Review: Incarnate

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Katherine Tegen Books
Release date: January 31, 2012
Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

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New soul

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

No soul

Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

Heart

Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

After all the good things I'd heard about Incarnate, I was expecting an amazing sci-fi/fantasy book. When I first started reading it, I loved it. . . . But I got bored really quickly, and it was a struggle to read the rest of the book. I finished it, because I wanted to know why Ana, a new soul, was born, and because I find the idea of reincarnation fascinating. Incarnate didn't deliver, though.

My biggest problem with the book was Ana. I really wanted to like her. I liked how passionate she was about music, and I like how music played a huge part of the book. What really got to me was how much Ana complained about people not understanding her or not liking her because she was a new soul. It got really old after a while, to the point where I just wanted to tell her to shut up and get on with the story.

Toward the middle of the book, it got interesting again, but again, it didn't last long. Incarnate just didn't hold my interest throughout the entire book. My favorite part of it was actually the end--and no, not because it meant the book was over! I loved the ending because it was so incredibly satisfying. I wasn't sure how I wanted the book to end, and the way it ended was perfect for me. I don't want to give the ending away, but Meadows wrapped everything up in a way that satisfied by curiosity about Ana.

Incarnate is the first book in a series. I haven't decided yet if I'll read the rest of the series, partly because I was ultimately disappointed by Incarnate, but mostly because I think Incarnate could easily stand alone. I'd like to keep Ana's store a standalone for myself, and just imagine where life takes her next, so I don't know that I'll read the rest of the series.

Review: Talisman of El

Talisman of El by Alecia Stone
Series: Talisman of El #1
Publisher: Centrinian Publishing Ltd
Release date: May 20, 2012
Pages: 364
File size: 533 KB
Format: eBook
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WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE? 

One Planet. 

Two Worlds. 

Population: Human ... 7 billion. 
Others ... unknown. 

When 14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He's afraid to tell any­one. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died. 

Char­lie doesn't know why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary life. The prob­lem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home. 

He belongs with the others.

Talisman of El was really interesting. The best part of it for me was actually the descriptions. I really felt like I was inside the earth somewhere, looking for Eden. The imagery was vivid, in the actual world (where Charlie lives before he goes on his journey) and in the other world (where he's searching for Eden). Because this book takes place in two different "worlds," it's really important for each world to be clearly imagined and described for readers. In this case, it was. The worlds had completely different feels to them, which is also necessary. One thing I really felt as a result of the imagery was claustrophobia. When Charlie under Jacob's care, I felt claustrophobic because of the way Jacob treated Charlie. When Charlie was in the other world looking for Eden, I also felt claustrophobic because there wasn't an easy way for him to get out of that world (before his time limit expired). I hate feeling claustrophobic when I read, because of how uncomfortable it is, but I love it for the same reason. I always take it as a good sign when a book can evoke that kind of emotion for me.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the tension that's in the novel. Jacob's character was kind of confusing, because it seemed like he went from one kind of person to another kind of person really quickly (almost too quickly, perhaps), but as I continued reading the book, the reason behind the change was explained, so I was okay with how quickly the change happened. The change in Jacob meant there was a huge amount of tension between Charlie and him, and it was fun to read about, especially when I realized later on just how important Jacob's character is to the story. There's also a certain amount of tension as Charlie and his friends search for Eden, considering they have time constraints when it comes to finding Eden. Plus, there's tension between Charlie and his friend Alex. It's not quite a romantic tension, but it hints at a romantic tension, so it'll be interesting to see where Charlie and Alex wind up in the next book. There were times when I felt like Charlie got out of tense situations a little too easily, since he gets a lot of help at those times, and I would have liked to see him be a little more aggressive. Toward the end of the book, he does get more assertive, which made me really happy. I hope that continues in the next book.

I'm not sure I've read anything quite like Talisman of El before. It's a really interesting story that I think may have some mythological influences (but considering I don't know my mythology very well, I could be totally wrong about that). I look forward to seeing what Alecia Stone has in store for Charlie and his friends.

Interview: Teresa Lo

Today, I'm happy to host an interview with Teresa Lo, author of Hell's Game. I loved Hell's Game, and Teresa Lo is awesome.

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Author image courtesy of Goodreads; bio courtesy of author's website

Teresa Lo is a writer living in Los Angeles.   She is currently a cast member on Just Seen It, and she has contributed to Examiner.com, Yahoo.com, The Hollywood Reporter, The University Daily Kansan, and the USC School of Cinematic Arts website.  She has published two books of short stories, and she has won various screenwriting awards. Most recently, she released the YA horror e-book, HELL’S GAME. She is a member of the international Horror Writers Association, and she is the Social Media Chair of USC’s Women of Cinematic Arts.

On Halloween night in Deer Creek, Kansas, Jake Victor, Ashley and Ashton Gemini, and Kristin Grace convince Ronnie Smalls to meet them at the town cemetery, which local folklore has always rumored to be the Gateway to Hell. Their intention was only to scare him, but soon the wicked prank becomes actual horror as the group learns the Gateway is all too real. After demons snatch Ronnie and drag him to Hell, the terrified foursome vow to keep what they had seen a secret.


Two years later, the group receives a mysterious letter, an invite to play a high-stakes game in Hell. If they win, they release Ronnie’s soul as well as their own from eternal damnation. If they lose, they are stuck in Hell forever. Choosing to play, they face nightmare after nightmare as each level escalates in intensity and forces them to face the seven deadly sins.


Inspired by the legends of the Gateway to Hell in Stull, Kansas, Hell’s Game explores the cruelty that teenagers can inflict upon each other as well as the horrors that exist amongst mankind. It is a dark, action-packed young adult novel that will both scare its readers and make them question the true meaning of evil.

The Bookscape Report: Hell's Game was inspired by legends of the Gateway to Hell in Stull, Kansas. How would you describe your experience with writing about those legends, and how much of those legends show up in Hell's Game?

Teresa Lo: I’ve been mulling over the idea of writing about the Gateway to Hell for years, but I was never able to find the right story for the premise. I was so frustrated that I was going to put the whole concept on the backburner, but then the idea of teenagers playing a game in Hell with various levels came to me. I then thought, “What would be the reason that they would have to play this game?” and the more questions I asked, the more I realized that this game in Hell would tie in perfectly with the Stull legend. I have never been to Stull, but I did name the fictional town in Hell’s Game “Deer Creek” which was Stull’s name before it was Stull. I also studied what the cemetery in Stull looked like, and the haunted church in Hell’s Game greatly resembles that.

The Bookscape Report: As a fan of Vincent Bugliosi's Helter Skelter, one of the first things that drew me to Hell's Game was the cover--it's similar to the cover of Helter Skelter. Was that intentional?

Teresa Lo: I wanted to do a cover that was different from those of most YA novels on the market, and the cover chosen for Hell’s Game was simple and had a vintage horror feel to it. Its likeness to Helter Skelter was unintentional, but the end result definitely was similar!

The Bookscape Report: There doesn't seem to be many horror novels in YA fiction. Why did you decide to focus on writing horror? Do you hope Hell's Game will help expand the horror genre in YA fiction?

Teresa Lo: I always knew I wanted to write young adult fiction, but it took years for me to figure out who I was as a writer and what my strengths and weaknesses were. With practice, I realized that I liked writing darker stories, and I showed my writer friends my horror-thriller writing and the response was positive. My hope for Hell’s Game is that it will resonate with a broad audience, and that people who previously may not have been interested in horror will read this book and be interested in what else the genre has to offer.

The Bookscape Report: I've read a lot of books who have mean girls whom I end up hating. Ashley is a mean girl in Hell's Game, but I didn't hate her--I really liked it her. Was it difficult to create a character who is mean and very self-centered but also likeable and easy to relate to?

Teresa Lo: I worried that audiences wouldn’t like Ashley because of her cruelty, entitlement, and self-centeredness, but I also knew that I couldn’t sugarcoat her meanness because teenage bullies like Ashley really do exist. When writing Hell’s Game, I sought to make Ashley as real of a person as I could, and I hoped that that depth would make her sympathetic, despite her many weaknesses. It was difficult to write her, but I found the challenge of writing her to be one of my favorite parts of writing the book.

The Bookscape Report: I imagine writing Hell's Game would have been an emotional process. Was this a difficult novel to write?

Teresa Lo: When I write, I delve into the psychology of my characters, and sometimes I find myself spending hours in their headspace. It was an emotional process to think about the many negative aspects of my characters’ lives and their actions, but I also thought about the bigger picture, which is the message of hope and doing the right thing. It was the positive that kept me going!

The Bookscape Report: What is your favorite horror movie?

Teresa Lo: I find myself most scared by psychological horror or horror with religious themes, and I am too faint to watch movies with gore or movies that rely on things popping out at its audience. (For a horror writer, I really am a wuss!) That’s why my favorite horror film is Frailty, starring Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaughey. It’s very creepy, and the audience has no idea where the story will go. I like horror that genuinely surprises, and Frailty has one of the best twist endings I have ever seen.

The Bookscape Report: What is your favorite thing about writing horror novels?

Teresa Lo: I seek to write stories that are relatable, that have meaning to the readers, and that avoid being preachy. The horror genre gives me a way to do that. I can tell an entertaining and creepy story on the surface, but scratch that surface and a heavy drama with a message is really underneath.

The Bookscape Report: If you were a character in a horror book or movie, do you think you would survive? Why or why not?

Teresa Lo: If I were a character in a horror book or movie (or if I was a character in Hell’s Game), I have no doubt that I would perish fairly early on in the story. I’m not physically strong, and I’m the type of dummy that would run straight into danger!

The Bookscape Report: What is your favorite scary story/urban legend?

Teresa Lo: Besides the Gateway to Hell in Stull, I was very creeped out by the Bloody Mary legend. I remember when I was younger and I tested the legend’s validity. I stood in a dark bathroom with a candle lit and said “Bloody Mary,” and I remember feeling the goosebumps rise on my skin. I knew that the face in the mirror was mine, but the idea of that face transforming into hers really scared me!

The Bookscape Report: When I was in elementary school, kids would tell stories about Bloody Mary living in the dirt field just beyond the school. My cousin once swore she saw Bloody Mary in the teacher's lounge, too. According to legend, though, she lived in the dirt field, near a particular tree, and if kids wandered to close, or made eye contact with her, she would get them. I thought it was terrifying but fascinating!

Who is your favorite horror writer, and what is your favorite horror book?

Teresa Lo: I really admire Stephen King, and one of my favorite novels of his was Needful Things. It was a great page turner, and I love the message of being careful of what you wish for.

The Bookscape Report: Oh my gosh, Needful Things is one of my favorite Stephen King novels! I feel like it's a novel not enough people have heard about, so I'm thrilled you love it, too!

Thank you, Teresa, for the fabulous interview!

Review: A Beautiful Dark

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Series: A Beautiful Dark #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: September 27, 2011
Pages: 400
File size: 533 KB
Format: Hardcover
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On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies. 

Lately, I have been really burnt out on paranormal romance, and this is why:

Girl is new at school or boy is new at school. Boy knows things about girl he shouldn't know. Girl is instantly attracted to boy. Girl founds out that her world is nothing what she thought it was. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl can't be together. Girl must make a decision that will change her life forever.

I touched on this in my review of Switched by Amanda Hocking. It really annoys me that all paranormal romances seem to be the same. When I started reading A Beautiful Dark, I thought, "Oh man, this isn't going to be any different. I'm going to hate this book just because I'm so frustrated with paranormal romances right now."

But: I am a sucker for angels, so I didn't care. Everything that has been annoying me about paranormal romance flew out the window, even though those elements were in A Beautiful Dark. Aside from the fact that I love angel stories, the things that annoy me about paranormal romance right didn't matter because I was too engrossed in the story to care. I was hooked from the first sentence.

I don't know how unique this story actually is, but compared to a lot of the paranormal romance I've been reading lately, it struck me as really unique for a few reasons.

1. Skye had two best friends and third really good friend. Is it just me, or are there a lot of paranormal romances where the female protagonist doesn't have any friends? I liked this because it meant Skye wasn't dependent on Asher or Devin. Sure, she was infatuated with them. Sure, she wanted to be around them. But she never had the attitude that she couldn't live without them. And she didn't have that attitude because they weren't the only people in her life.

2. Ian. Ian brought something new to the "romantic triangle" thing. He had a crush on Skye, which made her friendship with him more interesting. It also made the book more interesting because for once, Skye had a third option, and the option was a human, not an angel.

3. The battle Skye finds herself in the middle of. I don't want to say too much about it, because I don't want to give anything away. But the battle was interesting. It wasn't predictable. The legends of the angels were interesting and different from what I've read before.  The way things played out at the end was awesome, especially since it wasn't wrapped up in a neat little bow. The ending leaves me wanting to read the next book, and to read it NOW.

Jocelyn Davies has revived the paranormal romance genre for me. I'm still going to tread carefully with the genre right now, but I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Review: Silence

Silence by Michelle Sagara
Publisher: DAW Hardcover
Release date: May 1, 2012
Pages: 256
File size: 666 KB
Format: Hardcover
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“It began in the graveyard. Ever since her boyfriend Nathan died in a tragic accident Emma had been coming to the graveyard at night. During the day she went through the motions at her prep school, in class, with her friends, but that’s all it was. But tonight was different. Tonight Emma and her dog were not alone in the cemetery. There were two others there—Eric, who had just started at her school, and an ancient woman who looked as though she were made of rags. And when they saw Emma there, the old woman reached out to her with a grip as chilling as death….” 

Oh, how I have been craving ghost stories lately. I'm burnt out on paranormal romance right now, but I am really in the mood for good ghost stories (and good contemporary fiction, but that's beside the point). Silence was perfect for my ghost story mood.

I've never read anything with a necromancer before, so this was definitely a new experience for me. For some reason, reading about necromancers has always been a turnoff for me, and I have no idea why. Silence was awesome, and not only does it make me want to read ghost stories even more, it makes me more open to reading about necromancers again.

I'm having a hard time deciding who my favorite character is in this book. I loved Emma, but I had a bit of a crush on Eric, and I have a soft spot for dogs, so I adored Emma's dog, Petal. The character who stands out to me the most, though, is Amy--not necessarily because she's my favorite character, but because she's the character who was nothing like I expected her to be. She's popular and gorgeous, but she wasn't a mean girl. I love it that she doesn't represent the stereotypical popular, mean girl. She plays an important role in the book, even though it doesn't seem like she will at first, and she's one of the most memorable characters for me.

The other memorable character for me was Andrew. The situation he was in was horrifying and I have to admit that, even though I knew he wasn't evil, he did kind of scare me at times. Because of his age and the situation he's in (I won't say what it is, because I don't want to spoil anything), I can't help but remember him. For whatever reason, he and Amy have stuck with me when the other characters haven't.

There's a lot going on in Silence, and it's all awesome. I was confused at times, especially with how some of Emma's powers work, but overall, everything was well-explained. Of course, there's a battle going on, and Emma's in the center of it. Silence is different than any other ghost story I've read. Another thing that fits perfectly is that it wasn't as strong on the romance aspect. Honestly, I don't remember much romance in it all, because that's not where my focus was when I was reading it, but that doesn't mean romance wasn't there. It just means it wasn't there in an overwhelming way, and that makes me very happy. I can't wait to find out where Sagara is going to take us next with this series. Considering how intense and dark this book is, I'm sure the next book in the series will be just as intense, dark, and awesome. 

Review: Vampire's Kiss

Vampire's Kiss by Veronica Wolff
Series: The Watchers #2
Isle of Night review
Publisher: NAL Trade
Release date: March 6, 2012
Pages: 304
File size: 411 KB
Format: Paperback
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***SUMMARY MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*** As someone who has survived her first year as an Acari recruit, Drew's ultimate goal is to become a Watcher and be paired up with a Vampire agent. Except nothing is as it seems. The vampire Alcántara is as sinister as he is sexy, Ronan is more distant than ever, and it turns out there are other vampires out there. Bad ones. They've captured one of the Watcher vamps and are torturing him for information-and Drew is going undercover to rescue him.
But when their vampire prisoner turns out to be a gorgeous bad boy, Drew's first mission quickly turns into more than she bargained for...

In my review of Isle of Night, I said that Vampire's Kiss was going to be deliciously awesome. And it was. Oh my goodness. I know I also said in my review that there was no love triangle in Isle of Night, and there wasn't. There wasn't a love triangle in Vampire's Kiss, either. Aside from Drew having a crush on someone, there was no real love at all (well, two of her friends start dating, but that's hardly the point of the story). And still, this book manages to drip with sexual tension. I enjoyed that so much more than I have ever enjoyed any love triangle.

The vampires are still scary, which means I am still loving this series. I don't think the vampires will ever not be scary in this series. Even the ones who seem nicer than most vampires are pretty scary. I am so excited that I have finally found a book where the vampires are scary, where they can be insanely attractive and provide sexual tension, all without being nice, falling-in-love with humans types.

Drew is still a strong female protagonist. She's smart, but she does dumb things. She's strong, but she's vulnerable in many ways. She's aware of her strengths and weaknesses, even though sometimes she doesn't consider her weaknesses enough. She is awesome, and one of my favorite female protagonists.

I'm not going to give anything away about Vampire's Kiss, but I will say this: it's a page-turner. I had a really hard time putting it down. The situations Drew finds herself in are scary and sexy all at once, and they constantly leave me on the edge of my seat. Thank goodness the third book in the series comes out in August. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it.

Review: The Oracle of Dating

The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen
Series: The Oracle of Dating #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: May 1, 2010
Pages: 161
File size: 247 KB
Format: eBook
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For five bucks, the Oracle of Dating will tell you:* How to flirt* If that cute guy you're crushing on likes you, too* Whether your new romance will last through lunch period* And much more What she won't tell you? Who she is.No one at Kayla's school knows she's the famous Oracle of Dating— the anonymous queen of dating advice. She doesn't even have a boyfriend. Two relationship disasters were enough to make Kayla focus on everyone else's love life.But then her advice backfires on her own best friend. And Kayla starts to seriously obsess about Jared Stewart—the very cute, very mysterious new guy in school. Suddenly, the teen queen of advice needs her own oracle of dating—and she knows just where to find one…. 

The Oracle of Dating was really cute, but it was nothing exceptional. It doesn't take long to get through; it was only 161 pages (although Amazon indicates that it's over 200 pages, which confuses me). The Oracle of Dating was a light read, but it was perfect for what I've been in the mood for. With very few exceptions, I"m really burnt out on paranormal right now, so The Oracle of Dating was the perfect contemporary book until some of my holds come in from the library.

The characters are enjoyable. I didn't fall in love with them, and I didn't necessary feel exceptionally strong about them in any way, but I liked them well enough to keep wanting to read about them. The same is true for the plot. It was mostly predictable, and it wasn't terribly exciting, but I enjoyed it enough to keep reading. Even though the book didn't blow me away, there was enough in it to keep me interested. It could have used a little more conflict, though; what conflict there was ended up being resolved much too easily.

There was one thing that bugged me in the book, and that was when Kayla went a club to see her friend's band play. She couldn't get into the club, because she was underage, but her friend, who was also underage, could somehow play with his band there. That didn't make any sense to me; clubs won't allow underage bands to perform, so I didn't understand why they got to perform there. I think it was mostly for the sake of the plot, as this story is definitely more plot-driven than anything else. While it pushes the story where the author wanted it to go, I think she could have found a better way to get the characters and story where she wanted them to be.

I liked this book enough that I do plan on reading the sequel. It's the perfect book if you're looking for something light and easy to get through.