City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

I use Grammarly's plagiarism finder because it keeps me free from paper plague!

  

 City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Hardcover, 535 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Margaret K. McElderry 

Synopsis

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Review

In this latest installment, Clary is shocked to find out that Jace is bound to Sebastian, both mentally and physically. It is impossible to separate them - if you hurt one, the other bleeds. If one dies, the other will not live. Jace now even commits himself fully to support Sebastian's greater cause, even though his love for Clary still remains. So Clary and the gang brainstormed a way to separate the inseparable duo without hurting Jace in the process.

I love how Clare portrays the deep love between Jace and Clary, and the bond between Clary and the supporting characters that make them more like family than mere friends. The storyline is refreshing , unlike some novels in a series that keep on repeating the same things due to lack of ideas. The story is packed with action, drama and suspense, which makes it hard not to fall in love with. Finally, it feels good to admit that Clare's penmanship and wonderful ideas for creative story writing still amazes me to no end. Reading this book was a breeze, and a cooling one for that. 

Rating: 4.5 stars

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

 

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines  

Synopsis

It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena.

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through.  Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family.

Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying.

The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him...

Review 

Maybe I expected too much, since it was compared to the Hunger Games series, which is one of my all-time favourites.

I love the interaction between Lyn and her stepfather, as well as her close relationship with her brother, but there is not much substance and plot, which is something I look for in any novel I read. Sure, the idea of how Lyn will fight Uber is interesting, but why does it take so long for the story to reach there? It was almost until the end when that happened. 

My favourite character in this book would be Thad (Lyn's brother) who seems to have a penchant and talent in predicting people's futures. He's somewhat disorientated but he seems to know clearly what is going to happen in his family. 

All in all, I can't say that I love it, but it's not too bad either.

What do you think? Do you like it?

Rating:

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

Hardcover, 368 pages

Published September 17th 2013 by Balzer & Bray

  
Review

I thought this was going to be another epic ghost story. Yes, I did not read the synopsis, and yes the cover looks creepily awesome.

Why I Didn't Like The Book:
1. No scare-factor. 
This book did not give me the creepy crawlies feeling. It was just meh. So what about the predatory Nox which enjoy killing sprees every night, you ask? I expected something of more substance - not much was said about the creatures other than they enjoyed human flesh. Well, isn't that obvious?

2. Lots of WTF moments.

• Josie asking her fake dad to steal a government-secured machine for her, and he agreed easily. Turned out to be the biggest mistake ever! [What did momma say about not trusting anyone in this world, dear Josie?]
• Josie making out with the other Nick shortly after a Nox attack, and she accidentally touched fake dad's severed leg. [Wouldn't the stench of blood and death hang in the air after the animals had their meal? Why would anyone make out in that situation?!! It was beyond my comprehension.]
• Jo, Josie's doppelganger who was supposed to be a selfish girl, became good and helped Josie out on her quest the instant she asked it! [Where's the logic in this?!!]
• Jo was happy and didn't care one bit after her dad got chewed into pieces by the Nox. [Even if she hated him, wouldn't she feel the slightest tinge of emotion on his passing?]
• Dr. Bryne and Jo turned out to be good characters after all! [Again - logic please!]

3. It's sci-fi, but it doesn't sound like one.  

4. Flat, one-dimensional characters. 
The characters are boring if nothing else. 

Considering how I had loved McNeil's TEN, it is hard to hide my disappointment in 3:59. My advice to her? Don't venture into sci-fi if you don't know what you're writing.

Rating: