How it all started, my book adventure

Unbelievable, one year ago, at this time I posted my first blog post. It's been a year! I can't believe it! Back then I was busy constructing my blog and really trying to find the best ways to present things to the visitors that might be coming around. Now, I have everything put together and have my four themes for each season, I have my weekly review I try to hold on to between homework and only a year later but I'm still addicted to books. That said I think it's time to open up the "how it all started" post because I think it's about time I try and explain how I became a bookaddict. 


It wasn't always like that, in fact it wasn't until I was in my fifth year of high school that books actually started to become an addiction. I remember having a few phases in my teen years where I went to the library every week to get a few new books. Or even buy a few books, that was the time when I was really into Alyson Noël's series Evermore. Believe me, I was obsessed with it! I remember coming home at noon and eat fast so I could read on in the book. I was 14 at that moment and I also did my book presentation with Evermore. I was so enthusiastic that it got everyone's attention and people followed me around school because they needed and wanted to read the book. I was so proud on myself, because I made people want to read! But those phases of reading always faded away for whatever reason there might've been. 

Skipping forward to the fifth year of high school, we had these different tasks for our portfolio and you could pick one. Either it was keeping up with awards that were being given to books or visiting the annual book fair in Antwerp. At that point, I only read books I was obligated to read. 

My choice? Visiting the book fair in Antwerp. It was "only" visiting and writing a "top 5 things you had to see on the book fair". I wasn't there for the books really, I was there because I really wanted to write that article and make something cool of it. So the day started and my family and me went to visit it without a lot of expectations...

Yet at a certain point during the visit, I turn my head to one of the corners there were at that point and I see it. I see that angel wing and I start to freak out. It was the third book in the Hush Hush series! Now skipping back a few years, when I was in a phase of being into books...

I was just wandering around in the library and just wanted to checkout when a book with a feather on the side caught my attention. I grabbed it, I read it and I brought it back only so I could take the second book with me. I was sold to this series and I did my research back then, just as I do now when I start a series, there were two more books! Yet the library didn't have those and back then I never bought books at all. I just lend them from the library and that was that. So I never finished up the series, I had accepted that by then.

But now I saw it, and I freaked out and I might have been a little loud at that moment because I saw the book laying there and well, what do you do when you see a book you wanted to read so badly? Yep, you buy it. You read it. And you damn right devour it! That was the moment I was sold again to being into books. I read the Dutch version of Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick. When that was done, I went to my local bookshop and ordered the last book in this series. I remember being curled up in bed while reading it. It was also that phase where I didn't really care that my spines broke, which absolutely changed later on! 

After that I really started looking for more books that were angel-demon themed because Becca Fitzpatrick just rubbed it off on me and I couldn't resist. This was the book series that really got me to read again. When I finally found a book that I was interested enough in, I did it again! I bought a book! It is really shocking looking back at it because I never thought that that would be the beginning of the end. After Hush Hush came my first ever English books: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. I said to myself: "Okay, you read slowly because it's English and you need to understand it all!" but when I was through the prologue... let's say I just finished the book very quick all of a sudden! 

When that series was done, I started the LUX-series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and although it took me a few months to finish up the series, I finished it. The phase of reading this time didn't end, I wasn't fed up with it. I kept ordering books, I kept reading and reading and fast forward to now: I'm still reading! I guess it's therefore safe to say that this phase probably won't die out. I admit to have had a few reading slumps though! But here are a few tips I learned on my journey to my book addiction to get out of those: 

1. If you're in a reading slump, try to open up a new book! That way, you're in a total new world that might be more appealing than the one you were in before.
2. If you're in a reading slump, try to reread some chapters of your favorite books! That way, you get a feeling of nostalgia and you might want to read again.
3. If you're in a reading slump, try to read together with a friend or relative in the same book. There's nothing more exciting than reading with somebody else. It makes you want to read on so you can laugh and talk about the characters together and form your own theories.

Although I had those reading slumps, I always got back to reading because it made me a very happy version of myself. I had moments where I came down screaming because my book ended on a cliffhanger (yep, my first ever cliffhanger...) and I absolutely needed the next book! The first time for that was when I finished The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen. And now, I read more than 100 books on a time-span of two years without stopping entirely! It's now that they buy me books for my birthday because what else would make Erica happy? It really is an obsession but a good kind of obsession! 

Things didn't only stay with reading and putting it on the shelves though. Goodreads came along, a platform where everyone who loves to read can go to. You can make friends, you can find books, you can recommend books or update the progress you're making. I absolutely love it because you really feel like you're in that book community.

There is also another way to find the book community: Instagram. It took me until the summer of 2015 to finally decide to enter that world too. The book community on Instagram is pretty simple: you make pictures of books and you post it. I really fell in love with that too, just making pictures of the books I owned and go outside during Fall to make pictures of it. It's also that way that you can find new books you might really enjoy or make new friends that love the same themed books as you. 

The summer of 2015 was also the time for me starting to realize I didn't want it just to be reading. I wanted more, I wanted to review! I started reviewing a few books and posted it on my Tumblr blog but that died down because all the pictures I reblogged made them invisible. However, the idea of reviewing the books didn't die down. Eventually, on the 12th of October 2015 I asked my mother how Blogger really worked. My mother is a very creative person and she makes all sorts of beautiful tags and colorful cards and projects but she also made me a few bookmarks. My mom also does workshops so other people could learn certain techniques. For all of her projects, cards and tags she made a blog a long time ago: http://acoloredmind.blogspot.be/ so she new how things worked on it. It was that day that my idea became a reality.

Bookmarks made by my mom, go check out her blog HERE

I started my own blog! Hurray! I could actually, really, truly, start reviewing books and they wouldn't be invisible between reblogged pictures! I was really excited and really had this whole layout envisioned. When I got everything there was to get about Blogger, I had my own blog and as I had wanted it to be all along. Until this day, which is one year people, I still review books and I still post. I'm really proud that I came all this way and still feel satisfied because I can do this. 

Of course, in the beginning things were pretty new and I didn't know if people would actually read this but it turned out people do! I also had some help and tips from Peter. He's from Denmark and also has a website where they review books and talk about books and really everything about books which is amazing: http://youthculturedenmark.com/ . Those tips really helped me out to make the blog become it's ultimate self and so that it could improve. 

If you're also someone who'd love to start a blog to review books, I'd suggest you do because it's pretty amazing to be able to share your thoughts about the book you just read and help people to make their decisions. Some may really base whether or not they want to read that book by your review. To think that you, as a reviewer, can help them to find their perfect book, that's actually pretty amazing! Here are also a few tips to create your blog:


      1. Choose a name and choose wisely! 

I remember really struggling with finding a name. At that time I was really "Bookangels" because that was how my Instagram was called but I knew people wouldn't immediately guess that I wrote reviews. After weighing off a few names, my mom and me decided that picking "To Read Or Not by Erica" was the best. It suggested the idea of reviews more and it was more appealing.

     2. Choose a platform to put your reviews on! 

There are a few platforms to make blogs on like Blogger or such as Wordpress but each and every one of them will give you something else. Also their technology and "how to use" is often different. Therefore pick the platform you think is more easy for you or attracts you the most since you have to work on it. I chose Blogger because my mom could really explain the basics and it wasn't very hard to comprehend yet these things just differ from person to person.

     3. Choose a layout that attracts and makes you feel happy! 

It's your blog after all! You do what you want and improve along the way. There will be people to help out with it if need be. For example, I had a tip for the layout from Peter. He told me the fond was really tiny and to make it bigger. What looked for me as something okay was actually too hard to read and would "scare" people away. Which brings me to #4

     4. Ask friends, family or total strangers to check out your blog! 

Not only does it create new visitors and therefore possible followers, it'll also make sure that they can review the blog and give tips and tricks to improve it such as "make the fond bigger". 

     5. A tip that I'm still working on after a year: try to post frequently. 

Once you have a lot of people, it's great. I was so happy when there were many people visiting the blog but then I didn't post for a while and that made the visitors drop and made it hard for them to come back. I know it isn't the easiest things to do at all, I still have times where I don't post anything because I didn't finish a book. But if you can, you might as well try! It doesn't need to be every day, it can be once a week, it really differs from how fast you can finish and review a book. You can also just schedule your blogpost! I had a period where I read a lot of books but decided to only post one review a week. This caused that I had two months filled with reviews on a frequent base.

     6. Lastly, share it! 

If you are on Goodreads and you say that you finished your book, you can always put up a review about the books and give it its stars worth. You can either copy paste your whole review in it or, as I do it, copy paste just a part of the review in it and also give the link to your blog. That way you lure people to click the link and check out the full review on the blog. You can do whatever way you prefer it! If you're on Instagram, posting pictures of your books, you can also edit your photo on your computer or phone and put the link on the picture with the word "Review". At first glance, people will see there's a review available and therefore might want to click the link in your description or type over the one on your picture to check out your blog.

These were tips I found really helpful during my journey to make my blog but I'm still open for tips! If you guys made it this far and read this: give tips if you want to! I have a contact box at the right of the screen and you can just put them there, that way I'll see them in my inbox and make improvements. Also, book recommendations are always welcome!

This pretty much concludes my journey through the book adventure. I read and fell in love with it, I became addicted so hard that I go to Book Fairs and buy books online and I became part of the book community only to end up here with my own review blog. It's been one year since the latter and I feel very proud! If you've been around for a while, then thank you for going on this journey with me because it's because of you that I kept going with writing the reviews! Thank you. 

Now, let's celebrate by reading a good book! 

"Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything"

~ Unkown

The Power

A few months back, I wrote my review on the first book in the Titan-series. A sequel series to the Convenant series. By then I was waiting full of excitement on the release of the second book in this series: The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout. And I can finally say that I have read, no, devoured the series in two days. 

For the ones here that haven't read the first in this series, I recommend you not to read on since there will be further developments to the characters and to the plot. This will create a less pleasant read of The Return because you know more information than you already should. Therefore, I recommend you not to read the review of The Power but to read the review about the first in the series: The Return. Just clicking on the title will open a new page with the review on the first book. 

Now Josie's finally settled in the world she was introduced to a while ago, she's finally growing to become a badass-ninja. Although she thinks she's making process, Seth's holding on tight not so sure if in the end she'll be able to kill. He knows how it goes and he knows how it feels. Guarding these feelings from her, Seth grows to really love her company. Yet not all is over. Last time they saved Josie but the danger isn't gone. The Titans and other dangers are still looming around and trying to get her. Seth is determined not to let her out of his sight. It isn't until something bad happens, Seth starts to realize also he might be a danger to Josie... 

This book was again... too good for words! I just can't describe it. But that's how I feel each time I read something written by Jennifer L. Armentrout. She's just incredible, and let's be honest: so is Seth. 

Speaking of Seth I think it's a great idea to start with some more information about how he has changed in comparison to The Return. In comparison to the Covenant series, we've already seen a very different side of Seth, this time his good side is accentuated even more. Seth has become a very calm person in comparison to other books where he's a part from. Although he really (still) curses a lot and gets angry at certain moments, he really wants to do the right thing. 

This meaning: doing good by Josie. The thing that's really accentuated most in this book is the way he really wants to protect her from all the harm in the world. He trains her, but he knows she might not kill in the end and that really worries him a lot. I absolutely love this side in Seth, yet I enjoy seeing him get angry too because it shows he's only human.

What might be the best thing about Seth in this book is him trying to be perfect for Josie. He's really trying to be nice, to be good and to make her feel at ease and make her smile. In The Power we'll also see a lot of gentleness in Seth, something I never expected to see as often as I did in this book. And I think that only proves one thing about Seth... Other than it'll also become very clear that Seth worries a lot about himself trying to be good. His insecurities about being good enough for her will shine through more than ones and it'll also put pressure on this relationship. This pressure will also cause a moment where Seth has to make a very drastic decision which we will all dread. 

As for Josie, she's grown into her badass-ninja. Her words not mine. She's really feeling confident and has grown accustomed to the new world she was brought into a while back. In the beginning of The Return, I was doubting her strength to fight but now she has really proven herself. Although she knows her own power, she does doubt herself a lot because she starts to compare herself to others that seem stronger.

This will bring out some of her insecurities but many of her insecurities will start to return when Seth puts a little pause on their bond and training. This is the moment we really see Josie break down which again makes sure she's a very realistic and relatable person, since we all suffer from heartbreaks. Josie really proves her in this book and really overcomes many of her past fears. 

Another character that's still as amazing as I had imagined him is Deacon. I haven't mentioned him in the review about The Return but I might have in reviews of the Convenant. Deacon is Aiden's brother, and I remember in the beginning when I first met him, I thought he was weird but he did really grow onto me. 

Even more so, he has become a very independent person that will say what he wants and go for that. Also, in this book he'll take a stand and fight for what he wants, even if they don't want him to do anything. That's what I really love about this character, he's very funny that you mistake him for not being attentive. But in fact, he's really observant that it might shock you how intuitive he is and how much of a difference he can make in a situation. 

Above that I really love it that he's loyal and can be trusted. Many times in the book this side of Deacon will come through and you'll really want to have a friend like him. Josie can really count on him and in the end, so will Seth. By the way, Luke and Deacon... they're so cute together! 

The last character I want to discuss is Apollo. Josie is a demigod, a daughter of Apollo yet he doesn't act like a father. This does grow to irritate Josie a lot and she'll also suffer from this. It's at that point that we really understand Josie and why she's angry and sad about her father. Also other characters will finally understand her, even when she doesn't say anything. I don't like Apollo because he doesn't take Josie as his daughter while he acts like a parent with other characters that aren't even close to his daughters / sons. 

The characters will further develop themselves and will become a lot stronger and determined than I had expected. Nevertheless, I was really excited to see them become different (in a good way). 

Now the plot! In the previous book, things weren't really solved. The Titans are still on the loose which means the characters will be confronted with them a lot in this book. They're learning how to get the Titans back under control and how to get them locked in their place again.

This will acquire a lot more power than only one demigod, and will cause the moment where Josie needs to go and find the other remaining demigods. Above that she'll have to learn how she can defeat them. This will give the readers a big quest to the ways of destroying a Titan but will also create and solve a lot of mysteries we had in book one. 

Above that there's the fuss about the halfs and pures that's becoming a way bigger problem than it was in the beginning and than I has expected. It comes this far that halfs and pures are out on vengeance! This will create so much more tension and thrill in the school and with the characters, they're having a hard time controlling their peace and calmness. 

This means that  the book will mainly concentrate on two different problems and this will acquire two different solutions. While the head of the school tries to solve the problem with halfs and pures murdering each other out, the other characters will try to solve the Titan problem. 

What I enjoyed about these problems is that it puts a lot of pressure on the characters and you can see how they achieve certain goals while being under this pressure. Next to the pressure of finding solutions there's also a lot of pressure on Seth to be the good guy and not to repeat history. This is another personal matter Seth has to deal with in the plot and it makes you really understand the way he's thinking. Now Seth has to deal with that too, we really get to know him a lot better and that's a big asset to the book because it's an explanation to certain actions and decisions he will make. 

Seth starts to have a difficult time with controlling and keeping his calm and Josie starts to doubt herself. Above that characters from the past return and nobody really knows if this is a good thing or not. To be honest, these characters did fine until a certain point. Then I started to really grow irritated by them because they are selfish. This certain point is very hard to explain because it's at the end and that's supposed to be a big surprise. Speaking of a big surprise, the final battle was a very big surprise! It was something totally unexpected but it was also something we might have seen coming if we payed more attention to it. 

The plot will contain a lot of feels and it will test your loyalty and trust in certain characters, which is a great thing about The Power! Above that a lot of mystery will be solved and solutions will finally start to being formed as we get more help from an unexpected person. The story line will keep you busy and will alternate between tension and mystery and further developments on the relationship between Seth and Josie that's coming under pressure. 

To conclude this review I want to say the following: go. get. the. book! If you enjoyed the first book in this series, you will enjoy the second book too. It doesn't only build further onto the events of the first book but it'll also create new events and new feels for you to discover. The characters are still as great as they were in book one but they'll grow to be even better. If you loved Seth and Josie, you'll absolutely get more of them in The Power while being torn apart and being put back together. Hold on tight while you suffer through heartbreak, pressure, insecurities, gentleness, fighting and an unexpected ending. I absolutely recommend this series! But beware, if you want to read the Covenant series too, read this series first before you start the Titan-series! Otherwise you spoil yourself. 

"Courage. Strength. Absolute power."

Capering On Glass Bridges

A little while back, I received a YA Fantasy novel by a debut author for review. It's been a while since I've read a fantasy and I was glad to read this one! Although I do have a few remarks regarding the book, I did find it very unique and did enjoy it. Also the cover of Capering On Glass Bridges by Jessica Hernandez is absolutely stunning.

Send by the Utdrendans, a group of strong saviors is on their way to the dark lands of Mar. Normally, nobody would step foot in the land since it's full of dark creatures and danger, ready to kill you when the darkness falls over the land. This time around Kaia and the others will do anything to step foot on the lands of Mar and bring the most important message to the king: you can safe your kingdom. The curs that has fallen over Mar can be destroyed and the land can become one of the greatest again. But Kaia and the rest won't get through Mar that easily... where there is darkness, there is a great danger. Will Kaia and the others be prepared to leave everything they love behind and try to safe the kingdom of Mar?

Starting of with the characters: Kaia Stone! From the very beginning a mysterious vide hangs around Kaia. The land she's from has a pairing ceremony, this means that each of the citizens will receive a Canonipom. This is a mythical creature that complements its owner and is also a friend in times of loneliness. Kaia doesn't have a Canonipom, but the rest of her family does and this makes sure the reader already starts with forming questions and dig in further in the story. This was something I really did enjoy, and the best thing about it is that our questions will be answered if you're really reading attentively.

Kaia not being paired brings a few of her characteristics to the surface, for instance Kaia is a bit doubtful about herself because she doesn't understand why she's not being paired. And a bit of jealousy will tip at the corners of this character. I loved to see this side of Kaia, especially because it makes her sensible! This isn't the only side we'll get to see of her...

Kaia is send by the Utdrendans, another population in this book, to bring a message to the King of Mar, the cursed land. This does make sure that the character feels like she has a purpose in life and isn't 'the girl who wasn't paired'. It also brings the wise and strong, more confident side out of Kaia. This characters has so many qualities that it's hard not to love her! 

As for her sisters, those were amazingly written too! Although Elania was the one that got my attention most. She's the eldest of the family and when Kaia leaves for Mar, she's the one to join her. Elania seems like a very supportive character in this book and doesn't want her sister to be stuck alone in Mar if the curse isn't lifted. That's what I really appreciated about this character! Especially because she's willing to do anything for her sister and that's a beautiful side to her. 

Other characters that were important to the story were Aylin, the princes and Pelliab. As for Aylin and the princes, they were a very nice addition to the group going to Mar because they brought a certain happy, family vibe to the group and that lifted everyone's mood including the one of the reader's. As for Pelliab, here's another character that has a very mysterious vibe hanging around him.

Pelliab is also one of the chosen ones to deliver the message to the king in Mar but he's a very introverted person. This also means that he doesn't talk a lot and is very composed! That won't stop the reader from getting suspicious about him and this will also be an asset to the story because Pelliab does have some things in store for us near the end of the book. 

Other things regarding the characters are the mythical creatures that lure around all the lands. As I already said before we have the Canonipom but there are also the turned ones in Mar, the Flirds and many more to come across in this book. These sure were a great asset to the book because they made sure you used your full imagination and also made the story more interesting and enjoyable because you're totally into the fantasy novel. 

The little remark I have about the characters was that in the beginning I was quiet confused with who everyone was and what their connection was to one another. It wasn't totally clear in the beginning and did brought a bit of confusion with me, but the further you go in the story the more you'll begin to understand. 

Now the plot, the plot is something very intriguing and unique! I haven't read a fantasy that describes the scenery as this one so you're in for a whole new world that's described fantastically. 

Also, as I already mentioned before, they're send with a mission: to help lift the curse. It's pretty soon we find out that our character Kaia is determined to help out and act on her purpose, that's also why she's such a strong character but her parents aren't okay with it at all. Well, her father isn't. This will also make sure the plot will take a turn to how she's going to do what she wants to do without hurting her family too much. 

When Kaia is on her way to the land and is together with the rest of the savior party, the plot has a lot in store for them. It isn't a secret that the land of Mar holds dark creatures and is very dangerous. It therefore doesn't take them all too long before having a first obstacle. And the plot will keep surprising you with these kind of things before they can get to the king.

I think this was something amazing about the plot, the author had enough imagination and fantasy to create a lot of hard obstacles and problems the characters needed to overcome or get through so they could do what they came to do. You're in store for so much and it's also not predictable at all, there is a high level of surprise each time something happens and I was fond of that!

Even when they arrive and want to talk to the king, we see that their adventure isn't quiet over and there were already so many things that had happened before! Also after they spoke and delivered the message the plot has things in store for us, as well as a very big secret that will be revealed. I have to say, I was shocked at that point!

An asset to the story were the few tales or legends that we got during the book. We get to know the land of Kaia and how it was created but we also learn more about the mythical creatures and how or why they were created. 

The remarks I have concerning the plot were the fact that I often missed details. At certain moments during the book, I was lacking who was saying what. There was a huge conversation which was entertaining but I couldn't make out who was talking at that moment and this led to some confusion on my part. I also had a few scenes where I loved to have some more scene setting to add to my imagination and also so I could understand it more properly. 

The ending left me a bit disappointed because it was incomplete. Although it does make sure that the readers will be eager to read the second part, The Yesterdays Of Tomorrow, due to its ending, I wasn't that satisfied with it. 

©Jessica Hernandez

Although I lacked the scene setting at times and details to who was talking, I did enjoy this book. It will make up for the confusion I had during the book by using a lot of my imagination but also because of its strong characters. Each character is very unique and determined to act on the purpose they were send for and this will add to the story. If that doesn't lure you in yet, the mythical creates are also a very intriguing side to the story and the land of Mar has a lot in store for you. Capering On Glass Bridges is very unique and intriguing book with the surprising element each time the group experiences the darkness of the cursed land during their quest to safe the people. Also, I want to thank Jessica Hernandez for giving me this opportunity to read her book so thanks a lot!

"No darkness, no turned ones"

Forever

It's time to say goodbye to one of the most amazing series I've read in a long time! It's so sad that series need to end at a certain point in life... I feel so miserable when it ends because they are so good. And also today, I kind of feel sad because it's all over! I'm talking about Forever by Maggie Stiefvater which is from the Wolves of Mercy Falls series. 

Sam needs to risk his own life to keep the person he loved most safe. For her he would do anything, even face his own inner demons which has been something he wanted to avoid forever. Not getting a chance to live his life, Sam will try and safe her together with the new friends he has made. But saving her also means being targeted by people and trusting people he never thought he would trust. Will all that be enough to safe her?

This book is of a series and isn't the first book in the series, if you haven't read the books then I strongly recommend not to continue and go to the review of the Shiver! If you read Shiver already then I also recommend not to read on in this review but go to my review on Linger.

Maggie Stiefvater goes out with a bang! This book, again, took me into its world of wolves and danger but also the world of all the mixed feelings and different personalities. What I adored most in this book was the fact that there were still the four plot lines like in the book before this one, Linger.

In the beginning of Linger, I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not these extra plot lines. This mostly because during a chapter the plot lines would change. You'd start with Sam and then go over to Isabel and so on. I was a little scared of this in the beginning because there are 4 different POV's and therefore it might become a little too much and too confusing? But after a while, I had to admit that this wasn't the case at all. In fact, I really enjoyed to be in so many heads and know what they were thinking and how they were feeling in that same moment. This caused in the beginning of Forever that I was absolutely happy because I still had the chance on being in four different personalities!

Of course the two story lines which we have been in contact with the most, were the ones of Grace and Sam. In this book, their strengths were accentuated which I always have been a great fan of. Grace is the one with mostly the brains. She will think if it's a good idea, see if it's logical and if they can make it happen while Sam is her opposite and thinks mostly with his heart. This makes him somewhat weaker in comparison with her but in this book we will see that this really is his strength. Naturally, their weaknesses will come around too, there are moments where we can see they're having a hard time and feel lost in that moment. I was keen that their strengths were the most important but was also very happy that we saw their weaknesses shine through. That made sure that the characters were a lot alike us because also we have our strengths and weaknesses and we're also confronted with them daily. 

The following story line was the one of Isabel. I already mentioned in the review of Linger that I was really keen on her because she has a very sarcastic personality but also always said what needed to be said. I also said that she was suffering due to certain circumstances, in this book we see that she has gotten over those circumstances and is her best self again. Of course we often see her rethink about the past and crawl back into a dark space in her head. Yet overall we can conclude that Isabel has shown her strongest part in this book!

But also her POV won't only show you her strengths! Her weaknesses will shine through and with those we got to see another side of her. She isn't as confident as I first would have described her. Isabel will act cruel at times and her laugh could kill but because of the last important character, we can see that Isabel does suffer from her own insecurities. Above that we also get to see her bond with her parents and get to know that she doesn't like going in discussions with them. This will form a big dilemma for her near the end of the book and give us some major, shocking news! 

The person that still influences Isabel the most, is our last character that gets his own story line: Cole St. Clair. And I have to say that this character has shown the biggest development in this book. When in Linger I thought we had unraveled everything there was about Cole, I was wrong. Forever will give you the whole picture of Cole St. Clair and also show the readers how you get out of a dark place. Cole suffers a lot and will finally explain how he really feels, this time around he won't hide himself after a smile but he will be confronted with the past. This said, Cole will make a huge change and become so different that I wouldn't recognize him in comparison to the first book he came in. 

Above that this character will mostly be confronted with his weaknesses but will make them his strengths. He will give major adjustments to the story and we even could call him a big hero! What I absolutely loved with his character too were the many discussions between him and Isabel. These create tension between the characters and give a very pleasant feeling for the reader. What I did miss in the book was more interaction between them near the ending and I hoped on a lot more feelings on their bond which I really missed out on. 

This said about the characters, I feel it is time to talk a bit more about the plot itself. The plot was building further onto the plots of the first two books but was also going to it's highest point because it is the last book. This caused a lot of tension which I was absolutely crazy about! 

I still had a lot of questions from the first two books that were left unanswered and was very happy that these questions all were answered in the last book! Also one character who is discussed a lot by flashbacks of Sam will come around again and will add to the craziness in the plot! 

Yet in this book there will be a huge mission that needs to be solved and the characters will all have to work together to create a solution. This was also the part that was influenced a lot by Cole and by close bystanders of Isabel! These two persons will add more tension and create more feelings to this book! I can already tell you guys that I was shocked at the end but also very exciting by everything that was created and succeeded! 

A thing that I found a little bit confusing was the ending! I'm not going to spill anything, I'm just saying that I'm not really sure what the end really is now and how I should interpret it. This might be something only I have had a difficult time with but there might be others too. I read the author's note to find out if what I made of it might have been explained in it but there wasn't an explanation. It's a pity that the end was so abrupt and confusing on my part. But as I said, it might be me!

Overall this book was as a amazing as the first two books! The plot builds onto the other plots and answers a lot of questions. The strengths are accentuated but also the weaknesses will shine through which makes sure the characters are very reliable and very realistic. The book will give you a huge dilemma and task that's fueled and influenced by other characters which gives you all the more feels such as romance, excitement, thrill and tension! I wished this series would never, never end but of course to everything good comes an end but I can say that I'm really satisfied with this series and definitely recommend it! 

"Grace, this isn't how it ends."

Melody's Key

A week ago, I was asked to read for review by an author, he send me the synopsis of his first published book and can I just say that I was sold the moment I read it? Only by reading the synopsis, I was convinced that this book had a lot in store for me and god, were my instincts right! If you're looking for a very sweet romance and a book full of passion then Melody's Key by Dallas Coryell is the book you absolutely need!

Tegan Lockwood was stuck in life. All the opportunities that were given to her she declined because of her duty towards her family. They had been having a very hard time lately and were in debts, they couldn't lose the extra power. They wouldn't survive without her help. And that's why Tegan gave in, because they needed her. Struggling with past events, Tegan has a hard time giving her life some color and find things that make her truly happy. That is until a new visitor comes around in Lockwood Holiday and it sure brings some sparks in her life...

This book got me upside down everyone! Just truly upside down! You'd start to get depressed because your life never turned out like theirs. This book will absolutely give you feels like this and I'm totally loving it! Before I go further about the plot, I will discuss the characters starting with Tegan. 

Tegan, which by the way has a beautiful meaning you'll discover yourselves, is actually a pretty tough girl. She'll stand her ground when she has to and she'll do what she has to do to make sure her loved ones are okay and happy. Even if it means declining certain things that would make her dreams come true. I really appreciated that in this character because it really showed her love and affection for her family and how caring she really is. Even though Tegan shows a lot of her sarcastic and tough side, deep down she isn't that tough.

Tegan has been dragging a tragic and hard event with her for a very long time now and it's really making her feel bad. Throughout Melody's Key you'll feel how pained she is and how much she closes herself of for the world, for people. Also, because of these past events, she is determined that love is not real. Tegan's set on not letting anyone in that could hurt her and she absolutely shows her insecurities throughout the book. This really showed the realistic to this character and I was really keen on seeing that because it made sure we all could relate to her. 

Another thing that I discovered about Tegan was her passion. She loves to be a part of music and art and really loses herself in it. This was one of the things that really accentuated that part of her and it showed you how much she needs these things to escape from reality and just to be able to forget what has happened to her. 

Next up, I want to discuss her family because I was so keen on them, really each and every one of them. It's been a while since I read a book where the parents weren't the evilest of the evil. Her parents are very caring and really try to make their kids lives amazing and that makes them really amazing. Although they have a hard time with Lockwood Holiday, their business, they try to make a lot of time to have that great family bond. This creates such a happy feeling with the reader when they read about it, but more about that later in the plot!

Tegan also has 3 brothers: Joe, Noah and Michael which are also amazing characters because they were really funny. We don't see that much about their personalities, which I did love to see more, but when we did see them they were always making comments about each other or trying to trick each other and this led to moments were you could really enjoy them and even laugh with them. 

As for Tegan's sister, she was my favorite in the Lockwood family. She and Tegan always pranked each other which showed us how good their bond really was. Yet Ryleigh has a very caring side and also a very understanding side. Throughout Melody's Key we'll see her laugh with her sister and trick her all you want, but when her sister is in trouble or doubting herself, Ryleigh will be there to catch her from falling and give her a good piece of sisterly advice. She's a very supporting character that can be very mature at times when its needed and that was something I really appreciated in her. 

That sums up everyone in the family and to conclude that, I'd like to underscore how much I was a fan of them. There are no words for how close they are and how amazing each and every one of them is described by Dallas Coryell. Their bond is very realistic and relatable but also has this unique side that makes you want to be a part of their family too. 

Two more characters I want to discuss, first off: Mason. Tegan hates him the first time he comes around. He's a jerk, he's mean, he seemed angry and someone who would just sleep with a different woman each and every night. Yet these are some of her, and maybe even some of the reader's, superficial judgments. The first few things we get to know about this character might lead us to think about him like that but Mason will come to surprise us more than once in this book. 

This character is not who you expect him to be and it was amazing how we discovered him together with Tegan and see that, even though a lot of people like him, he is just a normal person with normal problems. I loved to see this character because he did show many changes himself but also made sure that we could see other characters in the book change in a positive manner. 

Dallas Coryell, the author

Lastly, there is Simon. And can I just tell you guys the following: I need a Simon in my life! He's absolutely adorable and has the same side as Ryleigh: the caring and understanding, the supportive side. He's such a great person but has always been a victim of bullying which you'll find out more about in the book itself. Also this character will show major changes by make a stand even if things might not end up the way you'd want them to be. We will see him struggle with his identity and how people react on his identity but I can honestly say that he's just an amazing character! Simon has an amazing personality and I really wish he was real because I heart Simon, okay? Okay!

This concludes everything about the characters. They're very well written and will take you down under in this book. They'll create this loving and caring atmosphere and really make you feel the feels of the book! 

Secondly, the plot! To my opinion, it tended to build up a little slow but, we also know by now that I'm just a very impatient person and I just really wanted to know who the secret, mysterious visitor was! What I did absolutely adored in the beginning was how descriptive it was. We're surrounded by nature and you'd think there isn't much to describe about it but the author made sure you'd be able to visualize everything. From the air hanging there to the flowers that grow there and I absolutely loved it. If you're someone that wants to use your imagination to the fullest than these descriptions will make sure of it. I, myself, am a huge fan of visualizing the environment and I was absolutely not disappointing. 

Another thing you might enjoy then is the background about the family. There will be parts in the book where you get a little history about the family, about how they met each other, about new characters coming along and it was really nice to read. You knew the family was having a hard time but you also would go back to where the problems started which made sure you'd understand it to the fullest. 

The plot has a very sweet atmosphere that really takes you into the story. You'll be put in weird positions that are awkward because Tegan drooled over a boy, but you'll also experience the cozy moments. As I said before, the parents of Tegan will really try to make time to have a nice moment with the family and you'll be totally part of that. These were the moments I, as a reader, really lived up to because of the atmosphere that was created. 

There is, for example, Sunday Pancakes, where her dad feels like he's the king of the kitchen and just makes amazing pancakes while others drool over the food and make some jokes. Or there is the moment they decide to go to the lake and go picnicking. These were the moments that broke through the doubts and insecurities the main character, Tegan, was having and made her relaxed. 

Which brings me to the feels in this book because there are many! You won't only relax, you'll also laugh and feel awkward it makes you smile and you'll fall in love. This book is filled with feels, as well as romantic ones and friendship ones. It's really amazing to read and to experience. Especially the romantic feels! We know how our main characters thinks about love, she think it's not real and her believe for it will be tested in the story.

Something that was a great asset to the book were the letters Tegan reads. How she got them and why she reads them will all be answered in the book, but I loved the way they were presented! Also, it boosted the theme and gave an extra to the atmosphere the book already created. The letters have this history clinging to them together with a good portion of romance which gave a nice break from the story from time to time.

Melody's Key will also focus on the development of the characters and how you can grow from being closed off to become more open to new people. To turn your bad judgement into an apology and so on. But it'll also focus on the artistic side! Tegan has a passion for music and art and these things will return to her when she grows more open towards people which is a great development to see. The author also made use of song lyrics that are also an asset to the book because you can really read them. It's not just one sentence where they say "They now make lyrics", you can really read it and see what they created. 

It does sound like it's all sunshine and roses but the plot will take multiple bumps in the road and cause the characters to be confronted with their insecurities and believes. Also the family's huge problem will take a very interesting turn, as well as Tegan and her ability to let people in and to believe in love. The plot really then focuses on how certain characters will react and how they solve this problem. Of course, this leads to more feels you'll experience while reading which is only a good thing. But it also accentuated how realistic the story is because life is not a smooth sail and you will be confronted with difficulties. 

For short, the plot focuses on a very realistic side of life and will really pull you down under in it. You'll just live next to the characters and see them live up to your expectations. If that's not enough, you'll also feel what they feel and go on a very exciting journey of falling in love, opening up to your feelings and to people, grow into your strong self no matter the past and feel passion! The characters are also unique and have such a strong bond you can't do anything else but love them and want them in real life. Sure, I might've thought the build up was a bit slow and I wanted to see some more of the brothers but I do absolutely recommend this book! It's a great conclusion to my summer holiday because it also it set in summer and really made me feel excited and all warm inside! Also a very big thank you to the author, Dallas Coryell to give me this opportunity to review this book! It was a great pleasure and I really enjoyed it! I hope you'll write more books, because this one was outstanding and a great first published book! Thanks again!

"Lost without you."

Beautiful Creatures

Time for a review about a book that I've received from someone from my family! So thank you for the book, I have really enjoyed reading it so now it's time to review it: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I've seen the movie a year and a half ago? But I didn't remember a lot anymore so everything was a surprise in this book.

Ethan can't wait until he can leave his old, silly town and go somewhere bigger. He's been counting down the months and dreaming ahead. Yet it's not only a bigger city he's been dreaming about, but also about a girl. It isn't until months later that Ethan finally discovers who that girl is and sees her walking around in Gatlin. 
Lena's also counting down the days. Yet for her there isn't anything pleasant at the end of her counting. She's losing herself because of her powers and has a very hard time controlling them. If that isn't hard enough, people want to destroy her. 
Ethan can't leave Lena alone and will do anything to find out what the hell is going on with the girl of his dreams. Together, they'll have to fight the good or the bad....

Let's just start with the characters! First of Ethan Wate. He's the normal guy you'd expect every guy to be in a town like Gatlin. Gatlin is, in Ethan's eyes, a silly and stupid town and he absolutely can't wait to get out of it. I guess this is already a point where many readers can relate, some of us might or might not want to leave the city they're living in because it's silly or old or what not. It's also the point where you think that he's normal. The thing that made Ethan not the normal guy you'd expect him to be, are his dreams. 

The book will make you live with him in his dreams and that's where all the mystery will start. Ethan is completely clueless and so are we. We don't know who the girl is or what the dream might mean which gives us the impression that it might be totally nothing. It isn't until another character appears in the book that Ethan, and the reader, starts to understand there's more to it than we thought. It's also at this point that Ethan starts to show his determined side. He's determined to find out what's going on and when people start hating the new town girl, he's also determined to make it stop.

That's what I really appreciated in this character. The will to be different than the rest, and stick up for this girl that's being bullied. He really tries to make her feel at ease even though she's having a hard time. When she tries to shake him off, he's still determined to go for it. It's also from this point in the book that we see Ethan grow into someone very understanding and willing to help others, but mainly Lena. 

Of course there's also the part of Lena being in his dreams and Lena not being able to control her any more. This is also something that drives Ethan to stick around and to find out the truth. Nevertheless he won't use her for his own causes. He'll really help her out and be there for her which I absolutely appreciated in this character. 

As for Lena, the mystery all comes with her. The moment she enters Gatlin weird things start to happen, but us as a reader don't know if it's really a good idea to assume it's all because of her. I did like Lena a lot because also she has a very determined side but through it all, her gentleness will come around. She's also very stubborn and doesn't want to get attached to people because she's absolutely sure she's no good for them. Lena also proves us that she's a very emotional girl and that's something other readers can relate to when they can't always agree with Ethan. 

Of course there's so much more to Lena than we all think. Does she have powers? Is she just weird? We don't know the truth until far into the book. What we do know from the start is that everyone hates her because she looks weird and because of her family. Lena tries to be really strong and that's one of her strengths but throughout the book we'll also see the realistic side of people who are being bullied: they break at one point. Even through Lena has a hard stare and strong features, there will come a moment when she breaks and that will cause a lot of fuss with the class and with the reader. 

What I already can conclude to these two characters is that they will complete each other with each their own different strengths and weaknesses which I absolutely adored about them. Even though they don't always think alike they'll try to find a way in between. It's also Lena's gentleness that'll let Ethan in because he's so determined to stick around. These two will have a very rough start because Lena's not the type of person to let people in and I really enjoyed seeing that in her. 

Another character I'd like to discuss is Macon. Macon is Lena's uncle and also has a very determined and stubborn side. He's also the person that caused a lot of fuss in Gatlin itself, people think he's something supernatural because he never leaves his house. For short: people think he's weird. This is also one of the reasons for Lena's classmates to start bullying her and saying she's weird because of her uncle. 

Yet I really liked Macon a lot. He's protective, I give him that but throughout the book there were moments I really could laugh about what he said or what he was trying to say. He often scares Ethan and this also creates a moment of pleasure for the reader. Although I think he's funny, I as a reader still asked the same question over and over again: who is Macon really? From the beginning it felt like he was hiding something, many clues in the book will give you that same impression which is a great asset to the book. You're not only trying to find out what's going on with Lena but also trying to unravel Macon. 

A few other character I'd like to discuss, but briefly, are Link, Sarafine, Ridley and Larkin. First, we'll start with Link. Link is Ethan's best friend. I absolutely respect this character a lot because he never left Ethan, even when things got very weird. The moment Ethan sticks up for Lena, people start to hate on him too. Link doesn't get influenced by it and really wants to help him out. He's a very loyal person which also shows the bond Ethan and Link have.

As for Sarafine, Ridley and Larkin. They're part of Lena's family. The deal with these characters is that we don't know much about them. Did I think that's a bad side to the book? No, not really because the book will tell you a bit more about them and how they're related to Lena's family. I just appreciated these characters because they'll mislead the reader a lot which makes sure that the tension and mystery will thicken and stick around a lot longer. 

What I want to conclude about the part of the characters, is that they really create more mystery. There will be moments where you think that they're who you think they are, and moments where they just mislead you and you had mistaken them for another. It really feels as if many characters have two faces. This could symbolize the good and the bad in people which will also be a very important aspect in the book. The characters will also make many changes and grow into their confident selves which I think is also a great asset to the book.

Oh and there's also a dog! I know it's weird to say but I absolutely loved him. It's not that he doesn't have a function in the story. In the beginning it might seem really weird but at the end you'll understand what his purpose is. Other than that I absolutely loved the idea of the dog because he was very loyal and tried to keep his family safe. 

As for the plot, it's is all about mysteries and trying to discover certain truths. I can absolutely guarantee you that that's the case in this book. Of course, there's also the aspect of friendship and a growing bond but mystery is the one thing that's the most important in this book. 

From the beginning to the end you'll be getting clues to what's going on with certain characters but there's also a bigger purpose. This bigger purpose is being searched by Lena and Ethan. This will also create more questions with the reader and it'll make sure you want to keep reading in the book. What I did notice is that the authors really wanted to make you wait. You started with a lot of questions and not with a lot of answers, you had to be patience to get them. This makes it harder to unravel the truth but I think that's a good thing about the book because it makes sure you keep your attention and the story won't get easily boring. 

When we finally unraveled one thing, there are still another dozen things to find out such as a secret locket we find or the fact that there are characters we know so little about. It's as if you're doing your own investigation while working together with the two main characters. 

Which also brings me to the POV of this book. The book was written in Ethan's POV, which is something rather new for me because I don't read a lot of books that are totally written in the POV of a male. I did really enjoy it though because this time you were in the head of the "normal" person in this book, or so you might think...

There was a little excerpt that was written in someone else's POV, this was a bit confusing because I didn't know we were reading it in someone else's POV. The book doesn't tell you that it's not longer Ethan. It was surprising but a bit confusing! 

Another thing I want to mention about the plot is that the book will alternate between moments of pure mystery and moments of realistic, boring schooldays. This is one of the things that make this book very good because you also get to see normal schooldays that contain more information of how Ethan's life is or how people react on Lena being new on the school. It also makes sure you don't need to keep focusing on the mystery and you can take a break from it.

Above that there's also the part where the good and the bad will take turns in this book. It'll be a big question for us readers if the good or the bad will win and what it has to do with the bigger mystery but I absolutely enjoyed the part of good versus bad because it added to the story. 

Other than that the plot will also have many plot twists, especially when the end is nearing and secrets will be revealed. If all I can say the plot will keep you busy with trying to find things out and that's a good thing.

As a conclusion to this review I can say that this book really surprised me with the amount of mystery it contains. Also, the characters will add so much more to this story. You'll have a lot of characters and a lot of events happening but it won't make you confused. It does contain growing bonds and the characters will show certain developments throughout the book. If that isn't enough, there are also parts where you can really relate to certain people and parts where you can laugh because of what is said. For short, this book is a great book! I recommend it to people who are really into paranormal and mysterious stories! Other than that I'm really curious to where the following books will lead! 

"The right thing and the easy thing are never the same."