Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Author: Tiernan, Cate
Published Year: 
Publisher: 
Number of Pages: 
Paranormal Elements: 

Immortals     |     Magic

A story about a 450 year old immortal girl who has led a life of partying. After a close friend of hers shocks her into realising that her life has lost it's meaning and she has reached a stand still, she decides to take up an old offer from many decades ago, leading her on a roller-coaster ride ( or maybe as she sees it, a boring, repetitive hell) of self discovery, what it means to be truly content and happy with your lot and facing your past.

I enjoyed this book. For some reason it made me feel clean while reading it and the characters had that true depth to them that makes you think and actually take advice from them.
I liked Nastasya, the author voiced her in a hilariously unique way, making you love her even though she is in no way 'pure of heart'. I actually laughed out loud at some points, the sarcasm and wit Nasty uses  was quite smart.
I stayed up till 2:30am one night to finish this, and then the next night I NO JOKE, dreamt about finding the sequel in a book store and buying it. When I woke I was not happy to find that my purchase had remained inside my head. When the sequel DOES come out, I will most certainly buy it, I can't wait to see Nasty face Incy!

I'd recommend this to people who are into the whole paranormal/ supernatural teenage fiction that spawned after Twilight, you know who you are!

Switched by Amanda Hocking

Author: Hocking, Amanda
Published Year: 2012
Publisher: Tor
Number of Pages: 293
Book Thickness: 2cm
Paranormal Elements: 

Trolls   |    Magic Abilities   |   Changelings

Switched is the story of a young girl whose mother tried to kill her, believing she wasn't her child. Several years later, Wendy starts to believe her mother may have been right. Abandoning her family with Finn after being attacked, Wendy meets her biological mother, the queen of the Trylle, making Wendy a princess. Forbidden love and becoming your birthright is what Wendy faces as she comes to realise that she doesn't feel fit to be a Trylle princess. 

I picked up Switched as I passed it on a bookshelf and thought to myself, that's a pretty book I'll look at the back. I read the back and liked what I saw so I read a few pages, and after that I decided that this was going to be one of those books that I knew nothing about, but was going to spontaneously buy because I'm rebel like that.

I must admit, Wendy came across to me as whiny and a bit spoilt, I never really liked her as much as I have with other heroines. The only character/s I genuinely rooted for was Finn and maybe Rhys.

The storyline was OK, but not something that's going to hands-down win an academy award and a crazy-girl fan club.

I've heard that this is a wildly successful eBook and self-published series, but I'd never heard of it until I actually saw it.

Overall, I'd read the sequel, maybe buy it, but no guarantees. It was interesting but didn't make 4 stars.

I'd recommend it, yet again, to those people who read the paranormal/ supernatural stuff that spawned after Twilight.

Blurb:

Wendy Everly knew she was different the day her mother

 tried to kill her and accused her of being switched at birth.

Although certain she's not the monster her mother claims

she is - she does feel that she doesn't quite fit in . . .

She's bored and frustrated by her small town life - and 

then there's the secret that she can't tell anyone. Her mysterious

ability - she can influence people's decisions, without

knowing how, or why . . .

When the intense and darkly handsome newcomer Finn

suddenly turns up at her bedroom window one night - her world

is turned upside down. He holds the key to her past, the answers

to her strange powers, and is the doorway to a place she never

imagined could exist: Förening, the home of the Trylle.

Finally everything makes sense. Among the Trylle, Wendy is

not just different, but special.. But what marks her out as chosen

for greatness in this world also places her in grave danger. With

everything around her changing, Finn is the only person she can 

trust. But dark forces are conspiring - not only to separate them,

but to see the downfall of everything that Wendy cares about.

The fate of Förening rests in Wendy's hands,

and the decisions she and Finn make could change

all their lives forever . . .

People who liked Switched, may also like:

Tithe by Holly Black                                                                                                Wings by Aprilynne Pike