Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Princess

Series: The Infernal Devices #3

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Date Published: March 19, 2013

Genre: YA fiction, romance, thriller, action, historical, paranormal, fantasy

Pages: 592 (hardback)

Age Range: 13+


Summary

THE INFERNAL DEVICES WILL NEVER STOP COMING

A net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. Mortmain plans to use his Infernal Devices, an army of pitiless automatons, to destroy the Shadowhunters. He needs only one last item to complete his plan: he needs Tessa Gray.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the London Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. But when Mortmain abducts Tessa, the boys who lay equal claim to her heart, Jem and Will, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are now engaged, Will is as much in love with her as ever.

As those who love Tessa rally to rescue her from Mortmain’s clutches, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself. But can a single girl, even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Review


This is probably my favorite cover out of the trilogy! Probably my favorite book out of the trilogy as well. The writing, as always, was amazing. Cassandra Clare never fails to write beautifully. She writes such amazing books with wonderful, spunky, witty, etc. characters that have your eyes glued to the page.

Cecily is a great character. I love her spunk and sassy attitude. She isn't any less stubborn than Will either. I loved how Cassandra put her with Gabriel! It was just so ironic that Gabriel would fall for her after he's despised Will for years. Gabriel could hardly believe it himself.

Speaking of Will (hehe), most of his walls have come down. He's more open and honest, except about his feelings for Tessa. Though, he tries to contain his love for her for the sake of his parabatai, he can't hold back. Now that he's let the walls down, he can't put them back up. He can hardly keep his emotions to himself.

Sofie and Gideon....They're so perfect! I was cracking up when Gideon accidentally told the entire household that he intended to marry her! Then, when the two of them were left alone and he tried to, kind of, take it back, Sofie wasn't having any of it.

When Jem got sick again, I was like: "No...No, no this isn't happening! Jem CAN'T DIE!" If he actually had died...I don't know if I would've been able to handle it...I was freaking out that he was dying from book one; it was love at first page.  

 I was so relieved when I found out that he was going to live. I can't even tell you lol. I was freaking out for a few chapters there because I was like, "This is it....I need to prepare myself....He might die.....BUT PLEASE DON'T!!"

 I couldn't even wait to read about what happened in the book. I was just reading along when suddenly Will was like, "Jem was dead." I didn't even wait. I put the book down and I went on Shadowhunters' Wiki to find out right then if it was true.

Me when I found out Jem became a Silent Brother: "WHAT IS THIS MADNESS! I thought this wasn't possible!"

3 seconds later: *SCREAMS* "OH MY GOD HE LIIIIIIIIVES!!!"

Jem is my favorite character, probably ever. Now that he's a Silent Brother, he's different; his personality and looks have changed, though he hasn't yet gone through the process of fully becoming a Silent Brother. I love the thin, fair, silvery-haired boy. Though, Brother Zachariah is my favorite Silent Brother out of both The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments series.
But I am very glad/relieved that he's alive, regardless.

The three main characters have this unbelievably strong bond that doesn't even waver when Jem becomes a Silent Brother. Jem's love for Tessa and Will is what keeps him compassionate for so many years, until he finally becomes human again in The City of Heavenly Fire.

When Jem came back to tell Will and Tessa good-bye....It was too much. I was crying, and I've only cried while reading 3 other books (if i stay, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, and The City of Heavenly Fire). I was upset that Jem didn't tell Tessa that he loved her, but I understand why he didn't since he couldn't do anything about it, or express it. 

I think the Magister's death was too quick. I mean, it was cool how it happened! But I felt like after reading three big books, he should have gone out with a bang, or somethin' lol.

The ending was really, really sweet. The wheel came full circle, guys! I was very happy with the ending. The ending was also sad because the Epilogue is set in 2008 and Tessa starts thinking about how Will died and how she couldn't stand by and watch her children die....it was so sad. But then Jem showed up and everything was okay.

Shadowhunter News: Dominic Sherwood Has Been Casted as Jace for "Shadowhunters"

Okay, it's official....I am very sad and very angry to say that Dominic Sherwood. I DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS!!! AT ALL!!

I'm going to put some pictures down below; from slightly okay looking to just awful.

This one is "MEH"

 Again, "MEH"

   GOSH NOOOOO

This CAN'T be Jace Herondale!! It just can't!! Jace is supposed to be a total hottie! Sexy and hot and cute and totally snarky! The Jace from The Mortal Instruments movie (Jamie Campbell Bower) was better looking than this guy! He could also pull off Jace's demeanor. Jamie Campbell Bower looks snarky!
But, this guy (Dominic Sherwood) doesn't have The Jace Look...He just doesn't.
I'm severely disappointed and the first episode hasn't even aired yet....

Something Real by Heather Demetrios

Title: Something Real

Author: Heather Demetrios

Publisher: Henry Colt and Co.

Date Published: February 4th, 2014

Genre: Contemporary

Pages: 416 (hardcover)

Age range: 12+







            Summary:

    Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV--she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker's Dozen. Since the show's cancellation, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it's about to fall apart . . . because Baker's Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™'s mom and the show's producers won't let her quit and soon the life that she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own--even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

                                                                        Review:

     Was this book as fantastic as I hoped it would be? No. Was it something that I've never seen before? No. Was it a page-turner? No. All of that being said, I thought that a lot of people would like the book (which really didn't affect my rating at all).
     First off, the characters. Bonnie/ Chloe got on my nerves SO much. She was incredible whiny, self-centered, whiny, bipolar, and have I mentioned whiny yet? She could never make up her mind, and her favorite thing to do was whine and wallow on a heaping mess of self-pity. We know that the author can write great characters, because Benny was a great person. He was funny, caring, and he just seemed like a good person. I feel like he would've been an amazing best friend and brother to have. Patrick, our love interest, was so average that I couldn't muster up any feelings toward him. Nothing made me go: "Oh, gosh, I like this guy" and nothing made me go: "Oh, gosh, I don't like this guy". I did, however, loathe Chloe's parents (all three of them), the show's producers/staff, and Chloe herself.
     The plot itself was fascinating! It was such an amazing plot- it was just very poorly executed. There was a lot of potential for really great things to happen within the plot, but the story spent way too much time worrying about Benny, worrying about Patrick, and worrying about Bonnie, that we lost sight of the real twist at the end. For the first two-thirds of the book, NOTHING HAPPENS. We putz around in Bonnie's life, but almost nothing of importance happens. And I mean it. This book could have been about half its size, and it still would've been long enough. I liked the twist at the end(ish), but I feel like it could have been drawn out more. No, not more pages of suspense necessarily, but more development, more repercussions, and more... well, drama. Everything ends far too perfectly for everyone, and I wanted to know what happened to the rest of Chloe's family in the book- the end was lacking.
     Okay, so, minor rant time... Were Bonnie's parents supposed to be villains? Obviously, MetaReel was a villain, but, in my opinion, Bonnie's parents were even worse. All three of her parents were absolutely awful- I couldn't find a redeeming quality in any of them. They were so distant and uncaring. According to Bonnie's mom, everything Bonnie complained about was just Bonnie trying to get attention. The mom became almost full-on abusive- verbally and physically. Overall, none of the parental figures sat well with me, and they left a sour taste in my mouth.
     All in all, the book was okay. The plot was so promising, but a whiny lead, and flat love interest, awful parents, and too much detail on little things led to a book that fell wildly flat.

                             

First Look at Nick Bateman from Ugly Love

Here's the first look at Nick Bateman as Miles Archer from Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Now, I wasn't a fan of the book but Miles Archer is swaying me to see the movie ;) 
Don't have any word yet on the rest of the cast but I'm sure we will soon!!

New Covers for The Mortal Instruments & Infernal Devices

September 1st, we will be getting new covers for The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices!!

Here's a sneak-peek!

(New cover on the left; right is old cover).

 Isn't the cover cool!! Jace looks too perfect lol. I can't wait to see the rest of the covers! :)

Passion by Lauren Kate

 Title: Passion
 Series: Fallen Series (book #3)
 Author: Lauren Kate
 Publisher: Delacorte Press
 Date Published: May 8th, 2012
 Genre: Paranormal, Romance
 Pages: 464 (paperback)
 Age Range: 13+









             Summary:

 Luce would die for Daniel.

And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn’t need to be that way. . . .

Luce is certain that something—or someone—in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime . . . going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel . . . and finally unlock the key to making their love last.

Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history.

Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames . . . forever.

                                                     Review:

     Oh, lookie, she lurves him (for those of you that aren't in the know, "lurve" is a messed up way of saying "love). In this third installment of the Fallen Series, we reach an all-time low. And that is saying a lot. So, without further ado, the review:
     First off, this book was absolutely plot-less. I mean it. It added nothing to the over-all story arc of the series, and, even worse, this book had no plot itself. Join Lucinda as she recklessly travels through time, sees exactly what an awful person she is in about twelve different scenarios, sees 1,234,567,890 different variations of her name, and watches herself die because of a LOVE that is really just a creepy obsession. Meet a surprisingly helpful gargoyle that helps Lucinda travel through time, and who is really only there for comedic relief. Gasp when you find out that the gargoyle is actually Satan, and that Satan is saucy and evil (or don't gasp because you could see it coming practically from book one). See how Daniel tried once, ages ago, to not touch Lucinda and when she dies anyway, he decided: "Screw it. Let's not try that again. *touch touch touch*" Because if at first you don't succeed, admit defeat and give into your creepy obsession with a terrible girl.
     In about twelve different ways Lucinda sees that Daniel loves her, and she STILL can't figure out why, because she herself even admits what an awful person she is. Get even more proof that Lucinda is naive, blind, and totally trusting of anything that pretends to be helpful (see the Satan gargoyle). Read, and gasp as you scratch your head in confusion because nothing has been fully explained. Cringe as you still hate Lucinda, and hate her even more. Throw the book across the room as you curse Daniel and Cam and Miles because, really? This is a love-square even though we know who Lucinda will choose (it's not gonna be Miles, and it makes me SO MAD). Cry as you realize that this book was only written to suck more money out of teen girls with a Twilight hangover. Curse as Lauren Kate only lets you read about Lucinda and Daniel even though Miles is your favorite character.
      Will I read book four? NOT FOR AWHILE. That one wasn't part of the dare.