Monday, March 28, 2011

The Unavoidable Comparison

It couldn't go on any longer without being addressed, I have to talk/write about Twilight. You can't seem to read a young adult novel now without getting the inevitable question "Is is like Twilight?" That has to be the absolute worst question to answer about a book I am discussing. If I tell people that it is similar, someone won't want to read it because they think they'd be bored. If I say it isn't like Twilight, then someone doesn't want to read it because they want a book that leaves them feeling the way Twilight did. I hate to be the one to break it to some people but Stephenie Meyer did not start the genre of Young Adult Paranormal Romance and she didn't even write the best books in that genre. She just happened to write some great books that got the whole genre a lot more attention. I love that it got so much attention because it got people, young and old, reading and then talking about books but let's move on people...

That being said, I did like Twilight. In fact, I think I still compare most of the guys in the books I read to Edward because I loved him so much. I have a complete crush on Robert Pattinson and we all know it is only because he plays Edward. But this really is off topic... What really bothers me about all of this Twilight fame is that so many great authors and books are getting the Twilight Comparison and if they don't make the cut, so many people won't read these great stories out there. For that reason alone, I am not going to compare the books I review to Twilight. It just isn't the proper way to review a stand alone work and I feel it somehow diminishes the writing being discussed.

So let me know what you think. Does Twilight deserve to be the standard by which we compare all Young Adult Novels or can/should we move past the Twlight phenomenon?

~Amanda~

Saturday, March 26, 2011

REVIEW FOR "BREATHLESS" by HEATHER HUDAK

Hi All,
I know that I was supposed to post this review a while back but unfortunately life got in the way! While we are getting into the groove of running this blog more efficiently please bear with us and check us out often! So let me get to this long overdue review (drumroll please)....

'Breathless' by Heather Hudak is a great buy for so many reasons. First of all, you can't beat the price of 99 cents and that alone should make everyone go download it at Amazon. 'Breathless' is the first book in the "Cordelia Chronicles" series and it definitely leaves you wanting the second book. The plot is centered around Cordelia but she mostly goes by Lia. The setup may be standard...new, mysterious, smokin' hot guy shows up at school and Lia is instantly smitten if not a little obsessed. The plot and storyline is where Heather Hudak shines. The twists and turns that come out in the second half of the book show what a talent the author has. While this is a paranormal romance, Hudak does a great job of capturing the all-encompassing feeling of a first love that all readers can relate to.

Sure there are some points that aren't exactly my favorite that I am compelled to point out, so here goes: the smokin' hot guy is given a rather disappointing name-Chaysen. It bugged me for a while but I am left to question myself on this matter. Does the name only bug me because I am not a teenager and therefore meeting a guy my age named Chaysen just seems cheesy? Not sure but really, the name isn't pivotal to the plot(that I know of) so I'll move on. Secondly, while I love that Lia is not immediately swooning the minute she finds out some of the mystery behind Chaysen, I think her acceptance and moving past it so quickly pretty much cancels out her initial fear. I appreciate the common sense the author used in Lia's reaction and wished it would have lasted just a bit longer. The last negative I feel that is worthy of pointing out is the role of Lia's grandma. I absolutely loved that Lia's grandma was not clueless to what was going on and did her best persuade and even sneakily remove Lia from Chaysen. The problem with Grandma is that by the end of the book, she lost her spunk and her strong opinons about Chaysen. That being said, Grandma better appear in the sequel.

Speaking of the sequel, "Wanderlust" is currently being finished and should be available on Amazon pretty darn soon, so if you enjoy reading a fresh take on an old idea with lots of romance, go buy "Breathless" and get reading!!! As always, let me know what you guys think and we can discuss.

Next up: "Dead Beautiful" by Yvonne Woon. Can't wait to review this for you guys and hear what you think!

~ Amanda ~

Friday, March 4, 2011

Next Review ...

Hello! Just a quick heads up that the next review will be posted on Sunday on the book 'BREATHLESS' by Heather C. Hudak. It is a super cheap read for your kindle/ereader on amazon.com for only .99 If you would like to check it out before you read my review, all the better! I'd love to hear whether or not you agree with my assessment or if you read it/didn't read it due to my review! Just a note, this is another young adult fiction with a paranormal aspect (vampires). Happy reading!

Love, Amanda