Random Buzz - Why I'm Left Out Of The Twilight Craze

Do you ever feel like your left out of a certain craze or fad? Like, there's this really cool new style of tops that are in but the top doesn't seem to fit right? Or the new fad that bangs are da bomb but they actually look atrocious on you and give you bad acne anyways?

Well, that's what Twilight was for me about 5 years back. And actually it's still that way for me.

To put it bluntly, I dislike the sparkly vampires and the love triangle and all of the books. I just don't like Twilight.

And sometimes this makes me feel left out. Sometimes I don't understand how something so well liked and popular escapes my nod of approval.

 But then I feel like why do people even like these books? I mean, I get the premise. It has vampires, yo! And I love those bloodsuckers. But, I don't like the sparkly kind. I even have it in my Twitter bio, that's the amount of my dislike. I have to make sure people know that indeed yes I do adore vampires but not to be confused with one certain type of vampire that is which from Stephenie Meyer's saga.

I don't want to feel like the black sheep here because surely there are some people out there who don't obsessively love it. Right?

Right?

Am I right?!?

But if you do happen to like Twilight, then great! I'm not gonna rain on your parade. But, it's just not for me. Why? Well, here are some reasons...

1. Bella Swan - Ugh, she kills me. She literally is the worst female young adult character in my opinion. I feel like she doesn't have a mind of her own and is always in slobbery lust/love of Edward Cullen. DUDE, think for yourself sometimes!

  
2. No fangs?!? - What kind of vampire series is this? How can vampires not have fangs? I do not get this. Yes, they're supposed to have some sort of venom to kill their prey and razor sharp teeth but how can we know this without Stephenie Meyer telling us?! It takes all the badassery out of it. Vampires are supposed to look menacing and that includes FANGS.



3. Sparkly Vampires - Do I really have to say any more? Sparkle and vampire just do not go together. How is this a thing? How in any way can sparkling in the sun incite fear in anyone? The reaction your're gonna get is more like this

4. The Love Triangle - Hahaha this love triangle started the whole team thing! I remember the Team Edward and Team Jacob thing. It was laughable seeing as this love triangle is so stupid. You could already tell Bella was gonna always go for Edward. Jacob had no chance.

5. The Premise - Stephenie Meyer took a typical YA trend and spun it into a lousy story and love triangle. Bella is annoying, Edward is annoying, Jacob is annoying. It's all very shallow.

Yupp, those are some of my reasons.

Now, you may be asking why I read all the books if I dislike Twilight so much. Well, you see, I'm OCD when it comes to finishing books and series even if they're bad. But, that's a discussion for another time on Random Buzz.

What about you? How do you feel about Twilight? Is there another popular series that you are not a fan of?

Psssst!

I have to say the movies, in this case, are much better than the books. This is a rare case of book to movies where movies are better. They're actually mildly enjoyable but don't quote me on that.

WOW - Kalona's Fall by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

This week I'm waiting on

Title: Kalona's Fall Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast Series: House of Night Novellas #4 Reading Level: Young Adult Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin | July 29, 2014 Add it: Goodreads Pre-order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Books-A-Million  Synopsis:  In KALONA’S FALL, the shadows in Kalona’s past will finally come to light… We will learn about the winged immortal’s secret history and discover how he went from being the Goddess’s Warrior and Guardian to her enemy and betrayer. Did Darkness taint Kalona as it did Neferet, or has the powerful immortal always preferred power over honor, and control over faith? This novella will be crucial to fans’ understanding of Kalona, before his role in the explosive final installment of the House of Night, REDEEMED coming in October 2014.

This is the last novella in the House of Night series before the last full length book comes out in October.
I'm, like, relieved that there's only two more I have to read in this series. Don't get me wrong, it started out pretty good. The first four or five books were awesome! But, then they got hard to just finish. It became a struggle and the only reason I've kept reading them is because I wanna know what happens with stupid Neferet.
Anyways, this novella looks pretty cool. I mean, the cover's gorgeous and we get to learn more about Kalona so there's that.

WOW - Waiting On Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

This week I'm waiting on

Title: Silver Shadows Author: Richelle Mead Series: Bloodlines #5 Reading Level: Young Adult Publisher: Razorbill | July 29, 2014 Add it: Goodreads Pre-order: Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Books-A-Million  Synopsis:  Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives. In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists. Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive. For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . . Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

After reading The Fiery Heart, I remembered why I hate cliffhangers so much. I soo need Sliver Shadows.

On a side note, what is up with that cover? It's horrendous. The cover models look nothing like Sydney or Adrian. And it's downright cheesy. Meh. They could have done just a tad bit better.
 

TTT - Top Ten Most Unique Books I've Read

This list was kinda hard to compile, but here ya go!

Obsidian was very unique to me in that it's about aliens. I normally don't read anything about aliens so I thought this was pretty different, but cool. Also, man this book is HOT. It's really really good.

The concept in this book was totally off the charts. It was actually kinda confusing with a lot of world building and sci-fiy stuff. It was definitely unique. Check out my review here.

Cinder had a very different premise. Books like these, I think you either love 'em or hate 'em and I fell in line with the latter. The very unique twist on Cinderella with robots was pretty daring though. My review can be seen here.

I love this book and it's unique take on Alice in Wonderland but with zombies! Oh, and COLE HOLLAND.

I never even heard of the concept of PSS in a book so it took me a bit by surprise. It was one of those books though that took you by surprise and made you love it. Check out my review here.

You might be thinking that it's just another vampire book. But, no it's a vampire book on an island with vampires and Watchers, aka kickass girls who protect said vampires. READ. IT.

I read this book when I was like 13, so a long time ago. I remember that the format was in emails that the main character, Emily, writes to her friend. I've never really read any books with this type of format but I ended up really loving this series. If you're in for a light and hilarious read, pick up the Emily series by Katie Maxwell. 

This whole series had such a different concept that I've never read about. Dragons. And I really ended up liking it until the last few books.

Lord of the Flies was so different from other books I've read and definitely unique compared to other books I've read for school. I ended up enjoying it though it is a bit creepy.

This book wasn't necessarily different from other young adult books out there but the twist on King Arthur was a bit unique.

Thoughts:

What are some unique books that you've read? 

Review: The Keep by Veronica Wolff

Title: The Keep Author: Veronica Wolff Series: The Watchers #4 Reading Level: Young Adult Publisher: NAL Trade | June 4, 2013 Pages: 320 Add it: Goodreads Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Books-A-Million  Synopsis:  JUST BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR THE DEAD DOESN’T MEAN YOU WANT TO JOIN THEM. Drew has just started her second year on the Isle of Night, and the weather isn’t the only thing changing drastically. She has ascended to the rank of Initiate. She’s also found an intimate love in the handsome vampire, Carden. But most of all, she no longer dreams of escape. She dreams of vengeance. Her friend, Emma, was brutally wounded by the savage vampire Alcántara, and may have been taken to the dreaded castle, from which none of the living return. But there are so many different stories from so many people with so many of their own deceits and machinations, Drew can’t be sure of anything—except that she must find a way into the castle to discover the truth and take down Alcántara once and for all. But Drew isn’t the only one out for revenge. Someone very dangerous on the island is also out for blood… Hers…

The Scene

Drew's on an island again doing her own kickass routine. There's lots of training in this one with Ronan to boot. The whole thing with Emma in the previous book, Blood Fever, was dealt with (kinda), thank god, but it was still sad.

The Girl

Oh gosh. Can I just say that I love Drew? She is awesome and so kickass. I love her fight, her snark, and how strong she is. Yeah, she makes some stupid decision sometimes (who doesn't?) but I think that's what makes her a bit realistic, especially for a girl her age. Drew is a huge reason why I love the Watchers series so much.

The Boy(s)

Ronan was in this book so much. And I loved it. Don't get me wrong I like Carden but I've always been more of a Ronan fan. Drew and him just need to hurry up and get together already.

The WTF?!

Ohmygosh, what the hell was up with Yasuo?! I was totally flipping because I really liked him in the previous books. He went all freaking psycho on Drew and it actually made me a little sad. And angry.

The Buzz

I can't even begin to express how much I enjoy the Watchers series and The Keep was no exception. I loved the action, mystery, intrigue, and of course romance that totally kept me captivated. 

I just cannot wait for the next book to come out! But, to tide you over (and me) there's a novella out that's in Ronan's POV. 

Yes, Ronan's POV.

It's called Dark Craving and here's an excerpt from Veronica Wolff's website.

Twelve months ago “Tracer Ronan.” The vampire Hugo De Rosas Alcántara stared at me over steepled fingers. His face was unmarred by age, features smoothed by that utter stillness borne of immortality. To him, I was merely a man. Worse, a young man. And he was trying to make me squirm. He leaned closer, peering at me. Leather the color of ox’s blood creaked beneath him, the office decor, like his posturing, meant to menace. Alcántara was ancient, but more than that, he was a ruler. A creature of power among the most powerful. “Is this impatience I read on your face?” he asked finally. Just let me get on with it, I thought. I despised my job and would have it done. It was a godforsaken place, this Eyja næturinnar. This Isle of Night. Nothing but grey cliffs, bleak skies, hostile seas. And vampires. “You young humans.” His lips pursed with contempt. “Always so anxious, racing to your own deaths.” Young, he called me. An irony, seeing as Alcántara looked no older than my nineteen years. To him, I was weak. A bit of mortal ephemera. Flesh with an expiration date—one that he controlled. “Not at all,” I assured him. Mine was a game that went deeper than impatience and fear. The day would come when Alcántara learned how greatly he’d underestimated me. For now, though, I gave him a subservient nod. “I’m merely looking forward to getting on my way.” “On your way, is it?” He leaned back with a sneer. “You fashion yourself quite the lone wolf, don’t you? A ma-ver-ick.” He pronounced each syllable of the word slowly, disdainfully, his lips peeling back as he ended on the sharp, hard k sound, revealing a pair of long, gleaming fangs. “No indeed, Master Alcántara,” I assured him in as formal a tone as I could manage. Let him think I was cowed. “Best to remember, rebels are not tolerated.” His mouth curved in a catlike smile. Lean and striking, sleek and dark, the Spanish vampire was a deadly panther in elegant human form. “You are merely a Tracer. My Tracer.” His Tracer. He believed this was all I might be. A human tool who brought unsuspecting adolescents to him—to their almost-certain deaths. “Naturally.” I thought I might’ve nodded my head in a gesture of respectful submission, but all I knew was the single thought driving me: One day this submission would end. One day I would destroy him. Slowly and with gusto.  Add it: Goodreads Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sooooo, what do you think? Good, huh?

Rating

Oh yeah, seriously

WOW - Waiting On The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

This week I'm waiting on

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. MONSTER Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone. Release Date: April 15, 2014

Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh.

That ending.

I. Need. This. Book.

Now.

 

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Bones Author: Cassandra Clare Series: The Mortal Instruments #1 Reading Level: Young Adult Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books | March 27, 2007 Pages: 485 Add it: Goodreads Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Books-A-Million  Synopsis:  When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My thoughts {bzzzzzzzzzzz}: 

The Scene

NYC. Half-human, half-angel hybrids (aka Shadowhunters) who hunt and kill demons. 15 year old girl who doesn't know what anything about this alternate world and is thrown into it unexpectedly. Sound like a typical young adult book yet?

The Girl

Clary was like of lot of main female characters in YA. Kind of normal then gets thrown into a world where normal is anything but. I actually liked her a lot. Surprising because I usually like the more kick ass variety of female main characters. I wouldn't call Clary hardcore like Rose from Vampire Academy but she's still pretty tough.

The Boy(s)

If you like cocky, sarcastic, blond, and, well hot, look no further then Jace Wayland. Jace is very infuriating from the start and kind of a jerk. Buuut, he's also a badass demon hunter who will do anything to protect his brother and sister (not by blood) Isabelle and Alec. Also, Jace really knows how to crack those one-liners. Simon is the other guy in the equation. He's Clary's best friend and kind of in the friend zone. Simon is hilarious! I think he's a great character and definitely is another great reason why I love City of Bones so much.

The WTF?!

I don't really wanna spoil it for ya'll but I have to say it. One word: incest. Yeah, it was really frickin' weird when I found out about this. Trust me, you'll be shocked too. Luckily, almost all the other books are out so you don't have to wait to read what happens next.

The Buzz

I was completely engrossed in City of Bones and read it really fast. I loved the world building and all the different elements of the book. The characters were great, the plot was great, and it kept me thinking about it all the time.

Rating

Really, it should come as no surprise that

Movie Review: Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
Director: Mark Waters
Genre: Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Released: February 7, 2014
Duration: 1 hr 44 min
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Gabriel Byrne, Sarah Hyland
Rated: PG-13

Synopsis:

Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir: half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi. This is her story.






My Thoughts {bzzzzzzzz}:

Guys. So, I watched Vampire Academy last night. I don't know if the trailers were any indication but IT WAS FUCKING HORRIBLE.

No, really like totally down the toilet bowl needs desperate help deserves a painful slow death needs to DIE cringe-worthy awkwardness really really really fucking awful shit.

I don't usually swear that much but man does this movie warrant that.

But now let's backtrack to BEFORE Vampire Academy the Book was even going to be made into Vampire Academy the Most Horrible Movie on the Planet.

Okay, ready?

Good.

I read VA and then I was like "Wow this is actually pretty good."

Then I read the next 5 books and was like "WOW this is a damn good series. Really Richelle Mead YOU deserve an award."

Fast foward a few years later. Me: 

"Oh, finally VA is being optioned film rights! Took you long enough to make the awesomeness that is Vampire Academy being made onto the big screen."

  

Then, we finally get the casting and blah blah blah.

But then one of the most important part comes:

the trailer

And my reaction was like "ehh...it doesn't look too bad but it doesn't look great either. I'm still excited though!"

Then, the second trailer comes out and I'm like "NOW this is more like it. Give me somethin' more like this."

Now, I'm generally pretty excited for February 7th and can't wait to see the movie. Finally, after a long awaited wait, I get to go the theater.

So, I sit down watching a blank screen (I got there around 45 minutes early don't ask me why), munching on my popcorn and anticipating this movie. I'm thinking, "I hope they really portray the quality of the book onto the big screen well" and "this is so cool, I can't wait to see Rose kick some ass."

Whoa, was I so very, so THOROUGHLY disappointed. 

Don't get me wrong, I had some doubts before I went to see the movie as I do with all YA book to movie adaptations. But did I ever in my wildest dreams think that VA would be THIS horrible as a movie? The answer would be no. I didn't think the movie people would or could screw it up this bad. Honestly, this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen and not to mention THE worst book to movie adaptation I have ever seen.

It's really a shame because the Vampire Academy series is one of my favorites and the movie was nothing like it. Not even close. The line of offenses are so long I can't even count. My tweets after the movie will give you just a few: 

I just watched Vampire Academy. I don't really know what to say. It sucked so badly that I have no words. No pun intended.
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

Please can I just unsee this horrible horrible film.
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

That was one of the most horrible movies I've ever seen. No joke. #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

Ohmygosh I just can't get over it. Richelle Mead's books are NOTHING compared to the movie. They totally RUINED it.
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

There were so many things wrong with VampireAcademy but 1 thing that was just horrible was the acting. Freakin atrocious that was. #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

I hate to say it but Twilight was better. Yes. TWILIGHT. and I absolutely HATE Twilight. #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

Ugh I just.... so bad, so unbelievably bad #VAMovie
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

The whole thing sucked but a huge thing that irked me was the acting and rushed pacing. It just blurred from one scene to the next and the scenes itself felt very rushed as well. Oh, and the acting. Couldn't you guys just get that one thing right? Is that too much to ask? That was HORRENDOUS.

The bottom line is when you go see a movie you really shouldn't be cringing and rolling your eyes every other second. That's just poor.

The really sad and disappointing thing for me was that the movie didn't do the books justice AT ALL.

@Ldnicolescu yeah it really was. And I  thought it was gonna be so much better. Very disappointing. Didn't do the book justice at all :(
— Brianna (@briannabookbuzz) February 9, 2014

The only best part I can think of was The Fault in Our Stars and Divergent trailers (if that counts). Oh, and the ending.

Have any you guys seen the movie? If you have, tell me what you think. Don't worry I won't bite your head off if you do happen to like it. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Random Buzz = So, I'm Reading Vampire Academy Again...

What's up people! So, I'm rereading Vampire Academy in anticipation of the movie coming out February 7.

Yeah, that movie.

In case any of you haven't read VA here's the cover and synopsis.

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Seriously, for those who haven't read VA:

GO. READ. IT.

I'm not kidding. Richelle Mead really did something here. I mean, it's my second favorite series. Of all time. Rose is one of the most kick ass female main characters out there. Just look at this poster. (I know it says the 14th but I couldn't find one with the changed date.)

The whole world that Richelle built is awesome. I just love it.

Anyways, back to the movie. A lot of people are saying that the movie looks like a knockoff version of Mean Girls with vampires. I can kinda see where they coming from from the first trailer but even then, VA still looks like it's pretty true to the book. And Vampire Academy is nowhere near Mean Girls.

I think it just incorporates a lot of humor in the hopes of trying to gain a broader audience. But then I saw more of the trailers and it looks more like it captures the more darker tones of the book.

I also remembered that as the series goes on the content gets grittier and darker. I mean just look at Shadow Kiss. That ending was harsh.

Another thing is the clip with Christian lighting someone on fire. Literally. That was awesome.

Holy smokes! Hahaha!

I know I'm going to see Vampire Academy when it comes out! Just 7 more days! How about you? Are you guys going to see the movie? Do you think the trailers and clips live up to the book?

And now I'll leave you with this Christian Ozera cool fire gif thingy.