Secondhand Charm:

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Directly off the semi-high of 'Darkness Becomes Her' I decided that something light and frilly was just what I needed. So sitting directly by a fire,-because it is like 56 degrees in the house- armed with a wine glass full of cranberry juice, country oldies playing off my I-Phone and a notepad cradled on my left knee; I snugged in under my black faux fur blanket for a nice and pleasant morning. Because I am one of those nocturnal weirdos that spends their time not sleeping at 3:06am but... *gasp*... Reading!
If ever there was a time that I was aching for a sweet fairy tale it would be now, and Julie Berry, well she spun a wondrous tale of feather-y lightness and intrigue with her debut novel The  Amaranth Enchantment.
Her writing style I adore, it is fleetingly sweet and matches the exactitude of the time period/era Berry has set her characters in. The way the words read makes it seem as if you'd have become the story, it's easy going lightness mingles with its straightforward lyricism. I wouldn't go as far as to say it is prose because in that aspect it doesn't mesh at all, but it is smooth as honey.
Miss Evelyn, known as Evie has a reputation in the village, as a remarkable healer she is sought after as a midwife for every to-be mother. Evie herself holds no desire to wed, her heart and head lies stuffed inside a book, she loves her schoolwork and is terrified for when it comes to an end. That is of course until the Royal King visits her village with a sick tax collector, after having proved herself as an intelligent medic the king offers Evie a scholarship to the Royal University. While at a festival in her village a gypsy woman grips onto Evie and proclaims she has saved charms just for her. Out of a tangled web of woven threads and charms Evie picks a love charm, a luck charm, and a protection charm, a charm that provides protection against snakebites. Ironic seeing as how just the day before she was bit on the lip by one.
Evie sets off on a grand adventure to the epic city of Chaceldon, only things go wrong. There's love abound, sinking ships, even more snakes, and filthy bandits. Oh my! If only that were all... When Evie does finally reach Chaceldon, penniless and without grantee of University she sets out for the palace, bent on a letter allowing her acceptance to the university, what she find instead is something entirely enthralling.

Who really is Evie? Why does the new princess take such a liking to her?And how is it that she's never known of the Serpentina's?And the ending; well that will hit you like a wrecking ball, over and again, as it crumbles what you thought would happen and leave you with the settling dust of what truly happened. Me personally I was rooting for the castle and princess, no matter if she be evil or not. Because you know those balance scales are fickle beasts aren't they?

The Day Before:

My rating: 2 1/2 out of 5 stars.
The story starts off in a sprint of lyrical mysteries surrounding a girl name Amber. Amber, after sneaking out of her house successfully, hopes a ride in a limo down to the beach where she's left the excitement an chance of a wicked adventure completely up to the fate that day holds:

"Let the day 

reveal itself to me

in its own time,

In it's own way.

I am yours, Today.

I am yours."

I never enjoyed words more, a cliffhanger and a mind-reeler how ironic given the summary of this book. As it proceeds, however the story becomes flinty and the characters-- well flimsy to hold a connection with. The whole boy meets girl-girl falls in love-boys got a secret cliche threw me off guard. The adolescent nature of the troubled teens was vigorously true unlike some Y.A. novels that suggest a 17-year-old would honestly be capable of giving up her life in order to pursue love. With all the secrets revealed and the story wrapping itself in a tight neat bow I found myself disappointed. I liked the prose but the entire plot was as bland as a boiled pork chop.

Unbelievable (Pretty Little Lairs #4):

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
A flashback at the beginning of the story of the day before the infamous sleepover sets you on edge and I love it. A good psychopathic thriller is just the sort of reading material I should be reading instead of getting a head start on The Aeneid for Fall Semester. 
Oh Aria my favorite pretty lair you just don't quit do you. Admiral as it is darling, do you honestly figure spence as the killer? She's something alright with her flip-flop wish-y/wash-y boggled mind playing constant streams of trickery on her A barely has to do anything but shove her off that balance scale of hers. And dear Lord Emily what planet have you landed on? Any moment I expect the shinning to take over her life. I mean really the chickens donate upset with screaming, well perhaps goats oughtn't barrel towards people and the said people might not have a reason upset livestock. Great now I'm talking like I've stepped out of some Hollywood made up Wild West movie. Until just as the chainsaw start to blare Miss Country-bumpkin of a cousin steps in to--fingers crossed--liven Iowa up a bit. Partying in a silo? So not the Gala I was expecting then again her cow of a cousin turning Ems into her uncle and aunt wasn't expected neither.
Spence you poor demented bunny rabbit, are always one tiniest bit of a step behind aren't you? Then again parental stability does count for everything theses days. Her parents allowing Spencer to go ahead with competing with forged essay for Golden Orchid--a prize she scarcely wanted as it was, what with it having to do with horrid Econ--must suck up all the limelight she can before something breaks.
Hanna Marin of all the Rosewood dollface's you've got to be the one with a memory lapse. Seriously selfish. ;-) We were as it was just about to find out who A was, riveting oh yes it was. Don't worry though that fickle mistress of a memory floods back eventually leaving my little cub scouts scrambling to protect a fellow Lair in grave danger. 

WHAT HAPPENED:

Emily did you honestly expect banishment on a Iowa farm to last. I mean think of all those saucy ripped Abercombie's you'd have had to trade in for overalls well that's if the swear jar behaves. Horrifying I know. 

Spence now that those pesky memories have finally hit to straight and narrow think you might want to ditch the whole sister-boyfriend-kissing-marrathon you've got going. Oh and do watch the road conditions, Hon thunder showers are sure to come rearing its lovely head any time soon.Hanna, Love, how many times must I keep repeating myself. Cheese fries do not make everything better and Mona is a hag. Lucas was a treat i was rooting for but obviously treats and Rosewood Day's Queen Bee don't mix do they. Oink, oink: piggy says I'm no where near finished with you.

Aria, my pretty little favorite. The Mindless Art class Meredith so kindly paid for is paying off it seems. Right? And of that soulmate of yours, well teacher-to-student ratios have been lazy haven't they. Chin up, darling you've always got Meredith's diabolical secret to uncover. And if that gets dull; because let's face it not much wrinkled feathers comes a woman who enjoying painting cockroaches on ceilings as a pastime, you've always got The whole Jenny Thing to have another anxiety attack about. But good news Aria Jason's back and something tells me there's a (legal) connection going on there. Good luck doll face.

Because yeah bitches; I saw the entire thing go down. Or should I say; blow up.

- A

The Secret Circle: The Initiation & The Captive-Part I:

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.
The beginning was bland, which is something because Smith normally delivers a taunt lucrative web of entrapment during the first dozen pages or so.
Cassie spends the summer in Cape Cod her mothers native hometown and meets the most interesting people. When the tune comes to return home to sunny normal California her mother drops a surprise in Cassie's lap. California's out and New Salem the newest red.
Cassie learns that their are some perks that come with living on Crowhaven Street and although Smith didn't dive straight into magic powers he did give a taste of what's to come. Cassie finds solace in Diana the picture perfect older sister who takes Cassie under her wing. Cassie realizes that something about New Salem is different, the Club Diana leads rules the town, teachers and students--the outsiders--are afraid to even look at the eleven Club members cross but when dead bodies of both outsiders and Club members start popping up, well tensions raise and all beats are off.
Oh dear Mother Earth Cassie grow some balls! After a dozen pages of Smith reenacting the brittle bitch meets Cinderella I just about nearly put to book back on my shelf. Smith made Cassie into a pathetic whining child, it is the sheer only time I revealed in how inadequate a book seemed in comparison to its T.V. spin off. Then the mighty Diana comes along and for a long stretch of the book I think Cassie might just be in love with her. Which would be a bloody brilliant twist if Smith ever got to the jumping-out-of-the-closet part of the novel.
Faye; my favorite character for the series is portrayed as the horrid dark witch in the book, the skull inflames my curiosity and Diana well she just seemed to get on my nerves a bit. Who is that nice?


P.S. News about the series I just heard: Season two has been canceled, however ABC Family might might it up. Please, oh please ABC Family pick it up.