Spells by Aprilynne Pike: Review

Spells

By: Aprilynne Pike

Received from: Personal Purchase

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

My Review: Very rarely is a sequel better than its predecessor. This is one of those times.  I felt like Wings was more of a middle-grade fantasy with not much to recommend itself but a nice fluffy read. Spells was a pretty significant improvement. The characters and the story line grew up and blossomed in the sequel. (He he he. See what I did there? Faeries blossoming?..)

But, before I get into the things I liked about this book, I want to get something out there. My list of bothersome things often included in paranormal books:

• The love interest is somehow dangerous
• The female protagonist strings along one or more males and tries to keep both of them hooked.
• Parents are never involved
• Protagonist is painfully dull and stupid. Lives only for boyfriend.

There is more to that list, but I am going to stop there. So, let's go through this list and see how Spells scored on the paranormal cliche meter.

The love interest is somehow wrong for the character or dangerous. Thankfully, no. Both Tamani and David are perfect gentlemen that treat Laurel very well.

The female protagonist strings along one or more males and tries to keep both of them hooked. *Sigh* Unfortunately, this happened. I think at one point during the story I disliked Laurel, David and Tamani for different reasons. But, they were able to pull out of it in the end and we have reconciled our differences.

Parents are never involved. I loved what Aprilynne Pike did with Laurel's parents. They were just the right amount of involved. I mean, if you have parents too involved then there is just too darn much wisdom and rationale, and then what happens to your story. BORING!

Protagonist is painfully dull and stupid. Lives only for boyfriend. Laurel was okay. I kind of wished she had been a little more sensitive to the feelings of those around her. But, she seemed pretty bright and eager to learn. And, she does have a very good friend that she remains connected with. BFF's FTW!

One last note. The climax of this book was very predictable. I like a little mystery with my endings, and this didn't have it. But, I felt okay about the book regardless. There is a lot of set up for new characters and story lines. I'll definitely be picking up the next book in this series.

My Rating:

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: Mild
Sexuality: Mild
Violence: Mild

Reading Order: Wings, Spells

Most Anticipated Books for 2010

Happy New Year!

This will be the first year in a long time that I am not making a resolution to read more. Believe me, I read plenty. I've been flipping through some of the Spring Catalogs, and I'm getting very excited about compiling a new "to-be-read" pile. Here is a list of books I am most looking forward to in 2010.

This World We Live In
By: Susan Beth Pfeffer
April 1, 2010

I was absolutely enthralled by "Life as We Knew It," the first book in this series. The writing was so fantastic, I really had to shake myself out of the story a few times.  I'm not much for a book written in journal form, but it was absolutely necessary in this case, and it came off beautifully.

I can't wait to see where the story goes, and knowing the strength of Susan Beth Pfeffer's writing, it's going to go somewhere you don't expect.

Princess of Glass
By: Jessica Day George
May 25, 2010

I have a author-crush on Jessica Day George. There hasn't been one thing she's written that I haven't loved. "Princess of the Midnight Ball" was no exception, and I'm happy to see a sequel to it.

My favorite thing about Jessica Day George is the way she crafts her characters. They are all important, and they all make up a fantastic story. I am sure this book won't disappoint.







The Scorch Trials (Maze Runner #2)
By: James Dashner
October 2010

The Maze Runner is one of my most recommended books this year. I've recommended it mostly for teenage boys and people who liked the Hunger Games. The first book ended in quite a cliffhanger, so I'll be very interested to see how the story plays out in the sequel.


The Hunger Games: Book 3
By: Suzanne Collins
August 24, 2010

Obviously that isn't the actual title or cover art, but who cares! Hunger Games and Catching Fire were the two best books I read all year. I don't think I've been as invested in a series since Harry Potter. This will be a book that I will go get at midnight if I have to.









Crescendo
By: Becca Fitzpatrick
October 2010

Hush, Hush did what I thought was not possible: Get me to read paranormal romances. There is still a lot of story left to be told, so Crescendo will definitely be one that I'm picking up this year.

Spells
By: Aprilynne Pike
May 4, 2010

I liked "Wings" enough to continue on in the series, and that's saying something for me. Plus, she's a local author for me, and I'm really a sucker for promoting them.

But, I will not read any further in the series if Laurel doesn't end up with who I want her to. And, that's a promise. :P








And, that's my list for 2010! I'm sure it will grow as I discover new authors and stories. But, it looks like a fantastic year for YA! What books are you most looking forward to this year?

Wings by Aprilynne Pike: Review

Wings

By: Aprilynne Pike

Description: Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

Review: I was so close to loving this book. There were just a few things that have prevented me from really getting into it like I wanted to.

My favorite character in this book was David, easily. He seems to genuinely be interested in Laurel's well being. When her dad gets sick, he volunteers time at their bookstore and other things that show that he really cares.

The Faerie lore was another aspect I really enjoyed.  The author did a great job of taking an idea and really running with it. Also, the villains were pretty good. I only wish they had been featured more. I'd really like to know more about their history and hope that they play a bigger role in the sequel.

This book is a good middle-reader fantasy. It was a little slow as far as actual action goes, and some of the events in the book were a little trite. But, I would very highly recommend this book for a pre-teen girl that you don't want to give a book about abusive vampire relationships. There isn't any of that in this book. And, I liked it enough to be pretty excited about the sequel coming out next year.

Rating:

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Book A-Like:

Twilight, If you like paranormal romance you'll like this book.

Profanity: None

Drugs and Alcohol: None. She doesn't even eat meat.

Sexuality: None

Violence: Mild. There is one fight scene.