Meridian by Amber Kizer Review

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Series: Fenestra Book 1
Publish Date: August 11th, 2009
Published by: Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers
Pages: 305

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Half-human, half-angel, Meridian Sozu has a dark responsibility.

Sixteen-year-old Meridian has been surrounded by death ever since she can remember. As a child, insects, mice, and salamanders would burrow into her bedclothes and die. At her elementary school, she was blamed for a classmate's tragic accident. And on her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family home--and Meridian's body explodes in pain.
Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. It's there that she learns that she is a Fenestra--the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead. But Meridian and her sworn protector and love, Tens, face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos.

Review: 

Meridian was really similar to a favorite of mine, Angel Burn by L.A Weatherly. The plot, the events in the book. Both had the male protector and counterpart turned lover complimenting the female proganist. They need to run and go into hiding to protect themselves from the danger of the townspeople hunting them. In both stories, the characters are threatened by an evil force that camouflage themselves as preachers of God and brainwash the town into believing the word of God is law. And of course, both female characters are half angels. Even though I have already experienced similar events in a different story, I still really enjoyed Meridian. 
  
My favorite thing about this book were the characters. I liked everyone of them (excluding the antagonists of course). Usually when I'm reading I found myself having an opinion about a certain character and finding faults in them I wish weren't there, but in this novel I thoroughly enjoyed every main character and the supporting characters as well. This book also gave me hope and touched me in a way that most books couldn't. I learned important lessons in this book that I will cherish and build myself on. It was definitely something I didn't expect in a fantasy novel. I love the addition of humor that lightened the mood after the deaths that were happening around Meridian.

Meridian started off as a shy and scared girl confused with the curse that plagued her. Nobody would approach her and they constantly thought of her as a freak because everywhere she went something would die. When she is sent to her great-aunt's house far away she finally starts to figure out her abilities and her purpose in this world. Meridian begins to grow into a brave young lady that cares for others because of her selflessness. She knows her job is to take the souls of the dying into a better place, yet every time she knows the inevitable is about to happen she wishes she can stop the death or at least prolong it. Having to complete this task constantly must weigh down on Meridian. Good thing she has a her protector, Tens. At first he is brisk and barely talks to Meridian, but eventually living together under the same roof strengthens their bond and connection and they fall in love. Something that I was really happy to see. In this book, the romance was different. Tens and Meridian never really told each other how they felt yet they knew they were in love with each other. They depend on each other yet they are independent and rely on each other as partners and friends. When Meridian is overcome with sadness one night, it is then that Tens finally confesses his love for her. It is then that my heart explodes and I cannot stop smiling. 

The beginning was a little slow for me because she's just learning what a Fenestra is and what they do. Nothing exciting occurred in the beginning which is normal because we are just getting acquainted with the world of Meridian and these half human half angel beings that bless the world with their presence. By the time it reached the climax and I flipped to the very last page I was sighing with contentment and satisfaction. It was a nice ending to transition the reader to the second book, which I'm anticipating highly! I can't wait to read more of what happens to Meridian and Tens in the next book of the series. Meridian is probably a favorite of mine for the year of 2014.

Rating: 4.5/5  

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale Review

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

Published: February 2, 2012
Published by: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 485

Summary (From Goodreads):

When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all...

Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all..

Review: 

A stunning and tear-jerking novel by Katie Dale. This book was brilliant and memorable all the way.

Rosie just graduated high school.Unlike other teenagers her age who are preparing for college, she is trying to get over her mother's death. One she saw coming because of her rare Huntington's disease, but inevitably left Rosie miserable and on a mission. Instead of worrying whether or not she has contracted the disease, she goes out to America to find her biological father along with her ex-boyfriend. She hopes to seek out the truth about her life and find comfort in strange and new places. All the information that she gathers throughout her journey will hit readers like a ton of bricks but leave them happy as all sad stories end with a happy ending.
Rosie is lost and confused by the misery that clouds her judgment. She is brave yet impulsive, a trait that leads to unhappiness and conflict with those around Rosie. She turns other peoples world's upside down when she is trying to make her life right again, something that she does unintentionally.

I really enjoyed the bits of humor and romance amongst all the sadness as it was much needed. It reminded me that even though Rosie and her family's life may seem like hell right now, it doesn't mean that happiness is lost. Rosie's boyfriend Andy is the perfect companion with Rosie because he keeps her in check and supports her decisions even though he may not always be happy with her. He tries to leave multiple times because of Rosie's disregard for him and broken promises, but he always comes back knowing Rosie is at her most vulnerable and needs his shoulder to cry occasionally. A man that will support you at your hardest times is a man you keep, I say!

It was one big roller coaster ride in this book, although a ride I definitely enjoyed. If you're not sure whether or not you might like this book, at least pick it up for the cover. Because c'mon. It's beautiful.

Rating: 4/5    

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood Review

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Series: The Cahill Witch Chronicles Book 1
Published: February 7th, 2012 
Published by: Putnam Juvenile

Summary: (from Goodreads)

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.  

 Review:

      I am always searching for books related to witches, because they're one of my favorite things to read about. Born Wicked was different than other books of witches that I've read because its set in the late 1800's, an era that I am not familiar with and rarely read books set in that time. With Born Wicked, I liked that it wasn't set in present day so that we not only get to know about Cate and her sisters powerful abilities but also the practices and traditions of the olden days. When girls were supposed to look pretty for their husbands and being smart was frowned upon.

      In Cate's home town of Chathum, the Brotherhood rules. Females of every age must be very careful of what they say or do for fear that the Brotherhood believes you are a witch and takes you away to an asylum or a prison ship. Thus, Cate is overprotective of her sisters and must protect them at all cost because that is what her mother told her to do. She must learn how to deal with the prophecy her and her sisters are most likely a part of, all the while juggling social gatherings and not fall for Finn Belastra.

     Cate's character starts off as timid and antisocial but very caring. The beginning of the book was a bit slow, as we get to know the characters and what happened when the Cahill sisters' mother died. Nothing too exciting happened. Later on, as Cate learns more about her role in the prophecy, she realizes she has a very difficult choice to make; get married or join the Sisterhood. This decision is difficult because all she thinks about is what's best for her sisters. As the story builds up, Cate's character changes as well. She becomes a feisty and mature young lady who owns up to her role of lady of the house and not afraid to speak her mind. This change in character was nice to see.

      There were plenty of plot twists and keep you on the edge events that occurred during three quarters of the book. It got good and addicting. Throughout this book you will put yourself in Cate's shoes and ask yourself; what would you do if you were Cate? I need to pick up the second book and find out what happens to Cate and her sisters!

Rating: 4/5