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Girls*Heart* Books: January 2012

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Catch Me by Lisa Gardner-Review


In four days, someone is going to kill me . . .

Detective D. D. Warren is hard to surprise. But a lone woman outside D.D.'s latest crime scene shocks her with a remarkable proposition: Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant believes she will be murdered in four days. And she wants Boston's top detective to handle the death investigation.

It will be up close and personal. No evidence of forced entry, no sign of struggle.
Charlie tells a chilling story: Each year at 8:00 p.m. on January 21st, a woman has died. The victims have been childhood best friends from a small town in New Hampshire; the motive remains unknown. Now only one friend, Charlie, remains to count down her final hours.

But as D.D. quickly learns, Charlie Grant doesn't plan on going down without a fight. By her own admission, the girl can outshoot, outfight, and outrun anyone in Boston. Which begs the question, is Charlie the next victim, or the perfect perpetrator? As D.D. tracks a vigilante gunman who is killing pedophiles in Boston, she must also delve into the murders of Charlie's friends, racing to find answers before the next gruesome January 21 anniversary. Is Charlie truly in danger, or is she hiding a secret that may turn out to be the biggest threat of all?

In four days, someone is going to kill me. But the son of a bitch has gotta catch me first.
‘Catch Me’ is the sixth book in Lisa Gardner’s brilliant D.D. Warren series. The series focuses on Boston police detective, D.D. Warren and her coworkers as they try to solve high profile cases. This book is a perfect storm; Gardner’s characters from previous stories all come together in one way or another to assist D.D. on this case. I really loved the cameos from Roan Griffin (The Survivors Club), Pierce & Kimberly Quincy (FBI Profiler Series), David Riggs (The Other Daughter), JT Dillon and his wife Tess (The Perfect Husband). They made the book that much more enjoyable to me. The only way it could have been better is if Rainie Connor was in there somewhere breaking number two pencils.

There are several major conflicts raging throughout the story with the lesser worries weaving in and out, helping the plot to race on towards the conclusion. I really enjoy Gardner’s writing style; she gets inside her characters heads and shows you what makes them tick. The narrative moves right along, making you laugh out loud sometimes and shudder in horror in others. It was very hard to put this book down. I found myself staying up until all hours of the night, saying ‘just one more chapter and then I’ll go to bed,’ again and again.
When Gardner writes, she showcases strong female characters with depth, which I love. I have to admit that D.D. Warren has never been one of my favorites among her characters. However, she turned that around in this book. D.D. is growing in so many ways; being a new mother and learning to show that softer part of herself she has always kept hidden are just the more apparent ones. The growth in her definitely helps to make her a more likeable character and shows her potential for evolving into a more mature version of herself in future installments.

We see the story unfold from several different points of view and I really think that helps tell the story in a more complete way. You get to see all the different sides come together for a more detailed reading experience. This was a very fast read; you just have to know what happens next. Gardner’s books are always suspenseful & masterfully crafted and this one was no exception. The twists were just enough to keep you guessing, really it was perfectly executed. I look forward to D.D.’s next case.

My Rating: 




Saturday, January 14, 2012

Review-Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare


In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Clockwork Prince is the second book in the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. The story picks up a few weeks from where Clockwork Angel leaves off, in London in the late 1800’s. I have to apologize in advance for any gushing I might do from here on out. This book was, hands down, the best book of 2011, in my opinion. I devoured it in one day. Clare has beautifully crafted this story and all of its components.
There is a plethora of conflicts raging in this installment. The residents of the London Institute are facing collective and personal demons throughout the story. From Magnus Bane to Charlotte and Henry, everyone has their hands full. Clare’s brilliant narrative is hilarious and heart-rending in turns. She writes with a depth that makes you feel you’re living the story as it unfolds. The places and people leap off the page with detail and vitality.
The characters are complex and real and (I think) they make the story. Magnus Bane is a welcome voice in the narrative, his wit, humor and compassion shining through in each scene. Will and Jem both show different sides of themselves to Tessa and we see her strength blaze as she learns more about this new world she’s been pulled into.
The third person narrative really helps the pace of the book. It’s a page-turner already and when you’re able to see inside each character’s point of view, it adds another layer to your reading experience. The twists in the plot are very well done and I know I didn’t see them coming. The end was both heartbreaking and exciting and I can’t wait for the next installment in this fantastic series.

Friday, January 6, 2012

The YA Sisterhood: Match #31: Clary (Seed #1) vs Tessa (Seed #3)

Ok readers!! The time has come for the final showdown!! Make sure to cast your votes!!


The YA Sisterhood: Match #31: Clary (Seed #1) vs Tessa (Seed #3): Welcome to The YA Sisterhood and The Grande Finale of The Tournament of Heroines! The time is finally here to see who is your favorite YA H...

Sunday, January 1, 2012

My 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2012


I don't know about the rest of you, but there are so many books coming out this year that I don't know how I'll keep up! Here is my list of the ones I'm looking forward to most! Enjoy :) Please comment with your own list!

(These are not in any kind of order)

1-The Infernal Devices book #3-Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare-due out in December
2-The Mortal Instruments book #5-City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare-due out in May
3-Bloodlines book #2-The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead-due out on my birthday in June!
4-Need book #4-Endure by Carrie Jones
5-The Curse Workers book #3-Black Heart by Holly Black-due out in April
6-D.D. Warren series-Catch Me by Lisa Gardner-due out in February
7-Dresden Files book #14-Cold Days by Jim Butcher-due out in July
8-Divergent book #2-Insurgent by Veronica Roth-due out in May
9-Abandon book #2-Underworld by Meg Cabot
10-Nightshade book #3- Blood Rose by Andrea Cremer-due out on January 3rd!