Review: Hush, Hush

Title: Hush, Hush

Series: Hush, Hush #1

Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Pages: 391

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Published Date: October 13, 2009

ISBN 13: 9781416989417

Rating: 1/5

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.

Review:

First off, let me just start by saying, look at that cover. Look at it! 

Now cry, because that wondrously breathtaking, scrumptious cover is really all a ruse to hide a total crap piece of literature. 

The only redeeming quality Fitzpatrick seems to have as an author is that she is somewhat, kind of, maybe original when it comes to thinking up a unique take on the seriously hyped-up "fallen angel" cliche. But as I said, it is her only redeeming quality when it comes to this novel. 

Honestly, the book itself was less than spectacular, and while this would normally be a quick read for me, I found it hard to even get all the way through to the end. Part of the reason might be that the entire plot was so wishy-washy and confusing. The other part is mostly contributed to the horrible characters. 

Nora's character is so incredibly convoluted that I felt like I was watching a tennis match. At one moment, she's head-over-heels for the guy, and then all of a sudden, she can't possibly like him because he's just that dark and dangerous, and what the fuck? Nora is supposed to be a self-proclaimed brain, so why is she suddenly throwing out every bit of common sense and acting on impulses that she knows are going to end badly? I mean, if you know the guy is as "dangerous" as you think, then why would you let him into your house with you? 

Patch's character wasn't much better, to be honest. Yes, he sounded utterly delicious in description, but his bad boy credibility kind of deflated with me when he fell in love with a twit like Nora. Also, the whole stalking-at-every-opportunity thing? Yeah, a little creepy. Would I honestly consider dating a guy who I caught standing outside my window, watching me sleep? Uh, no thanks, I'll pass. 

And don't get me started on Vee. I've had best friends like her in the past, and I've only put up with half the crap Vee put Nora through before I called it quits. Some of the things she did just made me stare at the page and think "Really? Did she really just do that?" 

As for Elliot and Jules...well, they were so poorly developed that they aren't even worth ranting about. As far as villains go, they were pretty bland.

So needless to say, I'm only giving this book a 1 out of 5 stars. I doubt I'll go on to read Crescendo. I don't think I could bear it... 

Review: Generation Dead

Title: Generation Dead

Series: Generation Dead #1

Author: Daniel Waters

Pages: 392

Publisher: Hyperion

Published Date: May 6th, 2008

ISBN 13: 9781423109211

Rating: 5/5

Phoebe Kendall is just your typical Goth girl with a crush. He’s strong and silent…and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occurring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. But when they come back to life, they are no longer the same. Feared and misunderstood, they are doing their best to blend into a society that doesn’t want them. 

The administration at Oakvale High attempts to be more welcoming of the “differently biotic." But the students don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the “living impaired” from the people who want them to disappear—for good.

When Phoebe falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids, no one can believe it; not her best friend, Margi, and especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has feelings for Phoebe that run much deeper than just friendship; he would do anything for her. But what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Review:

I have to say, Daniel Waters proves himself as an author with this exceptionally written debut novel. The plot is fast-paced and incredibly unique for having such a cliche theme. I was quite impressed with the way Waters takes on the topic of death (or undeath, in this case).

Each character is well-developed and constantly changed and evolved throughout the story to the very end. Waters put so much effort into each individual, that I couldn't help but like them all. Even the trigger-happy antagonist, Pete Martinsburg, who I loved to hate with all my being.  

By the end of the book, I actually caught myself getting angry. Not because the ending was written badly, but because it was so well done, I found myself angry with the outcome. Very few books have been able to make me feel an emotion at the end, whether it be anger, sadness, or happiness. I was quite literally drawn into the book.

All in all, a refreshing and enjoyable read.    

Review: Gods Behaving Badly

Title: Gods Behaving Badly

Series: N/A

Author: Marie Phillips

Pages: 292

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published Date: December 10th, 2007

ISBN 13: 9780316067621

Rating: 4/5

Being a Greek god is not all it once was. Yes, the twelve gods of Olympus are alive and well in the twenty-first century, but they are crammed together in a London townhouse-and none too happy about it. And they've had to get day jobs: Artemis as a dog-walker, Apollo as a TV psychic, Aphrodite as a phone sex operator, Dionysus as a DJ.

Even more disturbingly, their powers are waning, and even turning mortals into trees—a favorite pastime of Apollo's—is sapping their vital reserves of strength.

Soon, what begins as a minor squabble between Aphrodite and Apollo escalates into an epic battle of wills. Two perplexed humans, Alice and Neil, who are caught in the crossfire, must fear not only for their own lives, but for the survival of humankind. Nothing less than a true act of heroism is needed-but can these two decidedly ordinary people replicate the feats of the mythical heroes and save the world?

Review:

I have to say, when I found this little gem on Goodreads, I was pleasantly surprised. I've always held a certain fascination for Greek Mythology, so I was really looking forward to reading this fictional, supposedly humorous tale about the twelve gods. 

This book did not disappoint me. 

It was a fast, easy read with a nice flow, and had some witty one-liners that forced me to put the book down until I stopped laughing. Each character had a different, unique personality type, which kept them from blurring together in my eyes. I never had any trouble remembering who was who, and I felt that the character interaction was entertaining and believable. 

Some people might find themselves deterred by the sheer amount of profanity used, for this book can be downright vulgar in some places. Most of this can just be contributed to Apollo's foul mouth and detailed sexual exploits. For the most part, I really overlooked the raunchiness, seeing as how I've read most of Laurell K. Hamilton's books (the Queen of Raunchiness).

That aside, I truly enjoyed the way Phillips portrayed each god. She kept them very close to the way history portrayed them to be (Artemis never having sex, therefore being very chaste with everyone), but gave them certain qualities that made them fit very well into the modern world.  

The only real discrepancy I had was that I had the misfortune of receiving one of the unedited drafts of the book. As such, there were many spelling errors that would later be edited out during the publishing process. I also have a feeling that some of the scenes were cut from the book for either being irrelevant or sloppy. 

I don't like to go much more in-depth with a book, lest I give everything away. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. The only way it could've been better was if it was a bit longer.