Raven: The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)

An incredible novel by Rick Riordan

Publication Date: October 8th, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 597
Targeted Audience: People who want to get their heart broken by major feels

Summary: At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

*High-pitched squeal* THIS BOOK! Oh good lord! This book is the bomb! I mean when I saw it, I squealed so hard. I was fangirling alongside reading it. It's almost a 600 page book and on a general basis it should have taken me at least two weeks to finish it but I finished it in 3 days. THAT'S HOW HYPER I WAS!

Okay okay enough of the fangirling. I can't really write a review as such cause there are sooo many things happening in this book. But basically it is all character development. 

We get to see so many different angles to every character! There is a new layer unfolding as we turn every page. Percy and Annabeth's journey in Tartarus was just wow! I mean it was described in such a good way that it actually gave me the chills. And there were loads of Percabeth moments! <3 I just love them both together. Plus all those enemies they faced. Wow just wow... 

Bob was the cutest and the most adorable character in this book. He made me cry at the end.

Piper went through a major development. When she was charm-speaking Khione I was literally at the edge of my seat biting my finger off in anxiety. *Slow-applause*

Hazels new power is hella awesome! I loved it. She and Frank are meant to be! I ship them! Oh and Franks development was just *insert dropped jaw* He just... argh! He just went commando! I love him! I loved him before and I still love him. I love that line he says "Pain was unimportant. Failure was unthinkable." It's engraved in my memory.

Leo also under went such a HUGE character development! It's like he has a purpose now. I am so glad that Rick Riordan finally got him together with a great girl... well not really together but yeah... I SHIP CALEO!!

NICO: His confession... assdfgfhja! I just can't take it! I was so torn when he confessed. I felt like my heart was ripped out. I stopped reading and screamed into my pillow. That's how big his confession was. It was like... OUT OF THE FREAKING BLUE! And I absolutely loved it! Would not have it any other way.

Jason... well he didn't change much.

But overall, I loved it. There is such a different tone to this whole book. I mean there is humor of course but there is this underlying tragic tone. All the characters have a kind of sadness in them that you only get after losing someone. Gosh! I can't wait for the last book! I can't imagine how it will all end. I mean it's Rick Riordan! You can never predict what he does.

Must read!

Lots of Love & Pasta,

Raven

Four & a half stars!

Beez: Love, Stargirl

Jerry Spinelli

 

LOVE, STARGIRL picks up a year after Stargirl ends and reveals the new life of the beloved character who moved away so suddenly at the end of Stargirl. The novel takes the form of "the world's longest letter," in diary form, going from date to date through a little more than a year's time. In her writing, Stargirl mixes memories of her bittersweet time in Mica, Arizona, with involvements with new people in her life.

In Love, Stargirl, we hear the voice of Stargirl herself as she reflects on time, life, Leo, and - of course - love.

There are some books that when you're reading it something magical happens and when you smile, every part of your body has got a buzzes with happiness. When there's a sad part, you become low for the rest of the day. This is that book. This is that book that creates a world for you above your head. This is that book that leaves you completely satisfied and amazed. This is one of the best book I've ever read (i repeat this line many times in this review).

In the first book Stargirl Caraway enchanted me. In this book, well she continued to do the same. I fell in love with every part of her as i read on. 

I was fascinated by Stargirl in the prequel, and this book made me further fascinated. She is truly beautiful. She has the hugest heart. She has a place for everybody in her heart.Nobody is insignificant. She sees something in everybody. Also she isn't proud or arrogant or stuck up. She treats everybody as equal. She believes they are like her. She sees people not only at the surface, but deeper and sometimes better than one sees them-self.

This book is from Stargirl's POV. And while in the prequel we were all wonders at who this creature might be,in this book we meet her a a fellow human, a teenager even. Definitely a more special kind and better person than the better lot of us, but a real human who has bad days, who mopes for her ex and deals with real life. It makes us connect with her so much more.

Apart from being all about Stargirl, this book has many other wonderful characters who seem so real. This book is every one's story. From the man who lives in the past to the woman who is afraid of living and everyone in between.

Dootsie is my one of my favorite character. She is just so cute. I love how that huge head of her sees everything in a completely new light and how she is so vibrant and colorful  and adorable. It is impossible not smile in every part of the book she is in.

Till now you probably have figured that i am incapable to write a proper review for this book. Mostly its because I'm so smitten with it that i can't move ahead of the fact that this book is beyond amazing!

After i read this book i had the Stargirl girl spell on me, when i just looked out ad smiled so stupidly but i was also so darn devastated that this book was over and i felt so sad and my heart felt like it was going to burst.The ending of this book is magical and beautiful and that feeling is just blows you away.

 This beautiful story is about the life of Stargirl after she moves and leaves Leo. Stargirl is heart broken and does her fair share of moping and fights her demons.She meets new and amazing people and goes around spreading the Stargirl magic around her. She discovers the place she now lives in and finds enchanted places. She goes back to being home schooled by her mom. She takes up new projects and completely fascinates us by her uniqueness. With some of the best and amazingly thoughtful quotes this book is one of a kind. 

Its taken the place of my current favorite book.

Truthfully, this book touched me deeply. There is so much truth and realness in this book and its written amazingly. There are parts in this book that will make you smile through tears. In this big bad world, there are people like Stargirl that make it worth living, restores our faith in humanity. Its the small things. Its when somebody in the world notices you, Stargirl does that. Not without hardship. Stargirl has her own life and heart break too, but she has time for the world too. 

This world desperately needs Stargirl.

Everybody needs Stargirl.

This being said, this is one of the best books i've every read and i'm going to recommend it to every person out there. If this book fails to touch you and enrapture you with its wonderfulness, there is something seriously wrong with you. You should also know that if you read this book, and don't like it, I don't like you.

Normally for such an amazing book, I'd rant on and on that you have to read it. But this book is different and special and if my review touched you at all, then you shall read it and love it.

“She laughed when there was no joke. She danced when there was no music.

She had no friends, yet she was the friendliest person in school.

In her answers in class, she often spoke of sea horses and stars, but she did not know what a football was...

She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew.” 

Love,

Beez. 

P.S. I love you Jerry Spinelli for writing such a story.

Read this after you've read the book. Sad but true.

Raven: City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments #3)

A novel by Cassandra Clare

Publication Date: 24th March, 2009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Pages: 541

Targeted Audience: Young Adult

Summary: To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?
Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the third installment of the New York Times bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

Clary needs to revive her mother from whatever spell she's under and to do so she needs to find the Warlock-Ragnor Fell. The Warlock resides in Alicante (The City of Glass) and Clary decides to go there with the Lightwood family and Jace through a portal, and that's where things go terribly wrong. 

Instead of Clary, Simon ends up in Alicante and Simon being a Downworlder and all. Yeah, he was not so welcome. 

Clary, however, does find her way to the city of glass and meets Sebastian. Something about him sounds warning alarms all over her head. There is something definitely dark about him but he seems so sweet. Clary is confused. Not to mention that her relationship with Jace is bordering between weird and cliche. That's my opinion on it. To be honest, I find Alec and Magnus' relationship waaay better than Clary and Jace's. (There is little treat for all the Alec and Magnus lovers in this book)

 Jace and Clary find out more about their past, some good and some bad secrets bob up to the surface.

Valentine has declared war over Alicante. He with his Demon army plans to control all of the Shadowhunters and obviously destroy all Downworlders. Shadowhunters don't stand a chance against Valentines army but maybe if they join hands with the Downworlders, they might just win. But will they?

Valentine is so ruthless and wicked in this book, that I have fallen in love with his iniquitous ways (Call me psych, but it's true) He just seems like a royal arse who just flaunts his evilness. I love it.

Valentines true aim from the first book has been to acquire the three mortal instruments. After having already gotten The Mortal Cup and The Mortal Sword, all he needs now is The Mortal Mirror. 

So this is the whole plot of the book without any spoilers (Yes, yes you can bow to me now) 

I have mixed feelings about this book. Sure it had some great moments but way too  many cheesy lines for me to digest. Many so-called-suspense had obvious outcomes and I didn't like the way the characters reacted to some of the situations. For example, Isabelle just goes through a huge emotional instability after attending a funeral and what makes her feel better? Intimacy. I had felt absolutely disgusted at this point.

But yes, everything has been finally explained in this book. NO cliffhangers and it had one of the best climax scenes. I am looking forward to the next book in the series (City of Fallen Angels) I would give this book 3.75 stars (It loses it's stars for the oh-so-cheesy scenes and not-so-suspenseful suspenses) 

Lots of love and Pasta

Raven