July 2012

Thursday, July 26, 2012

REVIEW : Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare


Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2)

Author      : Cassandra Clare
Publisher   : Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source      : Bought
Pages        : 528 (Hardback, Collector's Edition)

Summary from Goodreads :
In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Trailers :


Very first, I have to say that those trailers completely fooled me. In a positive way of course =D. While I was in state of painfully waiting and just could watch the gorgeous trailers over and over again, they intrigued me and I kept shallowly predicting what would happen on this book and one seemed to be highlighted (and I kinda immaturely excited about) was the masquerade ball scene. Then one day finally I got this beautiful book in my hand, devoured it and tada~ everything I've predictdd practically scattered after I read this book. It's totally different from what I've thought and so glad because they are very unexpected!

It's been a while since I finished Clockwork Angel when I read this book, and honestly I had a vague memory about the story because CA left a lot of mysteries and secrets, even the main characters like Tessa and Will bear some secrets that they hasn't known themselves. So I was really excited to see what Clare would give on this book, and carefully not to read any snippets or spoilery reviews although I got this book quite late (and literally jumped up and down while finally I got this on my hands =D). I think Cassandra Clare would never disappoint me and yes, Clockwork Prince is FREAKIN' AWESOME. This book has that kind of slow pace but strangely it's really gripping and I couldn't be separated with this book, even I brought this book while I went to work, stole a bit time to continue reading this book. Lol yeah I'm such a bad employer =p.

I already awared this book would be more focused on the famous love-triangle between Will, Tessa and Jem and honestly it made me a bit afraid that it would be too monotone. But thankfully it's not. The story has very engaging balance between adventure, love, friendship, horror and action, and everything seems developing in this book. A lot of twisted and surprising things happen on people we've known from Clockwork Angel like Magnus, Charlotte, Henry, Sophie, Jessie, Nathan and others, and we also know more about some people that didn't have many appearance before. I was so thrilled and giddy to know about how Magnus got his little Indonesian blood (and this makes me a bit happy, having the same blood as him xD), about Gabriel and especially Gideon Lightwood who were not as bad as I thought (since I have a good impression over 'Lightwood' name already, you know why) and especially to know the answers of some secrets, especially the reason why Will acts so self-destructive and bitter. I was completely speechless after reading the truth because it's really sad, really ironic and broke my heart into pieces! Oh Clare how could you do that to him???!!! *weeping*. I can't stand it so now I'm officially in love with this broken-pure heart boy and my heart is really aching for him until now T^T

I'm not fully opposing triangle love because somehow it could make the whole story interesting. It happens on this series. Clare makes the most beautiful yet painful triangle love ever and this book emphasizes it. Although personally I already love Will, I can't deny Jem's kindness, fragile and comfortable charm. I definitely understand how confuse Tessa is to choose between two boys with each quality and charm, and out of my personal opinion, she does decide quite rationally in the end. Despite the triangle problem between this trio, I really glad to see that Tessa and Will (I'm not including Jem because he's clueless =p) still maintain a good relationship as a friend and can interact quite normally.

What I also really love about the whole Shadowhunter world is the brotherly love behind the word 'parabatai', even the love problem can't change it (from Will's side actually while, again, Jem is definitely clueless about Will's feeling). Clare is really talented in applying bromance on her male characters, with each personal reason, and I really appreciate it. Although this thing add an equal quality for both Will and Jem, I think Will gets more and it makes my heart aching more! Oh Claaaaaaaaaare how could you be sooooo mean????! ;A;

Again like always, Clare dropped a bomb in the end and I was like 'UH.OH.THIS.GONNA.BE.BAD' 0_0. Although I completely had no idea what will happen next, I can't stop predicting and well, I think I know who The Clockwork Princess is, and after all circumstances that happened and just one book left, I can't help but think this series might have a sad end =(. But well, this is Cassandra Clare and you can't just predict her extraordinary thoughts though =)

Overall, no doubt Cassandra Clare is one promising name of awesomeness, and Clockwork Prince is one of the best book I read this year. I felt such a complex feeling over this book. It makes ma happy and heart-broken in the same time. Now I'm dying for Clockwork Princess, since it's the last book and OMG it has the most beautiful cover I've ever seen!
For ones who is really new from this series, and want to read a unique paranormal-steampunk series, this series is a great choice. I think you won't regret trying =)
Happy reading!



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Cover Reveal #9 - GORGEOUS Sequels and New Series


Finally Clare revealed Clockwork Princess' cover this morning and OH MY GOD IT'S THE PRETTIEST THING I'VE EVER SEEN! So take a look :


HOLY HERONDALE, SO GORGEOUS RIGHT? RIGHT??? I love how the model looks so seductive with beautiful dress and background. I think this is my favorite of ID covers. Now I really excited and can't wait to get Clockwork Princess!
And then I put all ID covers together :















Hm... if only Will got some edits, but still this series has ABSOLUTE GORGEOUS COVERS EVER!!!!!

And some new covers of new series from several past weeks that will be release next year, and believe me they're freakin' AWESOME! :

Mila 2.0
by Debra Driza
Expected release date : March 2013

The effect on girl's face is really fascinating! I should look for how to make something like that. Lol. The story is totally intriguing and captivating! I think I'm gonna like this. Will look forward about this book =)



Taken
by Erin Bowman
Expected release date : April 2013

Love this fantastic cover so much! The highlight is the 'taken' later 'K', I think it fits the story well. I'm so excited about this one because we would see the story from boy's POV and it's dystopia, the genre I really love these days! So promising and intriguing! =D



The Gathering Dark
by Christine Johnson
Expected release date : February 2013

I accidentally found this from twitter and whohooooo, look at that prettiness! After I searched this on GR, I totally captivated by it's dark and mysterious premise, also the main character is a pianist, whohoooo~ soooo interesting!



Mind Games
by Kiersten White
Expected release date : February 2013

I have never read Kiersten White's books yet, but I was instantly captivated by this new series of her. I love the cover, because well, I really adore something with vibrant and good-mixture of color like that, and also the story is called psycological-thriller, about teenagers with extraordinary powers that will be used as espionage. WOW, it completely blows my mind!




Seems like we'll get a LOT of awesome and mind-blowing books next year, they get both dazzling covers and kick-ass premises!
Which is your favorite? =)


Sunday, July 8, 2012

REVIEW : The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting


The Body Finder

Author      : Kimberly Derting
Publisher   : HarperCollins
Source      : Bought
Pages        : 328 (Paperback)

Summary from Goodreads :
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Watch the book trailer :


The Body Finder might be one of those books which introduced me to book-blogging world. I found its review in a very first place from one awesome blogger I've been following and immediately be thrilled with the mysterious cover and the premise about a girl who can 'sense' the dead and her sudden involvement on finding serial killer because of her 'gift'. I was easily being sold by that idea because I've been a big fan of FBI-chasing-serial-killers series or movies since I was a little kid so I had quite an expectation on this book. And when I got a chance to devour this book myself, I was glad I really enjoyed it! It's a simplified version with a bit supernatural touch of serial killer series yet could make you stay up all night, or even keep watching your back while you walk alone at the night. Wait! Hey, sometimes I walk home by myself at night! Eeeeeeep! D=

Violet can feel the dead since she was a little girl. Not just feel it, but also kind of be drawn by it, force her to find them. And she also can feel the ones who killed them because they bring the imprint, the same echo of their prey. I found her ability is the point of interest in this story, both scary and fascinating in the same time. It's very scary because, wow, just imagine you always got an unbearable urge to dig a hole somewhere around your standing place, knowing something, or someone was buried beneath you and then you could feel imprints on someone, silently knowing they did take something's or someone's lives. Fascinating, because Derting gives us great and unique despiction of the echos in this story, it have several form like smell, sound, visualization, even sometimes it can create tastes in her tongue and mostly of them are not scary, otherwise they are beautiful. But while I imagined them, those beautiful echos somehow delivered a chill, added the creepy feeling to the story as well.

Violet is a likeable main character, and she's being described very well. Although this story is told by third person's POV, I could relate to her. Can sense and find the dead is absolutely not a girl's thing and she's not hiding her fear which is very normal, but I loved to see how she can manage to accustomed to it, even think to use her ability for a good purpose. Her strange ability makes her a bit introvert and stubborn, but that's makes her unique and loveable to me.

I also loved to see many amazing people around Violet who love her unconditionally like her parents, her uncle and aunt, her (clueless) unique friends and Jay Heaton, her bestfriend turns boyfriend. Jay is... wow! He's everything you (and I) want from a boy. He can be your very bestfriend; you can talk everything to him or just silently stay there with him and feel all comfortable; he can be your dependable brother, and a protective, HOT boyfriend. I really enjoyed the relationship development between Violet and Jay. There's of course a teen drama like go out with other boy/girl just to drag a jealousy out, but what I really appreciate from Jay that he doesn't go too far and still think about Violet's feeling. And wow the tension between him and Violet! Jay seems really treasured Violet so much, it makes me so jealous of her. Oh Jay... if only I have a boy-bestfriend like him at my highschool time D= !

Overall, I think The Body Finder is an awesome series! I really can't wait to see what will happen on the characters in the next sequels.
If you like suspenseful, mystery thriller story, although not as 'heavy' as TV series about FBI and serial killers out there, this is the right book for you. Even if you not really a fan of it, the sparkling bestfriend-turns-lover love story, or just Jay alone would melt you down. =D

Just watch your back while you walk alone, girls!
Happy reading! ;D



In My Mailbox #23




In My Mailbox is a blog meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren. You can show some books you got over the week which you bought, borrowed or given to you.





Hello guys how are you today?
I didn't expect I would get any new book until end of June, but suddenly I got a package right at the end of the month, which was startling me because I thought I would get it around early July =D And finally a publisher in my country released a series sequel I've waited for such a long time! Here they are :
The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
Although I haven't read Bloodlines yet, just see it sitting on my shelf enough to make happy =D I hope I would get Spirit Bound and Last Sacrifice of VA series soon so I could start this series.

INDONESIA VERSION :

Torment by Lauren Kate
The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
Big Boned by Meg Cabot
Finally I got Torment and The Reckoning, so excited to read them, especially because The Reckoning is the last book of Darkest Power series! I also happy that Bog Boned got a pretty cute cover! xD (well because sometimes I don't really like the publisher's cover choices. And actually 'sometimes' is really understatement.lol)

I also bought a lot manga last 3 weeks :
Yum... so colorful! Those are some of my favorite series like Ouran High School Host Club (I absurdly love this one!), La Corda D'Oro, Detective Yakumo, etc. I really love my mangas! =D


That's my small happiness this week. What's in your mailbox/stacks/bookhaul? Feel free to put your link so I can check it back. Enjoy your week with your awesome new books! ^^