Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)

Summary:

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My Thoughts: I expected to absolutely ADORE Clockwork Angel - afterall, I did a little dance when I snagged a copy (and there are various authors that were witness to this) - and I did. It was so different from what I was expecting but oh so good at the same time.

A good part of the first half of the novel involves a lot of world-building and setting up the plot. This doesn't mean that nothing happens because a lot does, but once you reach the middle of the book, you hit Clare's writing at its finest. I dare you to put the book down once you hit page 300!

The plot...whoa. So different from what I was expecting and yet, I also felt like it was perfect. There were so many plot twists that I did not see coming and I was on the edge of my seat for the last quarter of the book. The ending completely shocked me and the very ending left me begging for Book 2.

Character-wise, I think I love this cast of characters even better than those in Mortal Instruments, which is saying a lot because I LOVE Jace. But oh, the cast of characters in Clockwork Angel is just so unique and they all contrast each other so well. Even the minor characters have distinct personalities and I LOVE that. Each character is so complex and I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with them and learning more about them. Then, there's Jem and Will...honestly, I adore both of them. At this point, I think it's impossible to choose between them and I love their relationship with each other and how they contrast each other so well. I'm particularly intrigued by Will - I can't wait to find out his secrets!

One of the great things about Clockwork Angel is that you can enjoy it without having read the Mortal Instruments but if you have read the Mortal Instruments, it's almost like you're an insider to some secrets within the book. For example, the character Magnus Bane makes an appearance in Clockwork Angel and he's an important minor character in Mortal Instruments, so it's really interesting to see his character years before that takes place.

Overall, Clockwork Angel did nothing but impress me. It's landed a spot in my all-time favorite books and I can't wait for Book 2. Obviously if you enjoyed Clare's previous books, you'll love this. But, even if you haven't read the Mortal Instruments, definitely give this one a shot! It's worth every penny!

Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Title: Shift

Author: Jeri Smith Ready

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary:

Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

My Thoughts: Shade was my favorite paranormal of 2010 and I basically idolize Jeri Smith Ready (seriously, if you love paranormal and music, read her adult books!), so I had huge expectations for Shift. So huge, in fact, that once I actually had a copy of the book, I was afraid to read it for fear of being disappointed.

But, of course, Jeri is a genius and I had no reason to worry because well, Shift ROCKS. Hard. I read it when I was sick and wanted to do nothing but sleep and yet it still managed to make me never, ever want to put it down.

Okay, fangirling aside now. (Maybe)

Shift picks up a little bit after Shade leaves off, with Aura still caught between her feelings for Logan and Zachary and Logan basically stuck between shade and ghost. Logan wants to be with Aura, even though he can't touch her, Aura's trying to move on, and Zachary is gorgeous, er, I mean, wants Aura for himself. However, unlike in Shade, there's a few unseen twists that makes this love triangle into more of a love...pentagon, which sounds kind of ridiculous but actually brings out a lot of emotion and lets the reader see other sides of the story.

Aside from the romantic twists, Shift is full of all different kinds of plot twists. Sometimes the reader is expecting them or at least something similar, sometimes the reader isn't. Either way, it pretty much guarantees the book isn't going to be put down. I don't want to say anything else about that because I don't want to spoil it.

One of my favorite things about Shift is that even though it's the second book in a series, it doesn't feel like the second book in a series. What I mean by that is a lot of the time, Book 2 just feels like an extension of Book 1 and is just carrying the characters along to Book 3 with no real plot, no real ending. But Shift is fully developed and the ending is wrapped up nicely while still leaving the reader with enough questions to make them want the next book RIGHT NOW.

I also love how we get to see the different sides of various characters in the story, especially Logan's brothers. And Zachary's accent. And I love reading about the music and the stars and everything else that filters into making Shift stand out from all of the other paranormal books out there. And I love Zachary.

And...I could go on all day. The point is, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

If there's one book you pre-order all year, it should be SHIFT. It's truly refreshing and is definitely going to surpass everyone's expectations. If you haven't read Shade, then you're truly missing out and need to order it ASAP!

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Title: Shade
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Rating: 9/10

Summary:
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan’s band playing a crucial gig and Aura’s plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend’s life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan’s sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He’s gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and talk to ghosts.

This mysterious ability had always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because Dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn’t help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding — and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura’s relationship with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura’s heart . . . and clues to the secret of the Shift.

My Thoughts: Sick of cliche paranormal romances with werewolves and vampires but still loving paranormal and romance? Yeah, me too. That's why I loved Shade so much. It's paranormal and there's definitely romance, but it's anything but cliche and there's no vampires or werewolves to be found.

Smith-Ready combines music, legend, boys with very cute accents, with ghosts and romance and gives you a novel you will not be able to put down. Ghosts are something that are starting to become more and more popular in the YA genre but I guarantee the ghosts in Shade are nothing like you've ever seen before. I love how Smith-Ready brought together elements like the star positions and stonehedge to create an amazing paranormal element.

Another favorite part of the novel was the characters. Each character had a completely unique personality and added so much to the novel. There's Logan, who has a quick temper and often makes stupid decisions but can be loving and, even better, is in a band. There's also Zachary, who has an adorable accent and does the sweetest things. (Team Zach all the way!) Aura also has a distinct personality and even though she's very different from me, I loved her. The minor characters were also multi-sided and I never had the problem of not remembering who was who.

Overall, Shade was a fantastic novel. I'm desperately awaiting the sequel and I totally plan on reading Jeri's other novels!