Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood kills ghosts.  He hunts them down and kills them so they can’t continue to kill the living. It’s a skill/profession he inherited from his father.

The ghost he is hunting currently is like none he’s encountered before.  Anna Korlov, a young girl murdered on her way to a dance.  And her pretty white dress still drips from the blood that spilled from her slit throat.

Vengeful, beautiful ghost who tears people limb from limb.  Teen boy who kills the dead.  What more could you want?  Right?

I really wanted to like this book.   Maybe that is why it fell short for me.  I tried to get this book several different times.  I ordered it from a local bookstore, but I don’t think they put my name on it because it wasn’t there when I went in to pick it up.  Then the first two times I tried the Barnes and Noble in Anchorage, they didn’t have it.

All of the build-up and hype caused by the wait and the great reviews had my expectations too high.  Unfortunately, as sometimes is the case, having high expectations can lead to being let down.

The writing in this book was really good.  The kind of good that is clear even though a professional editor helped to shape into a polished beauty, the author has a way with words.  The problem was that it just didn’t pull me in.  It was easier to see the writing than the story for me.

The one thing I will give it is the author and the publisher didn’t wimp out on the gore just because it was a YA book.  Though the gore fit in some place, in others it felt like it was there for just so it could be called horror.

I don’t have much to say bad or good about the book.  It just didn’t do it for me.  It did for many other people based on the great reviews.   

I give this book 2.75 stars. (yes, I can make quarter stars if I want to.) J

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

In anticipation of the upcoming release of City of Lost Souls, the fifth book in the Mortal Instruments Series, my first post is going to be about a series that really gelled my love for the Young Adult genre.

When I first saw the cover of City of Bones in Waldenbooks I was mesmerized. It was the first book I'd seen that had that matte finish that felt like velvet when you touched it. There was a shirtless man on the front with swirls all over his skin that had light pouring from them. It was beautiful.

I bought all three books and read them voraciously. I will admit that the first book didn't suck me in from the very start, but soon enough it had me by the throat.

The book is about Clary Frey, who stumbles onto a couple of teenagers in the process of killing another in the back room of a club. Only, none of them are what they seem, which is made even more clear when the victim disappears into thin air in front of her eyes.

When one of the killers shows up at the coffee shop that Clary frequents with her best friend Simon, she discovers that Jace and his friends are actually Shadowhunters a race of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons and keeping the rest of the supernatural world in line.

I won't give you anymore info. I love this series. Luckily, I discovered it when all three of the originally planned series were out. Now, I'm sure do to the overwhelming demand for more from fans, Cassandra Clare, the author has extended the series into a six book series.

The leading man in this series, Jace is one of my favorite of all time. He is snarky and sexy and completely fierce. Clary, the heroine is strong but likeable, attributes I find far rarer in YA fiction than I'd like.

This series has everything you could ever want in Paranormal/Fantasy - Demon hunting teens, Vampires, Werewolves, Fae, Warlocks and shirtless men with tattoos that give them power.

This book is well written, with some descriptions that are unique in a good way that really make the images come to life. The world that Clare builds for us rich and beautiful and the perfect escape from the real world. I've actually re-read the first three books in the series several times. I can turn to them when I need a nice break from reality and a guaranteed good read.

I give this book 5 stars out of 5 stars



(PS - I love discussing books - if you've read it let me know what you think. Or pop on over to GoodReads and join the discussion - http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/849622-important )

Welcome to YA Book Nook!!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the YA Book Nook - a site created and run by Monica Millard and myself (Jolyn Palliata).

Monica and I wanted a joint site encompassing everything Young Adult, from the books we write to the ones we read. We also will be blogging about writing tips for all the aspiring writers out there (you know we mean YOU!), as well as posting our random thoughts. (And I'm sure...no, positive...we'll be doing giveaways from time-to-time as well.)

Please feel free to jump into the conversation at any time, whether it be YA book recommendations, requests for advice, or suggestions for specifically-themed posts. Also, please be patient as we launch our site. It'll take awhile for us to build up content. :)

Thank you, everyone, for all your support!!

Enjoy the site!

~ J