Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Nobody But Us

Author: Kristin Halbrook

Genre: YA contemporary romance, road trip

Format read: Kindle version

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Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this addictively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

 When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn't always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

This book was absolutely amazing. When I first picked it up, I wasn't expecting such a heart-breaking, emotional and beautifully told story.

Zoe and Will both have hard lives. Since Will's mother has abandoned him when he was a baby, he's been moving from one foster-home to another, never finding his place. He never felt loved or cared for. All he wanted to do when he turned 18 was to run far, find himself a better future and never come back.
15-year-old Zoe has always lived in fear because she could never know what will irritate her abusive father and cause him to hit her. She always walked around with bruises on her face and just tried to ignore them and continue her life.

Will and Zoe decide to leave their state - North Dakota, and make all the long way to Vegas to start a new life together there. This book describes their trip, a trip that will change everything. Can they run away from their pasts?

The relationship between Will and Zoe was very unusual - it was like nothing I've ever seen before in a YA book. The two of them were very different from each other and it looked like they can't make a good match. Despite that, they became a very strong couple, and I think it was because each one has managed to fill the needs of the other.

Zoe was sensitive and couldn't stand up for herself. All she needed was someone to love her and to protect her like the father she never had. I could see how Will became like a father to a her - he did anything a could to keep her safe and always thought about her first.

Will, from the other side, needed someone to keep him steady. He had a tendency to outburst and to go into violent fights without thinking. Zoe, who was more careful, balanced him.

Overall, their relationship was very sweet and positive. But there were some times when I felt like something is off about the way they treat each other, and especially Will. He was a little possessive and over-protective, and sometimes his influence on Zoe wasn't good. [SPOILER: That is why I agreed with the decision she made at the end]

I loved reading about their complicated relationship and it was my favorite part of the book.

This book was very well written - it was fluent and easy-to-read. The story was told from two POVs - Zoe's and Will's. The switch between the two POVs was done very well, and it made me like the book even more. It was very interesting to read how both the main characters felt and how they reacted differently to situations.

When the book started, I had no idea in which direction the plot would go. There were many problems mixed together, and I thought that the author is going to choose one of them to focus on. But somehow, the author took the story to somewhere else entirely and made the plot very creative and original.

The end was stunning! It broke my heart!! I really can't believe the author could think of such an ending to this book. I can't say much because I don't want to spoil the book for you, but be sure it turned this book into an absolute tearjerker.

This book was excellent and I highly recommend it to people who are looking for a deep, emotional read.

Rating:

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Blog Tour: Lucifer (Sons Of Old Trilogy 1#) by Annabell Cadiz - Review

Lucifer
Author: Annabell Cadiz
Publication Date: January 31st 2013

Blurb:
Have you ever wondered what could be hiding in the shadows?

Well, for eighteen-year-old Zahara Faraday, she doesn’t have to wonder. You see she comes from a lineage of Light Witches, those who have chosen to help protect and serve between the supernatural world and the human world. The only problem is Zahara, like her father Solomon, is as human as a human being can be whereas her mother, Mia, and her Aunt Catalina, were born as Light Witches. As a family they hunt down rogue supernaturals—creatures who harm humans or who have committed an act against their kingdom. 

Zahara’s hunting skills are usually kept dormant since her parents would prefer she live life as a normal human girl without knowledge of the supernatural world. She plans on doing just that—except when she finds a couple being attacked by fairies, she has no choice but to step in. Before she can return to pretending to be blissfully ignorant, Zahara encounters a problem she isn’t the least equip to handle: Bryan Hamilton, the good looking new co-worker she has to help train. In a heartbeat, her best friend, Becca King, has set her up on a double date with herself and her new crush, Rekesh Saint-Louis, who happens to be the most powerful leader of the biggest Imago Coven in South Florida –supernatural creatures with the ability to control water . . . and suck out human souls. 

Zahara has no time to focus on how she’s going to explain her double date with her best friend and the enemy they have a tentative truce with to her parents because soon one of the members of Mia and Catalina’s coven is found murdered with a strange tattoo of a snake with wings carved into his arm.

Zahara is then thrown into a whirlwind battle with an angel determined to have revenge against God, an Imago coven she doesn’t think they should trust, and slew of dream-eating fairies and powerful Nephilims, hybrid children of angels and humans, more than happy to rip her to shreds.

Normal just got a deadlier definition

My Thoughts:

This book was very enjoyable! It reminded me a little of City of Bones - one of my favorite books ever.
The idea was very original and kept me interested during the book. I really liked the fighting scenes - they were actually my favorite part! I like action in books, and this one was packed with it (:
I also liked Zahara, the book's main character. I really like reading books about characters I can relate to, and the fact the Zahara was a bookworm, just like me, really made me like her! What I loved about Zahara was that she she wasn't flawless - sometimes she acted without thinking and was too impulsive , but she always proved how brave she is by finding her way out of deadly situations.
The only thing that annoyed me about the book was the descriptions, which were unnecessary at times. For example - every time a character switched clothes, there were 10 lines describing everything she/he wore to the smallest detail. It made me a little tired...

Overall, this book was very nice and readable. I'm sure many people would love it, and especially Urban Fantasy fans.

3 STARS

Book Review: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried

Author: Kim Harrington

Genre: YA paranormal romance and horror

Publication date: January 1st 2013

Source: eARC provided by Scholastic Press. Thank you very much!!

Book Description:

When Jade moves with her father, stepmother and 5-year-old half brother to one of the nicer towns near Boston, everything about their new house seems perfect.

But when people at school look at her weirdly when she mentions her address, Jade understands that something is wrong.

Soon she finds out that Kayla, the most popular girl in school, died in this house last year.

Kayla is still in the house - haunting it. She wants Jade to find her murderer, and if Jade won't do it, she will kill her brother.

Jade starts to look for Kayla's murderer, but finding him is not easy. Apparently  almost everyone in this school has a motive to kill Kayla. Can Jade find the killer? Can she save her brother?

My thoughts:

This book was one of the best books I've ever read!! It's hard to describe how much I LOVED it. 

This books is a combination of horror, mystery and high school drama. I like all three of them and together, they make a FANTASTIC combination!  I'm not even sure which part of the book I liked best since everything was so good!!

I loved it when Jade communicated or felt the ghost's presence. These were the creepiest parts... and they were really, truly creepy!!! There were moments when I was thinking that this book can't get any creepier, but it did.  I think I haven't slept for a couple of nights because of that XP

Another good thing was that this book was very hard to guess. I really hate it when I guess the ending right on the first few pages... In this book, I understood who the murderer was only at the ending. This is a world record, because I'm a very good book-guesser! lol

Jade was a great character. She always acted like her true self and was very open to other people. She befriended only people she liked without caring about their popularity.

Jade and her brother had a very special relationship. Even though he was only her half-brother, Jade loved him very much and would do anything to keep him safe. I loved how Jade cared for her family more than anything. 

The ending of the book was very satisfying. It was a closed ending that didn't leave me with unanswered questions, which I really appreciate.

Recommended for: people who like creepy ghost stories and contemporary romance lovers (:

✰✰✰✰✰

Five Shining Stars :D