Brad About Books: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Read from July 2 to 3, 2013

UNBREAKABLE
Expected Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Format: ARC
Page Count: 320 pages
Source: ALA
Series: Legion, #1

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia. 

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

Unbreakable is a chilling and haunting read that completely absorbed me and kept me turning pages late into the night. The perfect spooky read!

I started Unbreakable late at night, and I have to say, that was a bad decision. Why? Not only was it freaking me out and sent chills down my spine, it had me wrapped up in this mysterious and eerie world - I didn't want to put it down for a second! I was emerged into the world right from page one, and I was enthralled and captivated by the story. It's unputdownable. I really enjoyed Beautiful Creatures, but woah, Unbreakable was epic! Absolutely loved this one!

Kennedy was such a great protagonist. She has had a hard and sad life, but everything changes once she joins the Legion. I loved being on this journey with her, and she never let me down - not once! And of course, everybody in the Legion was awesome. I can't wait to see where the story is taken to in the next book! Kami Garcia spun a unique tale of ghosts and demons, and while I stepped out of my comfort zone to read this (demons aren't my thing, and I don't read a whole lot of ghost stories), I'm so thrilled I did. It's one of a kind and mind-bending. And I loved the research in Unbreakable! I could tell that Garcia put a lot of thought and effort into this masterpiece of a book, and I really appreciate that! Unbreakable is impossible to put down!

Also, I want to add that Unbreakable is one of those books that will send chills soaring down your spine and will boggle your mind. I stayed up so late reading this one - you know it's a good spooky read when it makes you want to sleep with the lights on! I can't even begin to tell you all how much I loved this book. Fantastic, marvelous, and straight up amazing. More, please!

Overall, Unbreakable is a new favorite book of all-time for me! Haunting and phenomenal, Unbreakable is a true masterpiece that I adore to pieces!

M Y    R A T I N G

Brad About Books: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Read from February 18 to February 20, 2013

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS
Published: October 12, 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 503 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: Caster Chronicles, #2

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

I had mixed feelings with Beautiful Darkness. I still loved the world - possibly more than the first book - but the plot slowed down, and one of my favorite characters really annoyed me.

I immediately had to start the second book in this series after watching the film adaption of Beautiful Creatures (which I reviewed the book yesterday!), and the beginning of Beautiful Darkness was epic! I was emerged back into the story and felt the sense of love I felt when I read the first book. But after 80 pages, I noticed that the story began to drag. Not a lot happened, and I would catch myself skimming paragraphs. Why? I'm not entirely sure. I guess the book just didn't have as much as action as I would have liked.

And Lena? I hate to say it, but I really didn't like her in Beautiful Darkness. I understand why she acted the way she did {for the majority} after the events in the first book, but then I realized that her character just didn't seem as whole and full as it did before. Lena got on my nerves when she would come up in scenes. Why couldn't she just be with Ethan? I didn't understand a lot of her thinking, which made me feel less connected to the book.

But it doesn't mean it's not a good sequel. It takes some time getting back into the whole world, but once a certain plot-point occurs, the story skyrockets and takes off. I couldn't set the book down for the second half of the book, and the authors did a phenomenal job at the events in the last 100 pages! Wow, my mind was blown at those parts.

Overall, I was disappointed with Beautiful Darkness, but I like how it's set up to transcend into book three! I can't wait to return to Gatlin!

MY RATING

Brad About Books: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Read from June 10 to June 12, 2012

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
Published: December 1, 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 563 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: Caster Chronicles, #1

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Beautiful Creatures is a whirlwind of a novel. Beautifully written and exceptionally plotted, this is a stellar debut that shines out.

Ethan and Lena are simply amazing characters. I even featured them in a Top Ten Tuesday post! The authors did a fantastic job at weaving them together; they are such easy likeable characters, and them as a duo together was awesome. And of course, I loved the other characters! Ridley is one of the best villains ever created, Macon is just a great father figure for Lena, and Link is that really cool best friend every person wants. I have no complaints about the characters! 

But I do have a complaint that knocked the book down a star for me: the beginning is a bit too slow. It does take time to explain the entire world of the Casters, but it felt a bit dragged out for me. If you haven't picked up Beautiful Creatures yet (which I definitely recommend!), give the novel at least 100 pages. After I passed the 100-page mark, the novel flew by so much, and I fell in love with it.

And the entire idea of setting the book in a very, very small town was fantastic. There were definitely lots of things in Beautiful Creatures I didn't see coming, and they really shocked me! The ending is one of the best endings I've ever read. Epic and fast-paced, the ending will totally blow your mind!

Overall, Beautiful Creatures is a must-read for paranormal and supernatural lovers. Aside from the slow beginning, I definitely recommend it!

MY RATING