Trailer Tuesday (4)

On Trailer Tuesdays, I spotlight two cool trailers for two cool books!

First up, Project 17.  This trailer is downright creepy!  And I just love the whole home-movie feel to it.  So scary!





The second trailer, for Halo, is just plain cool.




So what do you think of this week's trailers?  And what's your favorite book trailer?

Review: The Clockwork Angel

Tessa Gray is sixteen when she sails to Victorian England in search of her brother, Nathaniel.  On arrival she is kidnapped by two warlocks of the Pandemonium Club, who unlock her magical ability to transform into any person.  She is rescued by Shadowhunters, who introduce her to the Downworld.  The Downworld is a world of vampires, werewolves, demons, warlocks, monsters, and the Shadowhunters responsible for keeping them all under control.  But things are changing: there's Tessa's power, which confounds the Shadowhunters.  There's the mysterious clockwork people that shouldn't exist.  And there's the dangerous force calling itself the Magister, who seems to be orchestrating everything...

Tessa finds herself drawn to the Shadowhunters, particularly the sarcastic and moody Will and the fragile, beautiful James.  Torn between them, she must face a dark plot which may kill them and the rest of the world... and Tessa is the key to it all.

Entertainment: ★★★★★

This book is seriously amazing.  It combines magic, romance, steampunk, urban fantasy, and just about every other awesome genre in one action-packed book.  Couldn't put it down.

Plot: ★★★★★

I think the best adjective to describe this plot would be "awesome."  There were plenty of twists I didn't see coming, and the ending was amazing... due to major spoilers, I won't talk in detail about what exactly I loved about the plot, but let's just say it's great.  Really stellar.  Also, it really sets the stage for an equally amazing second book in the series.

Characters: ★★★

If you've read the Mortal Instruments series (I have), you might notice some interesting similarities between some of the characters, like Will and Jace.  I had fun analyzing those similarities.

That said, most of the characters were decent, although many of them were not as impressive as the characters from Mortal Instruments.  Characterization, in fact, was the only aspect of the book that I had any problem with.  I was particularly disappointed by Magnus Bane, who was not nearly as freakin' awesome as he was in the previous series. 

And by the way, I'm Team James.  All the way.  Even though Will has some pretty amazing lines and some interesting depth to him, I completely fell for James.

Writing: ★★★★★

Clare is a really great writer.

End Result: five stars.  A really excellent book.  Read it.

Review: Looking For Alaska

Miles was a nobody, with no friends and no life and nothing except a passion for famous last words.  And then, searching for a "Great Perhaps" (last words, Rabelais) he moves to boarding school in Birmingham.  His roomate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius who lives for pranks.  Chip nicknames him Pudge and introduces him to Alaska.  Alaska is crazy, beautiful, sexy, funny, amazing, self-destructive, a wonderful disaster looking for a place to happen.  She teaches Miles/Pudge to drink, smoke, and prank; in just days, he is head over heels in love with her.

But underneath it all Alaska is truly, deeply unhappy.  She's a screwed-up person.  The book is divided into two parts, with each chapter labled the number of days "before" or "after" the tragedy that changes Miles forever.

Entertainment: ★★★★★

Wow.  Seriously, that's all I can say.  Wow.

Plot: ★★★★

Miles' journey is honest and amazing.  And although what comes "before" is funny and intense, it's what comes "after" that really makes the book.  It's a lot of soul-searching and touchy-feely stuff, which doesn't usually appeal to me, but in this case... it was amazing.

Characters: ★★★★★

Alaska is of course the enigmatic star of the show.  She ricochets wildly from funny, fun, and upbeat to angry, crazy, and depressed.  There's just a lot of her, and she's a really excellent character.  Chip/the Colonel was equally awesome; a trailer-park genius with a Napoleon complex, creative but totally real.  And then Miles, the good kid who'd never smoked or broken a rule; his self-discovery was really amazing to read.  And the side characters, too, were fully characterized and real.  I don't even know what to write about them, seriously, except that they were really, truly awesome.

Writing: ★★★★★

I'll just list some adjectives: light, dark, funny, honest, self-deprecating, open, real.  And those five stars up there just about sum it up for me.

End Result: five stars.  A really excellent book.  Read it.

Fashion Friday

Today's book has two covers, actually, and luckily my look works for both!  Here it is: Flame/Fall of a Kingdom!


     

Now, I have to mention, this is an excellent installment in an excellent series; it's in a place of honor on my Shelf of Awesome Books.  I was excited to put together an outfit for it!





The skirt brings in the whole desert/tribal thing, which is a big part of the story's culture.  It also has orange, which goes with both covers.  The shoes echo it, and the plain shirt keeps it neat and understated, like the style of the main female lead.  Also, the shirt matches the black shading on the covers.  As an extra bonus, there's a decorated gold bracelet, just like the one that plays an important role in the story!





So what do you think of the look?  Do you think it matches the book?

General Update

Hi everybody! So, novapsych has hit its first monthiversery (yay) and I've got some followers (love you guys)!

And according to my Blogger Stats (yes, I creep all of you on Stats), I've had visits from people from Israel, the Philippines, the UK, Denmark, Germany, Brazil, Australia, China, Canda, and the USA.

I feel so very international right now, you have no idea.

And I really wish I could speak anything besides English.

Anyways, I'm having fun blogging and I hope you're all having fun reading, so good afternoon (or night, or morning, or whatever) and keep visiting novapsych!

PS: Tell your friends :)

Review: Stealing Heaven

Danielle is a thief. Her earliest memory is watching quietly as her Mom robs a house; her life consists of flitting from rich neighborhood to rich neighborhood, watching her mother charm men and steal. And Dani helps her steal. It’s all she’s ever known for eighteen years, and she’s pretty much okay with it.

Then, she comes to Heaven. Heaven is a beach resort for the filthy rich to hang out with other rich people, just like hundreds of others Dani’s robbed over the years. But Heaven is different, because Heaven has Allison – talkative, quirky Allison who may actually want to be friends. Heaven has Greg, funny, cute, stubborn Greg who definitely wants to be more than friends. And Dani likes him too. The only problem? He’s a cop, her worst enemy. The con is spiraling out of control as Dani struggles with her conscience and with herself, forced to choose between the only family she has and the only friends she’s ever had.

Entertainment: ★★★★

This was a really cool book. I loved Dani. I liked Heaven. And I was really caught up in their story. Scott does an amazing job of crafting a realistic world and catching the reader up in that world.

Plot: ★★★★

There’s not a whole lot of action in this plot – it’s a very internalized type of story – but I loved all Dani’s introspection and the choices she has to make. I liked the ending, and overall I thought this story was really sweet.

Characters: ★★★★★

Most authors try to write thieves as either Good And Noble or Very Bad. Dani is an amazingly well-written grey area. She also has one of the best internal struggles I’ve read in a while; realistic, not overboard or underwritten. I liked Greg very much (too bad he’s fictional) and I loved Dani’s mom. She’s incredibly flawed but incredibly real. An amazing side character. Beyond those three, most of the other characters only made cameo appearances and never really had a chance to make an impact, but still came off as quite realistic and well-written.

Writing: ★★★★

Dani’s narrative is honest. I loved her “voice,” which comes through excellently. I loved her openly cynical tone and her openly cynical description of social interactions. Stealing Heaven might have benefitted from a little more description of the scenery and side characters and things like that, but since the story was supposed to focus on Dani and her internal story I’m okay without it. A really well-written book.

End Result: four stars. A good book, definitely worth your time.

Wishlist Wednesday (4)

Wishlist Wednesday is where I mention an upcoming title that I'm really excited about reading!

This week, I can't wait for Ascendant, by Diana Peterfreund!  I loved the first book in the series (my review's here) and I hope the sequel can measure up to the standards set by Rampant.






I have to admit, the cover isn't as impressive as Rampant's.  The teaser summary sounds pretty cool, though, especially the final line: Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns, or saving the unicorns from the world?  If you want to read more about the book, check it out at HarperTeen.com.

So what do you think?  Do you like Peterfreund's writing?  Will you be reading Ascendant?  And what book can you not wait to get your hands on?