Well, I had a bit of a vacation...with school and psycho weather, I realized I had forgotten to keep reviewing until I had a stack of four books!

I thought Northern VA had lucked out this year in terms of weather, but...it wasn't to be. We finally got 5 inches (I know, not much, compared to the amounts falling in the Northeast, but it's enough to make everything a mess).

That was around 5, after it had been snowing about an hour.

And that was what the bushes looked like at 8, when it had finally stopped.

And I had to climb over that to get out of my house...fun stuff.

But, yeah, reviews are forthcoming...

REVIEW: Frostbite by David Wellington

Source: Bought

Having read a couple of paranormal romance series in which werewolves are dangerous, but still lovable, I decided to try something a little grittier. A werewolf story where a woman is attacked, not seduced, seemed like a refreshing break.

Chey Clarke is on her own in the far north when a flash flood disorients her and destroys her supplies. As she grows increasingly desperate to get to the town that should be due north, she realizes that she's being hunted…by something a large pack of wolves runs from. Sure enough, it's a werewolf, which says hello by trying to yank her out of the tree she climbed and tear her to shreds. Unfortunately, he gets close enough to scratch her, and Chey is just like him, and he lets her into his world (after a bumpy start…involving him chasing her with an ax). However, it seems the predator-prey divide is not as clear as it seems, as Chey's backstory is revealed and people from her old life make an appearance.

I mainly wanted a story that took a different look at werewolves, and this did just that. Powell, the werewolf, lives isolated from all humans because, once changed, his one goal is to kill and destroy anything human. That's part of the curse, that the wolf side hates all things human, which battles his human side. Being a wolf isn't cool, it really sucks-you live longer and are stronger, but there are two sides of you that hate each other, and one would eat the other given the opportunity. Although the cause of the curse was never really explained, the story drew in the myth of the werewolf that was prominent in medieval Europe, which I thought was pretty cool. According to Mr. Wellington's website, this is part of a new series (cool!), so maybe there will be further explanations as they further find out about the curse.

My favorite part of the book was Chey-she was a really strong lead character, and I loved how the way her character changed facilitated the twists and turns of the plot. Powell was also interesting, and I liked how their relationship developed, especially when Chey's previous experience with wolves comes to light. Plus, there's (sort of) romance that doesn't involve sex-which is totally fine, but, seriously, it's not a requirement when a werewolf and a woman meet.

Another strength of the book was Mr. Wellington's description; although the book was not particularly scary, there were a few rather chilling moments, especially given the way it was described-

            "She took in its shape in all in an instant, but after she saw them she had trouble looking at anything but its eyes. Those eyes-they were not yellow, like those of the timber wolves, but an icy green, narrow and cold. Intelligence resided in those eyes as well as something else, a deadly anger. She could read it plainly, as well as she could have read the eyes of a human being. This animal didn't want to eat her. It didn't consider her prey. It wanted to kill her."

So even though I was expecting something a little scarier, I did begin to enjoy the story once I realized that this was more gritty adventure than horror. In some cases, the writing style bugged me slightly, but I think it had more to do with the fact that it was just different than I was used to. I plan on trying more of David Wellington's books, particularly his vampire series. I particularly want to see his spin on the traditional vampire lore. I'm also planning to read on with the next book in this series, Overwinter.

Grade: 3.5/5-not my favorite, but definitely something I'll keep up with

REVIEW: The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Source: Bought

I absolutely loved The Maze Runner, the first book in the series, since it was an action-packed story of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Thomas and the Gladers are now out of the Maze, but it turns out that WICKED isn't finished with them yet. Only one night's relief, and they are thrust into an even more threatening environment. I don't want to give too much away-one of the reasons I like the series so much is that you aren't quite sure, especially at the beginning, what dangers there are-but let's just say that the Grievers were only the beginning.

The main appeal of this series is all the action, and The Scorch Trials delivered admirably. From giant lightning storms to fleeing in city sewers from Cranks, Thomas and the Gladers don't have time to breathe. The only section that dragged a little was towards the end, when Teresa went through some rapid changes quickly (I know that sounds lame, but I'm trying hard to keep out spoilers); it was very confusing, and I'm assuming that it is something that will be explained in a later book. Which is the main thing that stinks-another cliffhanger! Just as we're about to get some answers! But that's OK, I guess, as long as the next one comes out soon.

Against the backdrop of all the changes going on around him, Thomas himself stays pretty much the same. The main difference is that his dreams about his past are increasing, but the truth remains elusive. Also, a love triangle develops as another girl enters the story (which is so refreshing in the midst of the boy-girl-boy triangle). The only character who really goes through some major changes is Teresa, but it is unclear why these changes happened, and if they are real-mainly, Thomas sees her differently…again, trying not to spoil everything! Part of the reason that it seems that all the changes are superficial is because, well, they don't really have the time for lots of self-reflection. They're trying to cross the Scorch and not get eaten by Cranks, so the story is driven by action more than anything. Plus, Thomas is still clueless about many things (how he was involved in WICKED and why, what they are doing, etc.), so I have a feeling much of that character development will happen in the next book, when Thomas hopefully gets answers.

If you want a book with non-stop action, then this is definitely the book for you! I couldn't put it down. Although many aspects of Thomas's world are still confusing, there is still enough revealed that you don't feel lost.

Grade: 4.5/5