Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead | Book Review

(Vampire Academy #1)

Published: August 16, 2007

Synopsis:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

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My Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Book Information

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre(s): Young-adult Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 332

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 159514174X

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Vampire Academy was an awesome read, and it was very hard to decide on an adequate rating, however I think Vampire Academy is well deserving of 4 stars, and ultimately, one of my top-picks.

Vampire Academy series

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare | Book Review

(The Infernal Devices #1)

Published: August 31, 2010

Synopsis:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

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My Rating:  4.5/5 (Amazing) 

Book Information

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre(s): Young-adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Page Count: 479

Format: Hardcover

ISBN: 1416975861

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This one was a tough pick for rating between 4.5 and 5. I’m not a big giver of 5 stars, so I had to really think about this one. And it was a hard choice, but my rating would go to 4.5 stars. That’s not to say that it was a bad story, it was amazing. Totally on my all-time faves. 🙂

So, I read The Mortal Instruments series before reading this book, and just, wow. I was blown away. I really enjoyed The Mortal Instruments series, but Clockwork Angel just blew that out of the window. It was everything in TMI, and much more. I love the Shadowhunter world, so anything with that kind of stuff if already on the pros of a book. Unless the world-building was really bad, which it wasn’t in this case, which made the book so much the better. The setting for this story was also really good, and I feel Cassandra Clare captured the Victorian London Era thing nicely. The characters were very well-developed, and were always for a purpose, not just there to be a comic relief, or filling in space. Upon reading the synopsis, some people may be skeptical; there’s the classic love triangle, a girl who doesn’t know his/her powers, and other similar plot lines. But Cassandra Clare’s unique way of telling a story really turns that all around.

Divergent by Veronica Roth | Book Review

(Divergent #1)

Published: February 28th 2012

Synopsis:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue–Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is–she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are–and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

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My Rating: 4.5/5 (Amazing)

Book Information

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre(s): Young-adult dystopian/utopian, sci-fi

Page Count: 487

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 0062024035

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I know many people are skeptical of Divergent because they believe it to be a Hunger Games wannabe. Don’t worry, it’s not. I mean, yes, of course there are similar factors (duh, it’s still a dystopia) but Divergent has several different, interesting parts to it that makes it its own book.

Divergent follows Beatrice Prior (later called Tris), a 16 year old girl who lives in a city divided into 5 factions: