2012 Debut Author Challenge: The Alchemy of Forever

The 2012 Debut Author Challenge is hosted by Kristi @thestorysiren!

The concept for this novel was interesting and unique. Overall it was a pretty good book! 

Cover: I am not a huge fan of the cover. The colors are pretty, but the girl does not represent the main character at all. 

Characters: I thought Seraphina was pretty fleshed out as a character.  Cyrus could have been expanded on though. Also, Kailey's friends could have had more importance, too. 

Plot: The idea of the book was good, but at some parts the author seems to have some events just glazed over. Either it seemed the characters were just going along and not questioning much, or someone just shows up out of the blue. I though the ending was good. I am a bit confused what is happening, but it makes me want to read the next book. Cyrus sorta creeped me out. He is a huge stalker... And the ending.. What???  It isn't a bad debut novel. It has its problems but the second book could be really good. I hope more information is released about the characters' pasts. 

3.75/5 stars

2012 Debut Author Challenge: Cinder

The 2012 Debut Author Challenge is hosted by Kristi @thestorysiren!

Cover: I love, love, LOVE this cover. The font of the title (and the whole book) is really pretty! I wish more books were published with cool fonts!

Characters: I thought Meyer did a good job with fleshing out all of the characters. I really liked Cinder as the main character. She was  relatable and independent. And she was not annoying. She was a strong female protagonist. I also enjoyed Iko, who was adorable and added a nice touch of comic relief. I think it will be interesting to learn more about Queen Levana in the future because she was an interesting character.

Plot: I think Meyer did a wonderful job taking the Cinderella fairy tale and making it something new and interesting. She is great at story- telling! The concept was really well done with cyborgs and androids. It was a bit predictable at times, but not with the fairy tale part of it (mostly). I predicted the twist at the end. The ending of the book was really good, too! I want the next one! I like how Meyer is taking each book in the series and making it about a different fairy tale character. Somehow the plots of all of them are interwoven. I will miss seeing Cinder as the main character though.

Setting: I liked how the setting was in New Beijing. I have not read many books that take place in a foreign country! I do wish though that the setting was explained more and was more detailed. I wanted to get a feeling of what New Beijing is like compared to the U.S.

Pace: I found that the pace was very consistent throughout the novel. The ending was a little faster pace, but that fit what was happening.

Writing: I thought the writing was fine. I think Meyer is a very good story teller!

Last Thoughts: I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this novel! I am excited for the next book in the Lunar Chronicals series!

IMM (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @thestorysiren!

Week of 6/13- 6/20

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

IMM (2)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @thestorysiren!

6/2-6/6

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi by
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Once by Anna Carey

Cover: Like Eve, I think the cover was really well done. I like how it actually is relevant to the book. I really like the colors. One thing that I am still thinking about is the title. I still do not really get it. I don't know if I'm missing some big, obvious reason, but I am not really a fan of it.

Characters: I think most of the characters developed more in this book, especially the King, who is a major character in Once. I did like the introduction of some of the new characters. Clara was fun to read about. Eve and Caleb's relationship was tested a lot throughout the novel, and I think it was more believable in this one. Also, Eve started to stand up for herself and take more risks.

Pace: The beginning of the book, for me, moved really slow. I was a bit bored. Once more of the action and planning started, it was paced pretty well. Sometimes, the pace was a little slow for my liking, though.

Plot: At the beginning, the author does a good job with keeping the readers up to speed with what just happened. What I liked about this plot was the big picture aspect of it. Instead of worrying just about Eve, change could affect a lot of people in the city. Also, there were some twists in Once that were good. I have to say that the ending was good. It does leave you hanging with questions like  "what just happened?" and "what is going to happen?".  I will be reading the next book because of the ending.

Writing: The writing was just ok. It wasn't anything new or special for me.

Last Thoughts: I think I did like this book better than the first one. The pacing was a bit off, but I think Carey could write a very cool last book. I still want to find out what in the world happened in the end!  4/5 stars

 *A big thanks to HarperTeen for the ARC*