BR: The Awakening

The Awakening by L.J. Smith

3 out of 5 stars

This will be a rather short review because there just isn't that much to tell about this book. It is written before the big vampire young-adult craze broke out, before there was any Twilight. Over the years this genre has grown, and has brought forth numerous great titles.

And while reading this book I could really feel like this was one of the first books in this genre. After being so spoiled with so many lovely books this was a little bit disappointing. When you take away the oh-my-he-is-a-vampire surprise there is nothing much left of this story. Then it's just another high-school teenage book with all accessory clichés.

Main character Elena is indeed one of the most annoying narrators I have come across. I usually don't really mind if the main character if you can't relate to the main character, but this was a little bit too much. She is queen of the school, and sees this like some sort of chore. She keeps complaining on how hard it is to be so popular. I kept wishing I could hit her and then shake some sense into her. But even though she got on my nerves, I had a sadistic pleasure in seeing her ignored by her crush, the mysterious Stefan.

The romance was quite predictable of course, but enjoyable nevertheless. We have seen the whole distant guy thing on various occasions before, but for some reason it never seems to get old. It was quite enjoyable to see Elena practically throwing herself at Stefan, and still be rejected. Of course, we all know that phase won't last.

There were a lot of parts in the plot that I personally found a little bit off or illogical. The characters don't really react like normal people would do, but hey, that's why we call this fiction. It was very easy and fast to read, and it was enjoyable in a kind of distant way. I didn't feel for any of the characters, but it was fun to see what stupid things they kept doing. I will probably finish the second part in this series, as I'm curious to see if any of the characters grows a pair of brains any time soon, but I won't rush into it.

Blurb

Elena: Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.

Stefan: Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.

Damon: Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.

The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

Updating..

O my, it's almost Christmas, and pre-Christmas time always brings so much to do! For some reason it always seems those two last months of the year you have more obligations than those ten other months together. So, I'm behind on my review work *ashamed*, but I also have some very exciting news!

More reviews coming up for The Romance Reviews, including:

More YA reviews, including:

This blog's first guest posts and interviews!

And last but not least, my very first giveaway!

It will be international so anyone can join in on the fun.


So stick around for some more updates in this very busy time!

TBR Thursday

The three books on top of my ever-growing to be read pile.

Early to Death, Early to Rise

Book two in the Madison Avery series by Kim Harrison, and I really hope it is better than the first book in this series, Once Dead, Twice Shy.

"Seventeen, dead, and in charge of Heaven's dark angels—all itching to kill someone.

Madison Avery's dreams of ever fitting in at her new school died when she did. Especially since she was able to maintain the illusion of a body, deal with a pesky guardian angel, and oh yeah, bring the reaper who killed her to his untimely end. Not exactly in-crowd material. It's amazing that her crush, Josh, doesn't think she's totally nuts.

Now Madison has learned that she's the dark timekeeper, in charge of angels who follow the murky guidelines of fate. Never one to abide by the rules, she decides it's time for a major change to the system. With the help of some unlikely allies, Madison forms a rogue group of reapers who definitely don't adhere to the rules of Heaven.

But as she grapples with the terrifying new skills that come with being a timekeeper, Madison realizes she may not be prepared for what lies ahead—unless she gets some seriously divine intervention."

The Awakening

Second book in Kelley Armstrong's YA-series, and, in contrary to Kim Harrison's, I did like her YA almost as good as I did her adult one. Quite looking forward to read this, The Summoning ended with such a cliff hanger. 

"If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl—someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I'm as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment—not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I'm a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control; I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever. 

Now I'm running for my life with three of my supernatural friends—a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch—and we have to find someone who can help us before the Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying." 

Vampire Protector

Reading this for The Romance Reviews, seems interesting enough.

"Exploring Gwen's deliciously spooky and long abandoned childhood home in the company of her handsome neighbor sounds like a brilliant way to break her dating dry spell and find a few missing memories. Unfortunately, she soon discovers her mistake. John, her date, is a vampire and her house is not exactly empty. Secrets—and the dead—don’t always stay buried, and John’s extraordinary strength and determination may be all that can withstand what awaits them.

Gwen must unlock her memories and survive the devastating company of her Vampire Protector if she hopes to prevent the past from destroying her future."