BLOOD by K. J. Wignall

Interesting premise, but starts off slow and doesn't take off until almost midway through the book. An eight hundred and sixty-four year-old (fourteen year-old) vampire comes out of hibernation, only to drink the blood of a man with a prophecy for him. The girl needs him and he needs her. When he first notices the girl from the sketching on the man's wall and in the book he left behind, Will is ready to let it go until he realizes, forces beyond his control are throwing them together. Eloise is homeless, by choice, which is an odd circumstance at best. But she easily gets over the fact that Will is an "un-dead" and quickly trusts him with her life. She seems to trust easily.

The reader can tell from this book it's intended to be a series, as it ends with Mark, a young man we meet early in the story becoming part of what is to come. But I just didn't fall for how easily things fell into place. People were too easy to trust, information was too easily found and the relationships were too easily formed.

I wanted to like it and towards the end, I was fascinated by what may come, but not enough to buy the sequel.

DROWNTOWN by Robbie Morrison, art by Jim Murray

This is a graphic novel by Robbie Morrison (JUDGE DREDD, SPIDERMAN, DANTÉ, WHITE DEATH) and artist Jim Murray (HOLOCAUST 12, BATMAN DEMON). Although I really like where I thought the story was going, I'm not sure about some of the characters. They come across as too juvenile for an adult themed graphic novel. There's love, intrigue and mystery, and I believe the childlike circumstances could easily be wiped out. I can't say too much about it because it's a very early view. But I like where it's going if they get rid of the Ratatouille storyline.

Day 3 - Exercise

6559 steps
5397 moderate steps in 40 minutes
247 kcal
2.77 miles

I got up and it was raining, so I didn't really feel like power walking. But I had to go to the post office, so I walked there. Once I was out, I decided to keep going, at least for a little while, since the post office doesn't open until 9:30 am. I think I got out of the house by something like 10:30 am. So it was later than I would usually like to go. The rain had stopped and the air was cool even though the sun was trying to come out. Didn't go as long or as hard, because I'm usually home working by then. But I want to try to be more consistent. Let's hope I can keep it going tomorrow. I'm already up too late as it is.

Day 2 - Exercise

6923 steps
5688 Moderate steps 43 minutes
274 kcal
3 miles

I got right up and went for a power walk. I hope I can continue the process. Really need to lose the weight.

THE DARK DIVINE by Bree Despain

The story of the Divine Family and most notably, seventeen year old daughter Grace and her brother Jude. When former family friend Daniel arrives back in town after disappearing three years ago, Jude goes from choir boy to vengefully aggressor. Daniel lived with the family to escape his abusive father before being returned to his mother and then disappearing for three years. Grace's mother and Jude, specifically want Grace to stay away from him, but no one will tell her why. Daniel is very different from the blonde haired boy he was when he lived with them. He's dark, edgy and brooding, but Grace can't seem to stay away from him.

I usually like books that give me a spark of excitement in what's to come early on and this book doesn't do that. This story is very slowly and methodically told from Grace's point of view. The daughter of a Pastor in the suburbs of Minnesota, Grace is always careful to do the right thing to behave in the proper manner. Though I have to say it's intriguing in the way Bree writes the characters. You can't help but keep reading as the layers of this family and this secret slowly unravel.

For religious people, they are remarkably unforgiving and intolerant of the one person who my need them the most. More concerned about what people think of them than their actual actions of forgiveness and compassion, which I personally find true of many overly religious people.

Though written well, I found the story too slow in getting to the point and way too slow to finish. I knew after baby James was taken that something was very wrong with Jude. It was just too predictable. It just seemed that Grace was so stuck in her own musings and world that she couldn't figure out that Pete was a schmuck. It was evident to me from how hard he was trying to get her attention. I also didn't like how Don's story ends. The author does leave it open for a possible sequel, with Grace as the powerful one. Not sure if that will work. But who knows... I'm not a teen girl.

CAPTIVATE by Carrie Jones

I was very disappointed by this book. I really enjoyed NEED, the first in the series. But this book fell short for many reasons for me. I read an advance reading copy, which had many grammatical, structural and spelling errors. I can only hope that whomever edits the book has caught these glaring issues and had the author fix them.

Early in the book, Zara is in the presence of her real father and calls him "Dad." But later in the book she calls him "Dad" and the character contemplates to herself that this is the first times she's called him that, which isn't true. There is also a moment where Zara, Nick, Devyn and Issie are in Issie's car with Nick driving. They had pulled over on the side of the road so Nick could confront Zara about something she's done and didn't tell him. After they sort of clear the air, they all say let's go home, but don't say which home. You assume to Zara's since most things happen there. Then the book says they "pull into "his" driveway." Which his, Nick or Devyns, and how can it be Devyn's as its a big story point that Zara has never been to his house? Which, although there's an explanation about the reason, it's really lame. Then the story proceeds with Nick putting the keys in his pockets. On the next page, as they continue to talk five lines later, they are now "drive along." I was so confused as to what they were doing and where they were going, I had to reread it to figure out if I had missed something. I hadn't missed anything.

There are also a few other things that happen that just don't make the story flow well. Without giving away story points, as the book isn't on the shelves yet, I can't and won't say what happens. But I will say that the story takes a decidedly different turn from the first book with an explanation as to what's happened to the Pixies that they locked in the house, where they go from there and what happens to some of the characters. I find that they move on quickly from major emotional upheaval and time doesn't flow well. One minute they are fighting pixies and concerned for the plight of one friend, the next they are planning to go to a party. Zara tries to call for help and everyone hangs up on her because they are doing something else and she's not upset with any of them for what happens from them not taking her calls.

Like I said, I really enjoyed the first book. So much that I've recommended it to a few places with which I work. But I can't recommend the second book as it is.

This is my first review pointing out all the reasons I don't like something with no real positive side. Once the book is out, I may come back to add specifics. I just don't want to blow it for anyone who wants to read it no matter what.

Sorry!