The Heroes of Olympus, A Recommended Series.

Is it worth your time? 

Of course it is. You'd be a fool not to read this series.

I will try not to give away any spoilers, but I'm sorry in advance if I do.

About the series

The Heroes of Olympus by the infamous Rick Riordan, the author of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians, revolves around the seven chosen demigods who travel across the seas to stop the rise of a certain old and unexpectedly evil Goddess. The seven demigods were brought together to fulfill the prophecy that was introduced in the Percy Jackson series.

"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire, the world must fall,

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arm to the Doors of Death."

The first book, The Lost Hero, introduces the first three of the seven; Jason, Piper and Leo. Jason apparently has lost his memories, wakes up on a bus with his supposed best friends, Piper and Leo. The story moves forward with these three main characters, and portrays how their friendship grows, their exciting adventures, and shocking realizations.

The second book, The Son of Neptune, revolves around the other three of the seven demigods. Percy, Hazel and Frank. The Son of Neptune is of course, Percy Jackson, if you all didn't already guess. This second edition to the series, is quite similar to the first. It focuses on how close these three characters get, and their exhilarating adventures and fight scenes. I personally, didn't get into this book, the adrenaline from the first book kind of died out with this one.


The third book, The Mark of Athena, picks up directly after the Son of Neptune. This is the book where the seven demigods of the prophecy unite, plan, and fight their way to defeat the enemy/ies. This is my favorite book of the series. It brought out so many different emotions that it was hard to point out what was actually felt.

The fourth book, The House of Hades, continues the story of the final events in the Mark of Athena. The book goes on telling the progress the seven demigod heroes have made, what mischief, accidents and mishaps they've caused, what monsters they've faced and what other awesome blessing they've got from their God parents. I didn't find this as engrossing as the Mark of Athena, but there were moments of shock and anticipation.

~ ~ ~

Reading through the first four books of the Heroes of Olympus right after each other with no room for any other books with its fictional worlds and characters, was a journey. A journey filled with all kinds mishaps, new funny characters that I've grown attached to, and exciting nonstop adventures.

This series is a little bit darker, and waaaay longer than the Percy Jackson series. And if you're wondering if you should read the Percy Jackson series before starting this one. I recommend that you do, but it's all up to you, if you're up for understanding the story behind Percy and some of the characters in the book, go for it. But if you want to go straight to The Heroes of Olympus, go right ahead, there are mentions of Percy's past that were used as reference to the series. There is no need to worry about missing out, Riordan explained most of the events that occurred in the Percy Jackson series that was mentioned in the Heroes of Olympus series.

And though the last book, Bloods of Olympus, has yet to come (release date: October 7 2014) the series so far has been exciting, exhilarating, funny, unputdownable and unstoppable. It is definitely a recommended one to those who enjoy reading about mythological adventures, demigods, modernized Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses, and to those who are looking for a new world to get sucked into. Give this series a go. You won't regret it!

[Books] Until I Die by Amy Plum

Goodreads | Booklikes

Nov 26-28, 2013

Synopsis

Kate has chosen to leave the comfort and safety of her human world in order to join Vincent in the dangerous supernatural universe he inhabits. For his part, he has sworn to go against his very nature and resist the repeated deaths that are his fate as a revenant—even though it will bring him immeasurable suffering.

Heady with romance and rife with danger, the second book of the DIE FOR ME trilogy follows Vincent and Kate as they search—separately—for a solution to their plight, pursuing their quest from the glamorous streets of Paris to the city’s squalid underbelly. Although the experiment that Vincent attempts is progressively destroying him, he insists on seeing it through to the end. This prompts Kate to strike out on her own into the dangerous world of the revenants to find another way. But she unwittingly puts everyone she loves at risk when she discovers a family of ancient healers who hold the key to a secret that could help the bardia—the good revenants—overthrow their murderous enemies, the numa, forever.

And while the lovers search for something they have little chance of finding, a new threat arises among the numa. Kate finds herself in the midst of an ancient and deadly war, not as a bystander…but as a target.

Review 

Until I Die is the second book of the Revenants series by Amy Plum. Kate has left her normal teenage life for the life with her revenant boyfriend, Vincent. As Vincent promised to Kate, he would resist the urge of death whenever the urge strikes, but it causes him to suffer and so Kate tries to find away to help him and a way for both of them to be together while their adversaries; the Numa, tries to find the Champion who will possess the a whole lot of power that can be taken by force. Hence they revenants and numa go back into battle and the book ends in a cliff hanger. 

I apologize for the straight forward introduction but that's how I see it all. 

I read the first book of the series; Die for Me, back in 2011 (Waw 2011, it's been 2 years. O.O) and I really enjoyed it, but when I started the second book, I didn't feel the same way as I did with the first book. I was terribly infuriated with the teenage drama, but I managed to look past it and tried to enjoy the book. Though reading it made me feel slightly nostalgic towards YA novels. 

The entire book was thrilling and exciting and I had those moments when you can't put the book down until you finish this one chapter but after what felt like about 20 minutes you ended up finishing five chapters. 

A few pages towards the end, I mentally recited to myself "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! Omg no!!!". It was those moments when you just want to look up at the wall blankly and process what you just read. The last words literally gave me goosebumps. Though it was a close to the edge cliff hanger, it was a darn good one. 

Despite the teenage ignorance, Until I Die is a great book. It can be unputdownable, heart-wrenching and unexpected at times. With the deep cliff hanger that gave me goosebumps I am definitely picking up the next book before 2014 ends! 

  

[Books] Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Goodreads | Booklikes
Oct 14 - 30, 2013

Synopsis

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her-and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Review

Tempest Rising revolves around a teenager, Tempest, who would have the ability to transform into a mermaid when she turns 17. Ever since her mother; who is also a mermaid, left her beloved family to return to ocean, Tempest has hated and dreaded the idea of becoming a mermaid, until she feels a powerful temptation to go into the water and welcome the life under the sea.

Tempest Rising is a great young adult novel, and it's been a while, or at least it felt like a while, since I've read an actual paranormal YA novel. And I have to admit there were times when I would go "Oh come on! You're only 17!"

I was super excited to read this book. I always love reading about mermaids, the sea and the ocean. I literally picked up the book and jumped around for a couple of seconds, squealing. I'm so weird.

I started it off really well, I couldn't put it down for days. Until I reached the middle of the book. I am unsure whether it was because I got busy with reality that it ruined my comfortable ideal reading hours that made reading the book feel like a drag, or whether it was the book itself. I'll go with the busy statement. xD

One of the things that drew me into the book was the writing; it was funny as well as very creative, and of course Kona. That's apparently hot and sexy mysterious man with long hair...hmm..

Though the action-packed scene in the book didn't seem very action-y. I didn't feel the excitement that these scenes were supposed to give you when you read them. But it was all still very entertaining to read and enjoy.

All in all, Tempest Rising is a great book! There were tragic deaths, happy times and mixed-feeling endings. These are all you need to enjoy a great book! 

If you enjoy the words of the waves and the land under that sea along with a splash of teenage romance, this is the book for you! 

I can't wait to get the rest of the series! 

[Books] His Dark Materials #1: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Goodreads | Booklikes
Finished on: Oct 27 2013

Synopsis 
Here lives an orphaned ward named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. In this multilayered narrative, however,nothing is as it seems. Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate, Roger, bearing a rare truth-telling instrument, the compass of the title. All around her children are disappearing—victims of so-called "Gobblers"—and being used as subjects in terrible experiments that separate humans from their daemons, creatures that reflect each person's inner being. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter are involved

Review

In a world where each person has their very own dæmon, and where there are witches, armored bears and a great amusement for "dust". The book revolves around it's protagonist; an 11 year old girl, Lyra. She sets out to find her friend Roger who has mysteriously gone missing. In the process, she meets new people and discovers that children everywhere are getting taken away from their families to be used for experiments. Lyra sets out to find out more about these "experiments" and tries to find a way to stop them.

Now that I read the summary for the first time, I don't think I would've read this book if it wasn't for the movie and how awesome it looked. The idea of having your very own dæmon that is connected to your and will always be by your side is what drew me into this series.

I really enjoyed this book from the very beginning, until I started to get a little uninterested. I wasn't bored, it was very exciting, but it just suddenly felt uninteresting to me, until the pace went back up again and my interest grew back up towards the ending of the book.

The characters were alright, but favorite was Serafina Pekkala and most of the witches. My least favorite after Ms Coulter was Lord Asreal. I honestly didn't expect him to act that way towards his own daughter. Okay I won't say more.

The story line was fantastic, it was a whole new world that I think everyone should experience with an open mind. I recommend this trilogy to those who enjoy reading about different worlds that is filled with loads of action. I'm looking forward to starting the next book.

[Books] Leaving Paradise #2 - Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Goodreads
Sept 2 - 10, 2013

Synopsis

Caleb Becker left Paradise eight months ago, taking with him the secret he promised to take to his grave. If the truth got out, it would ruin everything.

Maggie Armstrong tried to be strong after Caleb broke her heart and disappeared. Somehow, she managed to move on. She's determined to make a new life for herself.

But then Caleb and Maggie are forced together on a summer trip. They try ignoring their passion for each other, but buried feelings resurface. Caleb must face the truth about the night of Maggie's accident, or the secret that destroyed their relationship will forever stand between them. 

Review

Return to Paradise, the sequel to Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles, is about teenage drama, family drama, the typical love that a man and woman fight for. 

I started this book right after I finished writing the review for the first book (Leaving Paradise). I wanted to know what would happen next because I hate cliff hangers so much.

The book started off with the reckless Caleb and what his life has been since he left Paradise. I was okay with Caleb in the first book, he was like a lost confused puppy who doesn't know what he wants and doesn't know how to deal with his life after he got released. 

In this sequel, I have to say that I'm very proud of Caleb and how he's grown from a coward who runs away (literally runs away) instead of facing his problems head on into a mature independent man that would do anything for his girl. 

Maggie, I also have to say that I'm super duper proud of Maggie and how much confidence she grew. She's no longer the Maggie that was scared and hated how she looked because of her disability. She's stronger, proud and way more confident in herself. 

I enjoyed this book much more than the first. It made me giggle from the very beginning and that one person who made me burst out giggling (either than Mrs Reynolds, RIP) was Lenny. I found him gross at first, but I've grown to like him. He's so random and laid back. I love characters like him and Mrs Reynolds, they can always brighten up a book like this one. 

I am so happy that Elkeles wrote a sequel to Leaving Paradise.

This is a mild YA novel, it's a great book for when you just want to read something small that's out of your genre. It is filled with young adult drama, runaways, and lets not forget the thriving hormones (don't worry it's clean). It is also funny and heartwarming! 

[Books] Leaving Paradise #1 - Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

Goodreads

August 25 - September 1, 2013

Synopsis

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

Review

Drunk driving, teenage angst and drama, but as always, with a tiny pinch of humor on the side. 

Simone Elkeles is one of my favorite authors after I read the Perfect Chemistry series. I had some high hopes for this one. 

Maggie's leg was damaged in the car accident that was caused by Caleb. Which made her incapable of walking normally. She lacks so much confidence in herself that makes me want to slap her in the face and make her realize that she's good enough just the way she is despite her minor disabilities.

While Caleb, I honestly think Caleb is (excuse my language) majorly fucked up. He can be such a sweet boy with a good heart, but he's persistent and has major anger issues that needs to be resolved. As for his messed up family, they all need to have a family meeting for a couple of hours and talk it all out. 

Throughout the entire book, I only smiled about once or twice. Humor in books is one of the things that I look forward to when I start reading. Maggie was too depressing and Caleb was too confusing. The only character that I loved in this novel was Mrs Reynolds. She was such a sweet old lady who speaks her mind. It was Mrs Reynolds who made me giggle and also made me shed a tear or two. 

All in all. The book was alright. A little bit too angsty and depressing for my taste. 

I recommend this to those who enjoy reading Young Adult Teenage angst with a splash of family drama. 

[Books] Percy Jackson & The Olympians #3 - Titans Curse by Rick Riordan

Goodreads
August 26 - 28 2013

Synopsis

When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared—a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.

Review 

Just a note: this review is going to be quite short, but enjoy! 

The Titans Curse, the third book of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan. 

I started the book off with a smile and a little bit of a giggle. It sucked me in with its simple humor and bluntness from the first chapter, and next thing I knew it I was already on chapter 8. 

One thing I really enjoy in this series is that there always seems to be fights and battles going on in almost every chapter. It really keeps the reader reading. 

I've enjoyed the past two books, and I enjoyed this one. 

Although I think this one is my favorite so far. I still have one book to go. 

This is a simple, humorous, easy read. If you are into mythology and loads of fights, this is the book for you. It is a little bit mild action details, but it's something simple to enjoy. 

[Books] Percy Jackson & The Olympians #2 - The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Goodreads

Started on: July 25 2013

Finished on: July 27 2013

Synopsis

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Review

Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters, is the second book of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan.

After I watched the movie trailer, I said to myself "Now I definitely have to read the book before the movie comes out" I was in no hurry, but there would always be a thought on the back of my head telling me to start reading The Sea of Monsters. It was weird...

I surprisingly finished the book pretty quick. Probably because I listened to the audio version. The narrator did a good job with all the characters voices, it was pretty funny that way he voiced some of the characters. xD

I enjoyed the first book, and knew that I would enjoy the second book as much. And I was right.

The Sea of Monsters is a great book for all ages from 8 and above. It's a great fantasy adventure book that is page turning. It has an adventure in every chapter that keeps the reader going. Unlike some books that I've read that would only get interesting in the middle or towards the ending of the book.

The book again ends with a cliff hanger which literally made my jaw drop. (Just to put it out there; my jaw dropped twice during the reading of this book).

One more thing: I cannot seem to get over that Percy is like 12 - 13.

Adventurous, page turner, humorous, and jaw dropping (towards the ending)

* I'm trying out this new layout for my book reviews, what do you all think?*

[Books] The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

Goodreads

Started on: June 4 2013

Finished on: June 8 2013

Synopsis
The hero-narrator of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it. There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep.

Review

The Catcher in the Rye is listed as one of the book that one must read before they die, so I decided to give it a go.

Holden Caulfield is around 16 or 17 years old. He leave school and sets out to New York for a few days before he goes home. He's on his own, he's loaded, and he has a craving for something new; at least that what I think of it. 

Holden is very adventurous, and seems like he's just winging everything, and is impulsively doing whatever it is he wants. He goes around New York, calling up people to go out with him in the middle of the night. I'm surprised they actually accept his invitations. It seemed like he hasn't slept in days. I'm also pretty surprised that he has the guts to do all that he did what he was roaming NY. 

I don't really know that exactly the plot of the story is. All I can say is that it's a weird book. A kid who goes around New York, who spends all his cash, and then what? I think I know what teachers ask their students to do a report on this book. It actually makes you think. 

The book is weird, good, and it's a classic. It being weird and slightly pointless makes it on the list of books one must read before they die. 

The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger. A must read, just for the hell of it.