Brad About Books: Doll Bones by Holly Black

Read on July 8, 2013

DOLL BONES
Published: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 244 pages
Source: Library

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity...

Doll Bones is a slow-building, whimsical tale that sent chills down my spine and made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Deliciously creepy!

I have been wanting to read Doll Bones ever since it came out - it just looks so eerie and wonderful! When I started it, I came across a problem I had with the book: there's not enough action. I reached the 100 page mark and noticed that nothing significantly moved the plot forward. While Doll Bones does certainly have some freaky and spine-tingling moments, there were times I caught myself drifting off and disconnecting with the story - which made me sad! I was really looking forward to this book, and I have to be honest, it let me down a bit.

Getting pass the slow moments was tricky, but Doll Bones does have pulse-pounding scenes. Towards the end of the book, I was looking over my shoulder and had a tingling feeling in my gut; which is awesome! I love it when a book can do that to me! Though I wasn't a fan of the entire book, there were definitely moments that I loved about Doll Bones. It just didn't live up to my expectations, unfortunately.

The whole doll thing? Three kids being cursed for eternity? Again, A CREEPY DOLL?! Yes please. This china doll (made up of ground-up bones of a murdered girl; WHAT?!) was so creepy and frightening. I never knew if I should trust the doll or try to burn it with fire! And Holly Black can weave out a suspense story like none other. Though I was disconnected from Doll Bones at times, I had to keep turning those pages to figure out what would happen next!

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Doll Bones. Some parts I like, others I didn't.

M Y    R A T I N G

Brad About Books: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Read from June 29 to 30, 2013

THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN
Expected Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Format: ARC
Page Count: 432 pages
Source: ALA

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a unique and utterly fantastic take on vampires, with haunting and beautiful prose + a one-of-a-kind story. Easily a new favorite book of all-time!

Let's go ahead and address the elephant in the room: vampires? They've been used so many times, it's gotten quite old. But luckily, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown gives vampires a fresh and original spin - it's unlike anything I've ever read. And you know what I loved the most about these vampires? They're beautiful (their skin is described like marble in the book) and stunning to see, but they are truly monsters at their core. And Holly Black didn't hold back with the scary and terrifying scenes. I adored absolutely every single minute of this book. It's a true and shining gem.

The Coldtowns themselves are so awesome, yet freakishly eerie. Once you're in, there's no going back. And woah. I would love to see this novel on the big screen, simply for the reason to the see the Coldtown brought to life. Black's imagination is so vivid and lush (I thought the Curse Workers trilogy was great; The Coldest Girl in Coldtown blew it out of the water.), and she never held back on anything. There are loads of surprising and jaw-falls-open moments. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown will shock you, shake you, and never let you go. Plus side? You'll never want it to end.

That. Ending. I can't even compute what happened. Talk about a page-turner! While everything about this novel is awesome, the last 100 pages had me on the edge of my seat and looking behind my back - no joke. And this novel struck a chord with my paranormal side. I have never read a book like The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, but oh man, I adore this book to pieces. One of my favorite reads of the year... and of all-time!

And I'm sorry, but I have to talk about these vampires again! Vampires turn many people off immediately, since they've been done so many times. But trust me, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is an absolute must-read - I cannot even stress that enough! Come September, run to your bookstore and pick up this magnificent new prize in YA. Eerie, chilling, and wholly captivating, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is one of the best books I've read in a long time.

Overall, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is mind-blowing and phenomenal in every way possible. This shattering new novel will have you in its captivating clutches and leave you begging for more!

M Y    R A T I N G

Fantastic Five {JUNE}

Welcome to my Fantastic Five post for June, in which I tell you the top five best books I read in June 2013! This was so hard, because I read 65 books in the month of June! 

Read on June 10, 2013

5. Altered (Crewel World, #2) - Gennifer Albin

*Cover not final*

THIS. BOOK. What an electric and fantastic sequel! The sophomore slump passed right over Gennifer Albin's head, because this one was just so incredible. The characters! The pacing! The plot! I can't even - wow. If you loved Crewel, Altered is going to rock your world.

Read on June 24, 2013

4. Throne of Glass (Throne, #1) - Sarah J. Maas

If you know me at all, you know that I adore high fantasy - I love those books to pieces. And Throne of Glass has easily become one of my favorite high fantasy books... ever. It's just so, so, so amazing. The world-building is brilliant and unique, the characters are stunning, and this entire novel is pure gold. Absolutely phenomenal.

Read on June 17, 2013

3. 3:59 - Gretchen McNeil

I love all of McNeil's books, and 3:59 has became my favorite of hers! You will never find a book like this one - it's fresh, original, and in every way imaginable and possible, fantastic. She balanced out the realistic and fantasy sides of 3:59 so well. I could go on for hours on end about how much I love this book! If you're looking for a book that will send chills down your spine and keep you up all night, 3:59 is the book for you!

Read from June 20 to 21, 2013

2. Elegy (Watersong, #4) - Amanda Hocking

Again, if you know me at all, you know that Amanda Hocking is one of my favorite authors of all-time. The Watersong series is my favorite of hers, and Elegy is such an explosive, dynamic, and absolutely brilliant ending! I couldn't have asked for a better ending! All loose ends were tied up, and everything started to come together and make sense. Wow. This series is such a fantastic series, and this is one of the best conclusions to a series I've ever read!

AND MY #1 BOOK OF JUNE 2013 IS...

Read from June 29 to 30, 2013

1. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Holly Black

I just... woah, I mean... I'm speechless. I really enjoyed Black's Curse Workers trilogy, but WOW The Coldest Girl in Coldtown absolutely blew me away! This is easily the best vampire story I've ever read. The monsters are terrifying and frightening, the setting is chilling and cold (hah! pun!) to the core, and the writing is gorgeous. Make sure that you have The Coldest Girl in Coldtown on your radar. You won't regret it!

What were some of your favorite reads for June 2013?