Review: Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

This is one book that I was lucky enough to get an ARC of at BEA this past summer.  And just like 2 years ago, the author had attractive guys walking around where she was signing, although unlike the angels from the Hush Hush series that were walking around with no shirts, these guys were fully dressed, so no pictures.  Another cool thing is that 2 years ago I got a t-shirt, this year she gave away a thermos bottle.  It was also while I was waiting in the line that I ran into author Michelle Madow, who I'd been really hoping to see.  But anyway, let's get on with my review, because I LOVED this book! 

To tell the truth, at first I wasn't sure I was going to like this one. I mean I loved the other series, and I figured part of that was because of the angels, the paranormal aspect.  And this is pretty much a contemporary setting, but a suspenseful mystery type.  And I now know that it must be the author's writing that I love, because once again I was grabbed and could barely put the book down to work or sleep.  Never mind eating, because I can read while I eat.  As I read this, I kept forming in my mind who these "bad guys" really were.  How did they link up to the little short bit at the beginning about one of the girls who was murdered.  How did they fit into the story with the other murdered girls.  And as we learned about the main characters, that even added in more possibilities of who everyone was and how they were related.  Okay, here's a quick summary of the story.

The main character is Britt.  She broke up with her boyfriend, her best friend's older brother Calvin, earlier in the school year.  So for her school break she has decided that she wants to backpack the Teton Range.  She's trained herself beforehand.  She's taking her best friend Korbie and they're staying at Korbie's family cabin.  Now Britt kind of has hope in the back of her mind that maybe Calvin will show up and want to go along.  And then she can show off to him how good she is now that she's trained and maybe he'll want to get back with  her.  When she runs into Calvin before she gets to pick Korbie up, she tries to make him jealous by pretending she has a boyfriend, and wouldn't you know it, a really cute guy walks into the gas station at that exact moment.  And he is nice enough to very smoothly play along.  So when Britt and Korbie get on their way, an unexpected blizzard starts, and they get a little lost on the road to the cabin.  Then they get a little bit stuck and decide they need to go find shelter.  They see a cabin nearby in their hiking, and go and knock on the door.  Surprisingly it is the boy from the gas station, Mason and another guy, Shaun.  Korbie sets her sight on Shaun, even though she really has a boyfriend.  But now Mason isn't as friendly and accommodating.  It's like he wants them to leave.  The two guys are acting pretty suspicious.  Especially when after they say that they'd planned to stay in the cabin for a few days to go skiing, Britt finds there isn't really any food there.  Soon Shaun and Mason show a scary side, by pulling out a gun and separating the girls.  They need Britt's help to get off the mountain.  She is able to convince Mason, who while not as friendly as before, still seems less crazy than Shaun, to leave Korbie behind in the cabin.  She figures that will at least give Korbie a chance to not die out in the freezing weather, as she knows her friend is not anywhere near as prepared as she thinks she is.  Along the way she tries to use  many lies and fake outs to save herself and get away.  Leading the boys to a ranger cabin, which unfortunately is not being used at the moment. But they're able to stay and eat some food.  It is here that things really start to go bad.  I won't list all that happens, just know that Britt begins to think that she wants Calvin back, will forgive him for anything to just have him come back and take care of her. 

This was just such a good story.  I seriously was left guessing who the real killer was until close to the end.  Oh, I had my theories, which turned out to be partially correct.  But the solution was really great, and I think it all tied up in a nice bow.  However, as much as I liked the real ending of the story, in a way I think it was a bit unrealistic.  How would people involved in the whole situation closely not know just who Mason was if they saw him, especially if they saw him around Britt.  But I like how it did go, and would hope it could really be that way.  This is a great standalone story, no trilogy here, no cliffhanger ending.  Just a perfect YA mystery story.  I don't think I got a picture with the author at BEA this year unfortunately. 

Silence (Hush, Hush #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I only gave this 4 out of 5 stars. But that's more on me, than the quality of the book. It was good, but it feels like so long ago that I read the first 2 books, or maybe just so many books that I've read since, I was a little lost at first. Kind of like Nora. We get a quick flash at the beginning back to what was happening at the end of the last book, enough to make me think I needed to go back and re-read it, because I was a little unclear about some of the details. But fortunately, the author is nice enough to give us Nora's flashbacks, as she's remembering, as well as when she can get into Patch's memories through his wing scars, and that helped to catch me up. I also for some reason don't seem to remember Nora being such a goody goody as she thinks she is in this book. I may have to go back and read the first one again. I just didn't get that from her the first time I read it. But, I have to admit, that I do connect with that side of Nora a little bit more. As I was quite the goody goody as a teenager. But I like how the story goes in this one. We're introduced to some bad guys towards the beginning that I was sure would show up again, but they didn't really seem to till the end. There were some scary moments with them though, until Jev showed up. And I really want to know what Jev stands for now. Nora's best friend hides the whole thing about Patch from her, as well as her mother, who is now dating Nora's worst enemy's (Marcy Millar) father. And not only is he a car salesman, and one of the richest men in town, he is also the Black Hand. Which Nora finally starts getting clued back into after her encounter with those bad guys I was talking about, Gabe and others, and then when she meets up with her childhood friend, Scott. Who is also a Nephilim, who is hiding from Hank, because he does not want to swear fealty and have to give up his body.
The archangel we meet at the end of the story and what she has to say to Patch and Nora sets us up for the last book in the series. And I was left needing to know what would happen. Will Nora step in to take over for her "father" Hank's army, and will she end the war, or will she have to lead the rebellion as he asked? All in all this was a good next book, and now I'm ready for what I'm sure will be an awesome Finale!!

And, I have to include my picture from meeting Becca Fitzpatrick this summer at BEA.

And my blurry photos of the hot angels walking around the line we stood in while we waited to meet her!

This is my 4th sequel of the month, so I've reached my minimum I set for anyone participating, but I'm guessing in about a week or so I won't get 4 more read.  :-(

View all my reviews

Waiting on Wednesday - New Style

Okay, what I mean by "New Style" is that I know I'm not doing the exact correct thing here, but I'm so far behind on reading since school started back in August, that I kept thinking about how many new books were out that I'd been waiting on, but hadn't had the time to read them yet. So, hopefully Jill at Breaking the Spine doesn't mind too much if I veer off course this week. Instead of choosing one book that is not published yet that I'm eagerly awaiting, I want to share the books that have recently been published but I haven't had time to read them yet.

First is The Death Cure by James Dashner. This is the 3rd, and as far as I know at the moment, final book in the Maze Runner series. According to bn.com:
Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Second is Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, the 3rd, and I think final in the Hush Hush series. According to bn.com: The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Third is The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I enjoy following Maureen Johnson on Twitter, she is so funny. And I've read a few of her others, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, Devilish, to name a few. The 3rd one was the closest to my normal type of book, I mean paranormalish. But this new one sounds really in my area, and I did get it for my birthday, so it will be one of the next ones I read. According to bn.com:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Fourth is First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles #1) by Heather Brewer. I loved her Vladmir Tod series. I love following her on Twitter, and I was so excited to get to meet her last spring! I was so excited when I heard about this series which will fill in the summers between the Vlad Tod books, but from Joss, the vampire slayer's, point of view. Here is the summary according to bn.com: Joss McMillan’s perfect life crashes down the night he witnesses his sister’s murder — at the hands of a vampire. He then finds out his family’s secret heritage: They are part of the Slayer Society, a group whose mission is to rid the world of vampires. Joss is their new recruit. As Joss trains, bent on seeking revenge for his sister, he discovers powers that could make him the youngest, strongest Slayer in history. But there is a traitor in the Society, one whose identity would shake Joss to the core . . . if the traitor doesn’t kill him first.
With over a million copies already in print, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is still sinking its fangs into new readers every day. Now, bestselling author Heather Brewer brings us the other side of the story, from the perspective of Vlad’s former friend turned mortal enemy: vampire slayer Joss McMillan. This is the first in a series of five books that can be read alongside Vlad Tod or entirely on their own.

The 5th book I came up with, and I know there are many more, is The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. This is the sequel to I Am Number Four, which I only picked up to read in the first place due to some of the controversy about who the author really was. I'll let you do some research into that on your own if you're interested enough. Here is the storyline according to bn.com:
I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.
Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?
They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.
I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight.

So, as I said, I hope that the blog who does this meme isn't upset with me for diverging from the normal way of doing this for this week. I just really wanted to do a blog about this, and it felt kind of like I was "waiting" so I decided it fit perfectly under "Waiting On Wednesday" because instead of waiting for a book to be published, I'm waiting to have the time to read them!

The Hazards of Working at a Bookstore Vol. 2.4 Part 2

Okay, finally getting around to adding another post about this. Hoping this one will get posted as soon as I'm done, as I have 5 books to actually review as well.

First is Mercy by Rebecca Lim. This is another angel story. Our main character is Mercy, who wakes up and can't remember who she is. She finds out that she is one of the angels who was thrown out of heaven for supporting Lucifer. Now, to get back to heaven, she must help out a bunch of people. I think this is going to be a series. I've had luck with 2 angel stories, the Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick, as well as Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. And in a way, the whole Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare is actually about angels too. So I'll add this to my list of angel stories to read.

Second is Ark by Stephen Baxter. In looking this up to talk about it, I see that it is a sequ

el to another book called Flood. The whole story is that the sea levels begin rising, flooding the world. Now, normally, I'm not a believer in the whole global warming thing, but this story isn't necessarily all about that, it actually sounds like an interesting story. I've read other books by Stephen Baxter, so look forward to reading this one as well.

Finally is Treasures From The Attic by Mirjam Pressler. Especially after I just finished the book called Surviving the Angel of Death about twins who survived the holocaust and experiements by Dr. Mengele, I am very ready to read this book. This as you may guess from the title is about Anne Frank, the famous holocaust diary written in an attic. A daughter in law goes to clean her mother in laws attic when she dies, and finds a treasure trove of Anne Frank artifacts. The family didn't know that they were a part of history, and learn from what they find.

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Now, it's been awhile since I read Hush, Hush, the first book in this series. Part of the reason it has been so long is because I read that as an ARC, and then when this came out, I was busy reading for other things, like the Gateway Award. But finally, still with my borrowed Nook, I decided to go ahead and read Crescendo.

I was afraid at first that I was going to have to give a not so great review as the one I gave for Hush Hush. But, soon, I was sucked into the book, to the point where all I could think about was getting back to read and find out what happened next. In fact, I hate that I didn't have time for a 15 minute break at work last night, because I was thinking about the book all night. So, as soon as I got home, I went to bed, but I stayed up reading until I finished it. Now, don't read on if you haven't read Hush Hush, because there will be some spoilers here.

Where we left off, Patch had saved Nora from being sacrificed so a fallen angel could become human. Patch was a fallen angel, but in doing so, he was given a chance to be a guardian angel again, and they assigned him to Nora. In this book, we are led back to Nora's father's death, and how does it connect to what is happening to her right now. You see, Nora comes from a line of Nephilim, which are the human hosts for the fallen angels to use every year for two weeks. All of a sudden, Nora's enemy, Marcie, has become a major part in her life. And for some reason, Patch starts pulling away, and hanging around Marcie. Her best friend Vee has started dating Patch's best friend Rixon, which leads to some awkwardness, as now that Nora has broken up with Patch, Vee is around him all the time. A friend/enemy/neighbor from the past moves back to town, a boy named Scott. His mother and Nora's mother are best friends. It seems Scott got into some trouble back where they had moved. Nora finds that Scott has a scar showing he is a Nephilim. She begins hanging out with him, for many reasons, because her mom wants her to at first, then because she thinks Scott may know something about who or what happened to her father.

I do have to say, the book was good, because I didn't catch on to who the actual bad guy was in this book until right before he made his move. I like when a book keeps me guessing like that. The only bad thing, well, it left off on a big cliffhanger, and now I'm waiting for the next book in the series! I want to try to wait until series are all out sometimes, like I read the whole Moral Instruments series book at one time. And I'm waiting to read the Clockwork Angel pre-series to that until the rest of those books are out. But in this case, I am glad I read it, it was a very good sequel. I also think that angels are the new vampires/werewolves for romances.