Novel Review: Cryptic Cravings (Vampire Kisses, #8) by Ellen Schreiber

Genre: YA Supernatural Romance

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5

Publisher: HarperTeen

Spoilers?: Some.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The morbidly monotonous Dullsville has finally become the most exciting place on earth now that Raven is madly in love with her hot vampire boyfriend Alexander, and a crew of vampires has taken residence in Dullsville's old mill. Raven discovers Jagger's plan to open a new club, The Crypt, right here in Dullsville. But is it her dream come true, or her worst nightmare? Raven and Alexander have to figure out what the nefarious vampire has in store for Dullsville's teen and vampire population. Can Raven convince Jagger to listen to her plans to make the Crypt the morbidly magnificent dance club it could be? Will it be safe for mortals and vampires alike?

And as Sebastian and Luna's relationship heats up, Raven wonders about her own amorous fate: Will Alexander ever turn her? Does he crave her and does he want to spend eternity together? And what does she really want?

With cryptic secrets and cravings, this eighth installment in the Vampire Kisses series is a romantic and mysterious thrill ride.

Available on Amazon.

Review:

I did not really enjoy this book. It was a bit nostalgic for me, and had a feel like most Disney Channel movies/TV shows that I don’t like and yet get sucked into anyway have, which is why the rating is as high as it is. Because I do have several problems with this book.

Now, if you have not, then you should go read my review for Once in a Full Moon, because I have somewhat similar feelings to this book as I did to that one.

In this book of the Vampire Kisses series, Raven is wondering more seriously (and by more seriously, I mean more frequently, and in the state of mind as ‘I want him to do it’) about Alexander (you know, her vampire boyfriend) biting her and turning her into a vampire. Also, Jagger, Sebastian, Luna, Onyx, and Scarlet, are all still in town and setting up a vampire/human gothic club for the town. Which of course Raven and Alexander don’t want any vampires, other than themselves, to attend, so they have to try to convince Jagger of that.

First, let’s talk about the club. Jagger’s idea is for it to be like the Coffin Club, but Raven quickly gets everyone to agree that there should be no other vampires, because that would be bad. Which, okay, they don’t want any other vampires causing a mess in the town, or getting everyone’s attention. But I have a problem with the vampires, and how it’s a little racist, maybe, for her to automatically assume that every other vampire out there is bad, when she has only met nice ones (well, aside from Luna and Jagger, but mostly Luna, and that’s just their personalities). But I have a problem with the vampires in general that I will talk about in a minute.

My problem with the club is that, it’s a gothic club. With coffins and spider webs and other dark, creepy things. That no one in town but Raven and the vampires like. So why would anyone else in town want to go there? I get that they want something to do because it’s so boring there, but I don’t think people are that influence-able, that as soon as Trevor, a popular boy, says it’s okay, they’re all on board. That’s a shallow assumption. Not to mention a dumb one.

I just don’t understand why all these people that give Raven crap would suddenly decide to go to a goth club, just because it’s there. And why Jagger would decide that their town would be the place to put a club, out of all the other, more popular, towns. Why would he think that he would make money off of it in the first place? That doesn’t make sense to me.

Now, the vampire thing. My main problem revolves around the fact that most vampires are born that way. You are not born as an evil creature, okay? You grow into that. If they are born with the vampire traits, okay, but everyone is suggesting that vampires are evil, terrible things, when they are born like that. And why, exactly, can’t they look in the mirror or get their picture taken? Usually, as far as I know, that means that they don’t have a soul. But how can they not have a soul, when they are born that way? That just doesn’t add up in my head. Also, Raven called them ‘undead’ once. You can’t be undead if you are born like that. Being undead means that you were dead, are in a dead-like state, and you are not in that kind of state, if you are still growing. If you age, and reproduce. That does not work, okay? I’m just having a hard time accepting the logistics of it all.

And Raven wants so badly to be one of them, to be joined forever with Alexander, while he’s hesitant to do it. He’s smart to be hesitant. Because that would change her life forever, which she doesn’t seem to realize, because she thinks that her life revolves around him and doesn’t think that’s a bad thing. Although, honestly? It would change how she lives her life, yea, and that she would have to drink blood, which is a big deal, but the vampires aren’t dangerous. These vampires are not dangerous, at all, and so I don’t see why anyone should be afraid of them. They apparently aren’t controlled by their thirst, some of them are just assholes. Well, you know what? Some humans are assholes, too; not a big deal.

Another problem I have with this book, is the whole ‘love’ thing. At one point, Raven’s mom asks her about college, and she says something along the lines of how she would go with Alexander, if he went. Because her decisions are made when he makes his. Because, you know, they’re in love and that’s apparently all that matters in life. And her mom just lets the subject go, because she believes that Raven has found true love, and that’s the most important thing, I guess.

And, later in the book, Becky (Raven’s best friend) finds out that Alexander and the others are vampires, and freaks out a bit. Raven tells her that no one else can know. Becky responds by telling her that, oh, yea, of course, she won’t tell anyone. Except for Matt, her boyfriend, because, you know, they’re in love and she can’t keep a secret like this from him. And I get not wanting to keep a secret from him, but this is kind of a big thing. And you’ve been together maybe a year. I think this is something you can keep from him.

Which is another thing. As of this book, they’ve been together a year. A year. That’s not very long. At all. They shouldn’t be planning their lives together after a year, when they’re seventeen and eighteen years old. That is not old enough. Especially when they act like they’re closer to thirteen/fourteen (well, maybe fifteen for Alexander. He does act a bit more mature than everyone else). They barely even know each other. Raven didn’t even know Alexander had a younger sister until this book, in fact. (Who, of course, we will be meeting in the next book.)

It bothers me that this is such an immature book (especially with the way the towns are called ‘Dullsville’ and ‘Hipsterville’), and yet it’s talking very seriously about spending the rest of your life with someone and what their version of getting married is, when the characters aren’t even out of high school yet. I read this in middle school/early high school, which is the age I would recommend it for, but there’s all this other stuff that makes this not a good book for those ages.

Next, the writing. I mentioned in my other review, how much more tell there is than show, and it’s the same way in this book. Alexander is described, several times, as saying something seductively, or in a sexy voice, which isn’t really a description at all. And we’re told, several times, that Alexander is her vampire boyfriend; which is just one example of the repetitivity. And, again, the kissing/romantic scenes are not very good in description, at all, and thus not exciting.

Oh, another thing that’s repeated so many times, is how Trevor is her nemesis. She kind of has feelings for him, but doesn’t want to, because she’s in love with Alexander. And of course, her feelings for Alexander win out by far, but it was a rather annoying subplot that I didn’t really care for.

The writing makes it very easy to get through, but not particularly a nice read. Although, this series is, by far, easier to read than her Full Moon one, so that’s saying something.

I did not really enjoy this book, but it wasn’t completely terrible. And I’ve had it on my shelf since around the time it came out, so it’s been a while. I finally decided to read it, and, because I knew that I’d pretty much grown out of it, I planned to read this book and be done with it. Then I found out that there’s only one more book in the series. Which, of course, means that I’m going to have to read the last book. It's not going to be terrible or anything, but it still might be a while until I decide to get it.

Novel Review: Once in a Full Moon (Full Moon, #1) by Ellen Schreiber

Genre: YA Supernatural Romance

Rating (Out of 5): ~2 (actually, probably less)

Publisher: HarperTeen (Katherine Tegen Books)

Spoilers?: Yes. Majorly.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves--Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Available on Amazon.

Review:

I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf since it came out, as at that time I was quite a big fan of Schreiber’s Vampire Kisses series, but I think maybe I’m a bit too old for it now. For Schreiber’s type of storytelling in general, really. But even taking that into consideration, I still had a lot of problems with this book (and the Vampire Kisses book that I read right before this one, but that will be getting its own review).

This series is very different from Schreiber’s vampire one, which I am glad for, but not particularly in a good way. Once in a Full Moon is about Celeste, who is dating a boy named Nash (whose name, I’m sorry, I keep relating to the Nash from the Soul Screamers series, but that Nash is much better), but really only to keep her friends happy, since she is totally not in love with him. But, really, she doesn’t see why she’s not, because he’s so hot, you guys. Instead, though, there’s Brandon, the new boy in her small town, who’s caught her attention, and saves her, and gives her all these tingly feelings upon first sight. And he’s such a nice guy, plus he’s totally hot, too. The only problem is that he’s from the wrong side of town, and her friends would never accept it, because, you guys, he’s from the Westside of town. But she doesn’t care about that, no, of course not, it’s just everyone else that cares. Totally.

I don’t like Celeste. She’s supposedly very practical and nice and doesn’t care for the Eastside/Westside rivalry, but I didn’t really believe that. I didn't believe her. I believe that she’s nice, because we are actually shown some nice things she does, even if they aren’t all that backed up with selfless feelings. But we’re told, about, three times that she practical and pragmatic, but are never really shown that it’s part of her personality. And if she really didn’t care about the rivalry thing, then why does she bring it up all the time? And why doesn’t she ever show us that she doesn’t care? She only ever says she doesn’t, but then never tries to show her friends that she likes the people on the other side, or hang out with them or anything. She sticks up for Brandon a couple of times, weakly, but won’t tell them that she likes him. And she is so superficial. Every time she describes the boys, and why she likes them, and why she should like Nash, it’s about their looks. They’re both so hot, and sexy, and they have chiseled abs, and Nash is on some sports team and everyone likes him. Nash is confident, and Brandon is nice; that’s pretty much the only personality descriptions we get about them, ever, which tells us nothing, really.

And her friends. My god, was I annoyed with them. They’re supposedly there for her, and yet are constantly pushing her toward Nash, who is a jerk. They don’t care that she doesn’t like them, but tell her that she’s happier around him and that she should just forgive him already. Nash is just a pissy jerk who needs to get over himself.

I didn’t mind Brandon, but I didn’t really have any strong feelings for him, either. He likes Celeste for some reason, and he worries about her safety, but he’s not controlling about it. He deals with the whole Eastside/Westside thing rather well, even though he has reason to be more upset about it.

Everyone at Celeste’s school only care about what side of town they’re from and how they look. And Celeste and her friends go to meet the town psychic, and the psychic is pretty much a huge despicable fake; that’s all I have to say about her. And, again, Nash is just a huge jerk that only cares about what everyone else thinks.

Another of my big problems with this, is the writing. It’s easy to get through, but it’s not very pretty, or scenic, or nice, and it's repetitive. It’s constantly telling the reader everything instead of showing them. Like telling us that someone is frustrated or is saying something 'seductively', but not showing us how we should know that. And the kissing scenes are just pathetic in detail.

And pretty much everything about the book is childish. The town rivalry is dumb, Celeste’s thoughts on everything is superficial and not at all mature, how everyone has to be in love and falls into it so easily is childish, and the way the Brandon gets bitten and turned into a wolf is stupid and not believable at all. There’s barely any mythological work here at all.

I can say that I was expecting him to already be a werewolf, so that was a nice surprise, but I don’t see how being bitten by a real wolf and then getting kissed under the full moon is supposed to change you into a werewolf, and one that stands on two feet and can talk and is just a bit more hairy than normal, at that. Plus, why does he change on the nights when the moon looks full? It’s not full, that's a different thing. And why isn’t he dangerous, at all? And why couldn’t he remember any of it until he got kissed again? None of it makes any sense to me.

The whole love thing is in both series, I believe. The fact that, as soon as you're dating someone, and sometimes even when you're not, that you're in love. Her friends are in love with their boyfriends, no matter how long they've been together, because they look happy. And Celeste is bothered by the fact that she's not in love with Nash, but is falling in love with Brandon. Because falling in love happens so easy and fast, right? It's an immediate thing, and it's such an important part in your life. Right?

Also, it bothers me that this is such an immature, childish book, and yet words like 'sexy' are used constantly. That's a bit of an unsettling contrast right there. And it's a tiny bit sexist, too. Like how Celeste points out that Nash is a bit cowardly, among other things. I probably wouldn't have noticed this too much, but I read a review (a very good review, with a low rating) that mentioned it, so I paid more attention, and it is there.

It’s safe to say that I am probably not going to be reading the next book. I just had too many problems with this one, and while I am mildly curious to see what happens, I don’t plan on buying the next book. Or borrowing it.

Review: Hunted (House of Night, Book 5) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5/3

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Amazon Synopsis:

What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil, and all he wanted was you?
At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with an unexpected danger that might bring them all down.  Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, who looks gorgeous and has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading power, but what if it shows Zoey truths she can’t face?  Meanwhile, the red fledglings have cleaned up well, but are they really as friendly as they seem?  On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to fix things with super-hot ex-, Erik, but she can’t stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms, and she is driven to save him from Neferet’s sinister influence.  Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?

Review:

A friend of mine suggested that I start this series a while ago, as she was really enjoying it. So I did. And I enjoyed it, for the most part. The vampyres are different from normal, and how they're made is a little odd, and the whole goddess and demon thing is interesting. It's a bit odd how it all works, and they (at least as long as they're not fully into their 'powers' or whatever) don't really seem all that vampire-like. They're not a very dangerous vampire type.

And the one thing that I do like about this series is the actual plot point. The parts that Zoey's fighting against Neferet, and fighting against the other people as well; when she's being actually smart and mean. This doesn't happen very often. There are usually very few scenes like this in each book, and they are very brief (and sometimes at the very end). Which is disappointing.

And I like Aphrodite. Stevie Rae is pretty cool, and, despite the stereotypes, I do like Damien and Jack. I'm not too big a fan of Erin and Shaunee, as they seem immature. But I am finding a lot of this series immature and annoying.

First, Zoey. I am really starting to hate Zoey. She is supposed to be strong and smart, since she's practically a high priestess or whatever, so high up next to Nyx, and all that. And yet she isn't very smart, and is making bad decisions all the time. She falls for her teacher, stupidly, and is deceived and hurt. She can't make up her mind about what boy she wants, and whenever she seems to choose, she second guesses it and continues wanting and not resisting the other guys. She needs to make up her freakin' mind. (In my opinion, I think I like Heath most. Erik is pretty much a jerk. I don't know much about Stark yet. And I didn't even like Heath at first, but he's pretty fun.) (Also, and, yes, this is probably not a very good comparison, but with they way this is going with Zoey stringing on so many guys and feeling 'ho-ish' but then making excuses to make it seem alright, it's starting to remind me of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton. In the later books, where she is practically a slut and has sex with so many guys. This is like a much more tamed, immature version of that.) She's dumb and doesn't deserve all that she has.

And I am really bothered by the writing. It's a little crude and, again, immature, and a little bit over exaggerated, in a fanfiction type way, with the words they use. There's cussing and little kid type of words, and it's all so stupid. And it's so very repetitive; the word choice and what they're talking about and the plot. And it's moving so very slowly. The characters are all pretty immature and dumb; they need to grow up a lot more. And, yea, there is quite a bit of stereotyping happening.
A lot of the story focuses on Zoey and her love troubles and her worrying and trying to think of how to solve what's going on. But very little of the plot is actually moved within the over three-hundred page book. And the ending was pretty lame.

It's just dragging on everything with Neferet and Zoey's love life and Kalona. And, really? Zoey has to be the one reincarnated as his love? But of course, though, since everyone has to love Zoey. I'm over all that. Some plot-line action needs to happen.

I already have the next book in the series, but I don't know if I'll be reading it any time soon. I know that there are other points of view than Zoey's, which makes it sound a bit better, since I don't like Zoey possibly most, but it's not enough to make me excited. I've been meaning to read it for a while, but I haven't gotten around to making myself actually do it yet. I'm not planning on not reading more of it, since I like finishing things and I do kind of want to see more of the plot, but it will still probably take a while.