Witches of East End (The Beauchamp Family, #1) ~ Reviewed by Elizabeth Barnes

 

"Looking for Narnia? You're in the wrong universe." 

 The three Beauchamp women - Joanna and her daughters, Freya and Ingrid - live in North Hampton, on the tip of Long Island. All three are keeping a centuries old secret: They are all three powerful witches forbidden to practice any kind of magic. Right before Freya's wedding to a wealthy bachelor, Ben Gardiner, a very mysterious and attractive man arrives in town and makes Freya question herself and everything else. When a young woman ends up dead, it becomes clear to them that it's their time to bring out their wands and battle between good and evil. 

The Beauchamps are our modern day witches who "survived" the Salem witch trials, just to unfortunately have their family ripped apart and sentenced to a half life. They were shut out of the "other world" and forced to live as humans do day to day, without the use of magic. Strange and even stranger things start happening in their sleepy town. People are becoming sick, animals are dying, as are a few ofthe local regulars. Joanna, Freya, and Ingrid had to come out of hiding and break a few rules to solve the mysterious events, and possibly end up changing the world of magic. 

Joanna, is the mother and healer. 

Ingrid, is the oldest daughter and charmer. 

Freya, is the youngest daughter and the lover. 

I have read many paranormal books, most of which I have enjoyed. Witches of East End was exactly what I expected it to be. Filled with drama, romance, and suspense. I was very excited to read something a bit different, vampires are not usually my thing. I very much enjoyed the dynamics of each of the characters. I loved how the book devoted time to each character in every chapter so I could get to know them on the same level. This is the first book in the series, and I could tell that Melissa de la Cruz was laying out  a foundation for more books in the future. It was a journey getting pulled into the world of a witch. 

Cruz's writing was very detailed and clenching. She did a remarkable job of bringing the town of North Hampton alive throughout the pages. 

The ending? A cliffhanger. But, it will keep the reader excited and full of suspense to know what the witches will be up to next. 

Special thanks to the Archbishop O'Hara High School Library, for letting me check out the first book and review of the school year. 

I give Witches of East End: 3 out of 5 stars. 

Glass Sword-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

“If I am a sword, I am a sword made of glass, and I feel myself beginning to shatter.”  

Being different is always difficult for people. It brings new exciting people and worlds into our lives, but it also brings betrayal and danger. Mare Barrow knows this better than anyone.

Mare Barrows blood red-which stands as a symbol for commoners- but her Silver ability, the ability to control lightening, has turned Mare into a weapon that the royal court wants to control.

The crown declares Mare an impossibility, or a fake, but as Mare tries to escape the evil clutches of Maven, the prince-friend- who betrayed her, she discovers some concerning news. Mare isn't the only one of her kind.

Mare is pursued by Maven, now a twisted king, she sets out to find and recruit the other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the fight against Maven.

Mare soon finds herself on a deadly path, she's at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will Mare break under the weight of the many lives that are at cost of the rebellion? Or have betrayal and darkness harden her heart forever?

I thought this book was electrifying! (haha pun). Mare was still the strong independent woman she was in the beginning of the series. Though this is the second book, I especially loved that the way the author carried over the qualities of each character that made the first book so enjoyable. Maven was still the vindictive king that he became toward the end of the first book. All in all I loved the story line and thought that tis story was almost as good as the second.

First Book in series

Red Queen by: Victoria Aveyard

Review of this book is on this blog

Date it was reviewed: December 3, 2015

Zodiac-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

"Inside the arenasphere, hundreds of holograms drift overhead, a circus of pixilating colors."

We see Zodiac signs as a cool way to represent our birth months. Romina Russell, author of Zodiac, sees them as  names for different houses of Academy.

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year old Academy student from the House Cancer. She has an unusual way of reading the stars. Rather than take steps that will help create accurate predictions, Rhoma seeks out stories in the sky.

When a devastating blast strikes one of Cancer's moons, sending the ocean planet turning and killing thousands of innocent citizens, including the beloved Guardian, Rhoma is shell shocked to find herself chosen as the new leader of House Cancer.

Rhoma is willing to protect her House with her life. The tragic events don't stop there however, House after House begin to fall victim to the bizarre weather occurrences. This causes Rhoma to suspect Ochus, the exiled 13th Guardian of the Zodiac. Rhoma believe Ochus has returned to take his revenge across the Galaxy.

Rhoma must now travelto warn the the other Guardians with the help of Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, a major in the Cancrian guard.

I absolutely loved this book! The plot line was amazing and I thought all the characters were well developed. I loved how Rhoma was an independent girl character, and did not seem to rely on the male characters so much. I also enjoyed how this book was set in space. I don't think this book would have been as good if it was place in some other setting. I would definitely recommend this book to all my friends and family. All in all it was a great read. 

Passenger-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Everything you touch surely dies.” 

     One traumatic night changes everything for violin prodigy, Etta Spencer. She loses everything that she knows and loves in the world. Etta is thrown into a world that she never knew existed, by a dangerous stranger with a agenda. Etta knows one thing and that is that she hasn't just traveled miles from home, but years.


     Etta has inherited a legacy that has she never even knew about. She inherited this legacy from a family she never knew anything about. Enter Nicholas Carter.


     Nicholas Carter loves his life at sea, free from the Ironwood family- a family that is very powerful in the colonies- and the service of his own hands. But everything changes with the arrival of a mysterious passenger; Etta. Nicholas experiences the pull of a past that he much rather have forgotten about. He can't escape the family that won't let him go so easily. The Ironwoods won't stop until they get their hands on Etta. He must protect her and the secret object that Etta is supposed to give them


    Join Nicholas and Etta on a perilous journey across continents and centuries, as they piece together clues of a traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwood's grasp.


      I thought this book was wonderful! I loved Nicholas as a character because he really embodied the want for freedom. The book gave me chills in some parts, and the characters really came to life in my head, and hopefully other people's heads when they read this book. I gave this book four and half stars because although the characters were well composed, I thought the book lagged a little in a part or two. Otherwise, I thought this book was brilliant and I would recommend it all my friends and family.


A Thousand Pieces of You and the sequel Ten Thousand Skies Above You-- Reviewed by Sarah Roberts

“Every form of art is another way of seeing the world. Another perspective, another window. And science –that’s the most spectacular window of all. You can see the entire universe from there.”

 - A Thousand Pieces of You  

    The lose of a parent is never easy, but when you find out that they were murdered it becomes almost unbearable. Especially if the "suspected" murderer is a close family friend.

That's the unfortunate event that erupts in Marguerite Caine's world. Marguerite's world was perfect. She lived with her parents that just so happened to be renowned scientist, her sister, had a guy in her life named Theo who was not only her friend but secret crush, and there's Paul who seems to create a lot of mixed emotions inside Marguerite. This all comes to an end when Marguerite's father is murdered in a dreadful automobile accident. This happens days after the creation of a dimension traveling machine known as "The Firebird".

The villain behind Marguerite's father's "death"...Paul. To make matters worse, Paul has run off with the Firebird and is jumping around dimensions. It's up to Marguerite and Theo to catch up to Paul, and get to the bottom of things. As Marguerite travels to each dimension she enters the lives of her other selves, and even meets different Pauls.

Follow Marguerite in her journey through dimensions, and help find the secrets behind her father's murder as well as....love.

“That kind of sorrow never gets any lighter, but you grow accustomed to the weight as you carry it on.”

- Ten Thousand Skies Above You.

In this sequel to "A Thousand Pieces of You" Marguerite is, yet again, on another adventure. Only this time she's out to save Paul. After a moment of happiness everything in Marguerite's life is turned upside down once again, and another loved one is snatched from her life.

Only this time Marguerites not fighting to save only herself, but everything she holds dear.Join Marguerite as she battles her parents ex-scientific discovery sponsors and...Theo?

Will love conquer all, or will all be lost in a different dimension?

I loved these books!! They grabbed my attention with the very first word. That is why I'm giving these books 5 star ratings. I loved how each character had their own personality as well as the baggage each character carried around. The suspense was also very thrilling in these books, and made you feel like you were actually part of the story. If I could change one thing in these books it would probably be that we hear from Paul's point of view. I would like to know what was going through Paul's mind throughout both of these story lines. I would definitely recommend both these books to my friends and family, because they are both well written. 

Red Rising reviewed by: Portia Rockers

 

Red Rising is about a guy named Darrow who is a Helldiver and a Red. A Helldiver is a person who lives in a cave under the surface of Mars, there are about a thousand people who are Helldivers. In this society it is a color coded caste system, red being the lowest. Many generations of Helldivers have worked in the mines all their lives for precious minerals that will allow the planet to be transformed. For the mine workers knowing the planet will some day be habitual is enough for there sacrifice. The Earth is dying out, and Mars is the only hope the human race has left. But when Darrow finds out that Mars has been inhabited for generations, by a group called the Golds. They think of the Helldivers as slave labor, and don't realize all the good that they do. The Helldivers have a rebellion, and disguise Darrow as a Gold and goes to there school, planning to be the eyes on the inside. The command school is basically a battle field, and no one can really be trusted.

I gave Red Rising five stars because this book really deserves it. Every page made me want to find out more about the book. The story had some gruesome aspects to it, but I think they were really important to the story. A lot of story was high stakes, and the way the society was set up reminded me of the Hunger games without totally copying it. I did like that the author did not try and squeeze a love triangle in the book like so many authors do. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story. If you like this book you would also like The Hunger Games and The Enders Game. Red Rising is also part of a trilogy, the second book is called The Rising Son and the third is not out yet, but I cant wait to read the second.           

Gone with the Wind - Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Reviewed by Maggie Devero

Scarlett O'Hara is a beautiful, charming, and most of all stubborn, southern belle living on a cotton plantation named Tara in Georgia in 1861. All her life, Scarlett has had the ability to bend men to her every whim with her beauty and pretty lies, aside from the only man she is really smitten to: Ashley Wilkes. In a short span of time, the man of her dreams is out of her reach, now engaged to his own cousin, the frail and plain Melanie Hamilton, along with most other male companions she's had all her life. For civil war is breaking out in America, and every strapping young man is ready to join the army and support their "glorious Cause." In two months, Scarlett has married Charles Hamilton (Melanie own brother nonetheless), lost him to the army, and been left with his unborn child. After she has her baby, Scarlett becomes very unhappy with her life and its similarity day to day, so mistaking this for depression, her family sends her to Atlanta to live with her Aunt Pittypat and sister-in-law Melanie. The suffering due to war continues to rain down on them more than ever, and due to many reasons, Scarlett takes Melanie after her aunt left, and with the help of the handsome and mysterious Rhett Butler, they make it back to her home.

Upon returning, Scarlett comes to find that many things have changed: her mother has passed away, her father is incapable of caring for them, and the whole family and what slaves there are left are starving. So Scarlett, who has never worked a day in her life, gets down on her hands and knees (literally) and picks her family up from the ruins in which they had been in. In order to keep things running at home, she ends up having to return to Atlanta, a place completely different with the war having recently ended, and find ways to pay taxes on Tara to keep it her home. Scarlett marries again and takes up running two mills to keep money for all their needs, though she ends up just staying in Altanta. Rhett also lends her some money during the time, to help her buy one of the mills, and helps her when Ashley, her husband Frank and some other men get in trouble for being part of the KKK. Unfortunately her husband is killed, and Scarlett is once again widowed. But knowing her, she won't be for long, and soon things take a richer and more prosperous turn that even Scarlett could have ever imagined. But will this be enough to settle her restless soul? You'll have to read the book to find out!

I absolutely, 100% adored Gone With the Wind. There's no doubt in my mind why it's one of the classics, and how many people have enjoyed reading it throughout the years. Even I, who have never been a person too interested in period novels, was completely captivated with the description and detail put into capturing the time period. The character development was superb, and some of the changes I never would have seen coming for characters like themselves. The plot was never a bore, and there was never a slow moment it seemed. It just continued to grow and expand, adding into it new exciting elements and surprising twists that would leave me hungrily tearing through more pages to figure out what would happen. I even got teary-eyed when I finally closed the book, to be completely honest. There's no doubt that I would suggest this book to ANYONE, even if their tastes don't seem to match up with the book. It was an amazing experience for me to read, and I want others to be able to feel the same. There are also some other novels to go with this one. Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley which is a sequel written by a completely different author, and Rhett Butler’s People by Donald McCaig, written as Gone With the Wind: Rhett's POV. I hope to find time to read both in the near future, just as I hope you find time to read this wonderful classic!

Away--reviewed by Nallely Saavedra

Away by Teri Hall

***** stars

#2

"She risked everything, If only it's not too late."-Away

Rachel has finally left the place she's known all her life. She thought she was prepared for the world she's always ever read about...but she was so wrong. For the sake of getting her father back, Rachel will take the risks...no matter the outcome. Patience is running low for Rachel, finally at the village where she knows they can give her answers, she waits for Malgams recovery, Pathik's father. When Malgam recovers, Pathik's grandfather, Indigo, finally reveals everything they know and knew of Daniel, Rachel's father. Daniel has been taken away by the Roberts. A violent group of people that split from the camp Indigo and the rest live in. They are willing to risk everything to rescue Daniel.

If only that were the problem. Rachel and Pathik can't seem to give in to their feelings with everything going on.

Will this story come to an end? or will if blossom into a beautiful mesmerizing story?

Read Away, #2 in the series...to find out! XP

I rated Away *****stars because I loved the Line. I was completely captivated from the beginning and Away really answers all my questions from The Line. The story of Vivian and Daniel is simply tragic yet so beautiful. It gives hope to those who have lost it. X) The strength and determination that Rachel has simply made me smile. I like the characters, but mostly their strong personalities really grab your attention. Away is just another collection to my favorites. Hopefully it's not the end! Because I have more questions! XD haha. Read it and Love it! X)

-Nallely.

Shatter Me--reviewed by Nallely S.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

* * * * * Stars

Juliette has only ever known pain and isolation. An unwanted child, a feared human, a lonely girl. Juliette struggles within herself to find the strength to survive in The Reestablishment. A girl with a unique yet deadly secret, Juliette is thrown away by the people she believed as her parents. Left alone in an organization for "crazy people". She meets Adam, her "cellmate". The only human who isn't afraid of touching her, Juliette slowly lets him into her life. Yet just when she starts to hope for something more, Adam's betrayal couldn't be the worst thing yet. In this story, follow Juliette and her struggle to humanity.

I gave Shatter Me 5 stars because honestly I couldn't put this book down. I loved it. From the beginning it had my attention and it was promising. Full of suspense, hope, romance, and action ...this book has it all. X) It's very appealing and it had that "I'm-a-monster-yet-I-want-to-be-liked" theme. I loved the characters. Although I wanted to kill the antagonist yet I loved him at the same time. XP I'm dying for the next book!

Legend reviewed by Molly Varney

By Marie Lu *****




In the Republic, June is a prodigy. Born into a good family and the only person to ever get a perfect score on her Trial, June was destined to be a great military leader. She lived with her brother, Metias, after their parents died in an accident. Day, on the other hand, was the Republic's most wanted criminal. He was born into a poor family from the Lake sector and was one of few others who failed their Trial. The two couldn't have been more different and had no reason to ever meet each other. But after June's brother is killed and Day is blamed, she must hunt him down. However, as they start to talk more they both start to figure out all of the secrets of the Republic that are kept from everyone, about the plague and the horrible things the Republic do to win the war. They find out how far the Republic will go to keep their name clean. Now June had to choose between what she was raised to believe or what she is slowly uncovering about her life.


I gave this five stars because I've never really read a book like this one. It was very action packed and had a lot of twists that I liked. It wasn't ever boring and I really enjoyed reading it. Throughout the book, you get to read from both June and Day's perspective which gave you a good understanding of what was going on in more than one place and let you see how different the characters were. I liked the entire storyline because it had a few surprises that kept you reading until the last page. It was also a smaller book so it was easy to read and didn't disappoint at all.

Divergent--reviewed by Nallely S.

Divergent: Veronica Roth

* * * * * Stars

"ONE CHOICE CAN TRANSFORM YOU."- Divergent

Living without making your own decisions.....will drive you crazy.
Beatrice Prior has been in Abnegation(the selfless), a faction, all her life. Until she makes a choice that ruins her family forever. Leaving Abnegation for the Dauntless(the brave) Beatrice renames herself Tris. Being the only Abnegation to transfer into Dauntless, Tris' life is living hell. Her only friends Christina, Will, Al, and Four. Tris must pass the initiation or become a Factionless. Tris must fight her friends and her enemies if she wants to be with the Dauntless. Tris knows she can't tell anyone her secret...because it may be her death.


Alone, in a world where even your friends might become your enemies...Tris must fight for her place in Dauntless...she must fight for her family...for her growing affection to a certain infuriating boy. Will Tris make it into Dauntless? Will she find others like her? Will Tris find answers to her mother's demands? Read Divergent. X) I promise you'll love it~!



I gave Divergent 5 stars because....it's amazing~! The cover itself is enough to fall in love with~! The way Roth portrayed the need to be free..the need to fight for what you want...was beautiful and sad. It's similar yet different to other futuristic books I've read. The way Tris and her love life folded out was written perfect. Although I sometimes wanted to kill Tris....she is an example of someone fighting for what she wants yet fighting for what is right and wrong at the same time. This book is very well written and I hope I still like the characters in the sequel to come. X)