The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass

Both Mortal Instruments have already landed in Valentine's hand and the last one which is the mirror is well known to be in Idris. The Clave does not know the whereabouts of the last one but they fear that Valentine will come attack the city. All shadowhunters were called back to Idris to have meetings to discuss dealing with Valentine. A lady named Madeleine had approached Clary telling her that a warlock named Ragnor Fell would have the antidote to wake her mother up. But the warlock would only meet Clary and he is in Idris hence Clary is going to Idris with the Lightwoods.

Clary was excited and anxious to go to Idris because she have not seen the place and another thing would be meeting a warlock to convince him to save her mother. Jace was not fond of the idea that Clary would be going. They were suppose to go at night time but Simon was called the institute in the evening by Jace. Jace told Simon that he did not want the Clave to know about Clary's abilities so he requested that Simon lied to the Lightwoods that Clary wouldn't be going to Idris with them.

Simon was pissed at the idea and telling off Jace when suddenly there was a lot of smoke coming from where Magnus Bane and the Lightwoods were at. Jace raced over to find that they were under attack by a lot of Forsaken. Magnus opened the portal abruptly and urged them to go across quickly. Simon was curious at what was happening and he was knocked out in the fight which gave Jace no choice but to drag him into the portal. Clary then later arrived with Luke knowing that she was left behind. She was really sad and upset because she needed to go to save her mother. She found out that Madeleine was killed and there would be no one who could meet with Ragnor Fell but her alone. With her steele Clary worked on a rune that will make a portal to let her travel to Idris and without permission she is not allowed to enter Alicante. Luke caught on to Clary while she used the portal because it was dangerous and he had to protect her. While in the portal, Clary's grip broke off from Luke and she found herself drowning at the end of the portal.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare is the third book of the series and it's kinda like the ending for this arc of the story. The reason why I think it's considered an ending to the arc because the ending was a good one without any suspense or cliff hangers. As it is stated in Wikipedia, the first three books is the first cycle while the fourth to sixth book is the second cycle of the series.  This book gives the whole story a proper ending also covering some pasts that I think most readers were curious about. 

I had really high expectations for the book and I was really impressed. The first two books was good but this one is just great. All the plots weave together wonderfully and it was a smooth story till the end. It was amazing that the characters continue to grow and mature. I think the two characters that I love the most is Jace and Simon because they have matured much especially Simon. Along all three books Simon has been a character that went through the most changes and adapted in situations perfectly. As for Clary I would have to say she has grown too but still a bit of a damsel in distress in her. The actions and plots are written very well and I love imagining all the fight scenes in my head.

There is a slight dissatisfaction towards the end of the book where I believe a certain important event could have more emphasis. It felt like some parts are left out and I would have prefer more elaboration on it. But those parts can be also ignored because it's not the highlight of the event.  To summarize, I love this series and I hope that the movie will do it justice and not disappoint me like Twilight movie did.  I have the fourth book and I have no idea what will it be about since the ending was not a cliff hanger. I definitely have high expectations on the books that Cassandra Clare writes. The probability of me picking up the books again would be to refresh my memory before the movies. When I'm yearning some young adult fantasy adventure I would definitely reread the series.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes

 Maryse Lightwood was back at the Institute in New York and she questioned Jace whether he knew that Valentine was his father. Jace was considered to be Valentine's Arrow and was being suspected. Maryse did not quite trust Jace and decided it was best for him to leave the institute. Clary loved Jace not the way brothers and sisters would have and Jace felt the same way. Because they can't be together Clary started dating her best friend Simon. Clary was hanging out with Simon and she got a phone call from Isabelle informing her that Jace was missing.

Jace was upset and he had no where to go so he went to The Hunter's Moon bar where lycanthropes  hang out. Jace was acting like a jerk in the bar which cause a fight to happen and it was stopped by Luke before more harm could happen. When all the fuss was happening, a young werewolf was attacked where his throat was cut. The werewolf was asking Jace to save but he was still in a bad mood and wanted more trouble by being arrogant. Luke called Clary to come talk to Jace to find out what was wrong with him. Clary arrived with Simon and then talked to Jace with Luke while Simon waited.

Jace asked for help from Luke and Clary to talk to Maryse so that he could stay at the institute because he had no where else to go. They all went to the institute and it was a long time since Maryse have seen Luke. After some talk it was known that the Inquisitor would be visiting and interviewing Jace and in order to protect him, Maryse thought that it would be better that he wasn't around to be interrogated. Jace said that he had nothing to be afraid of and he would stay so that the truth would be known instead of being doubted. That night the Inquisitor arrived and met with Jace in the library. Many questions were asked and Jace answered with an attitude. The inquisitor did not like Jace's behavior and decided to put him in jail which was located inside the city of bones so that he will learn his place.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare is the second book of the series where Clary's new changed life begins. After knowing that Jace is her brother, there is sort of an awkward and uneasy feeling between them. Simon also confessed his feelings for her which then turn the relationship into a dating one. After reading the first book, I have greater expectations for the second and I'm impressed by it.

I thought the new characters introduced were quite fitting to the plots. It was also wonderful to read about the changes that occur to the characters because of dire situations. There are traits that stay strong and steady which make those characters so lovable as well. As always the flow of the book is good where you have a steady pace and then climaxing towards the end of the book where I can barely put the book down. I also love the action parts of the book because it comes at right timing and the description is well written. It's definitely a page turner for me and I truly enjoy this second book and I am looking forward to their adventures in the third book.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Clary Fray was queuing up with her best friend Simon to enter an all age club called Pandemonium. While in the line there was a boy being stopped by the bouncer because he had a sword. That incident caught people's attention and Clary's too because of the way he looked. The boy manage to prove to the bouncer that it was a fake sword and in the end he manage to get into the club. The club was filled with many people and there were many people on the dance floor. 

The boy went in feeling triumphant as he manage to pass the bouncer by tricking him. He had a motive being there and his target was vulnerable humans to suck up their life source. In the midst of the dance floor, a beautiful lady approached him and beckon him to an empty storage room. To him it was so easy to get a prey tonight but Clary saw there were two black figures following behind. She also saw the two figures had weapons with them and then she reacted and told Simon to call for help while she followed them. Once she entered the room it seemed empty but suddenly she could see that the boy was being bounded to a pillar. Clary didn't know what to do except to yell for them to stop before one of the person plunge a knife at the boy. 

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is a story about a girl who could see something that no ordinary people could. Her journey follows as she discovers a world that is hidden from her. This is the first book for the series and also the author's debut book. I have to say I really enjoyed it and it was a wonderful adventure. I thought it would just be demon hunting and killing judging by the movie trailer but I was surprise by the story thoroughly. I loved all the characters of the book and I love that most of them have a fascinating past to it.

I like how the author plotted the chapters and the story had a wonderful fluid to it. For me I think this book is better than Twilight because there is so much more to the story besides forbidden love. This book is more about adventure than love which is amusing because it can't always be love but it's not lacking in that department either. I love the action of the book and I think the author truly wrote well in fight scenes. I really think this is a good fantasy world and there were many parts that were awesome to read. I didn't know what to expect for this book and it caught me by surprise with it's twists of plots. This book is definitely a page turner and I wished I didn't need to put it down due to work and sleep. I'm looking forward to the second book as our heroine's new life and journey has just begun. I had much fun with this book as I did with Divergent.

Elegy

Gemma managed to escape death from Lexi because Penn killed Lexi for harming Daniel. Liv who was suppose to be Gemma's replacement is now Lexi's. In a way Gemma gets to live longer but she knows that Penn will find another replacement soon. Daniel was going to execute his agreement with Penn and since he was injured that will have to be postponed. Thea came to see Gemma after the fight and handed her the scroll that Gemma was looking for. Thea said that Gemma can try to break the curse and this is the only help she could give her.

The new siren Liv was Harper's roomate until she freaked out and attacked Harper. Harper got out of it and wondered what was wrong because she doesn't know that Liv is a siren. Liv left the dorms and college to stay with Penn and Thea because they needed to babysit her. Since she had became a siren, Liv had manage to kill and eat 3 person which left Penn and Thea cleaning up the bodies because Liv did not know how to. Since getting the scroll, Gemma had tried to get help from Lydia to translate it and tried using items to destroy it. Sadly most things did not work to tear the parchment up. Harper also went to meet a professor in her college for help to translate the scroll and it seems that it's hard to pinpoint what language it was in.

Time is running out and everyone who knew about the sirens worked to help break the curse and translate the scroll. The only reaction that Gemma got was when the scroll was poured on with salt water, the writing will glow in crimson but only for a moment.

Elegy by Amanda Hocking is the final book to the Watersong quartet series. Somehow when you're at the last book, you could kinda feel what the ending would be like and you can get just the general idea of it. I anticipated a grand ending for the series or at least more action packed in this book. I was slightly disappointed because it did not meet my expectations. As the story continues, there are some parts that I thought would have needed more emphasis.

My thoughts are that certain characters needed more background and story to them and also being more involved in the story. The story will be more fantastic if those parts can be covered because it seems like a flaw to the story. Another thing that I feel that gives out too much is the summary behind the book. It tells a bit too much in my opinion but in a way there is something to anticipate. For me the summary gave me an outlook of the story but then disappoints me when the book reached that part.

Overall the series was just okay to me because it revolves around one thing only. That one thing has been talked about in four books and to me because there weren't much of other elements besides the main key to the story it made it just an okay book. The drive of the whole story is basically how the characters reacted to the situation/problem and the villains seem to not know what's happening behind their backs. My last thoughts after finishing the book was I think I wouldn't  miss out if I have not read the series. The third book was the best for me out of the four and the rest was just mediocre. I hope that the author will come out with better stories because her debut trilogy The Trylle series is still the best to me.

Tidal

The sirens decided to stay as per Penn's decision as she finds Daniel to be an interesting person. Since Daniel is immune to the siren song, Penn wanted to find out the reason. Gemma needed to protect the people she loves and so she used the siren song on Alex telling him not to love her. Gemma was really sad about breaking up with Alex and so she moped around too much in the house. Her sister told her to get out and relax which she took the advice and joined the play. 

Thea was also joined the play to pass her time in town . Daniel was also hired to work on the set and also to keep an eye on Gemma upon Harper's request. Everyday Gemma will go to play rehearsal and try not to worry so much about her impending doom. She needed to break the curse and so she asked Thea but failed to gather anything useful because the sirens are also clueless on that matter. Time is running out because Gemma knows that Penn is finding a replacement for her slot. 

Tidal by Amanda Hocking  is the third book in the Watersong series. We were left off at the sirens deciding to stick in town because of Penn's interest in Daniel. I quite enjoyed this book more than the previous two because I thought the other books was a bit slow paced. This book was much much better where I get to read about the sirens. It's just wonderful that there are more development in the sirens' story and also relationship in the book.

I kept on reading because I wanted to know what's going to happen next as there is much plot that cannot be predicted here. In terms of writing, I see no difference in terms of conversations, grammar and words that are use. Amanda is definitely a good writer because she builds up the series slowly from book one to two and then book three is a good climax. This book definitely holds my interest and makes me look forward to the last book. I think with her style of writing I cannot predict how plots will unravel slowly towards an ending. 

I highly recommend spending time to understand the titles of each chapter because it helps you imagine what that chapter could be. This book is worth the money and the time spent. Because this book is good, I changed my mind about it being just an ordinary fantasy story. In previous reviews, I have compared book one and two to the Trylle series and found that those two did not meet my expectations. I'm glad that this book meet my expectations and is on par with her previous trilogy. I already have the forth book in my hand and I shall end this review and carry on with my reading. 

My life next door

Samantha grew up with her older sister having a single mother. Her father have left before she was born and her mother took care of both sister with her trust fund. Her mother have taught her many things and her mother was also a sort of perfectionist. When a new neighbor moves in, Sam was excited because she will have new friends to play with. Her mother did not like the Garretts for they are a big messy family. 

She always complains about their toys being all over the lawn, complains about why people have so many children and the list goes on. The neighbors were always lively and noisy all the time. Sam is fascinated that they have that kinda of life and she usually sits outside her window and watches the family. She tried to figure out who was who sometimes, pinpointing the names of everyone but there were too many boys. One night while she was watching, she nearly fell when Jase the second son talked to her. She felt shy but also wanting to tell her somethings that was happening in her life. Slowly they fell in love with each other but seeing how Sam's mother was judging the Garretts, she had to keep this relationship a secret.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick is about a young girl, her summer love and her life. This book is realistic when it comes to teenagers' life and I love it. Although I don't have that kind of life but I bet there will be many who can relate to it. I love the simple writing of the book and the best part for me are the characters of the story.  I love how real the characters react to situation, their thoughts and their actions. Reading this book makes me want to be young again hoping to have a different kind of high school experience.

The plots are smooth and slowly edging to a climax which made reading quite pleasant. I have to say that the printing on the book made me slightly excited to find out what's the secret and what choice was needed to be made. When I found out I thought it was quite a good plot to it. This book really has good meaning to it where it teaches you a moral value. I love books who can always tell a good story, relate to the real world and teaching people at the same time. Although I would not pick up this book to read again anytime soon but when I'm feeling nostalgic of my youth I will definitely read it again.

Awaken

Pierce and John managed to revived Alex from the dead and brought both Alex and Kayla to the underworld to protect from danger. Alex was still unconscious so Pierce decided to help John out in the docks. She distributed water to the people who were lining up and waiting for the boat that brings them to a better place. There Pierce encountered a few people who were asking much questions and she tried her best to control the crowd.

While Pierce was trying her best to calm those dead people down, Alex was running towards her with a whip in his hand. He was telling her that he came to rescue her and they will be escaping from this place. Clearly Alex was flustered and he was not aware of what was happening. Pierce tried to explain to him that the boat those people are waiting were not going to Isla Huesos but somewhere else. When Alex finally get the picture he demanded to go back because he claimed he had evidence to save his father. While everyone was bickering about this and that, the ravens that were flying above seems to be more aggressive in their flying which means something bad might happen. John realized that the boats were about to crash the docks. He asked Pierce to get herself to safety with his horse and he will settle the problem.

Awaken by Meg Cabot is the final book for the Abandon series. The story continues from the second book and I have to say it was not a super exciting adventure but it was not lacking either. After saving her cousin, the underworld is suffering from imbalance and they have to find out what is the problem. This time our heroine is a stronger person and I like how she reacts to situations. I didn't expect a lot from the book and that is why the plots are able to keep me entertained quite well. I love how the story pans out in the end and I believe this ending is the best for the series. 

In terms of the characters in the book, they resume who there were without development because they were already stable in the second book. New characters were introduced and I thought that was fantastic. There were a bit of funny bits here and there because how can a Meg Cabot book not have it. There were some mystery too because it's really the writer's forte for such writing. Overall I think the series was an okay story because right now there are many YA books that are more exciting which I compare to. But the thing that I have to point out that this book is different in terms of it's not a dystopian future and the idea behind the book is inspired by Greek mythology. I think in YA genre mythologies are often use such as the Percy Jackson and I have not read those before so I can't compare. To me it's quite a refreshing idea followed with some romance that is enjoyable to read.

Loreal Hydrafresh Moisturizer

First of all my skin is in the combination zone where my t-zone usually oils up a bit when I wake up in the morning. Sometimes the tops of my cheeks oil up too but not really bad. I've been using Estee Lauder's Hydrationist moisturizer for years and it is a costly jar of 50ml truth to be told. But it really works, after applying it, my skin always feel so soft and supple. My jar was on the verge of finishing and so I thought of trying a cheaper alternative since I had a friend who was using this and her skin looked good.

The price difference is almost 10 times so I think it will be worth a try and if it doesn't work I would just restock back on my Estee one. The texture of the Loreal moisturizer is of gel type but leaning slightly towards watery. When you rub it on your fingers before applying it seems like it's water. When applying to your face there is a mild cooling effect which is sort of nice but leaves my skin with a tinge of stickiness. There is also a faint smell that I can't describe what but it's okay for me. After testing it for weeks, this moisturizer does not break me out but it does not keep my face moisturized for long. Usually after 3 hours where I work in air con room, my t-zone oils up and so I needed to blot my face quite often.

I think it's a good drugstore brand but it's not good enough for my skin since I've been pampering it with higher end brands. But for someone who is in high school, this is really affordable. In order not to waste it, I will finish this jar before I buy back the Estee Lauder one since it works best for me.