Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake Review

Name: Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)
Author: Kendare Blake
Publisher: Tor Teen
 Release Date: September 10th, 2013
Format: E-Book
Buy the book on Amazon
333 pages

Summary: The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.
 
Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Goodreads

My Review:
A really great start to a series that I definitely see myself loving as it progresses! I haven't read any other books by Kendare Blake but I know many people who love her writing style..and I gotta say I really enjoyed it too!

As most of you may know, I seriously LOVE LOVE mythology books..so when I heard about this book I knew that I had to pick it up! What I liked about this book was that it was very original..I haven't heard of any mythology books where the gods are dying/fighting for their lives, which I thought was very interesting to read about. I also really liked how Kendare Blake added in Cassandra and other characters from the Trojan war. I thought that really was a great twist to add in to this book.

Another aspect of this book that I really liked was the characters! I definitely thought that they were relatable and I could see myself being friends with them in real life. I thought it was interesting to see the gods in sort of a humbled state-especially since they are very limited in their powers and have to rely on others for help. It was different to see them in this state and I really liked seeing them limited in their powers.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! After the cliffhanger ending, I seriously can't wait for the next book! If you are a mythology fan, definitely definitely check this book out! You won't regret it!

My Rating:

The Name of The Star (The Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson Review

Name: The Name of the Star
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
 Release Date: September 29th 2011
Format: E-Book
Buy the book on Amazon
372 pages

Jack the Ripper is back,
and he's coming for Rory next....

Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London to start a new life at boarding school just as a series of brutal murders mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper killing spree of more than a century ago has broken out across the city. The police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man believed to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him - the only one who can see him. And now Rory has become his next target...unless she can tap her previously unknown abilities to turn the tables.

Goodreads

My Review:
I've been reading a lot of YA over winter break, and so far, this book has been my favorite from the enormous (virtual) pile I've been working through on my Kindle. It's hard for me to review just this book because when I finished it, I immediately bought the second book in the series (it's called The Madness Underneath and it is, if possible, even more awesome), but I will do my best. There are a lot of reasons to love The Name of the Star, so let's dive right in. 

First of all, there's the main character. Rory has a great voice; she's funny and sassy and although her character is far from perfect, she remains sympathetic throughout the novel. Seeing London through a foreigner's eyes lets readers like me ease into the unfamiliar setting, and even though I've never visited, the place felt like home by the end of the book. Speaking of London, let me just spare a moment to praise the setting: Wexford feels just like a real English boarding school should, and Maureen Johnson paints a vivid picture of the city that surrounds it.

The characters aside from Rory are fun as well. Although her propensity towards giving girls weird nicknames is a little annoying - Rory's real name is Aurora, and the two other major female characters' names have been shortened to Jazza and Boo, respectively - the characters behind them are well-rounded and interesting. And the boys...oh man. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that the love interest in this series is not who you'd expect it to be, and you're going to fall in love with him right alongside Rory. 

There is a distinct change in the book's tone once Rory discovers she has a special ability (can't tell you anymore, spoilers!). It gets a lot darker and a lot more plot-driven, but the pacing works, and the second book ratchets up the tension even more.

Overall, the Shades of London series is really promising. I can't wait for the third book to come out in 2014!

My Rating:

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Name: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: September 11, 2012

Format: E-Book
Buy the book on Amazon

370 pages

Summary:
Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Goodreads

My Review:

Binge-reading YA books like I did this summer means that, over time, I started to notice patterns in stories. Eventually, I became a caricature of myself, predicting plot twists and love interest drama with the cynical air of an old lady yelling at crazy kids to get off their lawn/start making out already. That metaphor was doomed before it began, but you see what I mean. And then, once in a while, a book comes along that knocks me out of that generic YA slump - a book that actually makes me feel something. For me, that book was Unspoken. 

I'd like to make it clear straight up that the summary of this book is a little bit misleading. From that; it's easy to glean that it's just a simple love story about a boy and a girl who can hear each others' voices in their minds. Only it's really dissecting a common paranormal YA trope of violated privacy; and I love Sarah Rees Brennan for being unafraid to show just how creepy that can be. Kami, the main character, is seen as crazy for her defense of this imaginary friend who's always talking to her in her mind; and when he's revealed to be real, things only get worse, not romantic. Imagine for a second that there was a person who could see into your mind - a person who knew all your terrible thoughts and deepest secrets. Brennan's message is effective, but simple: nobody should have that kind of power over anyone else. 

You'd think that, with such a serious overall message, this book would be heavy; but another reason I loved it so much - and was so torn up over the emotional, angsty stuff - was how funny it actually was. Kami, the narrator, is hilarious; and more than once I had to read a sassy line or a joke to whatever poor soul happened to be sitting next to me while being like "guys, this is so funny, you should totally read this book!" The cast of supporting characters is also stellar - Brennan goes to great lengths to set up a gang of friends so that even when adventures turn dark; someone can spit out a sassy one-liner that perfectly encapsulates the situation. 

Although I would highly recommend Unspoken (and the sequel comes out at the end of this month, so yay!), I would like to caution against one thing: the ending is...interesting. And by interesting I mean there isn't really any sort of resolution; and it left me kind of emotionally destroyed. Because Brennan really makes you care about her characters...and then tears your heart to shreds in the best and worst ways possible. So don't say I didn't warn you.

But yeah; overall, if you like snarky narrators, well-rounded supporting characters, a great setting, mystery and intrigue, and, of course, hot, mysterious dudes with brooding personalities, go read Unspoken. 

My Rating: