Thursday, April 14, 2011

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Where She Went (If I Stay, #2) I don't even know how to explain how wonderful this book was to me so I'm just going to repeat my status: The ending was a masterpiece. It was wonderful, beautiful, and essentially the most breathtaking ending I've ever read! That rollercoaster of a ride was definitely worth it.

For a book to have me conjure up so many emotions is just breathtaking, and I think this book just earned a place in my heart. If you have NOT read If I Stay yet, I suggest you do so now and then read this book because I'm pretty sure you won't regret it!!! The thing that shocked me most about this series.... was that it was so real. In the first book, we get to read Mia's point of view and her struggle to keep on living after the tragic event that happened to her family. If you were the only survivor in your family of four, what else do you have to live for? If you thought that HER story was sad... oh boy. Adam just broke my heart and you can actually feel his pain and sorrow at what Mia did to him. Gayle Forman should get a standing ovation for her beautiful and heartbreaking writing because after this book, she's definitely an auto-buy author for me! Surprisingly, I definitely loved this book more than its predecessor.

In this second installment of the series, instead of having Mia as our narrator, we see the world through Adam's eyes. Three years have passed since the tragic accident that irrevocably changed Mia and Adam's lives forever. As the reader, you have no idea what exactly had happened after Mia woke up from her near death experience... but we do know that Mia's family is no longer alive, Adam is a rock star and his band has hit stardom, and Mia, who is a rising star at Julliard, is no longer a part of Adam's life because of his 'promise.' Destiny sure takes it's course to reunite these two together in the same city (New York), and for one night, everything will be answered.

Even after finishing the book, Where She Went still gives me goosebumps because of how raw and emotional it was. Yes, it was that good and I'm not even exaggerating! I think one of the most heartbreaking aspect of this book was how even though Adam became famous, he had lost his love for music and apparently happiness as well. Every waking moment was a torture for him to wake up and get through the day because of the guilt of the promise and because of why Mia did what she did. Neither the reader nor Adam knew why she left him... but towards the end, we finally get our answer and closure. To sum it up, this was just a wonderful & amazing book and I still shake my head of how GOOD it was. It would be great to get another book because I can't get enough of Adam and Mia, but I also think that the end of this book was also their beginning. See, it's a beginning to and end where they both will be able to achieve their happy ever after.

Thank you NetGalley for this amazing arc and I certainly will be adding this to my wishlist to buy! Reading this book through the tears and heartbreak was definitely worth it!!

Rating: ★★★★★

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under (Falling Under, #1) For Gwen Hayes's first debut, this book was pretty amazing. The flow of the story and the intricate characters and writing that the author creates was just memorizing. I can't stop thinking about it! Plus, I'm also a sucker for tortured heroes... and Haden Black is that one. I didn't think I would have shed so many tears for these two people who, even though they loved each other, could not be together. Falling Under is a story about finding the love of your life and fighting for what you believe in, as well as the confounding emotion of wanting someone so much that you might end up hurting them. It was beautifully written and I'm dying to read the second installment of this series! If you're into dark paranormal romance with plenty of sexual undertones everywhere, then this is the book for you. I mean holy cow, Haden is one sexy and emotional hero who loves deeply and pretty much darkly.

My favorite quote from Haden was this:
“Darkness lives in me, Theia. Inside of me. Like a sickness. And right next to it, intertwined with it, are my feelings for you. If I act on one, I’ll act on the other. The darkness in me wants you the way a black hole eats stars. I dream of tasting you, devouring you.” His eyes darkened terribly.

This isn’t a crush; it’s an obsession. You are never not in my thoughts. Your scent carries across a room and paralyzes me with longing. I don’t want to hold your hand. Part of me wants to set you on fire and hold you while the flame consumes us both, to eat your heart so I know that only I possess it entirely. Are you scared now? Does your human mind comprehend the danger at last? I’m not like you. I’m not human, not completely anyway.”
I have to admit that there were times when I wanted to smack Theia because she was one of those heroines... that needed 'saving.' She was characterized as an obedient daughter who wanted to break out of her shell, but never actually could or wanted to. It went on for awhile until one day, everything changed. I have to admit, the author created a pretty unique story in which the world in which Haden lived in was just so dark and beautiful.

Haden claims that he is evil and in a sense, that is true. He is part of something that will irrevocably change Theia's life forever and I think that is what makes this book so damn mind blowing! The ending was especially that because of the sudden twist in the story as well as the change in the POV. I never would have thought that the author would switch up the story like that. Either way, this was a wonderful story that definitely deserves attention! THIS, is how a YA Paranormal story should be written.

Rating: ★★★★★