Book Review: Lips Touch: Three Times by Laini Taylor

Rating:

Genre: Young Adult > Fantasy

Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers’ souls:
Goblin Fruit: In Victorian times, goblin men had only to offer young girls sumptuous fruits to tempt them to sell their souls. But what does it take to tempt today’s savvy girls?
Spicy Little Curses: A demon and the ambassador to Hell tussle over the soul of a beautiful English girl in India. Matters become complicated when she falls in love and decides to test her curse.
Hatchling: Six days before Esme’s fourteenth birthday, her left eye turns from brown to blue. She little suspects what the change heralds, but her small safe life begins to unravel at once. What does the beautiful, fanged man want with her, and how is her fate connected to a mysterious race of demons?

Literary Awards: National Book Award Nominee for Young People’s Literature (2009), Cybils Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2009), ALA’s Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2010)

*****

Three girls. Three stories. One thing in common: one kiss that seemed to change everything. but not always for the better. *evil grin*

Lips Touch: Three Times is one magical book. the stories are lush, rich, and very evocative! Add that to Taylor’s magnificent storytelling, and I’m hooked from day one of reading.

I want to give individual ratings for each story:

Goblin Fruit, 3 stars

Spicy Little Curses such as These, 5 stars

Hatchling, 4 stars

Every story is mesmerizing, tantalizing to my imagination. They were really good! I just don’t like the ending of Goblin Fruit (and i thought the female lead too shallow for my taste), and Hatchling reminded me of Daughter of Smoke and Bone‘s storyline. There are similarities, so Hatchling doesn’t sound as unique as it should be. Still, the lore was fascinating!

If you want to be immersed in not-your-usual magical myths and tales, try Lips Touch: Three Times. But I’m not promising you happy endings. =P

Book Review: Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Rating:

Genre: Young Adult > Post-Apocalyptic > Dystopia

(Ashfall #1)

Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don’t know it’s there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth.

*****

Ashfall is disturbingly good. Disturbing in a way that there are horrid scenes not fit for fifteen-year-old Alex. Good because no matter how perilous the task maybe, Alex is capable and more than willing to survive no matter how big the dent it will give to his morality. Still, Alex managed to be as humane as any would be who might be trapped in such a catastrophe.

Darla is a superwoman. Managing her family’s farm mostly on her own, she’s resourceful and intuitive to things that might’ve escape Alex’s attention. She’s a pretty strong character. I’ve had enough of damsels in distress in post-apocalyptic settings.

This book kind of reminds me of The Road. The highways are perilous, especially to teenagers like Alex and Darla. and the danger came not only with cannibals, looters and hoarders, but also with a parent who would do anything to protect her kids. Alex’s generosity for food was also dangerous.

I enjoyed Ashfall. The gritty feel of Alex’s predicament is straightforward.

Publisher: Tanglewood Press

Imprint: —

Pub Date: 10/14/2011

Thank you NetGalley and Tanglewood for granting my galley request.