Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

publisher: Spencer Hill Press

release date: April 3rd, 2012

paperback, 329 pages

intended audience: Young adult

series: Covenant, book 2
(review of book 1)

rating:



source: ARC from publisher for honest review

Spoiler alert: description and review may contain slight spoilers for book 1, Half-Blood. If you haven't read it yet, stop reading here! :D

description: There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

Review: Fair warning: I love this series, and sometimes it's hard to put that love into coherent thoughts and words, so we'll see how this review turns out. :) For those YA readers out there who pass up books from smaller presses, they are really missing out amazing series such as this one. It is one of those truly incredible pieces of storytelling. Book one, Half-Blood, blew me away with it's intensity, danger, humor, and emotional pull---in Pure, we get more of all of that, magnified ten times over.

The romance is edgier and more complicated as her feelings for both Aiden and Seth start to change and become a little less cut-and-dry. Seth's character really progresses in this book. I think the only feelings I had toward him in the first book were,"Ack, what is his problem?" This time around, sure you get to see more Seth naughtiness, but we also have the pleasure of getting to know a bit more about him outside of his all-powerful Apollyon title. And Aiden, well...Aiden is just as swoon-worthy as ever---the hard training, the caring moments, the slip-ups in his resistance. But the danger of their feeling for each other is laid bare when they get to see first hand what happens when the laws that keep Pures and Half-Bloods apart are disobeyed.

The action sequences were, once again, amazingly visual and heart-pounding. New threats to Alex's life come from surprising sources. Her visit to another covenant brings out some new great characters and dangers and temptations and we even get to see a bit of a girly side to Alex's normally snarky, badass character.

Once again, this series brings on the action, the romance, the emotional surprises, the endlessly gripping story---and like most who have fallen in love with the Covenant series, I can't wait for more. Book three, Diety, absolutely cannot get here soon enough.

Visit Jennifer L. Armentrout at www.jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com

Purchase Pure at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository • Indiebound

Waiting on Wednesday - The One Word Edition

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for. For my WoWs, I'll be choosing a Sooner (books released in the next month or so) and a Later (books further out). Here's what I'm eagerly anticipating:

Sooner:

Here
by Denise Grover Swank

hit shelves November 7th, 2011 (self-published)

description:
Sixteen year old Julia Phillips buries herself in guilt after killing her best friend Monica in a car accident. Julia awoke in the hospital with a broken leg, a new talent for drawing and false memories of the accident, in which she dies and Monica lives. The doctors attribute this to her head injury, but no one can explain how a bracelet engraved with her name ended up at the scene of the accident. A bracelet no one has ever seen before. Classmate Evan Whittaker paid Julia no attention before the accident, let alone after. Now suddenly he’s volunteering to tutor her and offering to drive her home. She can't ignore that his new obsession started after his two-day disappearance last week and that he wears a pendant she’s been drawing for months. When the police show up one night looking for Evan, he begs Julia to run with him, convincing her that Monica is still alive. Julia agrees to go, never guessing where he’s really from.

My Thoughts: Now, sure, it's easy enough to say I was drawn in by this cover: At first look she is standing in the water, but if you look closer, she is floating slightly above. Creeeepy! Then, of course, I read the synopsis and now this book has my full attention! Sounds amazing. This one is actually already out, but I can't wait get a hold of this one!


Later:

Pure
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

hitting shelves April 3rd, 2012 from Spencer Hills Press

description:
There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

My thoughts: Half-Blood completely rocked. Definitely one of my top 10 of 2011. Possibly even top 5. So the sequel is obviously at the top of of my wishlist for 2012.
Can't. freakin. wait!!