Cat Lady Lori

• Rated 5 stars

“After reading Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles I was hungry for more love stories like it. The teen first love but a bit more grown up. I found it with Going Too Far. From the very first page you know that this isn't your typical fluffy love story. No, Meg is definitely a troublemaker and proud of it. What she really needs to get her life straightened out is a little fear. At least that is what Office After thinks. But neither Meg or After's past is exactly as it seems.

The writing was spot on. Exactly what I needed at the time. I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud this much while reading. I really could not put this book down. I finished it in one day. I'm still thinking about Meg and John days later.

Meg and JohnAfter were perfect. I think I might have fallen in love with John just a little. He was so swoon worthy. Their banter with each other during the week they were stuck together is priceless. I love that their secrets were revealed slowly throughout the book. It made it so much more exciting.

This was an incredible love story with a twist. I highly recommend it. Especially if you are getting a bit tired of those fluffy romances.

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review yesterday. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Keep in mind that whatever I say in this review will not do this book justice. This is one of the best books I've read in a really really long time. Sometimes I have a hard time writing reviews for books that I love because I don't know how else to say it but OMG I loved this book. I'll try to stay away from that.

The Mark starts out with a bang. Cassie has always seen the mark but she never knew for what it meant. Until the day she decides to follow a man who has it. This book wasn't at all what I was expecting. I was expecting the normal teenage girl who in between chasing after boys and texting realizes she has some sort of supernatural power. I was expecting fluff. What I got was a book that made me think. With a very mature and well developed main character.

Cassie's character made me realize how tired I am of reading about boy crazy immature girls. Although I will continue to do so. It was so refreshing to read about someone who could take care of herself and not rely on her friends and parents for everything. All the characters were so well written and I was so invested in their stories that I forgot I was holding a book in my hands.

The premise I will honestly say didn't grab me when I read the synopsis but from page one I was hooked. It made me ask myself all sorts of questions. What would I do if I were Cassie? I love books that make me think. I may have finished this in one day but I'm still thinking about it days later.

Like I said before, I know that my review will not do this book justice but I had to try. The first Tenner book you run out and buy should be The Mark. You will not regret it. Reading this book should be your New Year's Resolution!

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 3 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“I loved Wondrous Strange when I read it earlier in the year. So I have been looking very forward to reading Darklight. It was everything I hoped it would be and then some! Darklight starts off about 6 months after the end of the first book and it starts off with a bang. There is never a moment without suspense and action.

Livingston's writing is superb. I'm in love with it! It flows so smoothly that you forget you are reading a book. I also love that you don't just get the story for Kelley's point of view but also from Sonny's. Which was especially nice in this books since they are in two different realms for most of it.

I love the Faeries in this series. They are perfect! Not overly mean. Not sugar sweet. They are cunning and sly and mischievous. I was thrilled with all the characters in this book. None of them lost their luster from the first book. There was a lot of development with the characters. And some old characters being shifted to new interesting roles.

There was of course a huge twist! I didn't see it coming at all! And it definitely makes me hungry for the next installment. Overall this is one of the best YA series out there. Lesley's writing is excellent. If you haven't read them yet, what are you waiting for?

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 6 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I have been drooling over The Dark Divine for months now. I wanted a copy so bad. So I was trilled when it arrived on my doorstep. Did it live up to all my excitement? Why yes, it did.

The werewolf story has been done a million times. Person is bitten by wolf. Person turns into wolf on full moon. The Dark Divine isn't your mama's werewolf story. Bree Despain has created her own mythology for her mythical creatures. It's wrapped up in religion and intrigue. I always love stories that have their own history and this one did. Despain did not rely on the "history" of the werewolf. She made her own. She did a excellent job too.

Grace is what you would expect of a pastor's daughter. She's a bit naive. A bit sheltered but she is still full of surprises. I so often find things that annoy me with main characters but I was completely happy with Grace. Daniel was perfect! He was a bad boy....or was he just misunderstood? You will have to read to find out!

The mystery starts with the very first page. All sorts of questions are asked. So I never had time to be bored. This book was a wild ride. With a gripping mystery and a romance that you have to root for. I can't wait to read more by Bree!

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 7 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Lily is expecting her junior year of high school to be normal. How can it be anything but normal in her small town of Sagamore New York. Lily's parents have other ideas. When they get the opportunity of a lifetime--to do research in Germany for two years--they send Lily to boarding school. Yes, you heard right, boarding school. Snotty rich girls, plaid skirts, headmistresses and all. How can it get any worse? Lily is about to find out.

In a genre laden with boarding school dramas how can one possibly stand out? Ask Chloe Neill. She did an excellent job of making Firespell stand out above all the others. How, you may ask. By writing exceptionally interesting fun characters.

Lily and Scout were definitely my favorite part of the book and definitely two of my favorite characters I have read in a long time. The banter between the two was laugh out loud funny at times. They were witty and intelligent as opposed to airheahed and dense. They were just an all around hoot to read about! Not to mention all the great side characters. From the snotty girls to the hot guys, they were all exceptionally well written.

The premise of the Dark Elite was very intriguing. I always love books where there is an array of powers and not just vampires or werewolves. I can't wait for the second installment to learn more about everyone's different powers and the Reapers. This one definitely leaves you wanting more!

All in all Firespell is a must read for any paranormal junkie! Chloe Neill is a great new voice in YA.

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“Nimira left her home country to make her fortune. She ended up dancing for pennies in a nightly show. When a young sorcerer asks her to come to work for him, she will learn things she never thought she would. Lies, deceit, treachery, and love.

Who would of thought that you could fall in love with a automaton? I didn't. I seem to be falling in love with all kinds of strange characters lately. Polar bears, now automatons. The fact that I was able to fall for a machine that does not even speak through 95% of the book shows great talent in the author. I'm sure this was not a simple story to write. The author had to make us feel a certain way about these characters or else the whole plot would have fallen apart. It was done wonderfully. I loved Nimira, Erris and even Hollin, though he walked a very thin line between hero and villain through most of the book. All of the characters were perfectly written and each brought something unique to Nim's story.

I absolutely love the world that Dolamore has created. It is so very vivid in my mind. I want to go there. I want to see Hollin's estate and walk in the gardens. I could see it all perfectly. Dolamore is going to be a well known voice in the YA world very soon. With her excellent characterization and world building Magic Under Glass is a treat!

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 11 days ago. ( reply | permalink )

1 of 1 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 3 stars

“Percy Jackson has always been a little bit different. From having ADHD and dyslexia to seeing strange things. So when his math teacher grows wings and comes after him he thought it was all probably his imagination. He was wrong....

What a fun kick off to a series. I really didn't know what to expect from the book other than it was worthy of a movie. I was pleasantly surprised! The story moves along quickly and there's never a dull moment. The Greek mythology was very fun for me. Mythology is something I have always been interested in so that was a added bonus to for me.

From the very first page I loved Percy's dry sarcastic humor. He definitely didn't feel like a 12 year old but maybe that's just me. All the characters brought something different to the story. They were all very well written and just generally fun.

Overall The Lightning Thief was a action packed trill ride of a middle grade book. Rick Riordan has created a world not to be missed.

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“ Cassie grew up thinking the stories her Gram told her were just that, stories. Fairy tales told to comfort a child that had lost her mother. When Cassie chases the biggest polar bear she has ever seen on the pack ice, she is about to come face to face with those fairy tales.

Ice is definitely not your ordinary Disney style fairy tale. No at times it's an adventure tale and a romance. The main character, Cassie does not have an easy time of it. She is definitely no damsel in distress. ...more Cassie grew up thinking the stories her Gram told her were just that, stories. Fairy tales told to comfort a child that had lost her mother. When Cassie chases the biggest polar bear she has ever seen on the pack ice, she is about to come face to face with those fairy tales.

Ice is definitely not your ordinary Disney style fairy tale. No at times it's an adventure tale and a romance. The main character, Cassie does not have an easy time of it. She is definitely no damsel in distress.

I might have rated this book a little higher if I would have liked Cassie more. For some reason that I just can't pinpoint she just irked me. With that being said, she is still a good character and a extremely strong heroine. Doing whatever it takes to save her husband. She is a well written character and I'm sure most people will connect with her even though I did not.
I never thought I would love a polar bear so much. From the moment Bear opens his mouth and speaks, I was instantly in love! The things that Cassie lacked for me, Bear more than made up for.

All in all it was an exciting adventurous tale and an astonishingly retold fairy tale. It was very unique and well written and I look forward to reading more by this author.

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“When Brittany starts her senior year her plans were to reconnect with her boyfriend and her friends, be the best captain of the Pom Poms anyone had ever seen and keep up her appearance of being perfect and having a perfect life.
When Alex starts his senior year he expects to not even finish it. Being a member of the Latino Blood gets in the way of school.
What they both didn't expect was each other. A gang member and a seemingly perfect girl would never have a chance but is that all they really are?

When I started Perfect Chemistry all I wanted was a break from whiny annoying main characters. I just wanted something fun to read. What I got is a book that will probably stay with me for years to come. It was perfect! I would not change a thing. It really is an incredible love story between two unlikely characters.
Alex and Brittany's relationship is the ultimate forbidden love story. One a seemingly perfect rich girl the other a poor gang member. But they definitely are more than meets the eye. I found myself thinking what would I do in their shoes. This was such a complex story. Simone Elkeles really did a amazing job.

So often in books you get characters that fall flat or that are one dimensional. Not in this one. Alex and Brittany have layers and layers that are revealed as the story progresses. The narration goes back and forth between the two. I think that makes the story so much better. You get to know both of them intimately and not just how one perceives the other. I fell in love with these characters and even days later I'm still thinking about them.

The writing is superb. Spot on. And any other positive phrase you can think of. It was not predictable at all. Just when I thought I had things figured out Elkeles throws you a curve ball. I loved that! On the surface this is just a teen romance but it's so much more. There is a great message in the book and it makes you think.

I will definitely be reading other books by Elkeles in the future. She has definitely won me over with this amazing book. If you haven't read it yet please do and soon!

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Let me just start off by saying that I loved Evermore and Blue Moon. I loved Ever and Damen. I loved the whole concept of The Immortals. I really just loved the first two books. With that being said...I did not love this one.

I can't read and enjoy books with a unlikeable main character. I'm sure most of you can't either. In Shadowland Ever becomes very very unlikeable in my opinion. She is amazingly annoying and just keeps making the same mistakes over over again. There was no character development in the installment. Instead it seems like Ever's character is going backwards. Character non-development if you will. The only redeeming factor is Damen. He's a great character but even in this book I got a little annoyed at his trying to protect Ever and his insistence about being selfish and a bad person. It all sounds vaguely familiar. Like a certain brooding vampire had said it all before.


With all that being said, I will still read Dark Flame when it is released. I won't be looking forward to it with the same vigor as I was for this one. I hoping that maybe Shadowland was a stepping stone book and the story will pick back up with the next book. I'm also hoping that Ever smartens up a little in the next edition.

http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/”

Cat Lady Lori wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )