Torched by Andrea Lynn Colt

Goodreads summary: Rose Whitfield's senior year just went up in smoke. Instead of having a blast with her best friend, her cheerleading squad, and her boyfriend Ryan, she's framed for arson. Popularity and criminal records don't mix, apparently.

Luckily, Rose knows who's framing her: Paxton Callaway. Paxton and Rose have spent years locked in a war of practical jokes. This time he's gone too far. Rose sets out to prove her innocence, win Ryan back, and take Paxton down hard.

Not necessarily in that order.

Review

I think this book almost killed me because it caused me not to sleep for two days straight! Two days! Much needed rest! I could not stop reading or thinking Torched! I could not put this book down!

The plot is an 8 out of 10 for me. I kind of expected who really framed Rose (the protagonist). But I still had an awesome time reading this book. I loved how it really sucked me into Rose's life and her situation, and made me really join in the mystery. If I were a character of the book I would really help Rose. At the start you really won't have an idea or clue who really started the fire. Yeah, there is Paxton. But wouldn't pointing the finger at Paxton seem too expected and too wrong at the same time? And oh! All the emotion this book built inside of me made me want to scream... inside my head! If I were in Rose's shoes I would have killed myself already!

The characters felt so real to me! Rose, at the beginning, seems to be your regular, happy, nice, popular cheerleader. But later on, you get an idea who she really is and realize with Rose that she isn't the person she thought she was. People hate her! And throughout the first half of the novel she keeps asking why. Why would they hate her when she seemed to be nice? Then there were her friends, her shallow friends who would not want to believe her and would rather punish her. Later, when she finally learned the truth, Rose begins to change and you will probably start liking her again (I did). Overall, Rose is one of the best leading female characters I have read in YA novels so far. She is strong-willed, smart, and strong. I LOVE HER!

Paxton is a fantastic guy, who made me squeal when he confessed to Rose. Oh, he is just swoon-worthy and drool-worthy! I think you can consider him as the ugly duckling who turned into Prince Charming :D (I don't like swans and I don't like frogs).

Another reason why you should love this book is that it teaches you a moral lesson in a convincing, un-fairy-tale-like, realistic, heart-wrenching way. I JUST LOVE NOVELS WITH MORAL LESSONS! I LOVE TORCHED!

A highly recommended book with enough drama, romance, and mystery to make you read it from 6PM-3AM.

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Crushed (The Witch-Game #1) by K.C. Blake

Crushed

Goodreads summary: The Noah sisters rule Titan High with their beauty, brains, and magical powers. Each year they play a secret game: Crushed. The girls pick their targets carefully and blow enchanted dust into the boy’s faces, charming them, but this year Kristen makes a grave mistake. She chooses the wrong boy and almost dies that same day. Coincidence? Maybe. But something isn’t quite right about Zach Bevian. He doesn’t behave like a boy who’s been Crushed. He goes from hot to cold, from looking at her with contempt to asking her out on a date. She doesn’t know what to think. Does he hate her or is he truly falling for her? Is he trying to kill her, or is he trying to save her?

Review

I would like to thank the author for giving me a copy of Crushed for an honest review.

I had a lot of WTH moments while reading Crush. Why?

1.) Unconvincing - Evil witch? Uh, no. Psychopathic witch? Mm, no. Hot guy and hot girl? *rolls eyes* Whatever. I was not convinced and I did not clearly see or understand the reasons behind everything that happened in the book. It was like every situation the character comes across, she will welcome it with wide open arms without providing the reader a logical sense or reason to any of it. Even if she did, it was probably a shallow reason that only a seven-year -old could appreciate.

2.) Confusing - Some scenes in Crushed confused me and some reasons confused me even more. I had no idea who was chasing who, what reason was what, and what was really going on.

What was going on inside my head?

I thought bleep was going to do this to bleep for bleeping her. And then, I suddenly read that it wasn't bleep, but it was bleep for bleeping this. Wait! So it's not bleep but BLEEP? Huh? No? But I thought bleep's reason was bleep? It isn't? WHAT?

3.) Characters - Cardboard-ish and thinly imagined.

4.) Romance - Fast-paced and a wee bit disturbing. They are only in high school! Why are they talking as if they are about to get married? It's creepy!

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A Strange Fire by L.H. Cosway

A Strange Fire

Goodreads summary: Flo has always had problems. Her stammer prevents her speech and her dad’s abuse makes her life a living hell. Not to mention she sees colours other people don’t.

When her dad decides to ship her off to live with her grandma in the sleepy town of Chesterport, Flo thinks that this is her chance for a better life. But on her very first day at her new school she is ridiculed and laughed at for having a stammer. One student sticks up for her and his name is Frank.

Frank’s body is surrounded by an aura of fire, but Flo is the only one who can see it. He lives in a foster home for troubled teenagers. Flo is drawn to him because he’s different and so is she.

Things are about to get scary, because Chesterport is not your ordinary suburban town. It’s infested by a coven of dark witches who prey on the young and the elderly. Soon Flo discovers that she’s next on their list of victims, and finds herself fighting a battle she never would have imagined possible.

Review!

Before I start with my review, I would love to thank the author for providing me a free copy for an honest review.

Hmm... A Strange Fire, hm, where shall I start?



I could not read this book in one sitting. I just could not! I'm actually surprised it took me two weeks to read it. I think it's both my fault and the book's. Why my fault? 1.) Exam week! 2.) Assignments, quizzes, projects, case studies 3.) Sleep! 4.) Fiesta week preparations. Why the book's fault? 1.) It didn't capture my interest right away. 2.) Shut up, Flo!

The creep factor in this book is a 4/10 for me. Yes, there was cannibalism, effing witches, and mysterious murders, but none of them really made me feel any goose pimples or the shakes.

Mystery factor? 7/10! But when the mystery was revealed, I felt too much info was dumped on me that the mystery became less fun and I started not caring anymore.

I did not like how the author described the characters to the reader. Once, I thought it was part of Flo's powers, but I realized it wasn't. Info dump much? The author described the character's by their facial features, which is alright, but then she also added the age and whatnot, which seemed out of place at times and just set the mood off of the story. So yeah, too much info can really lead to awkwardness. Try to tame the description a little, okay?

The story?

I... I.... really have nothing to say much about A Strange Fire. I mean, it is unique with all the mood-detecting-power and cannibal witches, but it just did not suck me in from the first page to the last. When it ended, I thought, "Um, okay, uh, how am I going to review this?" The story didn't really stick to my mind, like it was just another book that I will surely forget and not bother to remember.

The characters?

Flo is just really awkward and kind of whiny. But if she were real, I wouldn't mind befriending her. Is she a strong type of character? Uh, I think, I guess, maybe? I think she's trying to be too strong that it seems like she is a weak character.

Frank is a very good-looking, horny teen. As in horny with a capital H, O, R, N, and Y! It's like he's always ready to jump on Flo. If I were left in a room alone with Frank, I think I should be very afraid and be on guard all the time. I would not want him to be my boyfriend, maybe just a friend, but not a boyfriend. What I liked about him is that he genuinely cares for Flo and really protects her. One thing I liked about this book is that it's the boy who's head over heels in love and stalker-ish, and not the other way around.

Overall thought?

Uh, it's okay. I would recommend it, but not recommend it like I'm some sort of advertiser or promoter. But I really thought, from the moment I read the summary, that I was going to have fun and an adventure. The book disappointed me a little. Flo didn't like discussing her feelings, which hindered me from having any emotional connection with her.

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