Manga Review: Pretty Poison by Yutta Narukami

Rating (Out of 5): ~3

Publisher: Aurora (Luv Luv)

Volumes: 1 (One-shot)

Amazon Synopsis:

He's dangerous, beautiful & addictive... She Can't get enough!

Riyako's dreams of a happy marriage are shattered when her "true love" cheats on her. Heartbroken, she finds herself seduced by the beautiful young Shogo, ending in a night of heated, passionate sex. However, what seemed like an accidental meeting turns out to be much more, as Shogo and her ex-lover are somehow connected! In her vulnerable state, Riyako can't help herself from becoming more and more addicted to the seductive, poisonous bad boy Shogo. He knows just the right buttons to push to get what he wants, and what he wants is more hot sex with Riyako. A suspenseful and lust-filled love affair ensues.

Review:

I'm always looking for volumes from out-of-print companies, and that's especially for ones from Aurora and LuvLuv. Mostly because they tend to be smutty josei manga, and I love those. Or, I want to love them. I want to find a really good josei manga, and I would love it even more to have good smut, and I just can't. Usually the story is weak, or the characters are weak, or the art is weak; or maybe even all of them. And it just isn't what I want. And so I am disappointed. And this one wasn't all that much different. Which, honestly, sucks.

So, the first three chapter of this manga are all on the same persons story, Riyako. She's with this guys, who she believes loves her and agrees to move in together with her, while is obviously cheating on her, and he goes out and gets one of his 'friends' to make a move on her and 'console' her when she sees him with another girl. They guy, Shogo, ends up crashing with her for a few nights, even though she acts like she doesn't want his there. And then she gets all upset when she finds out it was all a set up. By the end, though, she's taking care of him again after finding out about his parents and telling off her old boyfriend.

Most of this was a bit annoying. I mean, obviously her old boyfriend was a bit shady, and then Shogo, who she ends up with, isn't very good at consoling her, and instead makes a move on her, pretending to have fallen in love with her as soon as he saw her (which is so obviously a line). He does several things within the story that bothered me, like pushing her into sex and just pushing her in general, which I didn't like. He wasn't particularly nice to her, and so I didn't feel that it made sense for them to believe they were in love so suddenly, when there weren't very many reasons for them to have fallen in love.

Also, I believe he stated, maybe once in the whole thing, that he loved the first guy and was gay, maybe bi? At first I thought he was joking, but he sounded pretty serious. Maybe he was, though, since it was never mentioned again, and didn't seem to be much of a problem? That bothered me a bit, but whatever, I guess?

That story gets a few points for the ending, though, since they decided to give themselves some room to grow, and they end up back together a while after the rest of the story. It wasn't done as well as it could have been, but it was still a good idea. Riyako gets a few points, too, because somewhere within the story, she ties him up because she doesn't trust him, which I haven't seen before and was happy with. That's not a whole lot of points for her, though, since she bought all the lines given to her and wasn't very strong for most of the story.

The last story, Yuji Scores, is about a girl who is in love with her soccer player boyfriend. He asks her to marry him, and she says yes, but later finds out that she isn't quite ready for it. I thought that they weren't quite right for each other, since they wanted very different things in life, and that something would happen with this other guy she knows, but nothing did. Instead, she breaks off the engagement, because she isn't ready for that (which she's not, since he wants a stay-at-home wife who can cook and will follow him around, but she's a bit useless at home and wants to work. Also, she's a bit materialistic, while he's not). In the end, though, they patch things up and she's trying to be more like what he wants.

At the end of the story, she states that someday she's 'going to make an honest man' out of him. I understand that that's supposed to mean they're going to marry someday, but I didn't think it really worked in their situation. Mostly because he's not not honest. He's pretty straight-forward with her, and doesn't cheat on her or anything. I just feel that she could have said something else, and it still could have had the same meaning, but that maybe went better with their situation.

So this one wasn't as good as I'd been hoping it would be. The artwork wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't amazing. The characters weren't all that strong, nor was the story-line. Some of the smut was good, though, which is nice. On the other hand, though, some of that wasn't even all that good (like when Shogo pushed Riyako). I'm not very impressed, and so am disappointed by that, but mostly because (as I said above) I wanted to like it. I always do, but only few times do I actually like it. I'm still on the look for other Luv Luv and Aurora books, though, because I'm still hoping to find the one that does impress me.

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy, Volume 7, by Kyousuke Motomi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4 - 4.5

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 11+

Goodreads Synopsis:

Kurosaki decides that he needs to tell Teru the truth, but little does he know that an unsettling fellow called Akira has other ideas. What is Akira scheming, and how will his actions irrevocably affect Teru's relationship with Kurosaki?

Review:

This volume... Oh, this volume. It was... It just... It. I'm even sure how to describe it yet. It was amazing. Everything, well, almost everything that I wanted to happen, happened. And I totally wasn't expecting it. I was thinking that it was going to be put off for a bit longer, till at least the next volume. But some serious stuff happened in this one, you guys. I don't even.

So, it opens with Teru wondering what the other teachers think of Kurosaki. Some like him, some don't. One of her teachers, doesn't. He doesn't like his bleached hair, and he thinks he's a bad influence on Teru, and blames him for Teru's grades. He tells all of this to Teru, and since she gets fed up of it, she tells him that if she doesn't get the top grades on the next test, she will have him dye his hair black. Kurosaki and the teacher talk, and Kurosaki is a bit mean, as he's mad, and gets the teacher's computer infected. Teru, feeling sorry for the guy, asks Daisy to fix it. Anyway, all of the other students ponder on Kurosaki with black hair, and then decide that he should dye his hair, but Teru feels, a little, bad and so studies very hard to pass. Which she does, despite the fact that she has a bit of a cold.

In the next chapter, Kurosaki goes to visit the grave of his old professor, who we haven't heard of yet, and who I'm assuming we'll hear more of later. Then it moves to Teru, who runs into Akira again, but thinks very little of it, unaware that he stole her bus pass. The next day, in class, her friends are talking about kissing, and she starts thinking about it, and what it would be like to kiss Kurosaki. But later, when she goes back to the bus station to look for her pass, she runs into Akira, yet again, who (aside from seeming just a tad psychotic) shows it to her but wants something in return. Catching her by surprise, he kisses her.

Teru is very upset about this, and after hitting him and running away, she goes home and locks herself in her room. Riko tells Kurosaki that some stranger kissed Teru, she's upset about it, and doesn't want to see him. He's upset that someone else kissed her, but goes home to sulk. And send her a message from Daisy.

And the message he sends her. Oh, that message, was amazing. He starts out normal, trying to get her not to think about it, but then adds at the end, how he wants to do something, but quickly sends another message to take it back. And she replies with something full of deeper meaning, and they both blush. The next day, when they're heading to school, they're all red and awkward, and still pretending that they don't know he's Daisy. It was fantastic, and made me so happy, and excited, and oh my god, you guys!
Ahhhh! Moving on...

In the next chapter, Kurosaki has a dream about Teru's brother, Soichiro, which freaks him out just a little, but which I found rather funny and cute. For a bit after this, Kurosaki talks with Riko, and then Takeda, about Teru and how he wants to tell her but is worried, and who Akira is and they think he's involved with everything. And then Kurosaki makes a date with Teru, to go wherever she wants, because he has something important to tell her. She has an idea what it is, that he's Daisy and whatever secret he's keeping, and quickly agrees. Her and her friends talk about it and she decides on an amusement park.

We also see that Kurosaki had a big admiration for Soichiro, that he thought he always knew where he was going and what he was doing. He's surprised when he finds out from Teru that he actually got lost all the time, only kept going and knew how to get things to where he wanted them.

Riko worries about Teru and how she's going to take the secret, and then they are off to their date. I didn't think we'd actually get to see them on it, figured it would be pushed off to the next volume, or something would interrupt them before it happened, and so was pleasantly surprised when it made it into the second-to-last chapter.

Her and Kurosaki go on several rides, and are having a very pleasant ride, until Akira steals Teru's phone and pulls her away from Kurosaki. She ends up on the Ferris Wheel with him, where he tells her what Kurosaki had to do with her brothers death. And tricks her into sending Kurosaki/Daisy a very bad message, telling him something that crushes his spirit. Meanwhile, Mori (the bad girl teacher) talks with Kurosaki after messing with the Ferris Wheel, but Kurosaki saves the day. Mostly. Except that he won't answer his phone, and I believe he is leaving, as the Ferris wheel comes to a stop and Teru gets knocked out.

It is so terrible, okay? It's terribly upsetting, and I don't like it, and I want to find out what happens next so bad, because I must know, and why don't I have it yet?!

I'm still reeling from it all, I think, excited and exhilarated from what happened, and wanting to know what happens next. Wanting Kurosaki to go to Teru, and kiss her, and find out what she actually thinks of it all, and... and everything. I want everything to happen, and I want to read it, right now. Okay? Okay.

Manga Review: Natsume's Book of Friends, Volume 9, by Yuki Midorikawa

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 13+

Goodreads Synopsis:

Natsume learns that no good deed goes unpunished when an irate yokai accuses him of stealing her ring when she came to the Fujiwara house to get her name returned. Natsume thinks he knows where the ring has disappeared to, but can he find it in time, or will the place he’s come to think of as home be destroyed by the vengeful yokai?!

Review:

This was, again, another volume that was just alright to me (maybe it's me? As in, I'm just not in the mood for them, or something?). And, again, it was another series that no bookstore wanted to carry, and so took me forever just to find this volume (and will probably take me a while to get the next one. But let's just hope not).

I really like this series, and have been missing it (especially when I see other people reviewing it, and am like “I HAVEN'T READ THAT ONE YET/CAN'T FIND THAT ONE! I AM SO FAR BEHIND!”, and then groan in aggravation/mental pain). I keep hoping/waiting, though, for this series to get into a more solid, or longer lasting, plot line, since they usually only last for a couple chapters. On the bright side, though, we have been getting more insight into Natsume's past and present feelings and the people around him, which I enjoy.

For the first two chapters of this volume, Natsume runs into a fluff ball of a yokai, which runs in huge packs but is very hard to find and dangerous. It starts to attack Natsume, but he wraps his (maybe?) wound up and calms him down. Natsume also gets attacked by another yokai, who is claiming that Natsume stole something she dropped (which doesn't make any sense, but Natsume also points this out, so points for that).

For the next three chapter, Natsume helps some yokai (which he is always doing. I've come to realize that he is much too nice, not in a way that he's always forgiving people, not that he isn't doing that, but in that he's always trying to help other people), and ends up running, and getting captured by, Matoba, an exorcist. He's capturing yokai, while Natsume is trying to save them. Matoba... seems interesting, but I haven't got much of a feel for him, so we'll see next time we meet him, I guess.

The biggest parts of that, I think, were when a yokai attacked Natsume while in class, which was terrible since he's managed to act very normal in front of all of them up till now. Later, though, he made up an excuse and accomplished not telling anyone about what he can see. Which is a bit disappointing, but also not, since they mentioned how his aunt and uncle treat him now, and how they might if they knew, which definitely changed things. Also, he gets invited by some people from school to a festival, and gets to invite Tanuma and Taki, which is nice. I like seeing them hanging out, and it's always nice when they get to hang out with other people, especially since they're usually all by themselves. (Also, in the previous chapters, he accidentally calls the fluffball adorable in front of his friends, and they think he's talking about a girl, and bug about who he's thinking about. I thought it was rather hilarious.)

There's a special chapter at the end, in a girls point of view, who went to school with him before, when he had longer, scraggly hair, was a bit more cynical than he is now, and wasn't close to anyone. I felt rather bad for him, but it was interesting seeing what someone else, who doesn't know about the yokai's but wonders because of how he acts, thinks of him. It made me wonder what the boys who he goes to school with now think of him.

I do really like this series. It's subtle, a little displaced, smooth, and just simply sweet. I like Natsume, as well as his few friends, and want to know more about them. I'm hoping things get more intense, more solid, soon, since I'm not always all that affected by the short plots. I still like them, and am just simply enjoying the series for now (and, you know, hoping I can find the next one somewhat easily).

Manga Review: Dengeki Daisy, Volume 6, by Kyousuke Motomi

Rating (Out of 5): ~3.5-4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 11+

Goodreads Synopsis:

Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audience T+. Teru and Kurosaki continue to investigate the fake DAISY incident and are on the verge of solving the case when Teru gets kidnapped! What does the kidnapper want with her, and will Kutosaki be able to rescue her in time?!

Review:

I think it's been too long since I last read volume 5 (again, not my fault; no store seemed to want to have this volume in, but were okay with all the others), because my excitement for it has dimmed. A lot. Which I'm a little upset by, because I know I really like this series, but still didn't enjoy it as much as I have before.

The volume opens with Teru having a dream conversation with her brother, which is sweet. Then we see her waking up in Kurosaki's arms, which is so cute. But then the chapter, and volume, progresses and we see that it's still about the fake daisy hacker, and how their teacher might have/did do it, as well as stab some other girl (which I really don't remember happening, and am bothered by that; especially because I couldn't look over the last volume, as my friend has it), and that other teacher, the girl, might somehow be the mastermind behind all of it. This was interesting. To the extent that I remembered. I'm not going to get too into it, though, in an effort not to spoil it all, but there were parts that were sweet and very exciting. Some of the things from the last volume were a bit of a blur, since it's been so long, but I caught up to what was happening, for the most part. But, for a little while, I was wondering why we were still on this subject, why it hadn't been resolved already, as I'd thought we were moving on to something else now.

Although, some of it was really good. In the second chapter, for instance, when Teru gets kidnapped and does something pretty awesome (although, at first, was a bit too cliché to my liking) to the bad girl teacher.

Most of that got resolved in this volume, though. We found out who did it, but there is still more to the story, more to be revealed, as well as turning in or capturing the woman who did it all. And, near the end of the volume, Teru unknowingly runs into some guy named Akira (he has dark hair and is always wearing a hoodie, who apparently looks a bit like her brother), who I believe we have seen, but only in glimpses, before.

Aside from that, there were some nice romantic scenes. Kurosaki saves Teru at one point, and he holds her close and she calls him daisy, but then she passes out and forgets it all, which sucks. In the last chapter, he takes care of a dog, and there are several moments then. Including the ending, where he wants to touch her but doesn't because it's a bad idea, and so tells her to go away. It was so adorable. And at the end, there are two holiday themed shorts, which are both adorable as well.
It is so obvious how they feel about each other, and with Kurosaki already knowing that Teru knows about him being Daisy. They are so cute together, and I just want it to get out already. I want them to talk, and for them to kiss, and get it out and work through everything that needs worked through (like what Kurosaki thinks he did wrong, and maybe did, involving Teru's brother, that Teru will forgive him for). I want it to happen already.

I am enjoying this series, it's just not as charming, or exciting, as I remember, or want it to be. Although, the more I think about it, the better it's getting. Hopefully, when I read the next one, it will be even better.

Manga Review: Black Bird, Volume 13, by Kanoko Sakurakouji

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 15+

Amazon Synopsis:

Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences T+.
There is a world of myth and magic that intersects ours, and only a special few can see it. Misao Harada is one such person, and she wants nothing to do with magical realms. She just wants to have a normal high school life and maybe get a boyfriend. But she is the bride of demon prophecy, and her blood grants incredible powers, her flesh immortality. Now the demon realm is fighting over the right to her hand...or her life!
Sho’s plans to plunge the world into chaos continue as he targets the Eight Daitengu, hoping to strip his brother Kyo of all his protectors. And now Sho has Hoki, whose secret past makes him easy prey.
Can Hoki stand up to Sho, or will his efforts to aid Kyo backfire?

Review:

This one was really good, you guys. It's reaching (reached?) the climax of their problem, and it was really good and exciting and I want the next one.

The volume starts with a nice n' heavy make out scene between Misao and Kyo, in which she is thinking about what Sho is doing, and so he distracts her (I can't help myself: I just love the hot scenes between them). Then we see Hoki and Sho fighting, where Sho is mostly just playing tricks on Hoki. Kyo saves Hoki, and they make up. Then we see Zenki, who is upset and feels bad about what he did. The chapter ends when we find out that Sho's place also has a maze-making shield up, and it is apparently on the fritz, as Misao goes through a door and ends up with Sho.

Kyo is freaking out, as he doesn't know where she wound up, and everyone else is helping look for her. Some people are upset (read: Kaede) because of how he's reacting, and so he tells them that the only reason he's where he is now, and doing what he's doing, is so that he can have Misao. (Which is super sweet, yea, but also a little surprising, as I'd thought he was at least running the place how he was because he wanted to, not because he knew Misao would want him to.)

As Kyo is doing these things, Misao is talking with Sho. And feeling bad for him. She even cries because she feels bad for him. She's just too nice; I can almost not stand it. Sho is a terrible person, he's not even nice to her during this (he chokes her!), and, in a really intense and exciting moment, asks her to choose him over Kyo, and yet she feels bad for him and wants to help him, and even as he's dying, she gives him her blood. It is utterly ridiculous, and she should not have done it.

In the last chapter, Sho takes Misao to Kyo, who flinches from because she feels terrible (as she should). Then the two get ready to fight, I believe. There are some swords whipping around, and Sho makes a show of it (oh, pun not intended). And it ends as we see the horrified look on Misao's face, and someone bloody arm falls to the ground. I think it was a bystander, someone near Misao, but I'm not sure? I'm really looking forward to finding out in the next volume.

At the end of the book, for some cheering up, there are two short stories, one about the little daitengo are given presents, but aren't good at choosing what they want. And then another where Sho, Kyo, Hoki, and Zenki are modeling men's clothes. This is funny. They both are, really, and it's nice to have something lighthearted after all serious, tension filled drama of the rest of the volume, and will probably be in the next one.

I'm just really looking forward to it.

(Also, like with Kimi ni Todoke, are the releases going to be farther apart now? What with there only being two more volume released in Japan, and it still ongoing? I'm not looking forward to that...)

Manga Review: La Corda d'Oro, Volume 14, by Yuki Kure

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 17

Goodreads Synopsis:

  At Seisou’s annual school festival, hearts are pumping, blood is pounding...and Kahoko’s love life is heating up. Ryotaro takes a break from the sports competition to make a private confession, Aoi asks Kahoko to play Juliet to his Romeo in the class play and even Len lets slip that he has human emotions. But before Kahoko can decide where her heart lies, she has another problem to tackle—the festival’s big music recital!

Review:

I really like this series. I watched the anime several years ago, and then started the series. And it's been so long since volume 13 came out, plus it was hard to find this volume, so it was a little weird to be reading it again. Good, because I missed it, but I couldn't remember completely what had happened last time. I did miss the characters, though, so it was nice to get to read about them again. (But I just noticed that it's complete in Japan now, with only three volumes left! Does that mean we won't have so long to wait for the next one?)

In this volume, the school is focusing on their school festival. In the first chapter, they have sports day, where Ryotaro, Aoi, Kazuki, and Keiichi are competing. They had a little competition going on, which was fun. (It was a surprise to see Keiichi competing, doing something sporty. Later in the volume, he sings, too. We're learning all kinds of things about him in this volume.) Also, Ryotaro talks to Kahoko when she gets hurt, and says that he has something to tell her, but it can wait until after the music contest.

By the end of the volume, he still hasn't told her, and she's been worried about it the whole time. She wants to know what it is, and even guesses that it's about him liking her, but then pushes that thought away. I'm excited for it. Also, what everyone else will think. Aoi has been openly flirting with her, and asks her to the dance with him (which she says yes to). Kazuki is always paying attention to her. It also seems like Len is thinking about her more often. Romantic feelings are all over the place, and I'm hoping something big happens with them soon. (Honestly, I love all of them, Kazuki and Ryotaro especially, but I'm Team Len. I think she would work best with him.)

In the next chapter, they start talking more about the contest, and practicing. Kahoko finds out that Aoi used to play the violin, but now plays the viola, even as he denies that he's any good. (He has mixed feelings about it for some reason, and I'm curious to find out why.) He also doesn't want anyone to know, but everyone finds out, accidentally, and Kohako pushes him to perform. They do a, not-very-good, impromptu concert. We also get to see Aoi in his Romeo costume, as his class is doing the play, Azuma and Kazuki in suits, for, I think, a cafe, and Keiichi dressed as a ghost for the haunted house.

Also, Ryotaro and Len talk some, where Len asks what Ryotaro likes about Kahoko, and he tells him something about his going abroad. I'm thinking it's that he's leaving earlier than expected, but it isn't said.

In the last chapter, they all perform (for some reason, all but Len in a group, with Len doing two songs after them), and then go to the dance. Kahoko dances, a little, with Keiichi, then Aoi, and then Kazuki (who blushes; he is so adorable), and after the dance, with Azuma, who also harasses her a little.

Throughout the volume, there are three short stories. Two of them are with the rest of the chapters, and are just fun things about sports day and the school festival. In one, we find out that Kazuki is hoping to be a music teacher, which I guessed and makes total sense; in the other, Len is offended by everyone's reaction to him never having tried Takoyaki. At the end, there's one about Kanazawa and Akihiko (another teacher, I think? I don't remember...), who is related to Kiriya, who we met in the last volume. Kiriya is apparently planning on applying for the school next year.

I like this series. It's really good, and I love all of the characters. But it's starting to bother me a little bit, how many guys are falling for Kahoko. Almost all of them, if not all, have feelings for her, and it's a little ridiculous. I mean, yea, I do like Kahoko, but that's a bit much.

Still, I'm looking forward to the next one (which I already have, so that will be up very soon), and especially for when the boys confess. I want to see that happen, and am hoping Ryotaro does it in the next book.

Manga Review: Seiho Boys' High School, Volume 8, by Kaneyoshi Izumi

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 8

Goodreads Synopsis:

Final Volume Is it written in the stars that girls named Erika will always break Maki's heart? With betrayal and separation ravaging his relationship, love certainly isn't easy for this Seiho boy. But as his second year of high school comes to a close, will he still somehow manage to find happiness?

Review:

I like this series; I like the almost nostalgic feel to it, the fun the boys have, especially reading about how boys act at an all boys' high school; that's just interesting to me, and fun to watch. But this volume wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped it would be. That might just be because it's been a while, several months, since I read volume 7 (not my fault, though; no store seemed to want to carry it).

In the first chapter, Miyaji puts the idea in Maki's head that maybe Erika and Kamiki are going out behind his back. The readers, though know that something is wrong with Erika, and she hasn't worked up the courage to tell Maki, whereas Kamiki has went through something similar. Maki worries and overreacts (a little), and he finds out that Erika is going to study abroad, because she doesn't want her fighting parents controlling her anymore. And while it leaves us guessing for a little bit, it only turns out that she and Kamiki were secretly talking, nothing more.

Maki and Erika break up, and Maki sulks and pretends to be glad to be rid of her and ready to move on. Before she leaves, though, they make up. Instead of getting back together, they decide to stay separate, and if they see each other again, they'll see how things go. The boys shoot off fireworks, to cheer up Maki, and as a goodbye to Erika.

In the next bit, Miyaji comes to their school to visit Kamiki. A stray dog starts following her and Maki, who then decide to take care of it. Miyaji does it to prove to Kamiki, though, that she doesn't need his help. The dog, though, is a terror and only wants to listen to Kamiki. Kamiki finds an owner for it, and makes up with Miyaji.

The final chapter closes with the boys graduating from their second year, Maki now being the Resident Advisor, and him receiving a message from an unknown number (meaning to be Erika).

This was a good ending to the series. I like that she didn't make it an overall happy ending, even while it was. She didn't go into the future and have him and Erika meet up. Instead, it's hinting that maybe they're going to start talking again. And Kamiki and Miyaji are together again, but they don't know if they'll work out, and they're okay with that. Also, I like how the boys all complain about their school, but that they're still fond of it.

At the end of the manga, there's a one-shot called Reverse Guilt. I was surprised, but I actually really liked it. It's about a girl who used to be seen as perfect, but then starts hanging out with the poor, bad boy, and so now is just seen as smart. She pretends not to like the boy, but obviously does and is jealous of his womanizing ways, and they get together by the end. It's a smutty story, which is what surprised me, and made me like it. Although, there was a part where he tied up two people, which I did not like. And I did like the underclassmen girl, she piqued my interested, and I felt a bit bad for her.

Overall, it was a good volume. And, while I am a little upset to see the series end, it was a really good ending for the series. So, I'm happy with it.

Review: Supernaturally (Paranormalcy, #2) by Kiersten White

 Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: HarperCollins (HarperTeen)

Spoilers?: Only minor ones.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Review:

This was pretty good. I remember liking the first one more, but I did enjoy this one. Am annoyed with myself that it took this long to finally read it, though.

Evie is now living with Arianna, a vampire, and Lend is away at college (which, I completely forgot that he was of college age. I always thought they were the same age, so I was surprised. Not disappointed, though). She's trying to live normally, but IPCA wants her to work for them again, along with a hyperactive boy named Jack, who is human but can use the faerie paths. She's trying to work with IPCA, while also not lie to Lend and spend time with Arianna. She's not having a very easy time of it, you could say.

I like Evie. I really do, and I remember liking her a lot in the first book. She's fun, and adventurous, and a little conceited, but is also trying to find out who she is and what she should be doing, and is messing a little along the way. I did not like all of her lying. It really bothered me, and I was a bit disappointed that she lied as much as she did. She should have just been honest. I did like, though, when something happened with a boy that is not Lend, that some other characters would have fallen for and made it into a triangle, and made her doubt her feelings for Lend and start falling for another boy even though she should not be, that she did none of those things. She pushed the boy away, because she knows that she only wants Lend, and is confident in her feelings. That, I think, made me like her again.

I still like Lend. He has fun with Evie, is honest, and sweet, while he also has a bit of that overprotective, jealous boyfriend thing going on. Sometimes this is done well, to where you like it. Usually, even. But here it made him seem almost possessive and trying to take over some things, pushing his thoughts onto Evie, as well as that he jumped to conclusions way too easily. I still like him, just not as much as I would like to.

And Jack. I am so disappointed, you guys. I really liked Jack; like, a lot. I did get a wary feeling of him at some points, but I banished the thought. He had so much potential, still does. But instead of taking the sad, puppy kind of direction, hiding it behind his bright smile and happy-go-lucky mood, with what happened to him, he went another way. I don't want to spoil too much, so I won't say why, just that I'm upset over what happened.

I'm also wary of IPCA. I feel that they could do good things, but instead are still not doing them, and aren't being honest about what they are doing. Something's still up with them, and I want to know what it is.

This book focused quite a bit on Evie's lying and dealings with the IPCA, and a bit on the faerie world. The faerie world was really interesting, and I liked finding out about Evie's past and her parents. Although I'm a little skeptical on how, exactly, that was supposed to have worked; it didn't seem very plausible to me.

Also, not nearly enough kissing. But, you know, that's not what this book is about.

It moved along very easily, though, and it didn't take me long to read through (as in, I read over half of it in a day) once I finally set my mind to it. I like White's way of writing though, it's fun and light, with cute little comments in Evie's head throughout it. Also, it's a bit refreshing, if a little disappointing, reading about her version of the creatures, what with seeing beyond their glamours.

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to the next, and final, one of the series.

Manga Review: Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You, Volume 13, by Karuho Shiina

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Publisher: VIZ Media (Shojo Beat)

Volumes: 15+

Amazon Synopsis:

Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for audiences T.

Sawako Kuronuma is the perfect heroine...for a horror movie. Nicknamed "Sadako" after the haunting movie character, everyone is afraid to come near her for fear of being cursed. But underneath her scary exterior lies an ordinary teenager who just wants to make friends.

Review:

I just love this series; that's all there is to it. It's an amazing series and I'm always eager for the next one. (Plus, you know you love a book when you have a grin on your face the whole time your reading it, even if you try not to because you're in public.)

In the first chapter, the group goes to the beach, where romance is in the air. Sawaka is off with Kazehaya, who says she looks cute (after Ayane unbuttons the top of her uniform shirt and shortens her skirt), and they build, what I think is supposed to be, a sandcastle. Sawaka asks him what he talked about with her father, which is cute, and then he invites her to his house.

Meanwhile, Chizu is having a arm-wrestling competition with the guys who are flirting with her. When Ryu comes up, he wrestles her, wins, and takes a walk with her while holding her hand. Ayane, at the same time, is talking with Kento, who lays his head on her shoulder. This is a big step for Ryu and Chizu, but not much else develops between them, although it seems that Chizu is now thinking about it. Kento, though, shows up several times, and it's obvious something is going to happen with him, and while I'm sure it will be with Ayane, I feel there's something else there we're not being told about yet.

In the next two chapter, it's Sawako's turn to meet the family. She first meets his mother, who is sweet and homely, before they go up to Kazehaya's room. They're supposed to study, but instead start looking at pictures, and then start talking. They end up telling each other when they first found out that they liked each other, are surprised by how long ago it was, and then get off on calling each other by their first name. (I don't really understand this, or I didn't used to, but I understand that's it's a big thing in Japan, and so it doesn't bother me anymore.) It's super adorable, especially when Sawako calls him Shota, and they both just about die from embarrassment. (Also, I kind of love his name. Shota Kazehaya [or is it Kazehaya Shota?]. It just seems so fitting for him.)

They are just too cute. I love seeing them getting closer, getting comfortable around each other. I just love it. I also like seeing Sawako getting more confident in herself, which is more obvious in this volume since she is speaking up more with her friends, and is more open while talking with the girls. And it's nice to see her being bold when it comes to Kazehaya. (I'm hoping a kiss is in their near future. A kiss on the lips would be nice, but I thought earlier that one on the cheek would be just perfect. For either one of them to plant it, too. Ahhhh, I'm just fangirling all over the place over here!)

What was I saying? Oh, right...

They are interrupted (before anything can happen, although I don't think anything would have) by Kazehaya's mother. They're then sent out to bring ice cream to his father and the baseball team, including his little brother. His little brother is cute and blunt, like little kids are. His father, though, is stern and 'dignified', but could be seen as a little mean. This is mostly just sweet, and good for Sawako.

Within the next two chapter, they're all getting ready for the school trip, now that school has started up again. (I'm so jealous of how many trips they take in manga; do they actually take that many in real life in Japan?) They get in groups, and the girls talk about where they're going and talk some about the boys. Ayane gets asked out by a boy name Mogi in a different class (who I thought was someone else until we learned his name, and so was confused. But we'd never met him before, so that's cleared up), and says yes, before they leave for Okinawa.

I like seeing the girls talk about the boys, it's so refreshing and fun. (But maybe that's only me, because I've never really done that? It is good for Sawako, though.) And it's so funny when Ayane teases Kazehaya, trying to push their relationship forward. For instance, when she tells him that Sawako is wearing panties with strings on them, and he gets all embarrassed and can't stop thinking about it. I love seeing him fight with his physical attraction to Sawako, try to hold himself back; that's sometimes harder to find, in manga and novels, and so I always get excited when I see it.

Anyway, the volume ends with some girl (from another class, and who they don't show us) asking for Ryu. Aside from that, the girls and boys are having fun, and teasing each other.

Like I said at the beginning, I love this series. I can't help myself from fangirling over it everytime. It's so smoothly put together, a little elegant and subtle, lighthearted, maybe nostalgic. Pretty. A great, simple story of a first love. It is just so fantastic, and I... don't know what else to say about it. But that I love it.

On a sidenote, I am seriously thinking about starting the anime. And looking up the live-action movie (have they been translated/released with subtitles? They should be). Shiina has mentioned them both in the side bar of the last few volumes, and it makes me curious and excited, and like I want to start it right this instant.

Another sidenote: is VIZ going to be slowing down the release schedule soon? Because I noticed that we're almost all caught up, which is usually when the releases get farther apart. I don't think I've noticed it happening yet, though. I'm hoping not, because, you know, I love it and don't want to have to wait. I'm dreading it, but am thinking it's going to start happening soon.

Waiting on Wednesday[1]: Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John

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

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John
Publication Date: April 12, 2012
Publisher: Penguin (Dial Books)

One crazy road trip that's a mix of rejection, redemption, and romance


When sixteen-year-old Luke's book, Hallelujah, becomes a national bestseller, his publishing house sends him on a cross-country book tour with his older brother, Matt, as chauffeur. But when irresponsible Matt offers to drive Luke's ex–soul mate, Fran, across the country too, things get a little crazy. On the trip, Luke must loosen up, discover what it truly means to have faith, and do what it takes to get the girl he loves.


Told with Antony John's signature wit and authenticity, and featuring smart, singular characters who jump off the page and into your heart, this story is a spiritual awakening and rockin' road trip in one.

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I loved Five Flavors of Dumb (but haven't been able to find his first book...), and so am super excited to read this one. And it's out next month, too! So soon! (Plus, I believe he has another book, a supernatural one, to be released later this year, which is also exciting.)