Mini-Reviews: Sweet Peril, Taken, and The Summer I Became a Nerd

Lately, I've noticed lots of blogs doing a post with a bunch of mini-reviews.  I'm really behind on writing reviews, so I've decided to try out this method and get a handful of reviews done more quickly.  Hope it's helpful!

Goodreads summary:

Anna Whitt, the daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a vow. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

Mini-review:

I love this series!  It's hard for me to find good books about angels, and I think this series as well as the Unearthly series are the only angel books I've really loved.  This is a strong sequel in many ways: there's great character development, the plot thickens, and the romance between Kai and Anna is as swoon-worthy as ever.

This may sound strange, but I love the passage of time in this novel - during the first third or so, we see glimpses of Anna's life as a year passes by, and I LOVE how she grows and changes so much.  She's not as naïve as she was in the first book, and is instead a strong heroine that I was rooting for the whole time. 

There's a bit of a love triangle, but it's resolved quickly and it did add to the storyline, so I didn't mind.  I do wish Kaidan had been in the story more, though.  I adore the romance between him and Anna.  I love their chemistry and Wendy Higgins makes their romance so believable.  Overall, an amazing sequel!

My rating:  10 out of 10 (5 stars)

Goodreads summary:

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

Mini-review:

I've read lots of negative reviews for Taken, so I wasn't sure what to expect when I started it.  Pleasantly, I was surprised.  It's not as terrible as everyone makes it out to be.  It has realistic characters and a strong plot, and I enjoyed the thrilling twists.

I'm not crazy about the main character, Gray.  He can be selfish and even a bit of a jerk at times.  So I didn't really relate to him much, yet I still think the author wrote his character well.  His voice always sounds masculine and I think his faults make him more realistic.

I love the backstory and world-building that we got, though.  I did get bored in the beginning, but there's more action and twists in the last half, so I enjoyed that.  And there's not as much romance as I was afraid there would be, even if I didn't think the addition of a love triangle was necessary.  I can see why Taken isn't for everyone, but I still think it's a unique sci-fi novel worth reading.

My rating:  6 out of 10 (3 stars)

Goodreads summary:

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.

Mini-review:

I absolutely adored The Summer I Became a Nerd.  Is it a little cheesy and predictable at times?  Yes, but I enjoyed it so much that I didn't care.  I loooved all the nerdy references in this book.  I mean, c'mon.  There's mention of Star Wars, Captain America, Spider-Man, and more!  And the author uses words like "fandom" and "adorkable," which I thought was awesome.

Plus, Logan is totally swoon-worthy.  I love that for once, the love interest is a nerdy guy (who even wears glasses!  *squeal*).  I mean, so often in books the love interest is a "bad boy" or "lonely and mysterious" type, so I loved that Logan is so sweet and funny.  And Maddie is hilarious too; I was cheering for her the whole way through the story.  This cute summer read will definitely put a smile on your face!

My rating:  10 out of 10 (5 stars)

Quick question for my readers: are my mini-reviews long/short enough?  Feel free to let me know.

~ The Bookworm