BOOK REVIEW: The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power by L.J. Smith

Caught in the struggle between good and evil . . .
Cassie has joined the most alluring—and deadly—in-crowd imaginable. But power comes with a price, and it's more dangerous than she knows. Torn between the dueling desires of the two leaders of the Secret Grcle, she must ultimately choose between saving all of New Salem, and her own dangerous love for the bewitching Adam, which threatens to tear the circle apart. In the ultimate battle between good and evil, will Cassie's supernatural powers be strong enough to lead the coven out of danger? Or will she foil prey to the dark forces within?
. . . will she sacrifice her love for the circle to survive?

What i thought: this book is amazing. It is one of those books that you have to read, with all the drama, passion, forbiddon love and everything you just can't get enough of; sort of like Twilight with a twist: they're witches. They draw in attention, and sometimes not JUST because theyre attractive (yes, the guys are sexy--okay, not Sean or the Henderson brothers, just Adam and Nick, but still--and the girls are pretty attractive. . . especially Faye and Diana). They seem odd, and form this clique that basically rules the school; Faye being the one who rules the guys. Usually the taken ones. Nobody questions their authority. The Club is the ULTIMATE clique, but there's a hitch: You have to be from Crow Haven Road to join. Not only that, but you have to be a WITCH.

The only thing that i dislike a bit is that you have to get the other book in order to keep going from where it ended. The books with in the omnibus usually tend to end in the middle of scenes, sometimes even CONVERSATIONS. I wish Smith just kept it to one book, but then again I love the suspense. And, i must say, L.J. Smith is an AMAZING Sci-Fi/Horror/Fantasy writer. All of her books are filled with suspense and surprises; LJ Smith really delivers. This book will have you hooked untill you turn the last page .

You will hang on to each and every word, and the Secret Circle will be in your mind LONG after you turn the last page; I highly reccomend it.

The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power is the second book in this amazing series, and before you read this one, you must read the first: The Secret Cirlcle: The Initiation and The Captive. If you enjoy these books, i recomend The Vampire Diaries or The Night World also by L.J. Smith, and The House of Night novels by P.C. + Kristen Cast (and vice-versa).



POSTED BY THE TruNerd

the Host by Stephenie Meyer

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Review:

This book is outstanding! I absolutely loved it. It made me cry: I was full-on sobbing at the end of this. It is one of the most truly transcendent, uplifting, moving, awe-spiring, and inspiring books I've ever read. To say that this is a book about body snatching aliens says absolutely nothing about why I loved it--in the same way that saying Twilight is a vampire romance does it no justice, but even more so. It's a book about what it means to be human and to love, and not just romantically.

Many people ask which is better--Twilight or the Host. And honestly, there is no answer to that. They are completely different in so many ways that there is no possible comparison.

The Host will grab you--from beggining to end--and keep you reading far into the night and will keep you thinking LONG after you turn the last page and shut its cover. This book really gets you thinking, and might change the way you view things--even love, pain, grief life, and death. It is a thoroughly haunting book, and Melanie/Wanderer's story is one you will never forget.

If you like this, there are so many different types of books that branch off from the Host that I truly cannot recommend any certain book or genre. Also, Meyer has mentioned that a second and third installment will/have been written (the second one is done, the third is not) and she will release information on them if/when they are edited/published.

Grade: A+