REVIEW: Bite Me!

Title: Bite Me!
Author: Melissa Francis
Series: has a sequel: Love Sucks
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Paperback
# of pages: 296
Source: Library
Summary:
AJ Ashe isn't your typical seventeen-year-old vampire--as if there is such a thing! She's stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFFs. Her ex-boyfriend--whom she's still totally in love with, by the way--is now her stepbrother. A former classmate--who, um, she may or may not have turned into a vampire--is stalking her. And now, apparently, the fate of humankind lies in her little undead hands. What ever happened to the good old days, when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood?

Review:
I picked this book up on a whim, off of my library's waiting-to-be-shelved area, and I'm glad I did. This book was a very fun, easy, and entertaining read. Though the plot is not terribly unique, it's not exactly like all the other vampire stories I've read before. The vampires here are not characterized like usual: they can walk in the sun, see their reflection in the mirror, and they drink blood out of V8 juice bottles. The explanation? Vampires have adapted to better live in the human world.

The story is written from AJ's point of view, in a very teenage girl voice. Some may say the writing is too simple, but I think it's just right, considering it is supposed to be a teenage girl telling her life story. At least part of it...and what a story it is!

One day AJ's life was as normal as any other teenage vampire girl's could be, and the next it's turned completely upside down. She's become the stepsister of the boy she's in love with, and soon she's got a creepy vampire stalker. Not to mention, someone is set on framing her for things she didn't do and ruining her life. AJ is scared and doesn't know what to do, and you could thoroughly feel it in her words.

But we don't just feel what AJ's feeling, we also get to learn a bit about her vampire history and an ancient vampire myth. AJ starts researching a myth on the Serpentines, an evil vampire clan, and this seems to get her into more trouble. The vampire myth definitely added to the intrigue, but so did the cast of characters. Though you could only see them through AJ's eyes, you could still get a little insight into their character. Ryan, her new stepbrother, is having a hard time dealing with their break up just like she is, and is frustrated when she pushes him away. This causes him to be a jerk, but he does make up for it and in the end, he seems like a sweet boy. I totally want AJ to end up with him. Too bad they've been forbidden from being with each other!

And her two best friends, Bridget and Malia, seem like they really care about her, but they're having trouble with each other, and something doesn't seem right with Malia. She acts a bit shady sometimes, which Bridget points out but AJ ignores. The Malia thing is not settled in this book, so I'll have to wait until I read the sequel to find out what's going on with her. But my guess is she is some kind of paranormal being too...

Actually, many things were not settled in this book...but that's what the sequel is for! :P Though I do have some unanswered questions, some of them were answered in this installment. But not in the way I thought it would be. The ending was totally unexpected, and I love that! I did not even suspect the perpetrator...

Bite Me! had it all...drama, mystery, suspense, and even a little romance. I wish it had a little more backstory on some of the characters, though. It was a great read nonetheless, and I can't wait to read the sequel!

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★
Characters - ★★★★
Ending - ★★★★★
Overall - ★★★★

MYSTERY: Executive Privilege

Title: Executive Privilege
Series: n/a
Author: Phillip Margolin
Genre: Suspense
Publisher: Recorded Books
Format: Audio Book
# of pages: 10 discs = 11.5 hours
Source: Library

Summary: 

"Hired by a prestigious D.C. attorney and Presidential confidant, ex-cop turned private eye Dana Cutler shadows campaign volunteer Charlotte Walsh--documenting the lovely political science major's whereabouts with pictures and voicemails.  The boring surveillance becomes interesting one night when Charlotte has a clandestine meeting with the President of the United States.  After the 19-year-old's body mutilated body is found the next day, police conclude Charlotte's the latest victim of the D.C. Ripper.  But Dana has evidence that implicates someone in the White House.  Hoping to stay alive long enough to prove it, she hops on her Harley and roars away." - Back Cover

Review: This was the first audio book I ever listened to.  At first, I wasn't sure I liked it, but as I got further along into the story, I couldn't stop listening.   It was also the first Phillip Margolin book that I've ever read.

Usually, I only read cozy mysteries, so this whole reading of a Suspense/Thriller audio book was a new experience for me.  I'm not sure if it was the narrator or the author's writing that made this one of those "can't put down" stories, but both definitely contributed.  The storyline was excellent, as was the narrator's reading of it.  This story simultaneously unfolds on separate sides of the country, with parts taking place in Washington D.C. and parts taking place in Oregon.  I found it to have a nice pace, with clues and details slowly being revealed and everything coming together nicely.  I usually figure out whodunnit by the halfway point in the novel, but I actually couldn't figure out the real person behind it all, until quite near the end.  Also, the characters were very real, with flaws and depths to their personalities.  I really liked that.

All in all, I give it four and a half stars, just because I was able to figure  out whodunnit.  But I still really liked this, and this will definitely not be the last Phillip Margolin book that I read.  Nor will it be my last audio book.

Rating:
Plot - ★★★★★
Characters - ★★★★★
Ending - ★★★★
Overall - ★★★★★

Thriller & Suspense Reading Challenge

I'm joining another challenge!  It must seem like that's all I do, haha.  I've got more I want to join too.  I just love these challenges because it opens me up to loads of new books.  Anyway...This challenge is, as the title says, the Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge.  This genre has many sub-genres, which you can view here.  The ones I mostly read are the cozy mysteries, but if you look at the list there are sooo many more.  Even though the challenge is to read 12 thrillers in 2010, I also want to challenge myself to try to read one from each sub-genre.




1. Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin - 04/09/2010 (Political Thriller)
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MYSTERY: Her Royal Spyness

Title: Her Royal Spyness
Subtitle: solves her first case
Author: Rhys Bowen
Genre: "Cozy" Mystery
# of Pages: 324

Summary: It's the 1930's, and Lady Georgiana is 34th in line for the British throne. Although just a minor a royal, she's still expected to act like royalty and be proper, even if she doesn't exactly have the financial means to do so. Her brother has cut her off financially, and so she's run away to London. Though when she gets there, she realizes that maybe she hasn't thoroughly thought out this running away thing. And then a dead body shows up in her bathtub...

Review: The story begins with a lot of back story, introducing characters and creating the setting. This is the first cozy mystery I've read, so I don't really have anything to judge it against. I thought it was well written and an entertaining read. I didn't fully figure out "whodunnit" until near the end, though I did figure it out before Lady Georgiana. But the story line was interesting, and I love that British monarchy is involved. I'm very interested in history, especially of monarchies. And the fact that a little bit was worked in is awesome. It was a nice, easy read to relieve my brain after studying for finals. :)

Rating: ★★★★