: You tripped and bullied a special ed kid until she had to switch schools. Excuse: ... What was that, Alan? Can't hear you over your conscience's cries of pain. It's like killing puppies, Alan. The eighth deadly sin.
Everything Else: The plot is pretty much the only redeeming quality. It kept me up, gripped by Stevie's story. Why? I don't know. There was zero emotion; there was just Stevie telling us what's happening. ("I woke up. I saw Aunt Mindy. She gave me news. I screamed in anger. I slammed the door in her face and went back to sleep.")
What I didn't like about the plot? No grit. A freaking love triangle that served very little purpose besides being a love triangle.
The ending was the best part. It was very fitting.
[/End rant]
Rating: 3* Okay

#2:
You might have heard of this thing. It's called Pottermore.
Yeah. Pottermore.
As in, ya know...

That Pottermore. And they're open.

The Philosopher's Stone part is out already.

I'm in Slytherin which is, apparently, Merlin's house. (And you know about me and Merlin.)

My wand is acacia wood with a dragon heartstring core, 13 inches, brittle.

This one's a bit longer than mine. Source.

So what are you waiting for? Hop on the Express and head over!

Peace and dragons,

Riv

Mini Reviews: Wings of the Wicked; Hold Me Closer, Necromancer; Looking for Alaska

Hey Blogger Buds,
I have these books piling up that I really want to review....I just never get around to it. And time passes, my memory gets foggy with old age, and I lose interest in writing reviews.
So here we go, quickfire.
I've listed a few things here: A goodreads link, a short blurb of my own creation, and a song that connects to the book.

Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Linkage: Angelfire Review ~ Will Doll ~ Cadan Doll

Blurby: In the sequel to Angelfire, Ellie has to deal with growing into her powers, her feelings for her guardian, Will, and deceit, while she's struck with tragedy after tragedy and is presented with life-changing secrets.

(Why can't I be this good at blurbing my OWN books?)

Review: WotW was absolutely phenomenal. I was blown away. You've gotten so much more familiar with the characters at this point, and they're all just adorable and amazing. Really strong, and kick-butt. I'm a total "Wellie" shipper. They're there for each other through thick and thin, balancing the other out perfectly. When tragedy strikes, they present a united front, Will holding Ellie while she screams and cries, even when she's so mad she tries to hurt him. No pun intended, their love is undying.

Of course, this book also featured my favorite character a great deal--Cadan. He's just...awesome. In so many ways. (In my dream world, I'm Team Rivdan.)

The only critique I can make is that when Ellie suffered, I didn't feel her pain. Some really bad...stuff...hits the fan, and it destroys (not literally, don't worry) destroys Ellie, but I didn't really feel it as much as I wish I had.

I NEED book 3.

(Plus, the fight scenes were epic.)
Song: Guardian Angel by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Rating: 8 stars AMAZING

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Blurby: Miles Halter, unpopular dork obsessed with last words, goes to Culver Creekboarding school, where he finds new friends in the Colonel, Takumi, and the hurricane which is Alaska Young, who turns his life upside-down, shakes it up, and opens up, leaving it to explode like a soda bottle.

(Bad metaphor simile, I know)

Review: I was a little bit underwhelmed by Looking for Alaska, but it felt very real. All the characters were well-rounded and charming. The numerous pranks sprinkled throughout make me question John Green's schoolboy days, though...

I just felt like there was something missing, some sort of draw, throughout the first part of the book. I didn't feel the tension.

"After" was amazing, though. I didn't see it coming until about a page before, I just couldn't imagine it...and then BAM. I felt the agony.

Emotional rollercoasters FTW. A billion percent.

There isn't a real answer, in the end, but I think it's fitting that way. There's hope for everyone, all the strange and quirky characters.

Song: Looking for Alaska by Hank Green
Rating: 3 stars Okay

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Blurby: Sam LaCroix was a pretty average joe (or Sam, as the case may be)...until someone tells him he's a necromancer. Yup, "necromancer" as in "you can raise the dead, and that makes you a threat to that power-hungry necromancer down yonder, but to make up for it, here's a werewolf girlfriend." Wait. What? Necromancers and werewolves?

Review: I think what makes this book so fantastic, the key part of it, is the characters. Sam is just so...real. I don't think I will ever find a character as mundane as Sam. He works in fast-food. He plays potato-hockey (you read that right). He has a snarky little sister, and a cool mom. His friends are also super loyal...and really, really quirky. His name is short for Samhain (apparently pronounced Sowin.)

I didn't like the multiple POVs at first, they were distracting and boring enough to make me give up on the book for a while, but once I got into it, I got into it.

I have three complaints. (1) Sam took everything in stride, which irks me in paranormal books. "I'm a necromancer? Weird. But, ya know, I can live with that." DUDE. FREAK OUT. *grabs Sam and shakes him by the shoulders* (2) The writing was a little bit repetitious. (3) The book was mad funny, but most of the brilliantly mad funny was in the beginning, so my high hopes weren't met after those opening pages.

I just found out that there's a sequel. YES.

Song: Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer by Elton John (of course)
Rating: 5* Original and well thought out.

Peace and swords,
Riv

A Review (Okay, a Rave) About the Warriors Series by Erin Hunter

Hey Blogger Buds,
When you were younger, did you ever have that one series that carried you through your childhood, that you stayed up all hours of the night devouring?
Okay. Maybe that's a lot of books, for a lot of you.
But when you think back, can you think of just one?

I can.

I discovered The Warriors Series when  was about 8. For years, I was captivated. I waited anxiously for the next book to come out (only 3 a year), and screamed when the author came to New York. (My mother let me take off school for it, that's how obsessed I was.) I was always one of the first people to get the books as my library got them.

This series was my childhood.

As I got older, I was less attentive. I fell behind. The books still entertain me, but in a different way. I'm not held prisoner by them anymore, not moving from my seat until I've turned the last year. But I still love them, they still hold a special place in my heart.

Today, the last of 24 books was released. The series has had a 9 year run. (I haven't followed them that long, mind you.)

I'm still two books behind, but I'm going to fix that.

Over the next few weeks (months?) I plan to revisit, and reread, all of these books. How it will take me, I don't know. But I'm bring smexah my childhood back.

For those of you with young siblings, or children, who have a passion for animals, I recommend the Warriors series. The first book, Into the Wild, follows a young housecat, Rusty, and his discovery of an entire world in his backyard as he joins Thunderclan and becomes a Warrior.

Will these sound silly to you? Possibly.
Will they entertain your nine-year-old? Definitely.

 

Add the series on Goodreads. You won't regret it.

Peace and cats,
Riv

(Yes, I do realize I haven't posted a real book review since mid-March. Next week, I hope to have an MG review of Ashtown Burials.)

The Iron Knight Review (Spoiler-Free)

Hey Blogger Buds,

If you know how to read, you should read The Iron Fey original trilogy just so you can read The Iron Knight. I was completely blown away. This book was just...amazing. Gut-wrenching. Heart-twisting. To DIE for.

*I kept the review 100% spoiler free, so if you're new to the series you can still read this review. But, if you're new to the series, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Linkage here on the blog:

The Iron Daughter Review

The Iron Queen Review

Letter To Puck (minor spoiler of The Iron Queen)

Fanfiction (minor spoiler of The Iron Queen)

Analysis of the Iron Knight cover (yes, I'm obsessed)

Character Doll (AKA picture) of Ash
Character Doll (AKA picture) of Puck

Blurby (blacked out for spoilers):

My name--my True Name--is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl...

To cold faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought. 

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive. 

With the unwelcome company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his vow to stand by Meghan’s side. 

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. And along the way Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

I'm dividing this review up into parts. like I did for The Iron Queen.

But first, there was one part that I hated:

Ash almost convinced me to switch away from Team Puck. Almost.

Characters:

Ash is...amazing. Getting into his head is absolutely wonderful, and you really get to know him. His hopes, his dreams, his past. It's...astounding. He's such a fabulous character, so complex and swoon-worthy and...I don't know how to finish that sentence. His inner struggles are even harder and more trying that his physical ones, but they just make you love him more.

Puck will always be my number one book boyfriend. He wasn't portrayed as...kindly...in this book as in the original three, but that is, of course, all about the main character's perception. (And Ash really viewed him differently in this book. But more on that in a minute.) At one point, you get a glimpse at Puck's true nature, and it's bone-chilling, to make a huge understatement. That one scene gives you so much insight into the laughing prankster. And Potential. It makes you appreciate his jokes and carefree attitude even more.

Grim has always been my least favorite character. I've had an intense dislike for him since Meghan fell upon him in The Iron King. He just...irks me. In the end, you get a little insight into him, which is, surprisingly, not completely unpleasant.

Others: There were several other key character that I'm going to avoid mentioning for fear of spoileriness, but they're fantastic.

Plot and Setting:

It's very hard to analyze this plot without spoiling anything, but it was so original. I never appreciated Julie Kagawa's genius until this book. There's just so much that's to die for. There are no slow moments, only plot twist after plot twist. And everything makes perfect sense. This book is a work of art.

The setting was also ingenious. I don't know how Kagawa does it, but she puts you in the wyldwood, right beside Ash and co. You see everything they see, experience everything they experience. And man, what an experience that is. It's like you're there.

(Imaginary conversation between me and a friend:

Me: So what did you do over the weekend?

Friend: Hung out, went shopping, the usual. What about you? Did you do anything?

Me: Oh, not much. I just went for a little trip into Fairyland.

Friend: ...)

Writing:

It's just amazing. Julie is a fabulous writer. You feel along with the characters. When they laugh, you smile. When they cry, you wipe away tears. You can't stop it. You're just one of the group.

The Covers:

Sorry. Just wanted to squee on this for a second. So. Gorgeous. And also, once you've finished the book, the little tagline on the cover makes perfect sense, more than you would think pre-read. "Soulless. Banished. But never forgotten."

Ash's Past:

It's tragic. That's all there is to say. One part I loved: A flashback to a scene mentioned in The Iron Queen. I actually wrote my own interpretation of that scene, and posted it on the blog a few months back. Nothing like the official story, Julie's, of course.

The End of the Book and Series:

This series was beyond amazing. I can't get over it.

One problem: The closing scene is focused on Grimalkin, the cait sith. I didn't understand at first, but I just now reread it, I got it. And it makes me really happy. It's the absolute perfect end for the series.

I can't think of any way these books could have gotten better. This series was perfect. (Oh, okay. It could have used more Puck. You can never have too much Puck.)

Ash-Puck Relationship:

I had to save this part for last. The two key characters have this bizarre connection, this history. Their relationship is a tenuous one, with Ash's vow to kill Puck, and the trickster's determination to annoy the winter prince as much as possible. But you can see, through it all, that there's a bond. It's just been worn away at, until it's just one nearly-invisible thread. And theirs is a relationship that takes a long time to rebuild.

Drawn by Julie

You can see the ghosts of their past everywhere, often in Puck's references to previous adventures, which I absolutely loved.

One thing that stood out clearly: The names they used for each other. Puck often called Ash "ice-boy." Ash, meanwhile, simply referred to him as "Robin Goodfellow" or just "Goodfellow," if he addressed him by name at all.

My favorite Ash-Puck scenes may have been when they were annoying the H-E-double-toothpicks out of each other, but, in close second, was when they used names. There were no scenes more tender, more emotional in this book (in a guy-love way, of course) than when they called each other "Ash" and "Puck" respectively. Those moments pulled my heart strings, and I wanted to wrap them both up in a huge hug. And try to avoid the pointy things jabbed at me.

Best. Bromance. Ever.

TEN STARS. Read this. NOW.

What did you think of The Iron Knight? Of the whole series? Are you sad to see the end? I definitely am. What did you think of Ash and Puck's bromance? Do tell.

Peace and happy fey,

Riv

Rock On Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Today I've got a review of Rock On: A Story of Guitars, Gigs, Girls, and a Brother (not necessarily in that order) by Denise Vega. I read it a while ago, but just came out yesterday.

 (<<<----Isn't that button SNAZZY?)

*My copy is an ARC. I wasn't given it so that I would write a positive review. This review is made up a thousand percent my own opinions.

I was gifted my copy of Rock On by the fabulous Sandy at Pirate Penguin Reads (isn't that the coolest blog name EVER?) Go check her out!

Blurby: (from Goodreads)
High school sophomore Ori Taylor, lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter in a nameless rock band, has always been known as the overlooked younger brother of Del, a high school sports star. But when Del suddenly returns home from college just as Ori is starting to gain some confidence in himself, Del expects everything to return to the way it used to be.

Review:
     The book opens straight into the action, and you immediately take a liking to all of the characters, and get a feel for them as well, both when they interact with each other and how they are naturally.
     The story remains tense, with stuff happening all the time. There are problems that crop up; some are solved quickly, some last until the end. You're kept invested the entire time.     There's some interesting formatting. Interspersed throughout the book are blog posts and text messages, putting you right there, making you a member of the band, or one of their fans.
     The ending got kind of predictable. I knew from page one why Del was being such a something-else-that-starts-with-"D". And I just wanted to get it out of the way, make the brothers buddy-buddy again.
     But Denise Vega saved her book. Because, as you can see from the book title, the brother wasn't the only problem.

But let's delve a little deeper.

A Story of a Guitar:
     GUYS. The guitar is FRAWESOME. I know nothing about guitars, but Denise Vega didn't make me feel stupid. A major PLUS!!
A Story of a Gig:
     Which is the best part. This saved the book. Because after Del's predictability, there was still the Battle of the Bands, and the lack of a band name. And they didn't do something cheesy and decide to name it "The Band To Be Named Later." It got an actual NAME. And the gig was fantastic. :)
A Story of a Girl:
     And she's perfect in an imperfect way. Just amazing. And the relationship is really healthy and sweet, and very 15-year-old type of normal.

A Story of a Brother:

     In the beginning, Ori and Del both bothered me a bit.
     Del I understood. He's an angsty college-dropout, who's completely lost.
     Ori is amazing in that fifteen-year-old, trying-to-figure-out-life way. But, as often happens when a female author writes about a boy, Ori is too girly.
     Rule of thumb: Girls writing from guys' points of view never ends well. Personal anecdote: I had to write a short scene from a boy's POV in my MS. For that one scene, I killed myself. I thought about each word before putting it down on paper. And then I went straight to my brothers. I plan on going back to them when I rewrite, and make them viciously tear apart my one little chapter.
     I had another issue with Ori: He sucked up to Del so much. But then, halfway through the book, something clicked and I really understood Ori. I got him. I may be a girl, and I may be tonedeaf, but I saw something of myself in him, hidden deep. That innate desire for approval, to be "cool" like an older sibling. (Of course, these days my sister tells people that I'm much cooler than her, but that's besides the point :P) And once I got Ori, he became a lot more likeable.

From the beginning, he was more realistic than I initially realized.

Rating: 4 stars

Rock on,

Riv

Lola and the Boy Next Door Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
I hate opening up blog posts with apologies. It feels like such a negative way to start a post, especially a post about a book you didn't actually like. But...
I'm sorry.
My school has this production thing that's kind of a Big Deal. It involves A Lot of Practice. And one of my house computers broke. And I've been pushing myself to finally finish my first draft, after three years.
All in all, I'm a bad person blogger.
BUT, today I have a review for you.
And on Thursday I have a new meme planned, and I really hope this one works out.
Let's get to the review, shall we?

Add Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins on Goodreads!
Bonus: Even though, as you're about to see, I didn't like the book, I have something extra-special and Lola related coming on Thursday!

Blurby:
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:
Preface: I'm not someone who went into Lola expecting a bad book. And my expectations weren't through the roof. But I know that Stephanie can write really well, and I expected this book to nearly live up to the standards set with Anna. This isn't a review by someone who hates/loves anything and everything Stephanie Perkins.
Anna and the French Kiss was one of the best contemporary romances I read in 2011. The characters were all real, hysterical, adorable, and the chemistry between Anna and Etienne was amazing. I was scared to touch their names with my fingertips, in case touching both at the same time would electrocute me. Perkins even had one of Anna's cutest lines in this book, as well, as a treat for fans, I guess. :)
Unfortunately, Anna and Etienne were the best part of this sequel.
I wasn't feeling the romance in this one. I didn't even like the love interest. And both boys were really poorly written.
But I'm jumping ahead a bit.
San Francisco. Awesome setting, definitely.
Lola. Cute, spunky, quirky, and original. Great main character, though sometimes annoying.
[Rant ahead.]
Parents. Well, Dads. I have absolutely no problem with Lola being brought up by two gay men. I think it's a pretty interesting twist and, being a Gleek, it's very Berry-esque. And Stephanie Perkins, as Lola of course, keeps on saying that just because they're gay doesn't mean one of them is the "woman." Lola/Stephanie says that they're very equal.
Except: Nathan is the lawyer, who "brings home the bacon" and cracks down on Lola about rules, the "bad cop." Meanwhile, Andy bakes pie, and is always on Lola's side, telling her he'll go talk to Nathan when something happens. He calls Nathan "honey." Although Lola is trying to phrase it not in a negative light, with a really frank view ("and I don't use this expression lightly") she admits that ice-skating is "the gayest thing about him."
You want equality? Make Nathan the one who likes figure-skating. I've met gay men; some are gayer than others. I know someone who looks and acts like a completely normal, decent person (no, I'm NOT saying that gay people aren't "decent") who could be straight.
Perkins took a perfectly nice trope and messed it up royally.
[/End rant]

I really like Max at first. He started out sweet and sensitive. Perkins deliberately changed his character in middle of the book. If how he acted in the beginning is anything to go by, he's a good person. He must have hit his head, or become bipolar or something... And you know me, I always root for the underdog.
Cricket really, really annoyed me at first.  As much as I liked Max I disliked Cricket. And then, like Max, he underwent a completely change into a less-annoying person. And yes, I understand that he was smitten, but he was such a push-over. There was ZERO chemistry.

(And notice how I just used a sentence in all-caps? The book has that too. Sure, it's a writing style, but it comes across as incredibly unprofessional.)

Besides for Max (at first) and Anna-Etienne, the only good part was...
Um...
Wait. Scratch that. Anna-Etienne was the only good part that lasted the entire book. They're just cuteness times infinity.

Rating: 2 stars It was a bad book. I don't recommend it.

Peace,
Riv

If you've read Anna and/or Lola, what did you think of them?

Ditched Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Long time, no speaky! I feel terrible, having not posted a review in over a month, and having so many books I really want to review! Today, I've got Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom. I won my copy from Laura Pauling, and, of course, all opinions expressed here are my own.
*This is a review of an ARC. The book is already out, so make sure to pick up a finished copy!*
Linkies are all down below, but, in case you forget, make sure to add Ditched on Goodreads!

Blurby (Goodreads):
High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.
And then ditched her.
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...
But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

Review:
Most of you probably know that I'm not a big contemporary lover. Occasionally, I'll pick up a hysterical one, or an "issues" book. But I'm not so big on your everyday, fluffy, "Oh Em Gee my life is over!" type of book. I've got more important things to worry about than if the jock is in like with you or not.
So it's a good thing that Ditched isn't one of those books.
Sure, it's about being in love. And it's about your personal 12/21/12 coming a few months early, but it's also about finding unexpected friends, and trusting people, and just stopping to care about consequences-for once!-and just doing it.
Ditched isn't a particularly deep book. It's brilliantly funny, and if you like fluffy, rainbows-and-kittens brain-candy, this is fantastic. If you care for the deeper stuff, you won't come away satisfied. If you, like me, rarely give contemps a second glance, it may not even be worth it to bother.

But I'm being too general. You may be asking "but what about the characters, Riv‽" (and yes, I just used an interrobang.)
In a word (or not): They're nearly real.
Sure, Justina is kind of.. melodramatic, and falls in love in a little too quickly, but she's made mistakes, and she tries to fix them...and, fortunately for us, her antics are incredibly entertaining, if sometimes futile.
Ian was kind of awesome, though we didn't see much of him, but a bit annoying in the perfect-boy way. (Why are all main boy characters so perfect? Argh.)

This book is written really differently than what I'm used to. It opens up with Justina waking up on the side of the road. And then, every other chapter, it returns to the night before as she recounts her disastrous evening. But the book wasn't full of telling, in each flashback, we're actually transported to the event. And the book has the added bonus of pictures in the beginning of each "flashback" chapter as Justina recounts her night by the gross stains all over her dress, from the chicken marsala to the curry to the mysterious one at the hem of her dress...and there's also the dyed shoes she put it on, actually [read: accidentally] listening to her mother's advice.


Overall:
Ditched is fantastic for those moments when you want to kill a few hours, and just laugh at a good book. (If you've got things to do, don't even start. I killed an entire afternoon, sitting and reading this straight.)

Rating: 4* Good book, pretty good writing, well worth it.

Amazon LibraryThing B&N

The Future of Us Review

(For those of you who saw this yesterday, sorry! I forgot to schedule it.)
Hey Blogger Buds,
It's been a while since I've put up a review. The Future of of Us, by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler, is released Monday, November 21st.
Some of you may remember "As Long As You'll Dine: A Wicked Parody" which is a parody of, well, Wicked. As in, Broadway Wicked. I had a lot of fun writing ALAYD, and I've made another parody for The Future of Us. I'll leave you guessing what song I'm parodying. Hint: the genre is pop-country.
Pop back in next Sunday for the parody!
So. On to the review. Summary from Amazon.com

The Future of Us on Goodreads.

Blurby:

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

Review:
[Note: This review isn't a full review, like usual. It's just my thoughts. It's kind of scattered, partially coherent and, like my brain, mostly scary.]
[Sorry in advance for the poor review.]

The book was interesting. I felt like the authors were trying to hard with the world building. (Five pages in, and I'm being overwhelmed with "pop" culture references.)
And, although I'm assuming that Jay Asher wrote the chapters from Josh's POV and Carolyn Mackler wrote Emma's chapters, I didn't find a distinction between the two voices, oddly enough. The key to multiple authors is clearly separating the voices, and I wasn't feeling it.
It was a pretty good book though. It wasn't predictable, and the ending was very bittersweet. Upon hearing about the book, I wondered how the authors would do it, and they incorporated Facebook very well.
There were some "inside jokes" for the reader as well. For example, two characters were talking about Ellen DeGeneres. One said that he thinks she might be gay, and the other character replied that it's impossible.

I recommend this book to those who can reminisce about the good ol' days, when computers took FOREVER to turn on, and you had to unplug your phone line to use the internet.
I also recommend it for those goshdarn young-un's, so we they can point and laugh. :)


I give The Future of Us 3 stars. Mediocre book. Not compelling, but interesting.

Pre-order TFoU: Amazon Book Depository Barnes and Noble

Peace and Interwebs,
Riv

Panic! At the Disco Music Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Straight off the bat apologies. I know, this is a book blog. I've seen many book blogs that post about music and things, but Riv Reads is all about books. And music isn't really book-related. It can be, seeing as many of us write while listening, but it's not so direct.
Anyway, I haven't finished any books recently, my schedule's been kind of packed. So I'm here to tell you about an album that came out back in '09, but I've pretty much been listening to on repeat. I'll go through each song, talking about certain lyrics, the meanings, and what I thought of it overall. Meanings will mostly be from songmeanings.net. I double-check most of my lyrics. If that site is really wrong, I'll use another. My quoted lyrics are correct, though.
I don't really expect you to go out and get it based on this review. I figure if you're a P!atD fan, you already have it if you want it.

I'm rating out of three. One, I didn't really like it. Two, it was okay. Three, it's one of the better songs on the album. One star doesn't mean the song was bad. It means I didn't love it as much as some other ones.

Very steampunk-esque

So. Vices and Virtues.
Overall, I love the album. The band split up a while ago, and there's a vast difference in the music. Songs from the first two albums have titles like, "She's a Handsome Woman," "Nine in the Afternoon," and "The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know". This album makes a lot more sense.

I had one major issue with the album, overall. At the end (sometimes the beginning, too) of most songs, was this little instrumental bit. Sometimes for ten seconds, other times for a minute. The instrumental was great in its own right, but it took away from the album, and just made me impatient for the next song to start.

Song: Ballad of the Mona Lisa
Lyrics and Song Meaning: songmeanings.net (direct link)
Favorite Line: N/A
Rating: 1
Thoughts: I don't particular like this one, but it's got a good beat, and it's not so bad. It makes sense, fortunately. It is up to interpretation, as well.

Song: Let's Kill Tonight
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: N/A
Rating: 1
Thoughts: I really like the beat on this one. It's quick and fun, and easy to listen to. I think it's great while you're exercising, for the tempo. I get bored of it pretty easily though, because the lyrics are mostly repetition.

Song: Hurricane
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "We are a hurricane // Drop our anchors in a storm" "And I believe that half the time // I am a wolf among the sheep // Gnawing at the wool over my eyes"
Rating: 2
Thoughts: This is the first song of the album to clearly be about the band breaking up, but it's more than that. It's about being together, and it definitely has a fantastic rhythm.

Song: Memories
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "They were young and independent // And they thought they had it planned // Should have known right from the start you can't predict the end."
Rating: 3
Thoughts: This is one of my absolute favorites from the album. It tells a story, but it has a further meaning than that. It's about the band breaking up. They were great to begin with, but they "lost momentum". They used to be "Young and independent" and they thought they knew what they were doing, but they had no idea what would happen later.


Song: Trade Mistakes
Lyrics and Meaning: metrolyrics.com
Favorite Line: "I may never sleep tonight // As long as you're still burning bright // If I could trade mistakes for sheep // Count me awake before you sleep" "Let me save you hold this rope // I am an anchor sinking her"
Rating: 2
Thoughts: I'm obsessed with these lyrics. I think this chorus has the most brilliant lyrics. Ever. Trading mistakes for sheep, and talking about counting? Utter genius. I'm assuming this is another song about the band breaking up. (Though the line 'you can't sleep in this box with me' really makes me think of Edward refusing Bella. You know, coffins and all...)


Song: Ready To Go (Get Out of My Mind...)
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: [One of the last lines, because of the beat change] "...I know //// I'm ready to go"
Rating: 2
Thoughts: An average song, pretty catchy though.


Song: Always
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "You are taking me apart // Like bad glue on a get well card" "I'm the light blinking at the end of the road // Blink back to let me know" "I'm a fly that's trapped // In a web but I'm thinking that my spider's dead // Lonely, lonely little life // I can kid myself in thinking that I'm fine" "That I'm skin and bone // Just a king and a rusty throne // The castle's under siege // But the sun outside says leave me alone"
Rating: 3
Thoughts: "Trade Mistakes" had brilliant lyrics, but they're nothing like these. I'm absolutely obsessed with the lyrics in Always. It's a slower song, but that one of the reasons I love it so much. A nice bit of calm in the middle of an angsty, loud, album. :)


Song: The Calendar
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "The world may call it a second chance but when I think back it was more of a relapse // Anticipation's on the other line and obsession called while you were out"
Rating: 3
Thoughts: Another favorite. I love the sound of it. It's also really sad. :( Another song about the band breaking up, but I can feel this one more than the others. It's a weird mix. The idea is really sad, the beat is happy, and he sings it like he's mourning. Which I guess he is.


Song: Sarah Smiles
Lyrics and Meaning: songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "Sarah smiles like Sarah doesn't care // She lives in her world so unaware // Does she know that my destiny lies with her?"
Rating: 3
Thoughts: I love this song because it reminds me a really good friend of mine. (She happens to hate the song, but oh well.) I interpret the song as the narrator being totally in love, but she doesn't understand the extent of it. She cares about him, but doesn't get that she's practically his whole world.


Song: Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...)
Lyrics and Meaning: www.songmeanings.net
Favorite Line: "Ever since we met // I've got just one regret to live through // And I regret not letting you go" "Mona Lisa, please to please ya"
Rating: 1
Thoughts: This one follows P!atD's old style of weirdness. It was written before the band broke up, and I think it was recorded back then too. I like how the album starts with "Ballad of the Mona Lisa" and it ends, with the last line being "Mona Lisa, please to please ya." It rounds out the album very well for me.

Ratings Summarized:
Ballad of the Mona Lisa=1
Kill Tonight=1
Hurricane=2
Memories=3
Trade Mistakes=2
Ready To Go (Get Out of My Mind...)=2
Always=3
The Calendar=3
Sarah Smiles=3
Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met)=1

This is important: This music review took me ages (it probably barely makes any sense). Please, please, PLEASE, let me know what you think. Please? Do you like seeing music reviews? Should I make more? Do you hate them?

Also, please let me know what you think of this style of CD review. It takes ages to review individual songs, but I love this album too much to make a general post.

Please leave me some feedback!

Peace, Vices, and Virtues,

Riv