To Catch a Pirate

To Catch A Pirate
Author: Jade Parker
Genres: YA, historical romance
Publisher: Point (May 1, 2007)
Rating: 3/5



Summary:After the death of her mother, sixteen-year-old Annalisa Townsend leave England and sets sail for the Caribbean in 1720, where her father is to be the governor of a small island named Mourning. Shortly before they reach their destination, however, the ship is attacked by pirates. Annalisa is discovered hiding in the hold by James Sterling, a young pirate. When he tries to steal her necklace, all that is left of her mother, she begs him not to. He agrees in exchange for a kiss, and she expects never to see the disturbingly handsome young pirate again. But after arriving at their destination, Annalisa's father is accused of allowing the pirates to steal the gold that was to be used to build a port on Mourning, and sent to jail.

One year later, Annalisa has acquired a ship and a crew and set out in search of James Sterling. James has run into trouble of his own, having been marooned by his former captain, Crimson Kelly, for having let Annalisa escape during the pirate attack. Annalisa is determined to find James so that he can lead her to where Crimson Kelly hid the treasure her father was responsible for, so she can reclaim it and free him from jail. What Annalisa doesn't expect is for her unsettling feelings for the young pirate to resurface, and soon she finds herself in danger of falling in love with him.

Review: I love historical fiction, especially when they involve pirates. To Catch a Pirate was pretty good, somewhat predictable, with a happily ever after ending. If you're looking for a quick, good read then I highly recommend it. The thing I really liked about it was that Annalisa, isn't weak. She's strong, determined, and very brave. There's also a good amount of humor in it, James is quite the funny guy.

Linger By Maggie Stiefvater

Linger
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press (July 13, 2010)
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5



 In Maggie Stiefvater Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret, For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves...and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.



 At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.



Linger is one of the best sequels I have ever read. It really lives up to the first amazing book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy. Because even though an author writes an amazing first book, doesn't always mean the second will be as good as the first.



 In Linger we see more of Sam. We learn his fears, pet peeves, and see more of his past, though his eyes. And he's more poetic, which I loved. Sam is probably my favorite fictional character of all time. Sure he can be mopey at times, but can you really blame him? He's got a lot on his hands.



 One of those things is Cole. A new wolf, who was chosen by Beck. I didn't really like Cole at first. He seemed like a big jerk. But then he began to show a different side of himself, which made me like him a little bit. After I read Forever I'll make my final decision. Linger also shows us Grace's rebellious side. Before she never had to disobey her parents, because they didn't really care. But all of a sudden they switch to parent mode, and begin to watch Grace and Sam more closely. They then think she spends too much time with him.



Also, this book was told from multiple points of view, not just Sam and Grace like in Shiver. For Linger, it's told from the perspectives of Sam, Grace, Cole, and Isabel. It really made me like Isabel, and probably Cole too.



The other thing I loved was the cover. I think because it's so simple. And to match the green on the cover, the book is in green print! For some reason I don't recall Shiver having blue print, but a quick google search told me otherwise. It was navy blue, so it was probably so close to black I didn't notice. I'm wondering if Forever will be red or brown, as the cover has both on it. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.



This book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing and the cliffhanger at the end....well..let's just say that I'm VERY excited for July 12th, 2011 - when Forever comes out. Which will revile a lot of things, including the print color.  

DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver

Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen (February, 1st 2011)

Genre: YA, Dystopian
Source: Library
Rating: 5/5

Summary: Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with.It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid, while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you when you have it and when you don't.

Review: I absolutely loved Delirium! From the first chapter all the way to the final word. Lauren Oliver writes beautifully, at some points in the book I wanted to put the book down because it was so sad. Of course I didn't, her words pull you in. So I basically inhaled this wonderful book.

In the future love is a disease, amor deliria nervosa. Everyone over 18 is cured, except for the Invalids who refuse, who live in the wilds. Imagine if we lived in a world like this, no love, no emotion really. Not even laughter. I think a great book would be of how love became a disease, but maybe that's just me.

Lena Holoway narrates the book, she starts becoming braver, questioning the cure, and starts falling in love with the boy with hair like autumn leaves. Olivers writing seems so effortless as Lena and Alex's relationship grows, as her and Hana's flips and flops. Just beautiful. Before I fall was amazing, but Delirium is so much better. You feel all the emotions, picture that world vividly in your mind. The words beg to be read, I couldn't put it down. Delirium really makes you think about love. Makes you realize that the world takes it for granted, just some word to throw around. You really see that is has a meaning, and that without it life would be dull.

So there's all this beautiful writing and you're super engrossed in the story and the characters then bam! Breathtaking, cliffhanger ending. So we have to wait until Pandemonium, book 2 in the Delirium series comes out.