Callis Rose by Mark Tufo

Synopsis
Callis Rose is a girl blessed with a gift from above or cursed with a ruthless power she barely understands; it's really just a matter of degrees. As her family life is turned asunder she is thrown into an indifferent social services program where she defends herself the only way she knows how.Callis is moved from home to home until she finally settles at the Lowries'. As she starts her first day of high school she meets both her favorite and least favorite person. Both happen to be part of the same household. Mindy Denton makes it her single mission in life to destroy Callis, even as her brother Kevin falls deeper into love with the mysterious and beautiful girl who is hiding something from them all.

My Review 

I was able to have the opportunity of listening to an Audio book of 'Callis Rose' as an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) on Goodreads.com.

Wow. I have no clue what to say about this book. I will say it took me a while to get used to the Audio (this was my first audio book). In the beginning, I wasn't entirely roped into the story. I thought the book was just about a spoiled girl, but boy was I wrong. When Callis was transported between different Foster homes, I felt a large amount of sympathy for her. A girl at such a young age nearly experienced rape twice and abuse. I hated how awful everyone was in these homes, only Joshua (the baby) and her second Foster Mother were good.

I thought her powers were interesting. They were weird but it worked in the story.

Kevin. He was the only genuine person in this whole novel. His compassion and love toward Callis was beautiful. For once I thought that Callis finally had something in her life worth something. Their relationship was the ONLY thing I liked about the book. Even through the worst of times they were still together in love. 

Then Kevin's B***H of a sister, Mindy ruined everything. From then on I thought Mindy deserved whatever came to her. Thanks to Mindy, Callis lost everything dear to her, so much pain was inflicted upon her. I started to dislike the book when things got out of hand and became dark, murderous and wrong.

The writing was good. A bit too descriptive in some areas but I highly disliked the amount of swearing that came from all the characters, I would have been fine if there was a small amount but there was a swear word nearly every sentence.

I was speechless at the end. I had no idea what to personally take out of the book. It was ok but not one of my favourite books. I know I gave it a 2 Star but I really would have put 2.5 Stars. Even though I didn't really like Callis Rose, I would suggest you read it for yourself and make your own views.

The Ruby Rose by Christine Evans (Short story/Fairytale)

For a German assignment I had to write a short Fairy tale similar to the Grimm's Tales. This is pretty bad but I thought I would post the English version for you to read.

The Ruby Rose

Once upon a time, there was King and Queen who had a beautiful girl with the beauty of a Rose, alas they called her Rose. As she grew, Rose was blessed with long dark red hair, bright green eyes and perfect, red lips. No one in the land had such beauty. The King and Queen wished for their daughter to have anything she desired, gold, silver and jewels. Although, desire caused Rose to have a selfish, greedy heart. 

One day, Rose went for a walk in the Woods and came upon a small house. In the house was an old woman. 
           “You must be Rose.” said the woman. 
           “How did you know?”
           “Well my dear, who would have such lovely red hair like you, the color of rose petals or the bright green eyes you have, the color of leaves. No person in the land has such beauty.”           
           Around the woman’s neck Rose saw a golden necklace with a Ruby Rose charm. Rose had never seen such a jewel.
           “I want your jewellery. Give it to me.” Rose demanded.
           “You shall not have this jewel it belongs to me.”
           “I want it now. I get whatever I want when I want it. Give it now!”
           “No. You have a heart of such greed for a girl blessed with beauty. You will never be loved by any person with such a heart. If you steal my Ruby Rose you will live a life of ugliness and loneliness until your one true love sees your true heart.” 

That night Rose crept into the small house and stole the Ruby Rose as the woman slept. As Rose place the Ruby around her neck, she felt odd. Suddenly, her red hair began to fall out, her voice became croaky and she began to shrink into an old woman, only left with her bright green eyes and the Ruby around her neck. Ashamed of her looks, she ran through the dark forest wanting a place to hide her ugliness. Then as the sun rose she ran into a field, a field of flowers. It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen, so much colour, life and purity. She decided this would be her place until a true love could break her free of this spell.

Days, Months, Seasons and years past and she sat in the field waiting. As hundreds of men came and ignored her, she realized she didn’t care. She kept to herself in the field of flowers and begun to see the beauty of life around her. All she wanted to do was live in her field of flowers forever and nothing else mattered.

Ten years pasted and on her 18th birthday, Rose was sitting in among the flowers when a handsome Prince walked up to her through the flowers.           “Hello I am in searching of a lost Princess have you any places I can look for her?” he asked.
           “The Princess is no longer a Princess. She is in the open but invisible. She wishes to be found but not to be found. Her beauty lost among other beauties.”
           “You spoke of her in riddles, as if you know her being.”
           “Only one person will ever free her from her dungeon, which is also a place a beauty.” She said not looking at him.
           “More riddles. Well you appear to be the oddly placed piece in this field. Do you live here?”
           “Yes, this is where I live, among the flowers, among what beauty the sun, sky, earth and wind provide me.” 
           The Prince stared at her with curiosity and wonder.
           “You are an oddly beautiful creature, without hair but with the brightest green eyes. They say the Princess had bright green eyes and long red hair, the most beautiful in the Land.”
           “Yes. Hair as red as rose petals, eyes the color of leaves and blessed with the name Rose.” 
           The Prince continued to stare into her eyes and looked down upon the Ruby Rose around her neck.
           “That is a nice jewel. Although your eyes are radiant and leave me lost in them. That rose is ugly compared to you. ”
           A burst of light blazed blinded the Prince as the most beautiful Princess appeared before him with her red hair, stunning green dress and bright green eyes.
           She opened her mouth and the most divine voice filled the air, “Until your one true love sees your true heart.”

The End...

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Synopsis

A father and his young son walk alone through burned America, heading slowly for the coast. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. They have nothing but a pistol to defend themselves against the men who stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food and each other.

My Review

To a point I really liked Cormac McCarthy’s the Road. I wouldn't rate it as the best piece of Literature I have ever read although it’s worth a 3/5. Many have different opinions on the plot, on the punctuation, the repetition and the characters.

The plot had potential although really wasn't that original. Even though this idea of a Dystopian, post-apocalyptic world was good, although it was very hard to even catch onto what was in the plot. Nearly the whole time you sit there thinking what’s happened in the past present and the future. McCarthy doesn’t write anything at all about what happened prier or at the time of the big event (which we don’t know what it was) that changed the world. Overall the plot was ok but I hated the repetition of the character’s day. I ate…. We walked… we slept. I get it was because that was all they could do in this world but you need to have something interesting in the plot to get readers not to put the book down.

At first the punctuation was so annoying that I slowly imagined that there were comers and quotation marks. I felt as if McCarthy didn't care at all about the punctuation. I found that that changed for me. Later on in the book I found that I though the lack of punctuation suited the blandness and emptiness that the story has. It made me feel as if the world they were in had forgotten about punctuation and literature.

I liked the characters so much; they were my favourite piece of the Road. I connected with the father and the son and felt empathy and sorry for the way they need to live. But they had a kind of hope they carried. Their love for each other was very strong. The only thing about the characters that was disappointing was that there was no background story to either of them apart from that their father and son and about the boy’s mother.

I would recommend The Road but not strongly.

Captured By Erica Stevens

Synopsis

Blood Slave.

Captured, taken from her beloved family and woods, Aria’s biggest fear is not the imminent death facing her, but that she will be chosen as a blood slave for a member of the ruling vampire race. No matter what becomes of her though, Aria knows that she must keep her identity hidden from the monsters imprisoning her. She has already been branded a member of the rebellion, but the vampires do not know the true depth of her involvement with it, and they must never know.

Though hoping for death, Aria’s world is turned upside down when a vampire named Braith steps forward to claim her. He delays her execution, but Aria knows it’s only a matter of time before he drains her, and destroys her. Especially once she learns his true identity as a prince within the royal family; the same royal family that started the war that ultimately brought down humankind, reducing them to nothing more than servants and slaves.

Aria is determined to hate the prince, determined not to give into him in anyway, but his strange kindness, and surprising gentleness astonish her. Torn between her loyalties to the rebellion, and her growing love for her greatest enemy, Aria struggles to decide between everything she has ever known, and a love she never dreamed of finding.

My Review

I truly loved this book. It is that best book i have EVER read. After reading it a first time, I re-read it over and over again. The cover of Captured was intriguing to me (Since I love roses), until I started to read the novel I had no clue what it was about. 

I really liked the story line and the idea of Blood Slave. In traditional books, humans are the ones who have the power over the Vampires not the other way around, for one I liked the change.

I was kept on the edge of my seat, reacting to every moment in the book. The characters made the book irresistible. Aria I liked because she was strong minded, smart and strong willed. I can tell you there is no silly 'love triangle’, but I can simply say Braith is my reason for loving this book. Usually I say "Oh I LOVE this guy and I want him to myself." But seriously, this time I can say OMG I F*****G LOVE YOU AND I WISH YOU WERE REAL AND I COULD HAVE YOU. Braith is seen in the beginning as a cold, ruthless vamp that is out to drink you dry, but he is sweet, kind and has a beautiful soul. He is the only vampire in the book who doesn't buy Blood Slaves. I won’t tell you why he buys Aria, you'll need to find that out for yourself.  

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is a lover of Romance and Vampires like I am. You will feel as if are or even want to be Aria. 

Wow and not to mention the other 3 books. I'm in love.

The Captive Series

Book 1: Captured

Book 2: Renegade

Book 3: Refugee

Book 4: Salvation

Fallen By Lauren Kate

Synopsis
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret...even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, FALLEN is a page-turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

My Review


This book is amazing! I couldn't put it down! This book, by far, is one of my all-time favorites! I have always had an obsession with reading, but for some time I lost interest. Fallen by Lauren Kate sparked up my obsession once again. Fallen was dark, seductive, captivating, mysterious novel of romance and the supernatural.

I really liked Luce, she was a compassionate, strong and interesting character. The two love interests Cam and Daniel were fascinating, mysterious and sexy. Cam an easy out-going guy, from the beginning he was nice to Lucy, always going out of his way to make her happy, but he seem to hide the truth about him. Daniel. This guy really gets to Luce, she thinks she’s seen him better, but can’t she be sure? She can't stop thinking of him, dreams about him, but the guy is really rude to her. (I still can’ decide who I like more. Probably Cam <3 ). Her kissing scenes were damn good, too. Lauren Kate is an amazing writer who makes you so enticed you need to read continuously for hours.

Fallen is the kick start novel of an amazing four book series. If you read this series wait until the MIND BLOWING finally in the final book, Rapture. I was literally screaming at the end because I was so excited and shocked at the same time. So you need the read Fallen or you will be missing out on the Young Adult book series of the decade.

The Tears Of Iris By James Dorr

Synopsis

What is art? To a sculptor it may be the formation of beauty from stone, or some other material; to a writer the forming of words into poetry or prose. The creation or retelling of myths and wonders, bringing to them a new understanding — but beauty as well. To the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney, in his Defense of Poesy, “lifted up with the vigor of his own invention, [the poet -- or, indeed, the artist in general] doth grow, in effect, into another nature, in making things either better than nature bringeth forth, or, quite anew, forms such as never were in nature, as the heroes, demi-gods, cyclops, chimeras, furies, and such like.” And so it may be proper that the book we have here, The Tears of Isis, begins with a poem about a sculptor, a modern Medusa, and concludes with the title story of another sculptor who travels a continent for inspiration, in search of the goddess, “the Weeping Isis,” and ends with discovery of her own self.

But The Tears of Isis, the book, is a journey too, encompassing, yes, “forms such as never were in nature,” as not just “La Méduse,” but also a man’s soul absorbed by an octopus, vampires both physical and metaphorical, music and retellings of Cinderella, an Ancient World caper involving the Golden Fleece of legend, a far-future recasting of Sleeping Beauty — one of three stories in The Tears of Isis set in the author’s world of the “Tombs,” another “Tombs” tale of the origin of ghouls, cockroaches spawned by war, insects by UFOs, Lovecraftian monsters called forth by candles, a woman who takes in a rat as a pet, the “death planet” Saturn and women who buy birds, the life-cycle of dragons, another “Tombs” story of love and a zombie-like form of revenge, and at last to Isis — her search to create but destroying as well, as is part of her nature, and back full circle to sculptress Medusa who “spoke to her hair at times” and “in her dreams . . . her hair hissed its/ answers.”

Are these tales, then, her doing, the fever dreams of one who both creates and dismantles, who transmutes life itself into stone? And are Medusa and Isis the same, the goddess who, with her consort Osiris, rules over death and life at the same time, taking the form of both nurturing mother and flesh-eating vulture?

My Review


I was able to have the opportunity of reading 'The Tears Of Iris' as an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) on Goodreads.

It was unfortunate that I found the book disappointing. I had hopes that it would be pretty good, but originally had expectations for it. The cover may look unappealing to some but somehow it intrigued me into reading the collection of short stories. I found the blurb misleading. When I first read it I thought it had potential since I like twisted fairy tales and adventure. Unfortunately, I thought that the blurb had no relation with the stories. I thought the stories would be a twisted version of classics, but not in this case.

It personally too me a while to get through the collection of stories since I would read one, then put it down and not pick it up for a while. I thought the stories were too short and didn't have any connections or relevance between stories. Although the ideas of the stories were good, I found them really confusing and was annoyed that there was no background to the story and its characters. Out of the 19 stories only one caught my liking, 'Bottles', I like my Vampire tales.
I was overall disappointed but glad to have read something a little different, even though the writing could have been improved a tad.