Review: Crave by Melissa Darnell

PARANORMAL TEEN ROMANCE

Forbidden to love, doomed to fail...

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back...different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences...

Wow! Crave is definitely the most epic, gravity-defying teen love story since Romeo and Juliet. I couldn't have asked for a more detailed, romantic, and overall romance paranormal romance.

First off, the characters are just...brilliant. Mindblowingly so, as a matter of fact. Savannah is the perfect protagonist, conflicted because of so many factors and flawed in several ways, and yet still so loveable by Tristan and so relatable to the readers of Crave. She gives into temptation and still has the decency to regret it, but she's willing to do anything for Tristan. Could Melissa Darnell have crafted anything more romantic? I think not! And then there's Tristan...the hands down most swoon-worthy teen romance hero I've ever read about. This guy totally deserves Savannah. He's so good to her, so sweet, so caring, so considerate, and yet he'll break every rule in the book to spend just a few minutes of his time with her. He'll risk his football career, his parents' approval, his entire life as it currently stands for this girl. And that's what makes him so sweet, so amazing. His family life is explored so in-depth in this book, and the way he handles the outrageous demands of his parents is perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better guy to date Savannah.

Not only are the characters amazing, so is their combination when it comes to romance. These two are so clearly cut out for each other that my inner sap can't help but sigh and swoon over their so pure and beautiful love. I mean, they can connect to each other in dreams! Name me something any more obvious that they're cut out for each other than that, and I'll change my name. These two are head over heels for each other--normally, I'd be jealous, since Tristan is the hottest male to walk this Earth--in books, anyway--but I'm not, because Savannah deserves a loving boyfriend. Precisely, Tristan Glenn Coleman as a loving boyfriend. They were made for each other, and Melissa Darnell has made that so heartwrenchingly clear in this book. The way their characters intertwine through the twists of fate is nothing short of miraculous.

And as if that wasn't amazing enough, the painstakingly perfectly crafted plot is...gorgeous. Does that even make sense? Probably not, but that's the only way I can describe it. There's so much depth in this paranormal world that I can't even begin to describe it. I was swept away by the intense, so well-planned background story of Crave. Not only are Savannah and Tristan falling in love, they're discovering the story behind their very existences. And that's what makes this paranormal romance so outstanding.

Crave is heartwrenchingly beautiful. Melissa Darnell has taken two amazing characters and paired them with a plot that is worthy of Savannah and Tristan. Crave was worth every turn of the page. This lovely romance gets the five stars y'all knew it'd be getting anyway.

Review: Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

PARANORMAL TEEN FICTION

A prom night Mia will never forget...

Quiet, unpopular, noncheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. Rob--super hot football god--has asked her to prom! Life couldn't get any better. Enter Samantha--cheerleader queen and Miss Popularity--who has made it quite clear that Rob should be her prom date. Mia is desperate to makes ure she doesn't end up dumped in front of the whole school. So with prom in just a few days, she turns to Candice--her holistic, hypochondriac best friend--and decides to try a love spell to make Rob stay with her. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus on her whole class instead, and she is their zombie leader! At first, she loves all the attention. But when she learns from zombie hunter hottie Chase that her classmates will actually try to eat her in a few days, she's not too thrilled. She's sure she and Chase can figure something out, but in the meantime, she's suggesting that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

Eh. As you could probably tell from the summary, this book does not have very much substance, as far as paranormal YA books go. But along with its flaws, it did have some good points...

Starting off with Mia, our main character, a.k.a. Zombie Queen of Newbury High. She was an okay main character, as far as protagonists go. Her character wasn't particularly hilarious, and I didn't want to root for her--she just didn't have very much depth. But, on the plus side, she was a little clever, which made me warm to her a little more. And she gave up a life of popularity with Rob for her adorable romance with Chase, so that was a nice plus. But, what sucked was the way she spoke. What self-respecting seventeen-year-old-girl says "perhaps" every five seconds and never, ever, ever curses? Yeah, right. All in all, I think she could have been better, and the fact that this is the author's first YA book was kind of reflected in her character, but she was fine.

I think the best character in this book was probably Chase, the zombie hunter who was the first to put his finger on what, exactly, happened with Mia's screwed-up spell. I didn't find out very much about him, which kinda bothered me, but from what I do know, he was awesome. Kinda mysterious and good-guy, what with his zombie hunting skills, but then again, I didn't have a clue about his life outside from Newbury High. Why, oh why did Amanda Ashby not expand on this character and yet tell me all about Mia's life at home? The unfairness of our book world sometimes...tsk, tsk.

To be honest, the plot had potential. Bring on the salivating zombies and their hot hunter! Plus, throw in a hilarious main character who makes me want to root her on all the time, and you've got a fantastic book with depth, mystery, and suspense. When I read the back, I knew this book might not exactly have the most substance, but it could be a great one. But my expectations fell flat. The zombie action was very tame, as far as zombies are concerned, and while Chase was awesome, I didn't even get to know him. And on top of that, Mia was anything but funny and relatable. But the other quirky characters in this book, like Mia's best friend, and Mia's younger sister, kinda added to the plot a little bit. However, in the end, I was not satisfied at all.

Another thing I liked about the book was Mia falling for Chase. Okay, so Mia might not have been the best main character, but the fact that she's getting herself out of her crappy romance with Rob and enjoying life to the fullest by falling for Chase gave her some brownie points, in my opinion. I don't know if they were meant for each other or not, but what I do know is that Chase is definitely boyfriend material, and she was wise in choosing him over the stupid, jock Rob.

In the end, I have to say that this book is not one of the finest pieces of YA literature I've ever read. As a matter of fact, not even close. All I know is that if this author writes another YA book, I'll be a little more cautious in picking it up. Now, for the rating: Zombie Queen of Newbury High is the first book on The Wordy Wench to get a measly two stars.

Review: Cruel Love by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION
All good things must end...

For the past four months, Ariana Osgood has led a charmed life at elite Atherton-Pryce Hall, all while concealing her true identity: prison escapee and murderer. But when Dr. Meloni, the psychologist who worked with her in prison, resurfaces, Ariana realizes just how tenuous her new life is.

It's not just Dr. Meloni on her trail. After spotting Reed Brennan, her old rival from Easton, and arousing the suspicions of Jasper, the boy she loves, Ariana realizes she's one wrong move away from losing everything. All Ariana wants is to be with Jasper...but will her cruel love be the end of him?

The Privilege series is officially over! True, Ariana was a psycho teenage murderess who I wasn't a big fan of since she tried to attack Reed, my fave ever book character, but I'm still gonna miss her--and this glamorous world that I've been swept into for twenty-one books. The whole Private series, the whole Privilege series, I've been living in Kate Brian's world. And now I don't know how well I'm going to do, reading other books and hoping that maybe she'll come up with another spinoff series...tragic. Yeah, I am pathetic.

Anyhow, what a sizzling end to the Privilege series! Ariana can't face Dr. Meloni, all her friends are wallowing in their grief ever since Lexa died, and Reed has got to die for all the pain she's caused Ariana. The way Ariana is dealing with this is...surprisingly strong. Other than a few minor panic attacks, she's kept her chin up, is now officially president of Stone and Grave, and has come a long way since the beginning of even the Private series. While I still think she's a bitch who got what she deserved at the end of this book (which I am absolutely not gonna give away!), her character kinda grew on me. She changed, she triumphed, she lost, she felt. As far as characters go, she was one of the most well-sculpted, emotionally crafted characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. And I'm kinda sad to see her gone.

I have to say, this series was super short compared to the Private series. I honestly think Kate Brian could have drawn this one out a little bit more, thrown more action into Ariana's life, brought out challenges that Ariana herself, the conniving murdering little bitch, couldn't deal with. But in six-ish books, it was all over. Private and Privilege have both been ripped out from underneath me. And I was sad after the Private series ended, but I knew I had the spinoff of Privilege to keep me entertained. But now I'm losing the world that I've immersed myself in, and that you have too, if you've been keeping up on the books with me.

On the bright side, I loved all the different challenges Ariana faced in this one and all these ties she had to sever because Dr. Meloni came prancing into her life. There was Palmer, the boy who's threatening to ruin her. There's Jasper, the guy she loves but might have to leave. There are all her friends, who she has to give up even though that's the least she wants. Most importantly, there's the life she's gotten used to. The wealth, the being elite, the status, her every materialistic wish granted...how is she going to live without all that? But she has to, because as soon as she murders Dr. Meloni, she realizes that he cut her--badly. And she can't go to a hospital with that injury, because someone's going to recognize her face and notice that it's actually Ariana, not Briana Leigh Covington...

Anyhow, there's not much more I can say. Goodbye, Private, Privilege, and all the lovely characters I've met so far. I hope Kate Brian writes about you again soon! BTW, congrats to Cruel Love, which lands a fantastic five stars for being an amazing end to this short series.

Review: Pure Sin by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION
Best enemies...

After getting rid of her best-friend-turned-enemy, Ariana Osgood should be on top of the world. She's in love with a hot guy. She's a member of Atherton-Pryce Hall's best secret society. And she's one of the most popular girls on campus. But now that Lexa Greene knows a terrible secret about her, everything Ariana has worked so hard for hangs in the balance. Can she keep up the facade...or is her house of cards about to tumble around her?

A great new book that is also the second to last in the Privilege series--I'm so sad! After I read Cruel Love, which is the last book in the Privilege series, I will have no more Kate Brian books to read, at least not right away. But I do have plenty of other books I hope are excellent stacked in my room, so hopefully we'll be able to mourn the loss of this amazing world with more reading.

I still can't believe Kaitlynn is gone. Ariana and Kaitlynn had been fighting forever, but now that Ariana has won, she has taken the major prize: Kaitlynn's life. Kaitlynn's ever so carefully constructed life, most of it erected from the money Ariana stole from a charity fundraiser to keep Kaitlynn's mouth shut. Now Ariana thought all her secrets were buried. But Lexa Greene, the girl who goes way unstable, had seen the murder. And she's going completely OCD, washing imaginary blood off her hands, screaming when red wine spills like red blood. I'm very impressed that the author crafted such a suspenseful conflict even with Kaitlynn gone! I thought she was the major driving force behind the pressure urging Ariana on, and that may have been true for the past three books in the series. But in Pure Sin, it's the lack of Kaitlynn that's causing Ariana problems. Because if Lexa tells, then Ariana's own world is about to be shut down--forever.

Lexa's character really developed a lot in Pure Sin. Obviously, a normal person who had just witnessed someone having a vase cracked over their head and then being thrown out of a window would probably be even crazier than Lexa. But Lexa's always been the mature, kind, understanding, confident, most popular girl on campus. And when she sees Kaitlynn come to an end like this, she goes straight-up crazy. I felt bad for Lexa the whole time, but I loved seeing how she slowly spiraled into another different person completely. That's the magic of characters created by Kate Brian. You can always expect them to show you a different side just when you thought you knew them most.

Now, onto a slightly more critical note. Kaitlynn has come to Atherton-Pryce Hall as Lillian Oswald, and no one knows her real name but Ariana. However, when Lexa witnesses her murder, she screams, or whispers, or something, "Kaitlynn!" Now, how would Lexa know that the girl's real name was Kaitlynn? That's right--she wouldn't. So that really ruined the authenticity of the book for me. And I wouldn't have minded it if it had just happened once--but it happened again and again. People were constantly calling Kaitlynn by her real name, and I'm surprised neither the author nor her editors caught that. Tsk, tsk!

Anyhow, the suspense that's mounting throughout every page in Pure Sin is purely fantastic! (Haha!) With every breath she breathes, Lexa goes just a little bit more crazy. And she's not even safe from mental breakdowns in the arms of her boyfriend. Ariana knows her perfect life will crumble if Lexa says a word. And that's what keeps the book going. I hate Ariana for the innocent people she's murdered, but when it comes down to it, she's almost as kickass of a protagonist as Reed--just a slightly psychotic one. I really want Ariana to have a happy ending but still pay for her bad choices, but she won't be able to have any type of ending if Lexa says anything. Honestly, I actually wanted Lexa to keep her mouth shut, because I hated Kaitlynn Nottingham with a burning passion. And quite frankly, I'm glad she's gone.

Now, I can't say very much about the ending, but it's absolutely stellar! You guys have to read this book, even if only for the ending. But the rest, I say, was pretty good too, because Pure Sin receives five stars!

Review: Sweet Deceit by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION
To the grave...

Ariana Osgood has been tapped for Stone and Grave, Atherton-Pryce Hall's most exclusive secret society. But so has her arch-nemesis, Kaitlynn. They go head-to-head during Hell Week, but Ariana has worked too hard for her luxe life at APH to give it up without a fight. When the competition turns deadly, only one girl will walk away from it alive...

Wow! Kate Brian bounced back with an amazing novel after the good but not great Perfect Mistake. In fact, it was so good that right after finishing my review for Perfect Mistake, I grabbed Sweet Deceit and pretty much tore through the pages.

First off, I know I've said this in pretty much every review of the Privilege series, but Ariana's character is only getting better and better. In this one, she's depicted as heroic, strong, independent, resilient, and hardworking. And that's the kind of main character I like to see. Of course, all I'm going to say about the suspense in this book is that her murderous tendencies are back in Sweet Deceit...getting you excited, aren't I? Yeah, so even though she's a murderer (twice!) in this book, I'm still getting more and more convinced by this perfectly executed series that Ariana is actually a great main character.

Now, the action in Sweet Deceit was enough to rival any book from the Private series. There isn't so much pressure from Kaitlynn in this book, but that portion is more than made up for by the other conflicts that Ariana has. Just like any normal girl (ha!) she's got a desire to be the best, wants a boyfriend badly...and not so much like other girls, will do anything, including murder, to get what she wants. Yeah, I know that pisses most people off. Trust me--at first, when I started the Privilege series, I was hating myself for even thinking about picking up a book about a crazy murduress who goes around slaughtering people on a whim. But then I really got into the books, and into Ariana's steadily developing character, and I realized I had made the right choice. Yep, I can always count on Kate Brian. And you, my lovely, devoted followers, can as well, because all of her books have either received five stars or four stars (well, the books that I've read, anyway) on The Wordy Wench. Quite an achievement, no?

Now, I don't want to slip up, but this little tidbit that is sure to get devoted followers of the Privilege and Private series both very hyped up is on the tip of my tongue--well, on the tip of my typing fingers, actually--so I'll just go ahead and blurt it out. One of my fave Private characters makes a reappearance in this book! Gasp! Although, I don't quite like what tragedy befalls her. I was actually about to cry when I realized that this innocent character, while drunk out of her mind, is teetering on the edge of pissing fate off. Like, seriously.

Anyhow, now that I've got y'all salivating, let me bring up another good point I've noticed. In the summaries for the Privilege books, the word choice is kinda vague, as if they don't really want you to know what you're in for when you start the book. Sometimes, that's a good thing, and sometimes...not so much. So if summaries leave you hanging and confused rather than excited and ready for a page-turning marathon, reading my reviews would probably be a good idea. They pretty much go in-depth, as far as analyzing and critiquing the plot and characters go. So make sure you stick around for my two cents after you read the italicized summary above.

I can't wait for the next book in the Privilege series! Hopefully, it's just as good as Sweet Deceit--which, by the way, receives a very well-deserved five stars!

Review: Perfect Mistake by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION

Make new friends and kill the old...

Ariana Osgood has everything she's ever wanted. A place at elite Atherton-Pryce boarding school. Fabulous friends. A new crush. And most important, a new identity. Now that she's officially become Briana Leigh Covington, Ariana's troubled past is dead and buried.

Or is it?

When the one person who knows her secret arrives on campus, Ariana decides it's time to say goodbye to her ex-best friend--forever.

Hmm...a so-so book after Beautiful Disaster. I mean, it was still great. And the drama at the end was fantastic--in fact, it was heartwrenchingly sad. Anyhow, let's start off with the positive comments I have about Perfect Mistake.

I have to say, Ariana's character, just like in Beautiful Disaster, really grew on me in this one. She's got pressure building on her because of a few bad choices she made (like murder--ha!), and I feel the urge for her to come out victorious in the end. In no way am I saying that her choice to murder several people was justified. But I am solidifying my belief in the fact that she's a much better, well-crafted character. If someone hadn't read the previous books, they'd almost think Ariana wasn't a psychotic bitch who'd just escaped from prison. Note, I said almost. Because, as all bad things go, there are consequences. And boy, is Ariana facing some of those big time.

Now, the plot was excellent as well. Like in the other Privilege books, Ariana's got a long string of conflicts she has to solve, or there will be serious repercussions. One of these things is her major crush on her best friend, Lexa's, boyfriend, Palmer. He's obviously in love with her, and they're going to the NoBash, a huge festival thrown by the school, together. But how can Ariana blatantly come out and say that she's hookin' up with Palmer now that Lexa just got dumped by him? Her other, way bigger problem is Kaitlynn Nottingham, the girl who Ariana thought was her best friend but really turned out to be a sniveling, conniving, lying, murderous bitch. (Not so different from Ariana herself, actually. Except for the fact that she'll go around murdering people to get into a secret society. Ariana won't sink that low.) Kaitlynn, Ariana, and a few other girls, including some of Ariana's friends, are being initiated into Stone and Grave, one of the secret societies at Atherton-Pryce. But only four spots are open, and five girls are being considered. Kaitlynn has told Ariana that the clock is ticking, and she better eliminate some competition--no matter how she does it. Normally, Ariana wouldn't take shit from anyone--but unfortunately, Kaitlynn knows about Ariana faking to be Briana Leigh Covington. Kaitlynn knows all about how Ariana murdered the real Briana Leigh. And if Kaitlynn speaks up, she'll be back in her mental facility before she can land Lexa's boyfriend in bed.

So yeah, that was kind of a long paragraph. But my point is, she's got a lot of pressure. She has several things to get done, one of which is life-threatening, the other which is so confusing she doesn't even know what to make of it. All that Ariana knows is that she has to get into Stone and Grave, Kaitlynn has to keep her mouth shut, and Palmer has to be her boyfriend. Because if she doesn't get what she wanted--a life of Privilege--there was no point escaping from the facility. Ariana's gone to enough trouble to hide her tracks--she doesn't  need a crappy life after that to screw it all up. Because of all this, I think I'm starting to like Ariana a lot more. She's not so casual about murder anymore and actually revolts when Kaitlynn suggests offing one of her friends to get into the secret society. Ariana has gotten more independent, even stronger and more resilient, as a character.

Now, onto the problems I had with this book! I wasn't a huge fan of the slow pace throughout the whole book and then the major drama at the end. Even though the ending was great, and the suspense had been planted, I wasn't feeling the scary vibe throughout the whole book. That could definitely be worked on, Ms. Brian.

But other than that, Perfect Mistake is fantastic! It's got a well-sculpted main character, an intense plot, lots of conflict, and a whole new glamorous setting that is so different from Private yet just as entertaining. Congratulations to Perfect Mistake on receiving a decent four stars!

Review: Beautiful Disaster by Kate Brian

CONTEMPORARY TEEN FICTION

She's back...

After wasting away in a mental institution for a year and a half, Ariana Osgood is finally back where she belongs. She has a new look, a new name, and a new life--all thanks to her former friend Briana Leigh Covington.

Now enrolled as a junior at the exclusive Atherton-Pryce boarding school just outside of D.C., Ariana sleeps in Frette sheets, flirts with the captain of the crew team, and gossips with the most beautiful girls on campus. She killed to get back her life of privilege. Just how far will she go to keep it?

I'm on a roll today! 1/3 of the Privilege series finished already in one day, especially considering that they're slightly longer than the Private series, is an accomplishment. And it pretty much shows how much I love the Privilege series.

Ariana is back, bitchier and crazier than ever with a shitload of problems. Kaitlynn Nottingham, the girl who knows about Ariana murdering Briana Leigh and who Ariana helped to rescue from prison, is demanding a million bucks so she can have the life of her dream. Ariana has no other way than to commit petty theft, stealing Rolex watches and money earned from a fundraiser that was actually supposed to go to charity. Plus, Lexa Greene, the most popular girl on campus, is dating Palmer Liriano, the hot captain of the team which Ariana is on, and Ariana doesn't like it at all. The very hot Palmer is so obviously attracted to her...but he's with Lexa, so he can't very well show his admiration for her, can he? All that Ariana knows is that she has to keep Kaitlynn's mouth shut and land Lexa's boyfriend for herself...no matter how she goes about to do so.

Love Ariana's character in this one! She doesn't even seem that psychotic. I mean, in Privilege, she was obviously still having problems. But in this one, she seems less like a cold-blooded killer and screwup than a glamorous, popular girl at her new boarding school. I know that murdering people isn't exactly glamorous or popular, but Ariana seems almost normal. Except for her panic attacks and unsuccessful breathing strategies that pop up when she's fearful of something. I could actually relate to her a little bit--she just wants a real life. And even though she might not deserve it, she's doing everything in her power to get it.

Plus, the other characters in Beautiful Disaster are also great. Palmer is so sexy that I'm already swooning for this fictional character. He represents everything that a good guy should--moral values, enthusiasm for his tasks, sweet and loving toward his girlfriend, and easily demonstrating outstanding leadership qualities. Lexa, while holding back everything that Ariana wants, is the sweetest character in this book. She cares for Ariana and her other friends and is devastated when Palmer suspects her of cheating near the end of the book. Soomie, Maria, and Brigit are also great, each of them Ariana's new popular friends. They have their distinct personalities and really are trying to be good friends to Ariana. And last but not least is Tahira, the "tacky" chick who hates Ariana. She's got spunk, I have to say, and while her personality may not be loveable, it defines her well as a character.

Aside from characters, the plot was excellent! Ariana wants--no, needs--this new life, but the twists that pop up along the way are hindering her from reaching her goal. She has so many conflicts, and I'm not saying they're undeserved--she deserves crap from other people for all the murders she's committed and the innocent people she's hurt--but conflicts always spice up a book and make the reader root for the main character. While I didn't want Ariana to be free and killing people left and right, I really was wondering if she had changed and deserved a wealthy, glamorous, fun life. Kate Brian has a way of twisting characters, molding them as horrible at first and then slowly opening up their inner stories.

Fantastic book, overall. I've got the rest of the series as well, ready to be read and reviewed, and I'll be starting the next one as soon as I finish this review. BTW, Beautiful Disaster lands five stars!