Review of Vanish, QUESTION - YA Love?!

Vanish
by Sophie Jordan
Hardcover, 294 pages
Published September 6th, 2011 by HarperTeen

Premise: Ganked from Amazon:

An impossible romance.  

Bitter rivalries.  

Deadly choices.  

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.  

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. 

When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

My Review:

This book is very hard for me to rate. It’s not a whole book. It’s the front half of the ending of this story… yes, I mean “cliffhanger” and I mean a great, big, huge “WHAT?!?!”

Here’s the thing… I entered Vanish with specific questions leftover from Firelight. I was hoping the romantic attraction would find more depth than Draki-hormones (my term, not Sophie's.) This was a huge question for me, and Vanish did not answer my question. If anything, it added to it.

Because Will became demanding. He froze in his awesome state last seen in Firelight and his non-progress basically left him behind, as far as I was concerned. Choosing Will over the Colony for Jacinda transformed from a question of True Love to a question of True Rebellion. Basically, would she able to stick to her choices and ditch her natural habitat for someone she doesn’t know but has gushing feelings for when she’s in the presence of him… or what?!

And then Cassian becomes this huge, respectful, patient, gorgeous Mr. Right waiting for Jacinda to get over her dumb rebellion. He’s in a position of up-n-coming power, too, so he can arrange her future however she’d like it to be. The only thing holding her back from Cassian is this tremendous unexplained physical draw to Will.  Until… she is physically drawn to Cassian, too!!

WHAT?!

So, by ¾ way through Vanish, I was irritated with Jacinda. She is torturing herself over this guy she really doesn’t know (yet). She hasn’t had the opportunity to create lasting connections with him, and I haven’t been convinced that this Draki-hormone thing isn’t flip-a-switch changeable. So… why the self-torture?! I mean, she’s just turning Cassian into some martyr, you know? If he’s really a jerk, I’m going to be furious. If Will turns out to be a jerk, I’ll really be furious!!!  I suppose that’s a strong love triangle, right? Who knows which way to turn?! Huh.

But Sophie Jordan takes “love triangle” to another level by opening up Jacinda’s sister’s character - Tamra. All of a sudden, she’s vulnerable and loveable. I love the sisters’ relationship and their lasting bond of trust and commitment. And she loves Cassian forever.  Uh-huh.  So, now it’s clear why Jacinda should just choose Cassian, but she never can… and Cassian ought to just choose Tamra, but apparently he can’t.

Now throw Draki-bonding into the mix. Yea… no joking.  Hormones weren’t enough, now we have bonding. (This is Sophie's term.) This bonding is cool, too… and the tension increases like 100 times.  Then… then, the story begins to build towards a climax that is just got to straighten out the futures and loves of everyone… and the book is OVER!  Like, lopped off at the head!

I could have thrown the book, I was so mad. I could feel the pages dwindling down as the climax built and I just humphed and shook the pages and groaned and writhed around… which is really dramatic for a book I don’t want to rate very highly. It’s just… it’s not a book!!!!  This is the first half of the ending!!!!!  And I don’t have less questions, I have MORE. And that’s just unfair!!!!  I don’t recommend anyone read this book until the final one comes out in the fall. SO THERE!!  Only if you want some amazing kissing scenes with well described hand placement and breathing with lip biting and… uncontrollable hormones that draw out the inner dragon... Well, this book does have that.

This book bugged me too much. My Rating: 3 - but not "cute", more like "maddening". It's well written, but... I can't really rate it higher without reading the next book, since this is only a piece.

About the Author: 

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. 


When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler. 

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This book brought up this HUGE QUESTION for me. I want to know what you think - answers will be used in the Giveaway post on Friday.

What is your favorite part about YA Love?!

Think carefully to a passage you reread over and over, that moment that tugs at your heart and says "this book is totally awesome!!" or something that turns you into a fan-for-life over a guy in a book. You can give me a quote or example or opinion.

Review - Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight
by Sophie Jordan
Hardcover, 323 pgs
Published September 7th 2010 by HarperTeen

Cathee at Forever Lost in Books turned me onto this book.

Premise: Ganked from Goodreads:

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love. 

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form. 

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy. 

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My Review:

Where’s the next book?!  The third isn’t coming out ‘til September?!?!  AAACK!!

This book is refreshingly fast. I have a “thing” for flying, for turning into a dragon and taking off in the air. It’s exhilarating!!  Getting chased by hunters, makes my blood run fast.

Right near the beginning, we get a taste of the best part of being a Draki… and the worst. The two extremes leap from the first 25 pages. And we’ve also encountered Will, and he has done something amazing, something completely un-hunter-ish, something confusing, fascinating, intriguing.

Jacinda is a fun character. I love how she loves and honors her family and her clan even when she disagrees with them. It gives her more character to care especially when it’s physically painful to honor them… both.

The romantic attraction is all Draki-blood hormones. (My terminology.) There is very little to base relationship on, although the overwhelming physical attraction brings characters close enough to interact and start building relationship. There is lots of kissing, frantic, heat-soaring, crazy-wild kissing. The Draki blood intensifies the experience for Jacinda, drawing out her inner Draki.

Cassian is a great protagonist. He’s powerful, sexy, the up-n-coming leader of the draki clan and he has moments of kindheartedness. I never knew which part of him was real, the calculating leader or the kind man. I’m too suspicious of his motives to wait and see if he’s really kind. Run away!!!

Will is a fun mystery, dark-but-not-really, brooding, unapproachable, tall and super-strong, intense… and somehow detects Jacinda before he sees her. *shiver* Because of their initial encounter, Jacinda is more inclined to trust his intentions than his description suggests she should. There’s always a tension between something mysterious and his strong attraction to Jacinda.

I never know if the attraction is all based on that iridescent purple blood, though. In part, I feel very sorry for Jacinda because no matter how much she wants to make her own decisions, even those decisions are instinctual. Nothing about her is free from what she is, which makes her twin sister the wisest of everyone, since she sees this and still loves her sister while resenting all this wild instinct stuff. It’s ironic, actually, that Jacinda is trying so darn hard to create a bubble of free will about herself, while only pitting vying instincts against each other.

That said… the kissing is very hot. The attraction is strong and dramatic. I love the action:  the panic attacks, the fights. There’s an intense girl cat fight in the bathroom that’s just brutally fun – ouch!!

Sophie Jordan writes adult romance novels, which I think is important to note. Her writing is skillful, if repetitive in a sprinkled through-out sort of way, and she handles the action really well, especially that kissing. I don’t really think two sophomores should be making out that intensely, in retrospect, but ages don’t seem important, for reasons eventually uncovered. It worked for me, even though I was blushing while reading.  The best part, for me,  was how fast of a read this book is. I set Firelight aside for some family time, but other than that,  I finished  it in one sitting.  This was a much-appreciated boost to my current reading slump.

Oh… one warning… there is one line that I wish didn’t exist in this book at all. It killed the storyline for me temporarily and wasn’t even necessary to the story:  Catherine, new friend, says of Will, “He doesn’t date high school girls. He hardly talks to any of us.”  All I could think was, “Edward”.  Since the perspective changes so quickly and Will’s character and that of those around him explain him well, this entire conversation was pretty unnecessary. Will is more like Mr. Darcy, really, than Edward, if I was to compare:  Reserved, mysterious, bad relatives, amazing in his own right.  When you get to that scene, skim quickly to the other side!!!!  (And resist the urge to chuck the book!! The comparison is gone as quickly as it comes up!) (You shouldn’t be throwing books, anyway. It’s not a good practice and definitely a horrible habit. Just say “no” to chucking.)

My Rating: 4 - Pretty Darn Good-n-Fun!

About the Author:


Sophie Jordan took her adolescent daydreaming one step further and penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History. 

A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature - teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love Antigone, Sophie resigned with the birth of her first child and decided it was time to pursue the long-held dream of writing. 

In less than three years, her first book, Once Upon A Wedding Night, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, Too Wicked To Tame, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller's List.


Interview by Harperteen:

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Wow - Hidden!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine...



Hidden
A Firelight Novel
by Sophie Jordan
Available Sept 11, 2012

Premise:

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. 

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning.... 

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.


Aack!!

I just finished Firelight - almost in one sitting, it was so fast-pace and fun... and so much kissing!!! (Goodness!)  It left off with so much trouble brewing, I've immediately ordered Vanish to see what happens!!

I gotta say... I LOVE flying, I love transforming into a dragon and taking off. I love trying to stop the steam and the rumbly pure that takes me off guard. Oh, yes... Sophie Jordan has succeeded in making me feel like I am Jacinda. What a fun name!!

Have you read these books, yet?  (Do you need a fast, light read to ditch some glums?!)

         

I did not notice the scales and slotted eyes 'til I had the cover in my hot lil' hands... so beautiful!!!!