Review: Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1) by Karina Halle

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Title: Darkhouse (Experiment in Terror #1)
Author: Karina Halle
Started: 29/12/11
Finished: 31/12/11
Medium: Paperback (Review Copy)
Publisher: Metal Blonde Books
Genre: YA: Paranormal, Horror, Thriller
Buy: Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes & Noble

Goodreads Synopsis: Enter the world of the highly-acclaimed Experiment in Terror Series by visiting...the Darkhouse:

There’s always been something a bit off about Perry Palomino. Though she’s been dealing with a quarter-life crisis and post-college syndrome like any other twenty-something, she’s still not what you would call “ordinary.” For one thing, there’s her past which she likes to pretend never happened, and then there’s the fact that she sees ghosts. Luckily for her, that all comes in handy when she stumbles across Dex Foray, an eccentric producer for an upcoming webcast on ghost hunters. Even though the show’s budget is non-existent and Dex himself is a maddening enigma, Perry is instantly drawn into a world that both threatens her life and seduces her with a sense of importance. Her uncle’s haunted lighthouse provides the perfect catalyst and backdrop for a mystery that unravels the threads of Perry’s fragile sanity and causes her to fall for a man, who, like the most dangerous of ghosts, may not be all that he seems.

Oh my freaking God! Why did I take so long to pick up this book?

The entire time I was reading this book, I felt as if I was watching an episode of a brand new series. Now, I can't wait to read the next installments.

The plot is amazing, like 5-star amazing. I love ghost stories and EVERYTHING paranormal so this book is totally within my league and the fact that the book kept me on my toes and thrilled and eventually scared me as well, makes this book even better!

The characters are realistic. They're people who have/had problems. Dex has a split personality which kind of scares me a bit and Perry is hilarious, was a druggie back in highschool, and just got out of college and is striving to go on day-to-day as a receptionist. Oh and she can see ghosts too. The way Halle describes what Perry sees is extremely descriptive and fluid, that you can't help but be where Perry is. The secondary characters on the other hand, help keep the story together. Matt and Tony were one of my favs. Those twins were hilarious and just plain old weird. They kind of reminded me of my brother, minus the drinking and whatever else they do thats "bad".

Now, Perry has the hots for Dex and we don't know how Dex feels about her because he has a girlfriend who is immensely hot and he is also 10 years older. Not only is Perry insecure, but feels like a child around him and sometimes a psycho. I love the push and pull that happens between the two. It keeps the situation realistic.

Overall, Darkhouse is amazing. Halle has delivered to the public such an incredible book that is definitely movie/series-worthy. I just want to keep reading until there isn't anything else left to read from the series. The narrative was written well, the descriptions were vivid and the plot is 5-star amazing. A brilliant unputdownable book from Karina Halle that'll definitely rock your socks off!

Quick Review: Vampire Blues (Lian and Figg #2) by Stephany Simmons

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Title: Vampire Blues (Lian and Figg #2)
Author: Stephany Simmons
Started: 29/12/11
Finished: 31/12/11
Medium: eBook
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Goodreads Synopsis: Lian and Figg are still recovering from events that almost destroyed their lives, but when a good friend comes to them with a serious problem, they can't turn him away. Soon, Lian and Figg are neck-deep in local vampire politics and framed for a massacre they had little to do with. On top of that, the local werewolf pack is sniffing around, looking for favors.

As soon as Stephany (the author) sent me an email about reading and reviewing the sequel to the series. I was ecstatic and immediately accepted and the second I got the eBook, I sent it to my kindle and started reading it. I would have finished it in one sitting but work had gotten in the way of it.

This little novella is a perfect mix of everything a reader loves in an urban fantasy novel but in mini form. I don't know how Stephany managed to write about so many happenings in so little pages. I am AMAZED.

The story line this time is surrounded around vampires and vampire politics. It was nice to read Simmons' take on vampires. It sure wasn't the usual cliches.

Loads of new characters have joined us in this installment. I found most of them amiable enough for me to hope there will be more of them mentioned in the upcoming installments and overall, Vampire Blues, is another awesome mini-novel from Stephany Simmons. It was fun, sexy, and had a great plot that was so fluid and amazingly written. Oh and Lian is HAWT! I want more of him NOW! *demands*

Top 10 Books I can't wait for in 2012

This running from the 26th -30th of December. Its hosted by A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books & Confessions of a Bookaholic.

TOP 10 BOOKS I CAN'T WAIT FOR IN 2012

So far I've read: 

115 Books

30710 Pages

322 Blog Posts this year! :D

1. Once Burned

   by Jeaniene Frost

     Goodreads

She’s a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person’s darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude... until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world’s most infamous vampire...

He’s the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all — but whatever you do, don’t call him Dracula. Vlad’s ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him – a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

2. Article 5
     by Kristen Simmons
     Goodreads

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

3. Cursed
     by Jennifer L. Armentrout
     Goodreads

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.

4. Incarnate
     by Jodi Meadows
     Goodreads 

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

 5. Slide
    by Jill Hathaway
    Goodreads

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

 6. The Golden Lily
    by Richelle Mead
    Goodreads

The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff series.

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

7. The Immortal Rules
     by Julie Kagawa
     Goodreads 

You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

 8. The Selection 
    by Kiera Cass
    Goodreads

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

 9. Under the Never Sky
     by Veronica Rossi
     Goodreads

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

10. When the Sea is Rising Red

      by Cat Hellisen

      Goodreads

After seventeen-year-old Felicita’s dearest friend Ilven kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.

Check out my other Top Tens this 2011:


Top 10 Characters 2011
Top 10 Book Boyfriends 2011
Top 10 Book Covers 2011

Top 10 Characters of 2011

This running from the 26th -30th of December. Its hosted by A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books&Confessions of a Bookaholic.

TOP 10 CHARACTERS OF 2011

 1. Adrian in Bloodlines 
    by Richelle Mead


Why:

Despite the fact that he was heart broken and depressed. He still was excessively sarcastic to the point where I couldn't help but laugh my butt off.

 2 - 3. Cat & Ian in The Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost


Why:

Hands down! Cat is by far the best heroine I've read about. She's got all the characters of a stern, headstrong protagonist that keeps you entertained throughout the series.
Ian on the other hand, is down right hilarious. That man is so cute sometimes! I'm waiting for his turn to be a star in a spin-off series. He deserves some love too! 

 4. Lola in Lola and the Boy Next Door
    by Stephanie Perkins


Why:

Lola, in so many ways, reminds me of me. She's uber talented and she's striving to find love and in the end finds it with an old friend. :D Aside from that, I just love her style and her courage to show it off in front of everyone. 

 5. Luc in Personal Demons
    by Lisa Desrochers 


Why:

Luc is that bad boy demon who DOES NOT feel anything for anyone. He doesn't have a heart (PERIOD!). Well, until he met the girl he was supposed to steal a soul from. I love it when bad boys go soft. Luc especially! Hes just cute, hot and sarcastic as hell!

 6. Perry in Darkhouse
    by Karina Halle


Why:

Her personality! Its just so real and I love reading her narration.

7. St. Clair in Anna and the French Kiss
      by Stephanie Perkins

Why:

ITS ST. CLAIR!? Need I say more? 

8. Tucker in Unearthly 
      by Cynthia Hand

Why:

cowboy + sweet + hot + funny  = Tucker = Naj's fav

9. Will in The Ghost and the Goth
      by Stacey Kade

Why:

Like Perry, I like Will for how real the author writes him. Plus, hes hot and the weird kid in school. I have a soft spot for them. :D 

10. Wrath in Dark Lover

      by J. R. Ward

Why:

Like I said. I love seeing bad boys fall in love and go all soft! And Wrath was the start of the Brotherhoods demise! They were defeated by women! Helllll yeaaa. This gives me hope. hahaha.

I had a really hard time filling up 10 spaces. =.= I don't remember most of the characters I've read about. Yea... I know. Thats a fail from my part.

Top 10 Book Boyfriends 2011

This running from the 26th -30th of December. Its hosted by A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books& Confessions of a Bookaholic.

TOP 10 BOOK BOYFRIENDS 2011

Jared Leto as Adrian Ivashkov (Vampire Academy)

Ben Barnes 

as Dimitri (Vampire Academy) 

Jude Law

as Bones (Night Huntress Series) 

Alexander 

as Eric Northman (Sookie Stackhouse Series)

Henry Cavill

as Jean-Claude (Anita Blake Series) 

Ian Somerhalder

as Damon Salvator (Vampire Diaries)

Andy Richardson

as St. Clair (Anna and the French Kiss)

Jamie Durnan

as Tucker (Unearthly) 

Clemente

as Vlad (Night Huntress Series)

Zac Efron

as Will (The Ghost and the Goth)

*squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*! So many hotties. *dies*

Who's on your list?

Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

This running from the 26th -30th of December. Its hosted by A Life Bound By Books, Rachel from Fiktshun, Jaime & Patricia from Two Chicks on Books & Confessions of a Bookaholic.

TOP 10 BOOK COVERS OF 2011

Anna Dressed in Blood
by Kendare Blake
Goodreads | My Review

Why I like the Cover:
Look at it! The haunting and creepy feel it gives a person when you even glance at it for a moment is there and thats how the contents of the book are. And the fact that whoever designed this cover is really good. He/She achieved a fabulous feel with so much attention put into the details with the hair, the blood and the dress itself. I know for sure how hard that can be.

Across the Universe
by Beth Revis
Goodreads | My Review

Why I like this Cover: 
This cover is so magical and sci-fi which totally matches the book. The blend of pink, purple, red and orange is amazing and really makes the book pop wherever it may be hiding from.

Clarity
by Kim Harrington
Goodreads 

Why I like this Cover:
Has anyone heard of the saying 'Less is more'? This phrase/saying describes this cover entirely. The simplicity of it makes it pop and powerful. Its amazing how so little can make one feel.

Dark Mirror
by M.J. Putney
Goodreads 

Why I like this Cover:
So many elements, so much work that has been put in it. As a cover designer myself. I know and feel for the designers who have worked on these beautiful covers. This one in particular is beautiful with the grudgy feel and amazing attention to detail. The blending is awesome and I love how the designer made the glow. It makes the cover look magical.

Die For Me
by Amy Plum
Goodreads | My Review

Why I like this Cover:
As a cover designer myself, I can probably make something close to this. But I don't think I can accomplish how the swirls are around the model and the overall book without it looking so freaking random. haha. I tip my hat to the designer!

Hourglass
by Myra McEntire
Goodreads

Why I like the Cover:
The concept is AMAZING! I don't think I'll ever come up with something similar. Its just so surreal and avant garde. Who ever made this is a genius!

The Girl in the Steel Corset
by Kady Cross
Goodreads

Why I like the Cover:
1. The colors are so vibrant
2. The dress is AWESOME! I'd like one please!
3. The texture is wonderfully blended

Tempest Rising
by Tracy Deebs
Goodreads

Why I like the Cover: 
Seriously? I think its obvious. She's purple well, her tail is. But whatever. The point is I love purple and in this cover it looks awesome! :D 

The Pledge
by Kimberly Derting
Goodreads

Why I like this Cover: 
This is another example of 'Less is More' but in Black. Its just more powerful and beautiful. I think this is just a photograph only with very light photoshopping done. :D Either way. It looks amazing.

The Space Between
by Brenna Yovanoff
Goodreads

Why I like this Cover:
Now, this cover really gives me the creeps. I think its mostly because the background is almost fully red and the girl looks so ghost like and dead. Despite the fact that it give me the creeps. It really draws a person in. Like its ready to pounce out and grab you into the contents of the book. I really love it when artists achieve that kind of feel. 

That concludes my Top 10 Book Covers of 2011. I know there are loads more pretty books out there but there isn't enough room to put it in here. :( So what do you guys think? I