Finale, Becca Fitzpatrick

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
2/5 stars
454 pages
source: sequel to Hush Hush, Crescendo, Silence

The story:

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.
But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

The review:

First off, I'd like to modify my opinion of Nora. I previously stated she is boring, well, heads up, she goes beyond boring and slips into so-boring-I-was-falling-asleep-while-reading-this-book.Now that we've got that cleared, I feel this book is useless. Becca Fitzpatrick originally intended this series to be a TRILOGY. It should have stayed that way. The ending of Silence left a lot of room for another novel but it could've just served just as well for closing the series.In fact the only reason I read it was to have a feeling of closure, as some would call it, and I'll admit I wasn't really invested in it while reading it.

For where the story is concerned, it lacks in several points; for one this book presents Nora's and Patch's relationship as slightly abusive and I didn't feel the love between them. 
Second, Patch lost his appeal, he lacks sexy comments, is way too serious and doesn't manage to get Nora, his obedient little loveslave, to take it further until the very end of the book, and even then it's only clear in the epilogue which takes place THREE YEARS LATER. Also, why did Scott have to die? Why kill off one of the only actually likeable characters in this series ? I mean he may have been creepy in the beginning but in this last book I really came to like him! And what's up with Vee being a Nephil and MARRYING A HUMAN?! AND NOT ENDING UP WITH SCOTT (who shouldn't have been killed in the first place). 

I'm also rather disappointed in the book cover, I mean is that suppose to be Patch? Because, honestly, he looks like a failed abercrombie model with a Bruno Mars haircut-NOT an attractive combination. As for Nora, is that Kristen Stweard they called in? Because it sure looks like her right down to the expressionless face  And also, WHY DON'T YOU LET HER JUMP IN THE DAMN SEA, PATCH? WHY ARE YOU PREVENTING THIS??Oh and one last thing, Finale? Really? Why don't you just call it "The End" and be done with it? Oh, you want it to sound exotic, Italien or french right? WELL IT DIDN'T WORK.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
5/5 stars
409 pages
source: Goodreads

The story:

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.
His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure any more.

The review:

Although I've heard of the Shiver books and I've seen them everywhere, I've never really wanted to read them so I was reluctant to pick this book up, them being from the same author and all. However when I read the summary I knew I was hooked, I couldn't wait for it to come out and finished it in less time than I thought possible.
This book is full of surprises, nothing ever went the way I expected it to and I liked that, it was rejuvenating not to know the ending of the book from the first few chapters. First of all Gansey isn't the "perfect boy", at least not from my POV, he doesn't have any extraordinary features like most book characters do, but he does have a winning personality and his way of talking is so quirky it makes everything he says sound cute to some extent. I liked him from the first few lines. He's devoted most of his life to searching for a long lost king, Owen Glendower,and once he becomes close to someone, that person is sucked into the search as well. Secondly Blue's character greatly surprised me, she is unique, for a lack of better word. She's the only one lacking a psychic power in her family. She's fun, crafty, manages to not fall under Gansey's charm but falls under Adam's instead. Lastly, there are no scenes that go beyond a simple caress, not even a peck on the cheek. I have to say I was rather disappointed at that, loving the usual kissing scenes and all, but I can't say it really surprised me since the plot starts by saying Blue will kill her true love with a kiss.
As Blue and Adam keep connecting, Blue is drawn into Gansey's frantic search for the Ley Lines and she seems to be the catalyst to a series of events that will lead to the ultimate sacrifice that will reveal them.

This book is one of the best I've read, from the writing style to the plot's twists and turns, and I can't wait for the second book in the Raven Cycle to come out! Who knows, I might even decide to take up Shiver, just to compare it ;)