Review: Spell Bound

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved the series!!! Really love them!!! ok, Rachel uses all of the clishés that are available but in her defense they work!
Sophie somehow is the ultimate prodigium and her parents are adorable. She and Archer just fit perfectly together and she has come a long way controling her powers. This story is quite dear to my heart. So in the end, yes, we get to save the world, but we also set conditions, we fulfill our destiny and the way in which Archer clams Sophie as a girlfriend is great.
I love this family!

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Review: Demonglass

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked it. In this book we get to know Sophie's father and he is simply amazing. He is not that kind of father that is cardboard far from her daugther, but an approachable sarcastic person. This book is full of sass, Archer, Sophie and james are full of witty remarks, while Jenna, Cal, and Grace bring balance to the force.
We get to know that someone (suspectedly Archer by orders of the Eye) is trying to kill Sophie while she is in UK. Somehow they knew that they won't be returning to Hex Hall, however Rachel Hawkins gives us clues and then take them back. But in my opinion the characters work well together and her storytelling is nice.
We leave this book with an amazing cliffhanger.

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Review: Fallen

Fallen by Lauren Kate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I somehow knew what I was getting into. The truth being told this book is all you have read about: poorly paced, not so well written, and actually what it says could have been about 200 pages shorter because you never know 1) why were they cursed; 2) what are the shadows; 3) who casted the curse; 4) Who are they... So the book looks like a huge attempt of a cliffhanger. However slow the first half it is, the reading somehow gets compesated when we learn about the angels and that they are divided. Also how important is that Luce was rised as agnostic, because the mythology behind this story is never clarified.
Still I gave it 4 stars because the main idea is so tempting that I do want to continue reading. I think that Hush Hush has a more solid composition all in all, and surely Fallen goes along the way of Twilight, but I personally cannot refuse a fallen angels story. It is also true that I had to read about the story in a wikia to truly understand where this was going to.
Do not expect a masterpiece, this is the kind of stories you read when your mind is overload with information and you need to relax. I even skip some paragraphs and could follow the story perfectly. I will be reading the following books because it is going to be a movie and has a huge fanbase, but I agree that this could have been better.

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Review: Hex Hall

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 llegando a 4. No esperaba nada al leer este libro, lo tomé porque es del género que me he propuesto ya no leer. Me imaginaba por la descripción una historia cliché sobre la chica nueva que llega al Internado y se adapta y resulta que es la heroína de su historia y fue lo que recibí, aunque no de una manera aburrida. Sophie es una bruja oscura que por un hechizo que salió mal (gracias a su efusividad) es enviada a Hecate Hall (conocida como Hex Hall en el bajo mundo de los prodigios) con otras brujas, cambia-formas, hadas y solo una Vampira. En Hex Hall las brujas oscuras populares (tipo mean girls) invitan a Sophie unirse a su aquelarre, pero su amiga Jenna le cuenta sobre Holly la chica que murió antes y que tenía miedo porque invocaban a un demonio. De repente, otra chica del aquelarre es herida y al tener falta de sangre y dos marcas en el cuello, Jenna es culpada y Sophie no puede evitar investigar. Hay algo más sobre ella, quiere conocer acerca de su pasado, ya que su madre no le ha informado de mucho de ser bruja y no ha visto a su padre.
No era lo que esperaba, Jenna es un bonito personaje que todo lo lleva rosa, además de haber perdido al amor de su vida, que fue quién la transformó para que estuvieran juntas siempre. Si me pregunto que pasará con ella, pero lo que más me gustó es como recibió a Sophie y le explicó situaciones de su mundo.
El lector va descubriendo acerca del mundo de Hex Hall junto con Sophie y la trama tiene algunos giros sorprendentes como el padre de Sophie y el descubrir quien es Alice. Elodie y su historia me parece que fue justa. Creo que aun hay mucho por descubrir pero la verdad es que me gustó el ritmo y la sencillez del libro. Al principio me pareció un poco ñoño, pero conforme fue avanzando, me fue gustando. No se si tanto como para conseguir los siguientes libros o no, pero fue un buen libro para pasar el rato.

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Review: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Le doy 3.5 estrellas a este libro. La verdad es que si me gustó la historia, pero más que gustarme la historia, me gustó como está hecho el libro. Siento que este es uno de esos experimentos que devienen en algo interesante, aunque también creo que la película será mejor que el libro. La razón por la cual leí "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" es por la película que saldrá y que dirige en toda su excentricidad Tim Burton.
Me encantó que la historia de los peculiares esté hecha a partir de fotografías viejas. Esas fotografías perturbadoras que se distribuyen en Internet tratando de dar miedo o causar malestar, pues bueno, creo que Ransom Riggs hace un magnánimo ejercicio de storytelling con ellos. Es fascinante como pudo tomar estas fotografías y crear con ellas una historia. Sin embargo, es por la misma naturaleza de estas fotografías y su incorporación a la historia que es realmente pesado leer el libro. Al pasar de las páginas no pude evitar sentir desasosiego y hasta aversión con ciertas fotografías, sin embargo la curiosidad pudo más y con ella pude llegar al final.
Al cerrar el libro me sentía pesada, como si la historia misma me embotara. Aunque es justamente mi género, fantasía juvenil. La historia va de Jacob, un chico americano que tiene una relación muy cercana con su abuelo el cual le cuenta historias sobre niños peculiares. El abuelo Abe le dice que durante la segunda guerra mundial, cuando huyó de Polonia a Reino Unido, se encontró con chicos ligeros, fuertes, quienes tenían 2 bocas, gemelos espeluznantes o invisibles, y que ellos fueron felices, hasta que un día Abe decide irse y nunca regresar. La cercanía de Abe y Jacob nunca la tuvieron Franklin, el padre de Jacob y su padre, así que siempre lo tildaron de loco y excéntrico. Pero el día que Abe muere, el mundo de Jacob se derrumba y comienza la aventura (con intervención psicológica) para cerrar el círculo y pasar la página de su abuelo. Sin embargo la vida de Jacob se ve amenazada el día que se da cuenta que las historias son reales y conoce a "el pájaro", y aprende que además de los peculiares, existen los hollows y fueron ellos quienes mataron a su abuelo.
La historia es interesante, pero si no estás realmente comprometido con el género y además si no encuentras belleza en la forma de hilar la historia con las fotografías, este libro es una gran tortura. A mi el proceso creativo me pareció fascinante y me impulsó a continuar. De verdad me maravilló la articulación de cada fotografía dentro de la historia y la forma en que Riggs creo un mundo tan complejo y lleno de personajes (que a veces no llega a desarrollar por la gran cantidad de ellos) a partir de raras fotografías antiguas.

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Review: Finale

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

End of the Journey. My heart leaves in peace knowing that my beloved characters are just fine. This book was the journey I was waiting for. As in every saga of this genre and type, the last book is the one that expands the world in which the characters live. Here we meet Dante, the second in command of the Nephilim army. He tries to help Nora to be recognized and respected by the Nephilim, but he has his own agenda, which makes it hard for our friends to fulfill their oats.
I was hoping for Marcie to die in the battle and suffer. But well, as Dumbledore said, there are worst things that death, and knowing that she was feeble, weak and unwanted must have been enough for her. I have no idea why her mother did not die in the great battle. I also was hoping to know more about the other fallen angels and their destiny.
Excellent plot twist the one about Basso and how he bended the story to thank Nora. I like that here Archaengels and Nephilims are not so strict about the law and its toughness.
However the fact that Vee is also a Nephilim came as a deux-ex-machina to me, I never saw it coming during the books. I get it, it was for Nora's sake, so she was not friendless in eternity now that Scott died, but still, I could not see it coming.
It was a good reading, finally in this one I got more Patch, Nora could put two and two together and even when was driven by the actions of others, could overcome adversity and save the day. That was what I expected. I wish she could have gone to hell and save Patch then come back triumphant, but hey, once again, the settlement of the confict took half a book, and the action only a small fraction of it. I leave in peace knowing that they have it all. In the end, everything is fine.

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Review: Silence

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this one, yes, I wanted to strangle some character AGAIN! but Nora was better at taking her memories removed. I wish they realize that all the suffering can be evaded by friends were honest and could take supernatural as given. This being said, Scott is not douchebag, Dabria is not gone and Hank has a bigger plan. I must say that I like the consistency throughout the series. near to the last third of the book there is a solving plot twist that leads to a cliffhanger in which things get complicated for Nora and Patch (who goes by the name of Jev in most of this book).
I liked when they are in Patch's place and how it is described as modern and masculine, with black countertops and so. I was expecting Nora and the Archangel to have more contact, but I can live with what happened in the story because truly... Patch is smart, I could have never guessed the elaborated plan of all fronts as easily as he did. But I was starting to question about the inheritance of Chauncey and if they all should have died as when a Vampire sire is killed. It was a plausible explanation.
I still hate Marcie, I think Vee was not as great as in the previous books, and I believe that Nora could be a little smarter... She could have find Patch before if she was not telling everyone how she felt and how was she uncovering truths.
It remains unclear to me the lineage of Chauncey and how Nora could be the female descendant they were looking for. I have questions about their genealogy. I am not even sure that Blythe is her mother, nor how Chauncey could have descendants. That would mean that in 2010 half of Earth's population has some Nephilim blood, and I also wonder if they sacrificed Marcie, would then Patch get a mortal body? Hasn't that ocurred to them?
In this book we see Patch in action, and he is neither good or evil which I like. I am into these non side characters and enjoying.
Let's see if they can prevent a massive war between the fallen, archangels and Nephilim, and I wish I knew more about Archangels in the next one.
Last chapter was a great bonus, that means that Vee and Nora knew Patch and Rixon before they met them, to kill her was always the plan. Good one.

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Review: Crescendo

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

once again, 3.5 stars, not because the writing is bad... but because Nora is unsuferable the first half of this book. I wanted to strangle her, no, seriously! I hated her... a relationship between her guardian angel and her has all the signs of being forbiden, how couldn't she realize that, and the fact that she should been careful about her angelic boyfriend? I hate blackmailing in relationships and I hate when couples that are meant to be split for this "I have to protect you / I love you more than life itself" motif. This being said, it is obvious that they have to be together against all odds. This book reminded me of the second book from Twlight, but I must say that Nora takes action and her short flame makes her impulsive and entertaining, which makes me like her way more than Bella when Edward brakes up with her.
I think I was ready to fall in love with Patch, and even when I do like him really much, I think we need a lot more of him in this book. It is written in a similar way than the first one: opening with a single scene... then focusing on Nora's actions leading to the convergence of the first scene and her life, oh yes, the day being saved by Patch. In this one, we learn that Nora's father isn't her biological father, and that the hate between Marcie and her is because Marcie's father (who happens to be a first generation Nephilim) is going out with Nora's mother, which probably (and we know it has to be this way) means that Hank Millar is Nora's Father.
Intersting plot twist, I would not have expected who wanted Nora killed... and I hated when Hank appeared breaking a hot moment between Nora and Patch.

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Review: Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was and still am torn about this book. I award 3.5 stars because there are unsolved plots in my opinion. I did not get why is it called Hush, Hush. Then I thought that it had more of fallen angels and sacrifice and even fights. But there was little of that and much of the hidden intentions of a fallen angel who we really do not get to know pretty well. Still, Patch is the bad boy many of us girls dream of and about. It remains uclear to me how and why Patch fell in love with Nora or why and how that affects the world as we know it. I would like to know if being a descendant of a Nephilym means in this world. Once again I was expecting more mythology than love and I got a story that focuses on a love relationship that develops over a murder need.
It is one of those books you cannot put down and you don't know why. I just kept on reading even when I was not sure what it was about and where was everything leading to. I do want to read the next books to find out about this kind of fallen angels.

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Review: Valkyrie

Valkyrie by Kate O'Hearn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am surprised positively about this book. I bought it because I always liked Nordic mythology and now that Tom HIddleston and Marvel are involved in it, I have hunger for more. The first two or three chapters weren't as good as I expected, but I pushed and kept on reading and I liked it.
The story does not center on mythology, but uses and relies on the reader's knowledge of them to keep the actions going. This is a story of self discovery, acceptance and fraternal love. It verses about the last Valkyrie to be born and devoted to Odin's service whose name is Freya. She loves to fly with her black wings, which make her different from the rest of the Valkyries. In her first reap, she reapes a man who decides not to stay in Valhalla but to continue ascending but makes Freya promise that she 'll keep an eye on his family. Freya is then tricked by Loki to pass Heimdall and use the bifröst to reach Midgard. Freya dislike humans because they just kill and have no good on them, but soon she finds good in Midgard and starts saving lifes as well as feeling complete. She learns how beauty can be seen in this world and stands up for the weak, identified by the Geek Squad (Yes, I think there is a story of bullying behind this). However, Odin learns (thanks to Loki) what Freya has done and is ready to punish her. Then... there are also Angels of Death leaded by Azriel who take the lifes of those remaining dying people. Thor appears and he is good, but he has not much relevance in here... Loki appears several times and Odin is named constantly, but the story is about Freya, how she saves Archie and changes Tamika and Uniik's future with her actions that come from the heart. Freya's sister Maya plays an important role too as well as Freya's raven companion Orus.
I do want to read more about the story and how does she manage the life as a simple Asgardian citizen and not a Valkyrie at the end and that surprises me. The story is imperfect as well as the storytelling, but I found it hard to put it down until the very end.
I like that Loki that is truly a trickster and silvertongued, I liked this compassionate Thor and Azrael was a supresive and fabulous addition to the story of the Valkyrie with black wings who died her hair red and came to Midgard to find herself.

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