Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I am a moody reader (I think I have established that in my last post) and in case you are wondering if I got my grilled cheese, well yes, yes I did. I don’t know what made me want one in the first place, but I had to please my stomach. I don’t do things for myself often, and in my current situation a grilled cheese was manageable. Sometimes, we do things for the ones we love regardless of how much it hurts us – have you read the Vampire Academy series? There is a lot of selflessness going on in that series, and not just romantically. I loved the characters (especially Adrian) and I am so happy that some of favorites characters are now part of the spin-off series! I was a little hesitant to start another series because I hate waiting for the books to become available. I am glad I was able to overcome the knowledge that anxiety will soon settle, because I will start complaining to everyone (sorry Stephanie) I know because the second book isn’t out Until May 2012 (gasp!). Let me apologize to you because I will not be giving a summary of Vampire Academy. Now, calm yourself, Ms. Mead did a great job with this book and if you haven’t read her previous series, well it doesn’t really matter. Trust me.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

I am not going to lie; the beginning of the book was slow but once you get past the first chapter, please get yourself together because it’s good! Sydney Sage is an Alchemist (not like this one, good book though). Her “people” are trained to clean up after vampire occurrences, to protect the human race. Her father has trained her in many subjects, and in the belief that vampires are unnatural and an abomination. Even though Alchemist do not like vampires, it is in their best interest to keep their existence a secret from humans. Sydney is assigned a mission to protect Jill (princess) due to threats. Sydney and Jill are enrolled as sisters in an academy located in Palm Springs, California. When Jill and Sydney arrive at the academy they have to deal with insecurities, bullying, secrets, lies, and life threatening situations! It’s very exciting, and while the author makes the action interesting enough, I loved the interaction between the characters the most. I don't think I've ever liked so many characters before, it's probably because I am a real sucker for love triangles.

Anyway, I loved Sydney. She is smart, charismatic, and she has a huge heart. It was interesting to see the development of her character throughout the book. But you know who I love the most? Adrian. Oh Adrian, he is a real threat to my Edward Cullen y’all. He is such a tortured soul, but tries to play off his real feelings by being chivalrous (he still manages to be super charming). Sydney has a tremendous impact on Adrian’s careless attitude, and by the end of the book there are major improvements on his character. However, it seems like it’s all about to fall apart when someone from his past shows up to work with him. Please, if you are going to start a series, start with this one.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Singing in the shower (and maybe dancing) is a good way to relieve stress. When I am singing in the shower, I imagine myself to be the artist. I imagine myself singing, dancing and waving to an adoring crowd. Who hasn’t had a dream about being a famous artist? Who hasn’t imagined having their amazing talents discovered? I think we all have at one point, but never does it occur to us that it could be a nightmare if that passion dies.

One thing I found interesting about Where She Went was that it was from Adam’s point of view. It was a really good read so much that I could not put the book down. If I Stay was a lovely read, and it was very emotional and compelling. I was glad to see that Forman was able to keep consistency with both stories.

Where She Went

It has been three years and Adam is now the lead singer of a very successful band. He is getting ready to go on tour, but the fame and the lack of normalcy have gotten to him. The most life changing thing for him however, has been the fact that Mia left him. After three years, she is still not a topic that he is comfortable discussing and protects Mia and himself from his chaotic life (media, his new girlfriend). I don’t know about you, but I think not having closure on an emotional subject can be a little consuming. What if you have no idea what happened? What if one day, the person you love most just stopped talking to you and you have no idea why? I mean, most of us would move on but in this case Adam has a hard time letting go.

The story develops a little slow, and we don’t learn about Mia’s reason for ending their relationship until much later. I was a little angry with her, because when they finally see each other (pure coincidence) she avoids the topic all together and embarks on this tour of New York while Adam is trying not to explode with questions. When Mia explains her reasons it makes a lot of sense, and it ties back to If I Stay. Mia didn’t want to stay. Adam has always felt guilty for making her stay, and he promised that he would let her go if she did.

Anyway, the last part of the book was pretty amazing! I am a sucker for lasting love, and these two little music birds sure did know who to show it. I strongly recommend the book. It's just that type of story, even if you haven’t read If I Stay you can still understand the entire story. I can't wait to read another book by Gayle Forman, she is a talented author.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

What is the one thing that always makes you happy? In my case it is music, I purchase music once a week (Yes, I purchase all my music because I can’t bring myself to download illegally). I am definitely grateful for iTunes’s $0.69 deals! I was pleasantly surprised when I found If I Stay because of the significance music has throughout the story. I have to admit that that I was scared to read these books. I read some reviews and I didn’t want to read such a depressing book. I thought I would be weeping throughout the entire story, but there were only a few scenes that made me cry like a baby. Anyway, I really enjoyed Forman’s writing, she can definitely evoke emotions.

If I Stay

Mia lives with a great family, her parents are cool and her little brother is sweet. Mia loves to play the cello and practices almost 8 hours a day, so it’s interesting to see her relationship evolve with Adam. Adam the rocker and Mia the classical musician. They have a sweet, loyal, and honest love for one another. Adam becomes the third child in Mia’s family household. He spends a lot of time with Mia at home and they enjoy every single moment they are together. One of My favorite moments in the book is of Mia and Adam alone in her room and Adam asks Mia to “play” him (You’ll have to read the book to see what I am talking about). You will enjoy it as much as I did. Trust me.

But it’s just as they say, we can’t have it all. We always have to choose, we can never have the best of both worlds. When Mia and her family are involved in a fatal car accident her life turns upside down. Mia has an out-of-body experience and sees everything that happens to her parents and her brother. She sees everything that happens to her while she is in the hospital. Mia understands that she has to make the choice to stay or leave – it’s difficult for her to decide when she sees the people that wish for her to stay. This is when my second favorite moment happens; Mia realizes what happened to her family and I was expecting a chaotic reaction, but instead it was the opposite and somehow that silence portrayed the pain. Ultimately Adam and music helped Mia to make the choice between life and death.

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

The downside of being an empathetic person, is feeling pain as your own. Unfortunately, pain is just part of life, and we don’t need books to tell us how it feels. However, sometimes you read something and it gives you a new perspective on how to or how others deal with difficult situations. Recently, one of my closest friends gave birth to her first child and that same day, in the same hospital, my friend’s sister was struggling (and continues to) to survive. I felt overwhelmed with emotions; on one side I was happy for my friend’s baby, on the other side I felt for my friend and his family. I wanted something different to read this time, and I am glad I found this book by Lisa Schroeder.


I Heart You, You Haunt Me 

I have never read a verse novel before, and I was fairly pleased. The rhythm (in my head) was amazing, and it was beautifully written. The novel is about two young lovers – Ava and Jackson. The beginning of the story is during Jackson’s funeral. Ava’s realization that she will never see Jackson again is so intense and heartbreaking. I was captivated by the way that love, pain, anger, and hope could be summarized in a few words.

When promises are broken, we tend to feel angry at those who break it. Ava is upset because Jackson broke his promise. It doesn’t seem fitting at first, but how can the person she loves most leave her – he promised he wouldn’t. We all deal with loss and different ways, and sometimes we feel guilty for the actions of others. Jackson made a choice not only was it tragic, but it was a choice that affected everyone who loved him.

You are probably wondering about the haunting part. I was skeptical to read the book at first, because anything scares me. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep, but since I cried plenty I was able to fall asleep fairly quickly. Ava has a different relationship with Jackson, one that would probably freak most people out (except those who long for their loved ones). Jackson’s presence is proof of his unselfishness and his love for Ava.

If you are looking for a happy ending…well you might just have to interpret “happy ending” a different way. Learning to let go of someone is so difficult, but letting go doesn’t mean you have to stop loving them or stop thinking about them. Sometimes, you can start over again because the person you loved most gives you a second chance.