Berk Reviews ~ Obsidian ~ Jennifer L. Armentrout

For those who may not know, Berk is my younger daughter. She agreed, if somewhat reluctantly, *wink* to review a few of her summer reads. And since my review of Opposition (last in the series) posts tomorrow, I thought it'd be fun for y'all to see what she thought of Obsidian (first in the series.) I hope y'all enjoy!

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Lux Series #1
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source: Borrowed paperback from my Mom
Rating: 4 Bookworms
Goodreads

Synopsis
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a while lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

**BERK'S REVIEW**

What I Liked:

• The thoroughly developed characters
• No love triangle
• How "real" the aliens were - how there weren't big reaches in believeability
• Date rape awareness in a high school setting
• Relatable sass of Katy

What I Liked Less:

• The constant lusting after Daemon. It may seem like all teenage girls are constantly pining after guys but that's not true and it got annoying because it seemed to be central to the premise when it shouldn't have been.
• There wasn't enough action. The bit there was good, it just felt like it was lacking.

Overall, I really liked the world building and the story line. I'm just not a fan of excessive romance. However, I have started Onyx.

Berk Reviews ~ The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet ~ Erin Dionne

About a year ago, I reviewed The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet. If you missed my review, you can read it here. I mentioned in my review that my younger daughter had tried reading this but had put it down as it 'hit too close to home' for her. But she attempted it again and enjoyed it, so I asked if I could share her review with y'all. :)

***

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne

Release Date: January 7, 2010

Genre: Middle Grade
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms

Synopsis

Hamlet Kennedy just wants to be your average, happy, vanilla eighth grader. But with Shakespearean scholar parents who dress in Elizabethan regalia and generally go about in public as if it were the sixteenth century, that's not terribly easy. It gets worse when they decide that Hamlet's genius seven year-old sister will attend middle school with her - and even worse when the Shakespeare project is announced and her sister is named the new math tutor. By the time an in-class recitation reveals that our heroine is an extraordinary Shakespearean actress, Hamlet can no longer hide from the fact that she - like her family - is anything but average. In a novel every bit as funny as her debut, Erin Dionne has created another eighth grader whose situation is utterly unique - but whose foibles and farces will resound with every girl currently suffering through middle school.

**Berk's Review**

Between the school's Shakespeare project, secret crushes and the not-so-dynamic duo-- Hamlet Kennedy’s life was a mess. It didn’t help that her parents are constantly trying to ruin her life, dressing in full Elizabethan regalia, speaking without the use of contractions, or coming to help out at her school. And then her seven year old sister enters 8th grade to learn music and arts before going to college. Will Hamlets life get any better?

This was an overall amazing book. Erin Dionne has a very clever way of creating a great conflict for the character to go through. I had already tried to read this book once before but I thought it was a bit too similar to the situations what I was going through at the time. As I tried the book again, I soon found myself pulled into the story. The world that Dionne has created for the reader makes you really feel like Hamlet was a girl going to your school and dealing with these problems. I’m not going to spoil but I loved how it ended. Wrapped up with revenge and a bow. Dionne has written another wonderful book to add to the collection.

‘“Lots of people get in trouble,” I said. “ It’s no big deal. They won’t stay mad at you forever.”’