Breaking Angelina by T.J. and Rita Webb

Publisher: Robot Playground Inc
Date Published: November 2013
Genre: YA / NA Paranormal Romance
Series: Paranormal Investigations #1.5
Source: Author
Rating: Crazy Good 4 out of 5 stars

She's the Beauty. Can the Beast break her curse before the monsters break her?

I never told anyone my darkest secret.

Something evil whispers in my mind. It threatens to destroy everything I care about, and now it wants me to kidnap and murder a mythical creature. Refusal means excruciating pain or sleepwalking into oncoming traffic ... again.

I don’t dare refuse, even if I have to steal from my friends, sell my body, or ruin my college career. Anything to stop the feeling of its claws scraping the insides of my skull.

That’s when I hired the Hunter, a wolf-man from a magical world, to help me. A tracker for hire, an honorable man who has misplaced his honor, a twisted soul with no heart left to care.

But he has secrets of his own, and I don’t think anyone can save me from the trouble I’m in.

Angelina has heard the voices in her head since she was twelve years old. She's now nineteen and attending college in Alaska when odd and mysterious things begin to happen. The voices are taking control of her life more than ever, making Angelina do things and hurting her when she resists. Angelina is now on a quest for a love potion to get her sisters' best friend to fall in love with Angelina so the voices will stop torturing her. Will she make it before they break her?

Hunter is a chimera, part wolf, hawk, and man. Hunting is what he does best. He tracks and finds people and objects. With his family slaughtered by the Usurper he is cold and empty inside. But when a client double-crosses him and nearly gets him killed, Hunter is out for revenge. Along the way he discovers a bracelet that everyone seems to want and happens across a human girl in need of his services. A girl who recently had been in contact with the bracelet. How is it all connected? And should he care?

I don't know how to feel about Angelina. She seems a little on the weak side, but honestly? She's up against these voices in her head. So maybe she isn't so weak. I go back and forth on liking her in this. I can safely say that in the first few pages I most definitely did not like her. Angelina was... I don't know, almost, childish, I guess. No. That's not exactly right. It's like she's so naive and young, disgustingly so, on a lot of her opinions in the beginning of the book.

By the end of the book my opinion changes. You learn more about the voices and their hold on her. I don't like a lot of what Angelina does in the book, but most of what she does is controlled by the voices. Especially that scene where she goes psycho. By the end of the book I realized I didn't really know Angelina. She may be one of the two main protagonists (dual POV), but she did what anyone would do in her situation; she tried to stop the pain.

The places where her personality shined through and pushed past the voices was when she stood up for Brianna. And that one scene with Hunter where the voices left them alone. For the rest of the book her personality was suppressed. So I'll be interested to see what she is like in the future.

Hunter I liked. Well, for the most part. I empathize with him and feel a bucketload of sympathy for his loss and the crap he went through. To have your entire family slaughtered? I'm amazed he's kept going. He has his own brand of courage and determination. The entire book you can tell he's fighting, and, other than his alcohol problem, he's kind of winning. Sort of.

The one time I don't like him is the 'romantic' scene between him and Angelina. Maybe for some people having sex for a one night to help with a payment is okay, but it rubs me the wrong way. It's too close to prostitution. Even if it's only once. I get that he actually cared about Angelina, and her about him, but I just don't like it. I'd say more, but I don't want to spoil anything for anyone else. It's the one time in the book that I just really don't like. Everything else is okay. And he redeems himself in the end, kind of.

There are a few other secondary and minor characters in the book. I suppose you can count the voices as a character, though you don't figure them out until the end. Of course you have Jason and Emma from Playing Hooky, the first book. I think you can read Breaking Angelina as a standalone without having read Playing Hooky. There are some nemesis' of Angelina's you see, like Cyndi and Tyler (who totally gets what's coming to him). Spyder is a bit of a ghost in the book, you don't see much of him. Mostly just minor characters in this one. Of course there's the blue lady who has yet to be named. She's part dragon, part fae, I think. Hunter has a few enemies you run into, but again, they seem kind of minor to me.

I mostly liked Hunter, and I went back and worth with liking and disliking Angelina. I think most of the characters were static, unchanging, with the exceptions of Hunter and Angelina who were very dynamic and changed a lot throughout the story. Especially Angelina.

I liked the fast-paced story. I am so easily bored with having to wait for the author to set the scene, it was such a delight to jump right into the story. For those that like their slow build-ups, sorry, but I like jumping in head first. And it didn't really get dull. There were some small lulls in the story, but for the most part the story was great.

I already mentioned the one instance where I didn't like Hunter. And I place the blame mainly on Hunter because he allowed it to happen even knowing that Angelina was young and couldn't be that experienced. I don't really blame Angelina because of the voices, but she didn't really seem to mind all that much, considering it was her first time. It really irked me.

The writing was pretty great. The flow of the story went well, I liked the pace that was set, it all came together nicely. It was fairly short in length, but I do believe this series is made up of novellas. So not that short. Just not too long either. It was a pleasantly light read (as far as the length goes, the material was medium-heavy as far as content).

The book was pretty upbeat even though at times it was depressing. That sounds like a contradiction, but it makes sense if you read it. It was like even though the characters were going through a hard time, the writing still had an upbeat spin to it.

I would also label this as a young adult / new adult crossover. I would say it's NA because of the ages of the characters, but content wise its really just upper YA. I think it's a good thing, because you get a bigger audience. There's no racy bedroom scenes if that's what you're looking for in NA. It's pretty tame there. All behind closed doors. And it only happens once, so I definitely would label this as a YA / NA crossover. Minor violence.

I thought it was a wonderful read. Relatively short, but long enough to curl up and chill on the couch. The story was fascinating. I missed the world of fantasy that I saw in the first book and I cannot wait to read the second book (this 1.5, if you didn't know). I would definitely recommend it, even if you just read it as a standalone.

   

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Taking Chances (Paranormal Investigations Book 3) is now out as well! It'll be the next book on my reading list. I can't wait to see how things go with all of the characters. I hope to see Angelina and Hunter again! What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Happy reading!

Stacking the Shelves #39

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. If you’re anything like me, you are probably hoarding books and even though you are excited about your latest book arrival, it might be a while before you get to review it. And this I'll be doing every other Saturday. Started at Tynga's Reviews

So I'm going to say that this is not my normal StS post. I got mainly nonfiction books for Christmas. I'm not normally a nonfiction kind of girl, but I asked for these and I'll explain why in a minute. Here is what I was given:

Publisher: For Dummies
Date Published: January 24th 2012
Genre: Nonfiction Politics

So - you want to be knowledgeable about British politics but don't know where to start. The rich history, complex statistics and tricky political jargon are getting in your way, not to mention the media hype (is politics only about duck houses and moats?). But don't worry! "British Politics For Dummies" is your essential guide to understanding even the trickiest questions surrounding politics in the UK, so you'll be discussing the ins and out of leaders, parties, ideologies, constitutions, laws, cabinets and summits past and present in no time - and with maximum confidence. Coming up to the potential end of Labour's historic three terms in power, there's never been a better time to get to grips with politics.

This coming May is the next election in the UK. It'll be my first time voting, but I honestly don't have a clue when it comes to British politics. So I asked my family to get me a book on it. And I guess I'll have to start watching British news now. Thank forever for the Internet. Otherwise it would be a pain, being in SK.

What have you stacked on your shelf? And do you vote? Let me know in the comments!

Happy reading,

Kooky Babble #2: Vegetarianism

Hi everyone!

Today's Kooky Babble is about vegetarianism. This post is not meant to make you a vegetarian or any of that BS, it's just supposed to be informative. If any of you have checked out my 'About Me' in the sidebar you know I'm a vegetarian with a love of rock music and books. I've never really discussed my diet before, because really? That's pretty much all that vegetarianism is. A diet.

People with allergies (whether food related or not) generally don't go announcing to the world that they're allergic to mushrooms or to bees. I mean, unless you're preparing a meal or trekking through the wilderness, why would you even mention it? I've cared less and less that people know I'm a vegetarian in the past couple of years. But recently I've heard a lot of backlash against being a vegetarian and I just wanted to straighten things out.

The most important thing to remember is that being a vegetarian is simply eating certain foods and excluding others. It's a diet. That is all. Being a vegetarian has nothing whatsoever to do with animal rights. Well, that's not entirely true. A lot of animal rights activists are vegetarians, but not all vegetarians are animal rights activists. Why does that distinction matter? Because there are all different sorts of reasons for going veggie. Here are five of the most common / broad categories out there.

1) The Environment

 

image from Next Big Future

This is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of vegetarians. I mean, we all try to recycle and walk or bike instead of taking the car when we can. In 2006, the UN calculated that the combined climate change emissions of animals bred for their meat were about 18% of the global total – more than cars, planes and all other forms of transport put together. (The Guardian) Basically, the farts from animals (methane & other gases) contribute to global warming. Now there's a whole other debate right there.

Thirty percent of the earth’s entire land surface—a massive 70% of all agricultural land—is used for rearing farmed animals. Livestock farming can lead to overgrazing causing soil erosion, desertification and deforestation. Twenty percent of the world’s grazing land has already been designated as degraded due to the rearing of animals for their meat. Livestock production is responsible for 70% of deforestation in the Amazon region of Latin America, where rainforests are being cleared to create new pastures. (Down To Earth)

I honestly could go on and on, but I'll sum it up as best I can. Breeding animals for meat / dairy hurts the environment by destroying the land, polluting the air and the water, and using up a serious amount of resources that could be used for other things (like feeding the hungry).

2) Health

 Image from iDiva

There are all kinds of things in meat that you really don't want to be putting in your body. Meat nowadays is pumped full of hormones and fat. Even milk is kind of gross if you know what's in it.

 

picture from The Planted Palate

 Other health benefits are helping your heart out (especially for people with high cholesterol or high blood pressure, also prevents heart disease), reduces cancer risk (In one study of more than 35,000 women published in the British Journal of Cancer, those who ate the most red and processed meat were found to have the highest risk of breast cancer. [Women's Health Mag]), to keep your weight down, longevity, and you can prevent food-borne illnesses (such as food poisoning from undercooked meat, like in the movie Bridesmaids).

 3) Taste

 image from Movies Pictures

 Believe it or not there are people out there who simply don't like the taste of meat. I certainly cannot stand the smell anymore. I hide whenever someone insists on cooking meat in the house. It reeks, and it really just makes me want to hurl. Also, if you think about it, when you take a bite out of a piece of meat you're essentially eating a corpse. That kind of grossed me out. Made me feel like a zombie eating my own kind. Or a cannibal or something. I know it doesn't bother other people, but it's dead. And a corpse. I think I'm hung up on the corpse bit.

My brother became a vegetarian because he was picky about what meat he wanted to eat. In the end he gave it up all together. Now he's picky with his vegetables. I wonder what he'll eat then?

4) Trend

image from The Trading Wife

There are a lot of trends and fad diets out there, and some people become a vegetarian as one of those trends. Other people are rebels, wanting to go against mainstream society. Or maybe some people become vegetarian 'just because.' There isn't always a logical reason for becoming a vegetarian.

I became a vegetarian on a dare. Yup, a dare. Three and a half years ago my friends bet I couldn't go more than a week without eating meat. I used to love chicken. It was my go-to meat of choice. Now I don't eat meat at all. I stayed with the vegetarian diet. I guess I won that bet / dare. 

It really wasn't that hard for me to give up meat. I never ate seafood because it smelled bad, I never ate meat off the bone because it reminded me that I was essentially eating the flesh off a corpse, I never ate organs or unusual animal dishes (no cow brain or haggis for me, thanks). When I did eat meat it was usually hamburgers, chicken tenders/nuggets/sandwiches, turkey bacon, or sausage. 

I occasionally miss pepperoni, but that's about it. Everything that's made of meat has a substitute. Some of those substitutes rock (like veggie burgers, meatless breakfast sausage, and crispy tofu nuggets) and some do not (like slimy tofu [ew!], veggie bacon [seriously?], or meatless chicken nuggets). A lot of things you don't even need substitutes for. Like tacos. Instead of meat just add in a little more veggies than you normally put on a taco with some seasoning. Nutritious and delicious. Yum!

5) Animal Rights

image from NARA Campaigns

Of course, this is what most people think of when they think of vegetarianism. There are some people who believe it's their god-given right to kill and consume animal flesh. Other people believe that humans aren't as special as we think we are and that we should share the planet with our neighboring animal life by treating them with compassion.

The argument is what right do we have to determine who lives or dies? And no, god is not the right answer. It's fine if you're a religious person, but religion doesn't say all that many things about animal rights and it's best to keep the topics separate. Back to the judge and jury of animal life. Do we really have the right to kill an animal for our own palate? 

I have friends who say they eat meat, but they won't eat an animal that is killed in front of them. Pretending that animals don't suffer and lose their life simply because you buy the meat all pack edged and fancy with a bow on top doesn't change anything. An animal still died to feed you. It's kind of a double standard.

Some animal rights people are extreme. We have extremists of all kinds. That's just the way humans are. I personally don't mind if other people eat meat. I think's it's gross and disagree with wasting a life, but I won't be lecturing you. I've learned that lecturing only alienates people further. Some vegetarians do lecture and try to sway your opinion, but I'm against that. I think people need to make up their own minds about things.

Types of Vegetarians

image from Neily on Nutrition

I've had someone compare the different types of vegetarians to the types of religious people. Normal, meat-eaters are like the atheists, with the vegans being like mormons (comparing the level of strictness in their religion). I guess that's one analogy that sort of works? I have a feeling some people might also be offended by that analogy (I apologize if you are offended).

Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about the different types of vegetarians. I'm just going to do a brief overview because this post is starting to get a bit long. Here goes.

Semi Vegetarian

There are different definitions for this type of vegetarian. Usually I've heard that a semi vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat red meat, often times for health related issues or concerns. That would mean they would eat poultry and seafood and other white meats. Of course dairy and eggs are also eaten by this kind of vegetarian.

Pescetarian

Supposedly this word is a combination of the Italian word for fish and the English word for vegetarian. I regrettably do not speak Italian so I cannot confirm that. I can, however, confirm that a pescetarian is a vegetarian who eats seafood, dairy, and eggs. The word looks weird from where I'm sitting, but I do believe you pronounce it pes-kah-tair-ian. Maybe it's the Italien that has it spelt the way it is. Pescetarian's are supposed to have the healthiest, most well-rounded diet of all of the types of vegetarians because of the balance of vegetables and the health benefits of eating fish and other types of seafood. 

Lacto, Ovo, and Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians

Lacto comes from the Latin root meaning milk. A lacto vegetarian is a vegetarian who only eats dairy. No meat or seafood and no eggs. Ovo is also Latin in origin (I think) and means egg. So an ovo vegetarian is a vegetarian who eats eggs, but no meat or seafood or dairy. Logically then, a lacto-ovo vegetarian is someone who eats egg and dairy but no meat or seafood. It also happens to be the most common form of vegetarianism. A lacto-ovo vegetarian is what I am.

Raw Food Diet

I don't know that this is strictly a vegetarian diet, but it definitely not a traditional omnivore diet. The raw food diet is based on the idea that if you cook it, you kill it. They eat uncooked, unprocessed food. And they only drink water. They don't eat food above 118 degrees Fahrenheit. I guess they can have sushi?

Vegan

Vegans are the strictest of vegetarians. They are often called 'true vegetarians' because they are completely against all animal products. No meat, seafood, dairy, or eggs. Depending on how strict a vegan is they often exclude products like honey (since its made by bees, and I guess they're technically an animal), furs, leather, wool and silk. Veganism is probably the most difficult vegetarian lifestyle to keep. They have to check the tags on clothing (in case of wool or silk) and the ingredients on things like soap and shampoo (in case of honey or milk). And they don't eat eggs or dairy products so they do have to be more protein and B-12 (a type of vitamin vegetarians often lack) conscious. Supposedly it's also the most rewarding of the vegetarian diets because of all the effort they put into it. Also, veganism is more of a lifestyle than just a diet to those who take it seriously. Vegan plane food is way better than the normal vegetarian plane food too, haha :)

Random thought: What books do you know of where the protagonist is some type of vegetarian? I recently read one called Trial by Fire, by Josephine Angelini. Lily Proctor (the protagonist) is a vegan. Here are list of YA books that have vegetarian protagonists in them.

I don't plan to post about vegetarianism again, but I wanted to clear things up for some people. Not all vegetarians are crazy animal rights extremists looking to gun down meat-eaters. Oh, and don't concern yourselves over how we get our protein. Google it and you'll find that protein isn't actually that big of a concern for us. I'm done on this topic now. Hopefully this was informative and interesting to learn about. My next Kooky Babble will hopefully be more interesting and less cray-cray :) Does anyone else have an unusual diet they'd like to share? I know I left out a few, but I was trying to include the most common veggie ones.

Happy reading! What's your reading goal for 2015?