Secrets of Lost Words

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: CI've never read many books about bullying before so this was my first. Eric is the new kid in seventh grade and Griffin seems to be a good friend. But later, Eric slowly finds out how Griffin is really like and what a bully he was. Eric later tries to do stuff about it which works but I feel like the issue isn't really resolved in the end. Eric just stopped being the target, that's all. I think this book should've went more in depth for the bullying as it's something that kids deal with every day. This is a quick and light read about bullying that I'm sure people will enjoy.

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: C+Review written with Kaina @ These Flying PagesAriella:So let’s start on our review! Me (from Secret of Lost Words) and Kaina are going to be reviewing Angelfall by Susan Ee together! Yay!Kaina: *throws confetti* Sup munchkins *grins*Ariella: So where do you wanna start? Overall, I thought this was too hyped up. I found it average, y’know?Kaina:Totally, I was expecting a mind blowing epic novel from all the reviews it was getting. Ariella: Not to mention all the five star ratings it’s gotten. But it’s still a pretty good angel story, just not five-star-worthy, I guess.Kaina:Agreed, it was enjoyable though and a refreshing take on the whole overdone angel plot.Ariella:Plus, I’ve never read an angel book with an apocalypse world in it. So applause to the author *claps*Kaina:This was actually my first actual apocalypse book I’ve read..... O_OAriella: Really? Whoa.. Okay. So let’s talk about Penryn. What did you think of her?Kaina:Badass in a relatable sort of wayAriella: So you didn’t find her annoying sometimes? I did. Like, when she was going on her feelings about Raffe and how he doesn’t love her and all that crap. She felt really weak and whiny then.Kaina: I actually didn’t notice that much. Except, after the whole nightclub thing, that’s when I found myself getting a bit annoyed.Ariella: I noticed before the nightclub because I hate it when a heroine is all badass but breaks down heartbroken and sobbing because of a boy. -___- Like, you can kick some butts pretty well.. Who cares about a boy?Kaina:A hot boy though... However, I didn't like him that much at the beginning.Ariella:So you didn’t like Raffe? I still don’t really like him that much now. I like how he can joke around sometimes (that sarcastic bastard lol) but I don’t like how he treats Penryn. Though he does what he does with a good reason.. Doesn’t mean I have to like him!Kaina: Can you give me an example of a scene you didn’t like in which he treated her badly?Ariella: No not like treated her badly. But more like, his cold attitude toward her. He acts like he doesn’t give a crap what happened to her, but then still stalks her when he told her to go off on her own.Kaina: Ahh *bulb dings* I get you know, like when the fight thing happened?Ariella: Yeah, like that. But he knew she could take care of herself so he probably didn’t care. I mean, she got trained in like three different martial arts when she was little!Kaina:I admit he could get a bit cold towards her, but I think, like you said, if he knew that she couldn’t handle herself he would have done something.Ariella:Oh and I also don’t like how Penryn kinda fawns over his good looks. That’s only in the beginning though. And we’re judging Raffe pretty hard, don’t you think? ;) Kaina: Well, he is an angel. All majestic and stuff, imagine the hottest person you can think of and multiply it by... 100.Ariella: Okay, I got you. But still.. with his good looks, he can have a few more redeeming qualities.Kaina: Yeah, along with the whole hot and funny thing going on with the occasional subtle moments in which he was protective/caring towards Penryn there weren't that many things that made me swoon over him. However, towards the end I felt like he opened up a bit more..... maybe something we’ll get to see more of in the sequel perhaps?Ariella: *Nods* I do like my share of funny guys and he has opened up a bit more in the end. I really want the sequel too! And it seems like ⅔ of our review is all talking about Raffe... Kaina:O__O I bet he would just love that.... So instead of inflating his massive ego some more, let’s talk romance. What did you think?Ariella: Haha lol, wait I gotta do something first. Ahem *impersonates Raffe* OMG girls talking about my sexiness.. I know you can’t stand it. BOW BEFORE ME. *over* Yeah, let’s talk more about the plot and romance?Kaina:Lol xD I just imagined him saying “I have that effect on monkeys.”Ariella: LOL.. BUT WE’RE NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT RAFFE ANYMORE. Plot and romance?Kaina: Loved the plot. It was a refreshing take on an overdone concept. The thing I liked about the romance was the whole love/hate thing they had going on.Ariella: I thought the plot could have had more action and stuff. Like more scenes where she was kicking some serious butts. The romance was “meh” for me. I do like the love/hate relationship they have though. The hate part was awesome :DKaina: Yeah, the romance isn’t like actually over the top mushy love, it’s more of subtle thing that’s hinted towards the end, much of which was spent hating each others guts.Ariella: They only kissed once. How exciting!Kaina:Agreed. It was so frustrating, for me at least....Ariella: For me, it was more like, “Aww, how cute, they kissed. Now can we kick more angel butts and more kissing later?”Kaina:Sometimes I just wanted them to kiss and other times I just wished for them to start insulting each other and you know... start a duel :DAriella: YES, duel between Penryn and Raffe! I’d be buying front row tickets to that. But overall, THIS IS AN OKAY BOOK. DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE HYPE.Kaina: Angelfall by Susan Ee while enjoyable and original accompanied by the occasional witty dialogue and a strong heroine is definitely a bit over hyped.Ariella: Look, I’m just sitting over here and letting you do all the pretty talking. But yes, what she said. Does that conclude our review?Kaina: *Jazz hands* Ugh no never mind that’s lame. O_O *slowly backs away*Ariella: *left in the spotlight* Wait, are we closing the curtains? Did we even have curtains? DON’T LEAVE ME HERE..Kaina: MENTAL CURTAINS THEY’RE MAGICAL OKAY?Ariella: OKAY MAGICAL CURTAINS.. I will disappear!! *vanishes* Cuz you know, I’m awesome and cool.. BYE PEEPS. Kaina: *Comes back and fixes hair* I’m still here. Lol kidding. Bye, little awesome readers.Ariella: No, we shall call them munchkins. Anyways, BYE.. FOR REALZ THIS TIME.Kaina: Or is it? *light fades**silence**mental magical curtains close*THE END BEHIND THE SCENES(this takes place right after the end)*Kaina makes weird noises that sound vaguely like uncontrollable laughter while saying I’LL BE BACK.**hears shushing and someone getting slapped**HEARS A DUEL BEING CALLED FOR* *dead silence* *except for you know... the duel**hears Ariella whine, “CAN WE LEAVE NOW..”**Kaina whines “Awwww what about the duel?” Maybe Raffe will come and save me *wags eyebrows**Ariella wins the duel and no one cares about Raffe so he can go after Penryn*Kaina: Woah wait when did we decide a winner? I haven’t even taken off my earrings. You know what? I don’t need no hot yummy angel to save me BECAUSE I AM BADASS *does finger thing ninja motion*Ariella: I decided I’m winner five seconds ago and no I’m more badass cuz I’m Asian and I got my karate stuff.Kaina: I AM A BLACK BELT IN MARTIAL ARTS *SITS DOWN* Ariella:Okay how about I get you some ginseng tea and you can calm down?Kaina:A ninja never calms down.Ariella:BUT YOU CAN.. *injects sleeping potion* *Kaina falls asleep on the ground* MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!*Kaina jumps back up “A ninja is not taken down so easily!”*Ariella:How about I give you food and we can leave the audience alone? Oui?*Kaina follows food, her epic ninja Shadowhunter type of outfit fading into the darkness..........*Ariella:Okay, you done cosplaying yet? *drags Kaina away**Kaina sneaks one more grin before being dragged away*END OF BEHIND THE SCENES

I already read this story up to the eighth book two years ago. I never followed the series and now they have new books out but I don't remember what it's about. That's why I'm re-reading it. This book is pure genius. Everything was written perfectly. I usually don't like this kind of writing style (which sounds kind of old) but it made perfect sense with this book. The narrator, Tom, is beginning his journey to become the Spook's apprentice. He still doesn't know much yet but he's a good boy and has the courage even though he's really scared. I can see that he has grown throughout this story. The descriptions in this book was also really detailed but I was never once annoyed by it. There was a good balance between dialogue and descriptions. I really connected with Tom through everything. I felt his fear, loneliness, anger, etc. Even though becoming a Spook is a hard career path, he never once backed down from the challenge. Sure, he did doubt himself sometimes, but that felt realistic and he worked through his problem.The Last Apprentice is a chilling and adventurous story about someone who deals with things that go bump in the night. After all, that is their job. And if they don't do it, who will? I absolutely recommend this to everyone.

DNFed at 20%. This book doesn't seem to keep my interest. There are long paragraphs of detailed descriptions and I don't really like the writing style. This book has a lot of potential and I can see how some people would really like it.

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: CPrep School Confidential is a great YA mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. I don't read a lot of mystery books but I definitely enjoyed this one.Anne is a great character as she's determined to solve the case. She's a dedicated friend and nothing will stop her from doing what she wants. She's really stubborn as well but that's a great quality as she never backs down from a challenge and keeps pushing forward.The murder case was interesting to solve. We were shown three suspects and Anne kept looking through the clues to figure out which one was the killer. I had a hunch about them though that proved right at the end. I just gotta say that the relationship between Isabelle and the killer is quite mind-boggling.Prep School Confidential has a love triangle too. I didn't really mind it though I felt like it wasn't needed. The two love interests were Brent and Anthony. Brent is the good boy and Anthony is the bad. They both have their own qualities but I feel like Anne shouldn't string both of them on (she's confused about her feelings; typical). But as for me, GO TEAM ANTHONY.Overall, I thought Prep School Confidential is a mystery novel that is worth checking out.

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: CAllies is a novella in the Insignia series. Last year, when I read Insignia, I was instantly in love. So when I saw that there's going to be a novella in Wyatt's point of view, I was stoked. This novella was really nice as we get to see how Wyatt adjusted to the Pentagonal Spire. We get to experience her loneliness (poor girl!) and how she was different than most people. We get to see a different side to one of the love interests in the series, Heather Akron. And let me say, I do not like that side of her. What a b*tch. I do have a complaint though. This is too short (even though it is novella). It's a great book to satisfy you for a while before you go back to wait on Vortex :)

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: A- My review of The Assassin's CurseThis review may contain spoilers to the previous bookLast year I read The Assassin's Curse and it was so good! Once this book was out, I knew I had to pick it up immediately. The Pirate's Wish was a lot better than the first book. The romance, plot, and characters were all thoughtfully planned out and brought to a nice conclusion in the end.The romance is something you don't often see in YA. It wasn't insta-love and it was developed slowly like a real relationship. At first, Ananna and Naji didn't even like each other. Then they became friends and then a couple. I found it really sweet and cute. It wasn't all about sex; it was about the relationship and friendship between the two of them and the support they provided for each other.The plot also took a whole turn! There was a lot more action and curse-solving in the Pirate's Wish. The Assassin's Curse was used to set the whole story up and provided a bit of back story. The whole curse-solving thing was completed in this novel! The three impossible tasks weren't so impossible after all! You just gotta open yourself up the all the possibilities (just totally quoted Avatar the Last Airbender right there).With a dead wizard, minotaurs, assassins, pirates, and talking sharks, what more could you ask for? I couldn't put this book down and this one is definitely a recommendation and a must-read!

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: BSchool Spirits is a spin-off to the Hex Hall series. Hex Hall is one of my favorite series ever as it is entertaining and humourous. When I heard that Rachel Hawkins was going to write a spin-off on Izzy Brannick, I was instantly excited. And I was not disappointed.Izzy Brannick is Sophie's cousin and the Brannicks were trained to fight the Prodigium (supernatural creatures). Izzy's sister mysteriously disappeared on a mission and her mom is sending her to solve a ghost case at public school for a chance at normal life.School Spirits definitely brings back the taste of Hex Hall with a new set of characters. Izzy is a strong fighter (like a tiger among kittens) but she can't help loving normal people stuff (like TV shows, hanging out with friends, etc). She's a strong heroine and is determined to see things til its end and is protective of her friends. Dex (the love interest) is a great kid who's hilarious. He had me laughing a lot of times and is a nice guy all around. There is always something off about him that we get to find out at the end of the book that shocked me! Romy was a great friend to Sophie and I liked how she didn't back down from others when she's looked down on. All these characters have great qualities that made me instantly like them.School Spirits is a fun and adventurous book just like the Hex Hall series and I can't wait for the second book (there isn't one coming for a while now). I would recommend it to everyone who loves supernatural stuff and characters that can make you laugh :D

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: FTo sum up my feeling about this word in one simple way is this gif right here:The thing that stopped me from finishing this book is Drew and the lack of a plot. Drew is now hated by all the girls because they said that she killed her best friend and keeps all the boys to herself. Or something like that. If she has like 3 (maybe 4) boys/vampires after her, then so be it. Let the other girls be bitches. But Drew keeps complaining about them and she's being mean right back. Drew's attitude is really mean and I couldn't put up with her in this book. What's with her insecurity when her boyfriend left anyways? When Carden (bf) left, she isn't strong anymore. She became this weak girl who complains a lot. Her obsession with the keep also gets a lot on my nerves. Then there's the lack of the plot. Besides her obsessing over her friend's death somehow connected to the keep and her trying to juggle three boys, there's literally nothing that's worth reading about.

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: DI've never read anything by Jennifer Echols and thought it was a perfect time to pick up one of her books. From the synopsis, I got that I was going to read a contemporary about Nashville musicians.I found the pace of the book good and a lot of things happened. Going through Bailey and Sam's emotional roller coaster was thrilling and you get to see their wavering relationship. I didn't feel like they were the kind of couple that lasted as I found Sam annoying and manipulative. (Like seriously, fifty two girlfriends, but apparently it was more like twenty six *rolls eyes*)Bailey wasn't a better character either. She's really stubborn and I didn't like how she didn't stand up for herself when her parents bullied her. I am glad that she's found where she should be and is living her dream. I didn't like the two main characters that much but I think the romance and their relationship was good to read about.Overall, Dirty Little Secret is a great book if you want a contemporary about music.

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: BAfter reading countless five stars reviews of Sweet Peril, I've decided it was time to pick up this pretty before I keep putting it off more.In the second book, Anna begins working and polluting souls. She's still heartbroken and Kaidan Rowe is still the love of her life. She got a message from angels about a Prophecy involving a Nephilim then she finds herself travelling the world with Kopano to recruit other Nephilims to their cause.I was expecting a lot from this book but I wasn't disappointed! The plot may be a bit lacking (they're just rounding up allies after all) but I found myself invested in the characters and the romance. War is brewing and Anna needs to stop worrying about her issues and just step it up to fight.A question I had throughout this novel was, what was the so-called prophecy going to do for the Nephs? My questions wasn't answered in this novel but hopefully it will be in the third. The prophecy promised a second chance for all the Dukes but it never said what will happen to the Nephs. Do they get to keep living on Earth without the Dukes' control?Gather allies for the cause introduces us to new characters. Zania and Flynn are new to the cause and I really like those two characters. Especially Zania. She's had a tough life and I really liked reading about all the difficulties in her life and how she has chose to overcome those and fight for the Nephilims.A little bit on a spoiler side, but I gotta say I really liked the romance. At the end of the second book, was the love triangle somehow, eliminated?This book definitely didn't disappoint. Even though I got more questions than answers, Sweet Peril was a stunning sequel to Sweet Evil. Pick this up if you've been putting it off! You won't regret it!

DNF'ed... Might come back to read it again later..

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: BI haven't read any manga in a long time now and I decided to dive back into that world with Karneval, Vol. 1 by Touya Mikanagi. Karneval is a refreshing manga as we went in without knowing anything. We immediately get introduced to an innocent boy, Nai, who was just captured by thugs and brought to someone called Lady Mine. Gareki, a stranger, rescues him from Lady Mine. Somehow they got all tangled up with a murder case and a mysterious group called the Circus while Gareki is trying to help Nai find someone called Karoku.Nai is an awesome character. He's really innocent and naive and doesn't know much of anything. It looks like he has amnesia as he doesn't seem to remember anything of his past except Karoku and the Circus ID that came with him. He calls blood "red water" and doesn't know the bad guys from the good guys.Gareki is also a really great character as well. Even though he isn't helping Nai from the goodness of his heart, he still protects Nai like its his own brother. I would like to find out more about the group that Gareki is in.A special group of characters I'd like to mention are the sheepies! The sheep are so awesome and they're so funny! I like how they're the defense system and how they bullied Gareki haha! Overall, Karneval is an amazing manga you wouldn't want to miss reading if yore a big fan of anime and manga! Complete with beautiful drawings and a funny, mysterious plot, I'll be sure to keep on reading this one!

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: CCrush is the conclusion to the story of Luce and Jude. I must say I did rather enjoy this ending though it wasn't as good as the first two books.Luce and Jude are still great characters. Jude is always trying to provide for Luce, which I found very sweet. Luce doesn't exactly appreciate it but I understand. She just doesn't want the money to change him. Those two are definitely have a roller coaster ride of a love life :)This time around, in Crush, it's actually Luce who's the problem and being unreasonable (though for a good reason). Throughout the book, she has learned to trust Jude and grown as a person. Crush is definitely a great love story.On a personal opinion, I don't really like the more sexual scenes in this book. There were a few and I think they're too many. I think it should be more about developing their relationship and not sex (though they did develop their relationship plenty). I thought this series was YA for some reason, but it turned out to be NA?On a side note, there was one part of the book I felt wasn't necessary. Was Anton and the problem that came with him really necessary? It didn't really play a big part in the story is all I'm saying.Overall, Crush is a great ending to this series. I felt like Jude and Luce really did get their happily ever after and that love can win over everything :)

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: C-Thanks so much to Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for this review copy!Ink was certainly an enjoyable read as I immersed myself in the Japanese culture. There were some parts that I didn't enjoy but overall it was okay.The part that I loved the most about this book was definitely the Japanese culture. I watch anime and read manga on a regular basis so I really liked seeing the city of Shizuoka. The use of Japanese was good as well but I felt like it might be a bit difficult to read for people who don't watch anime or read manga. It'd be quite tedious to flip from where you're at to the the glossary at the back. But I was okay with the Japanese as I could easily understand simple phrases and words. The Kami was really interesting as well mostly near the end. You can see the descendants of Kamis (like Tomo) use their powers and it's a really cool super power to have :) Takanashi Jun, the other love interest in this book was the quiet boy. I liked him better than Tomo at first (and I still do) but I felt like there was always something quite fishy about that guy. And I was right.. I don't think it's much of the love triangle though with Katie loving Tomo so much. Which brings me to my point.The insta-love. Yes, just kill me now. From the moment Katie saw Tomo, she liked him and proceeded to stalk him and trying to one-up him. The stalking was horrible! Why the heck would you stalk a guy with a bad reputation? And her brainless friend even encouraged her to do so! What kind of logical thinking is this? I wish there was more of Yuki (the bff) and Tanaka though. I also wish there was more stuff about the school and how the education system was like in Japan.Overall, this is a great story that had me turning the pages but certainly had its flaws. The beautifully described Japan is something unique you wouldn't want to miss :)

Read more of my reviews at Secrets of Lost Words.Rating: C-Spies and Prejudice was a bit of a disappointment. It's a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and Lizzy is now Berry and Mr. Darcy is now Tanner. I liked Berry and Tanner's arguments and seeing Berry's growth. She learned something about herself in the end and that was good. There was an unanswered question though: Who was Drew really working for? I wish that question got answered. I also didn't like how Berry was too trusting of people. Spies and Prejudice is a good story to pass time with but otherwise, it was okay.