CaptainKaelyn

Actual Rating: 3.5

The first half was too much "Oh Alex, let me aaaaalways stare at you from afar" and the second half was too packed. But still...it was good o_o

Review to come, probably tomorrow, if I'm not throwing money away on college textbooks instead =_=

I've had the great privilege of receiving an e-galley of this upcoming book, which is due to be out on February 4th aka pretty damn soon ^^ So I thought I'd tease y'all with a little hot sneak peak into the book.

Truth be told, I only received this yesterday so I haven't read it--thus this teaser was a pleasant surprise for me as well, making my apprehensions disappear.

Apprehensions, you say? What apprehensions? I'm glad you asked, mates. My problems are with the cover and the blurb.

The cover isn't toooo impressive [the key and background create a beautiful affect but all the attention goes the the hand, which is standing out too much in my opinion] and the blurb spells love-triangle and a meh-plot. BUT. Yes, there is a big BUTT--I mean BUT. This teaser is too exciting to pass up the book. What I'd done was randomly stop on my e-readers' book scroll, ending up on this very lucky page that has completely changed my initial view of the book. Enjoy the treat dearies. [BTW, this is an ARC so the quote I'm providing is not necessarily the final version--keep that in mind]

One look at the Goodreads reviews would show that I'm in the minority by not liking this book--and that's okay.



I was so excited to read this book after reading the beautiful book that is The Coincidence of Kallie and Kayden, also by Jessica Sorensen. Admittedly, the blurb...was not the most exciting one.

Okay, okay, it was a very commonplace blurb. Like, I could put it on the back of any New Adult book and it would work. BUT STILL, I held onto my hope, even though it was screaming obscenities at me to let it go and to find another book.



I should've listened to Hope, because this book was a major letdown. I had a constant headache due to the sheer stupidity and selfishness of our Little Miss Scarred Ella May [no, I have no sympathy for her--any sympathy I harbored for her died as the story progressed...that doesn't say much for you character, Ella, not much at all...]

My First Thoughts: The only reason I picked up this book, as I said before, was because of the author. Because of her beautifully crafted tale of Kallie and Kayden. And that was the only reason. The cover didn't strike me as anything eye-captivating and the blurb was boring. So, sadly, I was just a weeee bit disappointed with the book [I had high expectations and then the cover and blurb dimmed 'em down...sad that an author I was hoping to be a favorite didn't deliver]



Captain's Log on The Secret of Ella and Micha: I have to get this out of the way first. The word "aqua" was used to describe Micha's eyes exactly 9 times. Now, question about the book: what color were Micha's eyes, kids? AQUA. YES THEY ARE AQUA. I GET IT. AQUA EYES. EVERYONE GOT IT? 'CAUSE APPARENTLY, YOU DON'T KNOW THEY ARE AQUA UNTIL IT'S BEEN SAID 9 TIMES!



Okay, okay, I'm okay. I'm done. *Exhale*



Okay, back to the book. The story is of a girl named Ella May [I've finished the book and I STILL don't understand where the "May" part of her name comes from. It ain't her last name, I tell you that. Maybe I missed the explanation due to being bored out of my mind =_= ] and her struggle to admit her love for Micha [...whiiiich she doesn't struggle with much either so...]. No, there is no emotional grappling with her self-hatred over being labeled her mom's murderer. How to say it...It's like she says she feels guilty, her family blames her, but I never got the feeling that she actually, truly regretted leaving that night. There was no conviction in her dialogue and her's family's accusations seemed to roll right off of her. After a hidden night of crying, she's flirtin' and makin' out with AQUA-EYED Micha. Yeah, not seeing much suffering. I expected angst. I expected emotion. But what did I get? An empty gap of eight months that could've been filled with her journey to where she ended up.

That was my biggest problem: the eight month jump. It was a poor move on Ms. Sorensen's part. One day, she's about to jump of a bridge and kisses Micha, next thing you know, she's turned over a new leaf and is supposedly a devil-Barbie [ I stereotypical slut-shaming in this book was TOO DAMN HIGH. Just because Ella dressed like a cheerleader from their high-school {again, I don't get it--is the girl not allowed to dress differently? Does the cheerleader have a copy-right on those clothes} everyone flips their lid when she returns, mocking her. Like really, I thought y'all were out of high school, but I guess not.]

Also, Ella's company that she was "running away" from, well, I don't get why she wanted back in--they were all a bunch of douches--but that's the problem again with her: that's the person she used to be. And some of those traits returned slowly as she hung out with Micha.

Aaaand now we get to Micha...the blonde sexy boy [he's definitely an immature boy, no man] with dem aqua eyes. Aka another person who garnered zero sympathy from me. He had his daddy issues but again, they seemed so...nonexistent. Another bad move on Ms. Sorensen's part was leaving another gaping hole in the story. This was another missed opportunity on the author's part--the readers' could've witnessed Micha's processing of his daddy issues. But all we got to see was seeing him return and--you guessed it--makin' out with Ella. But I couldn't like Micha as a character because he thought bringing Ella back to her destructive ['cause that's what she was] self was the best thing to do. I'd give him plus points for trying to make her come to terms with her "self-loathing" but that's about it. He was more interested in getting in her pants.

I have nothing much to say about this book anymore. There are no words left to translate my disappointment. To sum it all up, the plot of this book was not the drama I was hoping it was to be. There were too many moments we were left guessing about the characters. For a book told in dual point of view, I can't tell you many meaningful things about either of them. Whenever something important was happening to the other, all we are left with is reading about the other character =_= All I was left to read was a story about a girl who tried to get away from the guy, but in reality, didn't try hard at all, and they just had a bunch of fun, sexy times. I couldn't take the "serious" moments seriously at all. All in all, poorly written book.

PS: I AM SO MAD AT THE TREATMENT LILA GOT IN THE BOOK. So many moments, Lila is treated as not being their. Ella and Micha, at multiple times get their nasty on RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. *cough* fucking assholes *cough* And she gets the invisible treatment AGAIN when Ella and Dean are fighting. AND MISS PRINCESS ELLA doesn't give an explanation about it afterwards. Ella: horrible. Lila: from the few glimpses I got, has a goldmine of a story, so I'm willing to give her and Ethan's story a try. They sound sooooo much better. Here's Hoping I won't be disappointed again...

-Kaelyn

Head over to Kaelyn's Loot for more bookish treasures, lads and lassies!

My mates, sometimes in our lives, we come across a book that changes our entire being, that makes you question nothing and everything, that makes you sit in place for hours on end to just...think...about life. A book that touches you so deeply, you cannot even see the impact it had on you. You KNOW deep down that something changed...but what? What is the name of this overwhelming emotion that surges from within you? What is it? What? And because you can't answer any of these questions, all you can do is cry, try to give the emotion form so you can begin to comprehend something. Anything.



Deep, right? You are/will be too if you read On The Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.

The Judgement: LOOT!!! {This. This is what all I review strive to be. Not a part of the ship but a part of the loot, forever immortalized, forever enshrined, loved, gazed upon in awe. Truly a master piece. You have Neptune's grace.}



My First Thoughts: I've said it in a previous post. This book was one I chose to read for an assignment in my senior year English class. Stereo typically, this does not spell out for a great first impression. But the key word is chose. I chose to read this book and by reading it, I've learned I can make a good choice now and then. The book didn't seem too special to me. I almost forgo-ed it for Room by Emma Donoghue [which I will read as well very soon, now that it's popped up in my view once more]. But something about the first paragraph of the synopsis spoke to me. A part of Taylor's complicated story came through and touched me, making me pick up this book and read it. Re-reading it all of yesterday just proved what a timeless book it is for me. I'm gonna have to pick up a physical copy soon because I wanna read this book over and over again. I learned things I didn't learn before, saw more into Taylor's world. I can't wait to read it for a third time a discover more. What a treasure this book is, unveiling more and more with each read. The story shifts ever so slightly but my world quakes with change.



Captain's Log on On The Jellicoe Road:

My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted.

Well. That has to be one of the most hooking first lines ever written. I really don't think anything can beat this haunting start that begs us to keep on reading and uncover the pain of the person counting.

Taylor Markham has led a...complicated life...that has left her hungry for love yet, at the same time, wary of it. From the start, she makes it no secret that she trusts no one, not even the woman you picked her up and took her in after her mother abandoned her on Jellicoe Road.

I don't know where I fit in. One day when I was eleven, my mother drove me out here and while I was in the toilets at the 7-Eleven on the Jellicoe Road, she drove off and left me there.

Betrayed once by her mother and a second time by Jonah Griggs, someone she thought she'd connected to till he turned them in, she does not want to love Hannah. Yet she wants to love Hannah. But when Hannah leaves too, without a word, Taylor is shattered, her heart broken once again. Taylor had given her heart to Hannah without even realizing it and now it was irreparable. And she was already too fragile to take in anymore surprises.

I tell him of the time when I was fourteen, just after the Hermit whispered something in my ear and then shot himself, when I went in search of my mother, but got only halfway there. I tell him that I blame the Cadet for that.

Or so she thought. Enter Jonah Griggs, the Cadet, one of the three who broke her heart and the one to put it together again.

Trust me mates, the story is no cliched love story. These two fought, they made up, and they loved. But their love is so much more. It's what repaired BOTH their souls. It's what helped them live on, move on from the horrors of the past.

But this book is so much more than just Jonah and Taylor. It Taylor and Webb, Taylor and Fitz, Taylor and Narnie, Taylor and Tate, Taylor and Jude, Taylor and Raffy, Ben, Jessa. So. Much. More. It's Taylor discovering herself under all that self-hatred, her thoughts of thinking she will always be left behind. It's all these people proving her wrong, that they love her so much and they will always be in her heart.

I connected to Taylor on such a deeper level than I'd expected but now that I mull over it, it's no surprise. I myself am no stranger to self-loathing. And that's why this book was so much more than just a book for me. It's my saving grace. It's my guide to love myself and to believe that yes, I am capable of being loved.

The best thing about this book besides it's existence is that it talked of the past. And I fell in love with those five so much.

But there they were, on the steps of the Jellicoe General Store, where the Cadets always stopped to pick up supplies. Waiting. For him.
"Who are they?" the Cadet sitting next to him asked. Jude looked at Webb's face, the grin stretching from ear to ear.
"They're my best friends. I'm going to know them until the day I die."

My heart broke with each revelation, their pain my own.

And when I walked away, I heard something hit the water and I thought I must have killed a fucker of a bird. I looked but I couldn't see anything.

Just like Taylor, I cried when I realized that one of them would die.

"You never got that fifth tin," Webb called to Fitz just before they disappeared through the trees.
"Not to worry," he said with a wave. "I'll go back for a shot on another day."

But just like Taylor, I looked around and saw that there was a new generation now, one to continue the bonds of the old.

And Tate just watched and listened and took it all in.
"Can you hear that?" she said softly, touching her belly. "Because you belong too."

Do you all want to know my favorite part of this book, the one that hit me the deepest, made me cry the most?

He sat in the tree, his mind overwhelmed by the idea that growing inside Tate was their baby. The cat purred alongside him, a co-conspirator in his contentment. Through the branches he could see Fitz coming his way, his gun balanced on his shoulders, whistling a tune. So Webb closed his eyes, thinking of the dream he'd had the night before where he sat on the branch of a tree and spoke to their child. In the child's voice there was so much promise and joy that it took his breath away. He told her about his plans to build a house. He'd make it out of gopher-wood, like Noah's ark, two storeys high, with a view he could look out on every day with wonder. A house for Tate and Narnie and Jude and Fitz and for their families. A home to come back to every day of their lives. Where they would all belong or long to be. A place on the Jellicoe Road.



Okay, okay, enough feels and tears. Now, finally...WELCOME ABOARD THE JOLLY ANNE, ON THE JELLICOE ROAD!!! More than that, WELCOME TO THE LOOT!!!

-Captain Kaelyn

Head over to Kaelyn's Loot for more bookish treasures, lads and lassies!

The Judgement: LOOT!!! {This. This is what all I review strive to be. Not a part of the ship but a part of the loot, forever immortalized, forever enshrined, loved, gazed upon in awe. Truly a master piece. You have Neptune's grace.}



Synopsis:

"Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is."


Before I start my somewhat-rant on the synopsis




...ARE YOU READY FOR A COVER SHOWDOWN?!

Cover Showdown:

As you've noticed, if you've Googled the book or Goodread-ed (hey if "twerk" is in the Oxford dictionary, this certainly makes the cut) it, there are two marvelous covers of this book:


Subject A


Subject B



Now Subject A seems to be exuding extreme amounts of soul-burning-sexy-staredown by Mr. Daemon Black, while Katy (or any of the readers hehe) cling on to him for her (our) dear life.



Subject B on the other hand is a pleasure to both genders, with both Katy and Daemon looking at us with equal degrees of come-hither.



Before I reveal MY winner, I have to say that I am in absolute LOVE with the cover models, Pepe Toth and Sztella Tziotziosz. I've seen them on so many book covers and that alone makes me want to read those books. I'm a sucker for covers, so these two gracing any cover makes me want to empty my treasure chests without a second thought.

NOW, time to reveal my winner. Drum roll please!



AND THE WINNER IS...SUBJECT B!!! ('cause it fulfills all my Daemon-Katy love in one picture :)

My First Thoughts: Okay, mini-rant time =_= I don't know if I'm the only one but if it wasn't for the cover, I probably wouldn't have picked up Obsidian, which is life-altering as it was my first Jennifer Armentrout book I'd read (and down the rabbit hole I fell, falling deeper into the Wonderland that is filled with Ms. Armentrout's books). The synopsis sounds so...juvenile. And I understand that the genre is YA but still, it didn't depict the sultry/mysterious/sometimes-serious vibe I got while reading the book AT ALL. "Starting over sucks" And the heart-wrenching reason they moved away wasn't included, which would've tugged on my heart a bit more than "When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring" I almost didn't read this book BECAUSE of the synopsis.

Sorry for the rant y'all but the synopsis is the first glimpse into the book, the decisive factor in whether one reads the book or not. And this one lacked too much to do justice to this great book.

Captain's Log on Obsidian: As I've stated in bold letters above, this is one for my loot for sure. A kick-ass heroine, no love triangles, and such an interesting story line and world, all in one book? Too much perfection. Katy has to be one of my favorite characters so far, because of her guts and her no-pushover personality. And the way the book was written was my favorite part of the reading experience. It's as if I become Katy herself, her emotions mine, her world surrounding me...which is why initially, I DID NOT like Daemon (but really, way to write, Ms. Armentrout)

This couple though...never have I read a book so focused on the main couple AND balancing the story line. The sexual tension between these two was amped-up ever since they'd meet. I'm glad they eased into their feelings slowly and not hey-im-your-neighbor-lets-have-sex. Just as Katy said, Instalove is the bane of my reading existence. Their banter also kept me laughing and smiling gleefully. Here's a cute snippet I loved:

"Where have you been?" I asked in a voice that sounded shrill to my own ears.

Silence fell while two more sets of beautifully odd eyes settled on me. I felt my cheeks turn hot and I leaned back, feeling like an idiot. I folded my hands and kept my eyes pinned to them. What a way to draw attention to myself.

"Well hello, honey, I've been out boozing and whoring. I know, my priorities are pretty off."

My lips thinned at his sarcastic response. "Dick" I muttered.




But really, besides the comedy, this book is plenty Awww worthy. It's admirable how Katy grew as a character because of her dad's words to not be a bystander. I mean, come on, how is it that whenever she remembers those words, I can't help but cry and smile at the same time?! Witch craft writing, I telling you...

*Just a thought*, but if you follow Ms. Armentrout's blog, as I do, maybe you picked up a few of Ms. Armentrout's character in Katy. Just an observation. Not judging or anything^^

I and Katy might've dislike Daemon at the beginning but we both saw the vulnerable, sweet man underneath the mask of dickdom later on. Or Saw The Light :D My favorite thing about Daemon, besides his sexiness, would have to be how even after he shows his sweet side, his arrogance or pride or even his dick-headedness didn't just poof into thin air and leave him a mush of a man. I know, you know, we all know at least one book boy who was "wearing a mask to push everyone away but really is a sweet boy inside and once he burst out, there was no stopping him from jumping on the peace-and-love-is-great train"......Did someone order a huge dose of unrealism? Daemon's imperfections made him so realistic, so lovable as a character to me, so...human (haha the irony).

But I thank Neptune for how Daemon turned out. I thank Neptune and the Seven Seas for how this whole book turned out. It was just too perfect. This review is hard because i'm too speechless and don't know where to start on talking about this perfection. I guess the best way to express my feelings would be to buy every person on Earth a copy of the book and make them read it. It's just that good of a book.

*Side note* I'll be talking more about Daemon Black on my True Love Thursday this, you guessed it, Thursday. Be excited!



I really do hope you read this book though, mateys. If you've read the book or are planning to do so, don't hesitate to leave your fangirling thoughts and questions in the comments section below!

Now, finally...WELCOME ABOARD THE JOLLY ANNE, OBSIDIAN!!! More than that, WELCOME TO THE LOOT!!!

-Captain Kaelyn

Visit Kaelyn's Loot, my lads and lassies, for more bookish treasures ^^

Welcome Aboard the Jolly Anne or Walk the Plank?

The Judgement: FIRST MATE {You, fine piece, are my right hand. I cannot live without you, and neither can this ship. Thank you so much for your beautiful existence. You cannot leave this ship, no can do. }



Synopsis:

"In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series THE DARK ELEMENTS, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.

Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining balance between good and evil. He was her everything...right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.

And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again..."

My First Thoughts:

At first...




But then after I read it...




Now, let me explain with words what I mean. I LOVE Jennifer Armentrout. Like, I have read every book of hers and loved them and want them all for my loot. BUT! Yes, you guessed it, there is a big "but" here. It's the new adult genre. I, too, fall into the age group of new adult and at the start, I gobbled up any and all book in the genre. And then I got a bit sad, because almost every book ended up having a very similar story line. And then I was even more sad because I realized this genre is kind of limited in its creativity and it'll die out. BUT! Yes, you didn't guess this "but". But, Jennifer Armentrout has now expanded and revived the category by introducing this series. I'm so very happy with this book. It went beyond the sexual tension and abusive themes that were too common place in new adult fiction and balance the new adult aspect with a paranormal aspect. I was wary at the the beginning (you could tell) because I was a bit apprehensive of how this mix would come about. But (another one!) Ms. Jennifer has truly outdone herself with this series. What an absolute awesome possum start!



Captain's Log on Bitter Sweet Love: Wow, so my first book review...kinda nervous now *heh heh* I will try my best lads and lassies! Anywhooo, when I'd met Dez, he

"stood before me, taller and broader than I remembered. He was the same in so many ways, but so much had changed. His hair was a deep auburn and when he’d been younger, it had been cropped short on the sides, the middle a spiky Mohawk. Not anymore. Now his hair fell in soft waves, barely brushing his shoulders. His eyes were the same—pale blue framed by heavy, thick lashes. The lack of the Mohawk wasn’t the only change. The rest of him? Nothing of the young man who’d left three years ago remained in the face that was both a stranger’s and familiar.
The round boyishness of his face had been smoothed away in the last three years and replaced with hard lines. His jaw was cut, cheekbones broad and high. There was a slight hook in his nose, as if it had been broken and not set correctly. His brows formed graceful arches over his eyes and his lips appeared fuller than before. A traitorous thought seeped in: Were his lips as firm as they looked?"




I likey. A LOT. Which made me sad that this is only a novella and not the main story but then again, I thought over it: they both are important enough to deserve a novella of their own. And strategically, this was a well planned series. Unconventionally, the novella, 0.5, was released before the first book and served as a tour guide into the world of wardens and demons. It, so to speak, set the stage so the first book doesn't need to go into toooo much detail. That said, I am looking forward to the next book very much as I fell in love with Layla and Zayne (yes, I'm going to have my heart broken, I can tell) through the little glimpse I got of them.

Now, on to actually talking about Bitter Sweet Love. Sorry mates, I'm too excited about this series and can't concentrate my thoughts at all. *clears throat* Okay, serious-ish time. Hmm, what lured me in was the original idea of wardens. I've read about, let's see, ZERO books on gargoyles and this certainly provided a beautiful and artistic spin on those horrific yet protective statues. I'll admit I had a bit difficulty imagining the gargoyle form of the characters in the book, but iz all cool.

I've spoken about Dez but Jasmine...she's interesting. At the start, I understood her and her reasons for staying away from Dez but also internally screamed at her over and over again when her thoughts were traitorous a wee bit too soon. I understand she needs to fall in love with him and etc but her "oh hey sexy" thoughts came on a bit too soon. But then again, this is a novella, so things were a bit fast paced. I think that was my only problem with the book, thus only 4 doubloons, not 5. It's a pet peeve of my generally, when a girl falls too hard too quickly for a guy. Not love-at-first-sight fast but faster-than-the-speed-of-light-I-want-your-clothes-off-NOW fast. It ruins the love aspect and turns it into a lust story. Wanted to fist-bump the girl for using Dez to achieve her freedom and then dump him though. Smart move. Gotta respect the girl for trying to defy the norm and live her life to the fullest.

All in all, this was a really sweet story. There was enough smexy to do justice to the sex god that is Dez but enough sweet to make me go "aww" every five seconds. I started to read this book as soon as I got it and didn't stop till I finished it. That's how engrossed I was in Dez and Jasmine's romance. Just beautiful. I was so happy the innocence of their childhood romance transitioned nicely to their new, romantic relationship. Dez (yes, I can't stop gushing about him) was such a sweet guy throughout the book. Jasmine, guuuurl, how the heck did you resist that man-candy for as long as you did?! Give her a medal or something!

*A side note* Um, so I'm suffering from something called second-male-lead-team syndrome. It's where I KNOW that the guy will be rejected/friendzoned but still can't stop my heart from loving him so. And the case applies to Zayne. I KNOW, you KNOW, we all KNOW that Zayne will be rejected for Roth and it's killing me




Maybe *GASP* I'm done with the bad boy trend. Oh well, I'm looking forward to formally meeting Roth. Maybe he'll grow on me (not as much as Zayne though, broken heart be damned, I WILL support him, like I supported Adrian and then maaaaybe he'll get his own spin-off series *hint hint Jennifer ;) *



But before I forget...WELCOME ABOARD the Jolly Anne, Bitter Sweet Love!

-Captain Kaelyn