The Vampire Academy: Blood Promise

The fourth and latest instalment in the series. Rose has set off to Russia in an effort to locate and eradicate Dimitri. After a few intriguing bumps, she finds him, but can't bring herself to murder him.

He kidnaps her and tries to convince her to turn Strigoi, promising that they could be together forever. After a nail-biting length of time, Rose declines and stages her escape, which goes well until Dimitri starts hunting her. That ends with a showdown on a bridge, where Rose asks him why he wants her to turn. When he gives the wrong answer, she stakes him, telling him that she will always love him forever. He falls into the water and is carried away by the current.

Rose returns to the Academy to finish her final semester (after mentally saving Lissa from a deranged Moroi named Avery). Along the way she discovers an old myth...or so it seems. The myth tells that there is one man who claimed to know of a cure for Strigoi...as in, he knew how to turn them back. Unfortunately, the only person who knows his location is his brother, Victor Dashkov...the same Moroi who tortured Lissa for her healing abilities.

The ending is so climactic! Rose discovers Dimitri wasn't killed when she staked him and she plots to bust Victor out of prison. Let's see where her resolve takes her. Can't wait for Spirit Sound!

The Hollow

This book is about a girl named Abbey. Her best, and only, friend, Kristen, died the day she went to her cabin. After that day, Abbey was all alone and lost in her world. Then at Kristen's funeral, she met Caspian. He was very handsome, he had blonde hair that almost looks like it's white. She began to feel like living again and starts to enjoy life. Then she found out that he's not what she really thinks he is.

The Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss

Shadow Kiss, the third novel in this exciting series, was quite a bit darker than the earlier books (except for one part in the first novel). Adrian Ivashkov seems to be a regular feature in Rose and Lissa's lives now and Lissa's spirit abilities are under a lot of scrutiny.

When the campus is attacked by Strigoi, it's up to Rose and the other guardians to protect the Moroi and other dhampirs in the Academy. They succeed in doing so, but not without a few casualties. They then stage a rescue mission into the caves where the victims were taken and again, most are saved...but some are not.

Including Dimitri, Rose's soul mate. But he doesn't get killed...no, he's turned...into a Strigoi, the very creature he'd dedicated his life to destroying.

At the end, Rose embarks on a mission to kill Dimitri in order to save his soul, just as she'd promised him she would two books earlier.

Read this book because it's amazing, but prepare to have your heart broken along with Rose's.

The Vampire Academy: Frostbite

The second novel in the series. A horrific twist has come to the attention of the dhampirs and Moroi- the fact that the Strigoi are now receiving aid in their homicides from humans. This brings their threat to a whole new level and the world of good vampires must battle back hard to prevent extinction.

Just as good, if not better than the first book, Frostbite had me stuck into it after only a few pages. Rose’s confusing love triangle between Dimitri and Mason had me reading for as long as possible and I found myself quickly immersing myself in her life and story.

This whole series is worth reading. Although the ending was quite sad; I really hadn’t wanted Mason to do what he did but I understand why and it made sense. In any case, it’s an epic series.

The Vampire Academy

I only recently took up the Vampire Academy series and I have to say, Twilight has been trumped. This series has so much more substance than the Twilight novels and they focus on more than just a dysfunctional relationship.

Rose is a dhampir- half Moroi, half human- destined to be a guardian to Lissa, a Moroi princess. It’s her job to ensure that the Strigoi (evil, unnatural vampires that kill for blood) never endanger her welfare.

Rose and Lissa have been on the run for two years but are eventually caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy- a safe haven where dhampirs learn to fight and Moroi take other classes.

I now have a new favourite series! The drama was catching in this novel and I was soon caught up in the world of vampires. While the plot and background are a little harder to comprehend at first than Twilight, it's definitely worth it.

Diary of Wimpy Kid

It's about a boy named Greg. He's writing a 'journal' about his life so that when he gets famous and rich he will give his journals to the press instead of answering questions about his childhood. Journal means no feelings or emotions. Each book is about him dealing with a member of his family or a friend. It's really funny :)

Crocodile Tears

The eighth instalment in the Alex Rider series. Definitely one of the best yet!

Alex Rider, 14 -year-old superspy, stumbles on another adventure concerning the suspicious activities of Desmond McCain and genetically modified food. When he's alone in Africa with no aid from MI6, it's up to Alex once again to save the world from disaster...without them knowing it.

Oh, and it doesn't help that he gets harassed by a journalist who's figured out his secret.

I've followed the Alex Rider series religiously, and I was ecstatic when I managed to locate Crocodile Tears. Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed. Anthony Horowitz delivered yet another action-packed novel where everything was as realistic as possible and the adventure kept you hooked all the way.

I thought it was great how Alex and Sabina remained close even after enduring multiple "incidents" together and when, at the very end, Alex and Jack discuss his upcoming fifteenth birthday, I felt really downhearted because that meant it was the end for Alex Rider novels. Anthony Horowitz has always claimed that Alex's missions would cease once he turned fifteen, and I'd always kind of hoped it would never happen. But oh well, it was a fantastic series nonetheless.

ARK ANGEL

Ark Angel is one of the Alex Rider series. This is about an adventure that Alex has while he’s staying at a famous hospital called ‘St. Dominic’s’ and he meets a new friend called Paul. Paul’s room is beside Alex’s Room and accidently, Alex’s room number and Paul’s room number is in other way around and Alex gets captured by this terrorists but luckily come back alive. Paul’s father, Nikolei Drevin is one of the richest people in the world and he’s working on a great plan to build a Space Hotel with British Government. Alex gets invited to his house and decided to go and see the launch of the spaceship. However, when he’s moving to America, he’s visa gets expired and he cannot go into United States. He decides to stay in an airport for awhile but someone takes him to the other place. CIA ask Alex, one of the MI6 member to help to capture Nikolei. Alex agrees and he goes to an island in Pacific Ocean. Actually, the truth was that Nikolei made an eco-terrorist by himself and pretend that he’s in danger of the terror from this organization and even his son, Paul’s being used. Alex finds this out but he gets in danger because Nikolei realizes that he’s a MI6 agent. Eventually, Nikolei dies and Alex goes to the space and stops the machine.

This was really exciting and I enjoyed a lot.

Secret Admirer

Another great book by R.L. Stine, famous horror writer and author of the fabulous Fear Street series.

Selena is a talented actress but suddenly she's being harassed by a mysterious, threatening stalker who warns her to back out of the school production of Romeo and Juliet...or else. Her best friend Katie pleads with her to drop out but Selena is adamant about remaining in her role as Juliet. When her friend is murdered by "The Sun" (as the stalker has been named), Selena reconsiders but ultimately decides to be Juliet in honour of her friend's memory. The Sun isn't pleased about that and it all comes down to a final showdown in the school auditorium...

I liked this book. It wasn't ground-breaking literature, but it was an amusing and suspenseful read. I could kind of guess who The Sun was from the start but then that may have just been a lucky guess. All in all, definitely worth reading on a rainy day.

Pretties

This book was really confusing for me, possibly because I haven't read this first book (Uglies). It's about a girl named Tally Youngblood and it's set in a sort of parallel universe where people are Uglies and then become Pretties. They have all sorts of future technology and surgery is a regular procedure for them.

I was so lost throughout the book because it was so complicated and hard to follow that the only real thing I understood was that apparently Tally had lost some of her memories from before she became a Pretty, as had most of the other Pretties. She discovered some sort of pill that she herself had made in some sort of alter-ego Past Tally state. Even that had me completely confused.

All in all it was a good book but I would definitely recommend reading Uglies first. I don't usually have trouble picking up the storyline even if I've forgone earlier novels but with this one it really isn't easy to catch the gist.

Creepers

This book is FANTASTIC. It's by David Morrell and is about a man named Frank Balenger who sneaks into an abandoned building from the 20th century along with some "creepers" (people who routinely trespass on old, forgotten sites). The night turns deadly soon enough, what with three dangerous thieves and a homicidal psychopath inhabiting the building.

I thought this book was one of the best books ever written. The plot is well thought-out and intricate without being boringly complex. The various twists and turns leave you practically breathless. I thought Balenger was one of the most interesting characters I've ever read about and the plot itself was amazing. You're really drawn into the allure of a building that once commanded awe and admiration but has since crumbled away to a deteriorating shadow of its former grandeur.

The only part I didn't like was how they killed off Cora. I liked Cora and didn't think she deserved to die. But then again the book was more into reality than fairness, and in real life that's just how it is.

In conclusion, this book is a must-read. If it isn't adapted into a film soon, it will be a literary travesty.

The Kissing Club

This is by Julia Clarke and was honestly a drag to read. It's about this girl Emily who joins "The Kissing Club" and makes a pledge to remain a virgin until marriage.

However, she ends up pregnant.

The plot itself was good but I felt bored the whole time I read it. Emily's denial towards her pregnancy annoyed me. While that may be because I can't quite comprehend her situation, the truth of the matter is that I was bored to tears reading it.

I liked the ending though. A redeeming section, if only one of few. The most fascinating part was where we find out who the father is. But even that was only mildly engaging.

Overall, I thought it a fairly poor book.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

This is actually a blog on the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 1 & 2 but the title wouldn't allow it.

The novels are by Ann Brashares and they revolve around four different girls: Carmen, Tibby, Bee and Lena. Although they're pretty unique, the four of them are best friends and have been since they were babies. They've never been apart for an extended length of time, but one summer that all changes. Carmen goes to visit her father, Bee goes to soccer camp in Baja, Lena goes to Greece to visit her grandparents and Tibby remains in their hometown.

Before the girls separate, they encounter a pair of "magical" jeans that somehow manage to fit all their body shapes perfectly, despite having different proportions. Deciding to use the jeans as a way of staying "together" over the summer, they dub them "The Traveling Pants".

As the girls embark on their various endeavours, the jeans help them gain maturity and the clarity they need to grow as individuals. From Carmen's shock at having a whole new step-family to Bee's forbidden infatuation to Lena's misadventures with Kostos to Tibby's unexpected tween friend, the Pants show the girls just what they're really made of.

BOOK TWO.

It's another summer apart for the four girls. This holiday sees Bridget, who has gone from energetic and reckless to lost and confused within a year, going back to her childhood roots in Alabama. She meets her previously-estranged grandmother and pretends to be "Gilda" until she finally reconnects with her true personality at the end of the summer.

Meanwhile, Tibby has gone to college for a summer filmmaking course, where she meets people she views as "cool". In an attempt to impress them, she creates a humiliating video about her mother; once she sees the effect it has though, she realises the error of her ways. Ditching the fake friends, she reunites with her best friend Brian and makes a beautiful video in homage to Bailey, her friend from the previous summer who died of leukaemia.

Carmen spends the summer first trying to sabotage her mother's relationship with David because she seems to fear the change it would bring. Eventually she realises how true her mother's feelings are for David and brings them back together.

Finally, Lena returns to Greece when her grandfather dies as the result of a stroke. There she meets Kostos again, where she is shocked to discover he is married. He tells her that after she broke his heart, he fell into a depression and slept with his now-wife. She fell pregnant and so although Kostos maintains that he doesn't love her, he claims that he must do the honourable thing and marry her anyway.

Throughout the turbulent summer, the Pants keep the girls united in a way that nothing else ever can, and they learn who they really are at the end of the day.

***

I love this series. It's totally unique- who else would think of a series that revolves around magical pants?! The girls are all so different and yet they're bonded in a way that you don't see very often. Their troubles and experiences are unusual and I just adored reading about them. I felt that even though I hadn't been through it myself, I could connect with them nonetheless.

The books were thrilling, heartfelt and a joy to read. Loved it :)