Hush, Hush Review

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2009
Pages: 400
ISBN: 978-1416989417

From Goodreads:
For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Hush, Hush was a farely good read. The cover was what caught my attention in the first place. It is gripping and eye catching. Being the first fallen angels type of book I have read, I did not know what to expect. The actual plot and story idea was enticing and definitely kept me interested. It wasn't one of those stay-up-late, fervently-reading-to-the-end type of books for me, but those are hard to come by. Fitzpatrick continuously keeps the reader interested through excellent writing and surprising events.

Nora's character was overall well developed. She wasn't my favorite character of all time but still fun to read. The decisions on Nora's part are not thought through and more often than not end up being very unwise decisions. However, if she didn't make these sort of decisions then the majority of the events would not take place and the story line would not exist-which is becoming a staple in YA literature.

My favorite points in the book where characters are concerned include the interactions between Patch and Nora. The relationship is difficult to explain because it is such a different relationship than I have read before. It wasn't a bad different nor was it a good different-just a surprising different. Some portions of the book were very unrealistic, but they are easy to overlook with the whimsically dark feeling of the storyline.



My rating: 4 lattes for being an exciting read with engaging characters.
As this is the first novel in the series, I look forward to making my way through the rest of the story with the second installment, Crescendo.

Free Book Preview

If you're a fan of young adult fiction here is a chance to read an exciting new addition to bookshelves everywhere-for FREE! For a limited time, HarperTeen is giving everyone a chance to read Gillian Shields' new paranormal fantasy Immortal. Click here to read it! Below is a little bit about the book from Amazon:


Sensible Evie Johnson arrives alone to face her new life at the Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies. Raised by her beloved grandmother, Evie never wanted to attend boarding school, especially one for spoiled rich girls. But Frankie has fallen gravely ill and Evie's father is away in military service, so off to Wyldcliffe she goes. It is as horrible as Evie suspected it would be. The girls mistreat her, the headmistress is a nightmare, and she keeps seeing a girl who looks just like her. Evie's only joy comes from her budding romance with elusive Sebastian, who tells her that he lives near the school. Why will he only meet her at night? What does he know about the mysteries surrounding the school? And who is that shadowy girl? Billed as the first in a paranormal romance series, this lightweight story is filled with romance, mystery, and suspense. The moors provide plenty of atmosphere and Wyldcliffe Abbey and its teachers are downright spooky.–Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading. Just grab your current read, open to a random page, include the title and author, and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Be careful not to include spoilers! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)




Truth, after all, was the slickest axle grease a wheel of lies could spin on. And this one was rolling right along.


Title: Never Let You Go
Author: Erin Healy
Page: 243

Deadly Little Secret-Review

Title: Deadly Little Secret
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH, 2009
Pages: 272
ISBN: 1423111982


From Amazon:


Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia’s life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades, an okay relationship with her parents, and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when a mysterious boy named Ben starts junior year at her high school, Camelia’s life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She’s reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she’s inexplicably drawn to Ben…and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help—but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.



Secrets don't make friends, or do they? That seems to be the underlying question in this book. Camelia meets Ben, who definitely has secrets, and the two engage in a teeter totter, on-again off-again friendship. Ben's secrets might tear him away from Camelia, but not if Camelia's secret tears her away from Ben first.

I can't recall why or how I picked this book. I think I kept seeing it as a "other customers who enjoyed this item also enjoyed.." recommendation. It makes no difference if I can remember why or how I decided to buy this book, just that I bought it! Stolarz did a fabulous job! The story was completely engrossing. Camelia and Ben's characters were very well-written as were the secondary characters-specifically Wes and Kimmie, Camelia's riotous friends. Camelia's is artistic and thoughtful while Ben is mysteriously broken. The story is mainly told from Camelia's POV but throughout the book several journal entries are written by an unknown author. This unknown journal-writing author has dangerously hidden feelings and desires to display them. The fact that not only is Ben mysterious with unknown secrets, but there is another anonymous admirer of Camelia, had me eating this book up. I devoured this first book to find out Ben's past and present secrets all the while trying to figure out who the anonymous journal writer was. The entire book is nicely paced without dull or dragging parts.

Many reviews I read likened this book to Twilight. Yes, there are definite similarities but the differences outweigh the similarities by a long shot! I recommend not getting sucked into the belief that this book is like Twilight (I'm a huge Twi fan by the way). Enjoy this book as a separate entity-I know I sure did! Don't pass this one up!


My rating: 4 lattes because it was an intriguing mystery that left me wanting more. I became completely engrossed in the story, which had me eagerly turning the pages to find out what happened next.



Recommendations for similar books: Fallen by Lauren Kate & The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick...


From Amazon:

It's her destiny to die young. The man who loves her can't live with that.

Promise, a talented young vocalist with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging witch and art collector in search of the goddess who will grant her immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that Promise is the one she seeks. But Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and opposes Porta, comes between the women with his mysterious visions and drawings, and plunges everyone into a flesh-and-blood confrontation over the true meaning of eternal life.

Title: The Promises She Keeps
Author: Erin Healy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 8, 2011)
Pages: 352
ISBN: 1595547517


The best part is that the author has posted the first 3 chapters on her facebook page! It sounds amazing! Go check it out here!

Fallen-Review

Title: Fallen
Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009
Pages: 464
ISBN: 0385738935

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.


Sword and Cross is a dark, depressing place that feels more like prison than a boarding school. Luce finds herself being forced to enroll and attend the bleak establishment after a suspicious fire kills her boyfriend. Friendliness does not come easily between Luce and the majority of the student body. In the midst of the gloom and fog that hang over the school, however, Luce catches the eye of one of the more well-known students, Cam. Cam begins to pursue Luce but Luce has eyes for Daniel. Thus, the love triangle begins. But this love triangle is dangerous with deadly consequences.

After reading numerous mixed reviews, I wasn't sure if I'd like this book. I set out to find a book that would fill the void of my Twilight obsession. Though nothing can accomplish that, I feel that Lauren Kate's book came close but in another realm of young fiction. Instead of vampires and wolves, Fallen incorporates angels, more specifically, fallen angels. Though the beginning starts out a little slow, I began to really enjoy the story. The writing style easily captured my interest because it was not bogged down in flowery language. Lauren Kate's writing was imaginative and descriptive without overpowering the storyline. There are many unanswered questions and loose ends but I felt they were necessary. Lauren Kate took the time to introduce Luce, Cam, and Daniel and develop the story that surrounds all three of them. Lauren Kate does a masterful job of not divulging everything in this first book. The mysterious unknowns left me wanting more and pulled me deeper into the story. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.

My rating: 4 lattes because it was an intriguing read that left me wanting more. It completely engulfed me and had me eagerly turning the page to find out what happened next.





*Picture, information, summary from Amazon.com and Goodreads.com.