Waiting on Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine where bloggers post spotlights on upcoming releases that they're eagerly anticipating.

This week, my pick is Balthazar by Claudia Gray. Publication Date: March 6th, 2012.

goodreads summary: Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

Book Review: Tangled by Carolyn Mackler

Goodreads Review: Paradise wasn't supposed to suck.

Not the state of being, but a resort in the Caribbean.

Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all there for different reasons, but at Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Paradise will change them all.

It will change Jena, whose first brush with romance takes her that much closer to having a life, and not just reading about those infinitely cooler and more exciting.

It will change Dakota, who needs the devastating truth about his past to make him realize that he doesn't have to be a jerk just because people think he's one.

It will change Skye, a heartbreakingly beautiful actress, who must come to terms with the fact that for once she has to stop playing a role or face the consequences.

And it will change Owen, who has never risked anything before and who will take the leap from his online life to a real one all because of a girl he met at Paradise. . . .

From confused to confident and back again, one thing's certain: Four months after it all begins, none of them will ever be the same.

My Review: I think this book would be great as a nice summer read. I would've thought that all four characters would've had a chance to meet each other at one point, but oh well. Can't have everything in life. Or in a book. But I am glad that they all didn't recount their experiences when they were at Paradise.

I liked that each character had a distinctive voice. It makes me a little leery to read books with multiple viewpoints simply because most of the time the characters are indistinguishable. But it was nice reading through their points of view chronologically, and seeing how each character changed, as well as inadvertently changed the other characters as well.

Each has their own sets of problems to deal with. I felt that Jena's was most relatable. Her insecurities shined through in the prose, and it does give you a flashback of being a teenager and unsure whether a guy likes you or not. Dakota's a bit iffy. I eventually liked him in the end, and his voice was probably the most distinctive. I thought Skye was a a tad cliche. The typical spoiled child who has another side to her that no one sees that makes the ready feel sad toward her. It just goes to show that not everyone you meet with a happy face is, well, happy. I thought Owen's was just a male version of Jena's, and it was interesting seeing the twist in character traits.

A little snippet from the book I enjoyed:

"What is it with you and quotes?" I asked, wiping my palm on my jeans. "You know so many of them."

"I used to think I collected quotes because I had no life, so I had to feed off other people's," Jena said. "But now I've realized I like them because they make me feel less alone. Like we're all going through stuff and we can share our wisdom with each other. I don't know. I guess quotes make me feel more connected."

"Like we're all in this together?" I asked.

"Exactly," Jenna said.

Tangled, page 297.

Review: 4/5