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Short Stories from Hell
Beijos Infernais
Cinco histórias de amor e medo, em que a paixão e o sobrenatural misturam-se a todo instante. Tanto na história de uma vampira fugitiva que se vê forçada a confiar em um garoto cuja missão é destruí-la como na relação de amor entre dois imortais, o limite entre o desejo e o perigo torna-se cada vez mais visível.
Kristin Cast, Richelle Mead, Alyson Noël, Kelley Armstrong e Francesca Lia Block fazem o leitor questionar o verdadeiro sentido do “amor eterno” e mostram seus prós e contras.
Leia o primeiro conto e conheça um pouco da origem de Lissa Dragomir, da série Academia de vampiros, em Luz do sol, de Richelle Mead.
• Da mesma série de Formaturas infernais e Amores infernais.
• Kristin Cast é autora da série The House of Night (Novo Século).
• Alyson Nöel é autora da série Imortais (Intrínseca).
• Richelle Mead é autora da série Academia de vampiros (Agir).
Kristin Cast, Richelle Mead, Alyson Noël, Kelley Armstrong e Francesca Lia Block fazem o leitor questionar o verdadeiro sentido do “amor eterno” e mostram seus prós e contras.
Leia o primeiro conto e conheça um pouco da origem de Lissa Dragomir, da série Academia de vampiros, em Luz do sol, de Richelle Mead.
• Da mesma série de Formaturas infernais e Amores infernais.
• Kristin Cast é autora da série The House of Night (Novo Século).
• Alyson Nöel é autora da série Imortais (Intrínseca).
• Richelle Mead é autora da série Academia de vampiros (Agir).
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
170 people are currently reading
13985 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Cast
127 books9,519 followersKristin is a #1 NYT and #1 USA Today bestselling author with over 30 million books in print.
She is proudly neurodivergent (ASD + OCD) and deeply consumed by character-driven chaos, emotionally vulnerable heroes, and smart, sexy heroines who always get the last word and the hot guy. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her devouring thriller, horror, and romance novels, practicing witchcraft, and being the exact kind of unhinged that makes group chats worth opening.
She is proudly neurodivergent (ASD + OCD) and deeply consumed by character-driven chaos, emotionally vulnerable heroes, and smart, sexy heroines who always get the last word and the hot guy. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her devouring thriller, horror, and romance novels, practicing witchcraft, and being the exact kind of unhinged that makes group chats worth opening.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews
September 6, 2010
This collection consists of 5 stories by the YA authors out of which I am familiar with 3 - I admire Kelley Armstrong, I am fairly disappointed in Richelle Mead, vowed not to read Alyson Noel again - never read anything by Kristin Cast and Francesca Lia Block. First I thought to only read Mead's and Armstrong's stories, but then decided to give 3 other writers a chance, out of the goodness of my heart and because the book is fairly short. Well, I shouldn't have bothered.
"Sunshine" by Richelle Mead - an extremely dull and uneventful story about how Lissa Dragomir's parents met. Absolutely nothing exciting here. Can't imagine anyone not familiar with Vampire Academy series would be enticed to give this author a try after reading this. 2 stars.
"Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noel - a moderately entertaining tale about a girl who is meant to bring back to life a very special someone. Not a very strong story, but held my interest throughout. 3 stars.
"Above" by Kristin Cast. This must be one of the worst pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have no idea who told Kristin Cast she was a writer and who decided this embarrassing mess should be printed. Basically, a pathetic attempt at edgy/poetic/cryptic writing a la Margo Lanagan, only minus talent. 0 stars.
"Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong. Easily the best in this collection. This is a continuation of the story "Kat" published in The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire. A lot of action, fighting, nice mythology, a hint at a possible romance. My main concern is, just like every other book/story in the Darkest Powers series, it's again about running away from the Edison Group. How many times can I read the same scenario? 4 stars.
"Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block. A vampire girl changes a nerd's whole life. Weird, short, with no suspense. 2 stars.
Honestly, do yourself a favor, if you want to read something about kissing, don't bother with Kisses from Hell, pick up Lips Touch: Three Times instead.
"Sunshine" by Richelle Mead - an extremely dull and uneventful story about how Lissa Dragomir's parents met. Absolutely nothing exciting here. Can't imagine anyone not familiar with Vampire Academy series would be enticed to give this author a try after reading this. 2 stars.
"Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noel - a moderately entertaining tale about a girl who is meant to bring back to life a very special someone. Not a very strong story, but held my interest throughout. 3 stars.
"Above" by Kristin Cast. This must be one of the worst pieces of writing I have ever encountered. I have no idea who told Kristin Cast she was a writer and who decided this embarrassing mess should be printed. Basically, a pathetic attempt at edgy/poetic/cryptic writing a la Margo Lanagan, only minus talent. 0 stars.
"Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong. Easily the best in this collection. This is a continuation of the story "Kat" published in The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire. A lot of action, fighting, nice mythology, a hint at a possible romance. My main concern is, just like every other book/story in the Darkest Powers series, it's again about running away from the Edison Group. How many times can I read the same scenario? 4 stars.
"Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block. A vampire girl changes a nerd's whole life. Weird, short, with no suspense. 2 stars.
Honestly, do yourself a favor, if you want to read something about kissing, don't bother with Kisses from Hell, pick up Lips Touch: Three Times instead.
January 27, 2016
DNF@35%.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead:
It isn't bad but the plot is weak and not very 'together', the characters are all very 'Meh', so 2 stars.
Bright Me to Life by Alyson Noel:
Skipped after reading the first 3 pages because the writing and the plot don't look interesting to me,I will try again later... No star.
Above by Kristin Cast:
Skipped after reading the first 2 pages, I couldn't handle Cast's writing when my head was aching. No star.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong
The author brought up interesting ideas about vampires and evil scientific group, but I lost interest after reading about 10 pages--I am seriously sick of this Edison Group and I don't wish to read any more story about them. No star.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block:
Block's writing is still simple but it has a certain moving, dancing grace, and this short story reads a bit like 'Let the Right One In', 4 stars.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead:
It isn't bad but the plot is weak and not very 'together', the characters are all very 'Meh', so 2 stars.
Bright Me to Life by Alyson Noel:
Skipped after reading the first 3 pages because the writing and the plot don't look interesting to me,
Above by Kristin Cast:
Skipped after reading the first 2 pages, I couldn't handle Cast's writing when my head was aching. No star.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong
The author brought up interesting ideas about vampires and evil scientific group, but I lost interest after reading about 10 pages--I am seriously sick of this Edison Group and I don't wish to read any more story about them. No star.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block:
Block's writing is still simple but it has a certain moving, dancing grace, and this short story reads a bit like 'Let the Right One In', 4 stars.
August 10, 2017
'Sunshine' by RICHELLE MEAD - 4 stars
“This time, she was the one who kissed him. It seemed so strange to be kissing in a place where death had just occurred before their eyes, and yet…it also seemed right. They were alive. The kiss was alive.
She wanted to keep kissing him forever.”
- Rhea Daniels
* * *
“Your hair. Even in moonlight…it looks like sunshine. I’d never have to go outside again if I was with you.”
- Eric Dragomir
------
'Bring me to life' by ALISON NOËL - 3.5 stars
“Paint your dreams,” I was told, and so I do.”
- Danika Kavanaugh
* * *
“The more you allow yourself to experience, the more your craft can grow. And trying new things is a very big part of that. You’ll be amazed at how it feeds your imagination and frees your—soul.”
- Bram
* * *
“We’ll live together, forever. We’ll never be apart….”
- Danika Kavanaugh
------
'Lilith' by FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK - 3 stars
“I didn’t want to belong to anyone.”
- Lilith
* * *
“He wondered if it was a punishment or a gift, what she had given him.”
- Paul Michael
“This time, she was the one who kissed him. It seemed so strange to be kissing in a place where death had just occurred before their eyes, and yet…it also seemed right. They were alive. The kiss was alive.
She wanted to keep kissing him forever.”
- Rhea Daniels
* * *
“Your hair. Even in moonlight…it looks like sunshine. I’d never have to go outside again if I was with you.”
- Eric Dragomir
------
'Bring me to life' by ALISON NOËL - 3.5 stars
“Paint your dreams,” I was told, and so I do.”
- Danika Kavanaugh
* * *
“The more you allow yourself to experience, the more your craft can grow. And trying new things is a very big part of that. You’ll be amazed at how it feeds your imagination and frees your—soul.”
- Bram
* * *
“We’ll live together, forever. We’ll never be apart….”
- Danika Kavanaugh
------
'Lilith' by FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK - 3 stars
“I didn’t want to belong to anyone.”
- Lilith
* * *
“He wondered if it was a punishment or a gift, what she had given him.”
- Paul Michael
September 6, 2010
Ok, I only read two stories in this book. The Richelle Mead story - which is a Vampire Academy story about how Lissa's parents met - was good and interesting and now makes me want to read the books again! I'm pretty sure that the other characters in this story are also the parents of VA characters, and I need to figure out who is who! The story seems to shed some light on part of Lissa's story that is revealed at the end of Spirit Bound.
The book also contained something by Kristin Cast (of House of Night), which may have been a story but was more like a very long, confusing and stupid poem. The only reason I continued reading it, was I felt sure there was going to be some kind of explanation...but no, there was not. Don't make the mistake of reading her story, as it was a big waste o' time.
The book also contained something by Kristin Cast (of House of Night), which may have been a story but was more like a very long, confusing and stupid poem. The only reason I continued reading it, was I felt sure there was going to be some kind of explanation...but no, there was not. Don't make the mistake of reading her story, as it was a big waste o' time.
November 14, 2021
Nee, das Buch braucht man wirklich nicht. Kurzgeschichten über Vampire - klang nach Klischee und Romanzen. Ich hatte wirklich Lust drauf. Aber richtig gefallen hat mir nur die erste Kurzgeschichte.
June 16, 2025
Kisses from Hell is a collection of five YA short stories. Short-story collections can be a hit or a miss, but I still always look forward to reading a short-story collection.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead - 4 stars
This was the story I was looking forward to the most, as I love the Vampire Academy series. It is about how Lissa Dragomir's parents, Eric and Rhea, met. Although the story could have been better, I loved being back in the Vampire Academy world, which made me super nostalgic, and that's the only reason this is getting 4 stars.
Bright Me to Life by Alyson Noel - 3 stars
This story is about a girl who gets accepted into an art academy after painting her dreams for that said acceptance. Once she arrives at the manor, her dreams become more vivid. As she paints her dreams, some eerie things start to happen, and she learns that she has to bring someone to life. This started off really strong, and the buildup was thrilling, but it fizzled out spectacularly at the end.
Above by Kristin Cast - 0 stars
I can't possibly tell you what this story was about. I honestly didn't understand anything that was happening. Looking at other reviews, I am glad I'm not the only one who thinks this.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - 4 stars
Kat turned into the undead six months ago, and she doesn't know what that would entail as she turned into a vampire using scientific methods by an evil organisation called the Edison Group, whom she's been trying to escape from with her guardian, Margurite, a real vampire. When Kat is abducted, she meets two other guys who were also experimented on by the Edison Group. Now, they'll have to band together to escape. This was my favourite of the bunch.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - 2 stars
Paul Michael lives in a small town and is an outcast at his school. When a mysterious new girl, Lilith, arrives and pays attention to Paul, he gains confidence like never before. I am conflicted about this story. I thought it was building to something, but it never quite gets there. It was odd and good at the start, but it felt incomplete.
Overall, it was a good mix. I am making my way through the entire collection in this series.
2.6 stars, rounding it to 3 stars
Sunshine by Richelle Mead - 4 stars
This was the story I was looking forward to the most, as I love the Vampire Academy series. It is about how Lissa Dragomir's parents, Eric and Rhea, met. Although the story could have been better, I loved being back in the Vampire Academy world, which made me super nostalgic, and that's the only reason this is getting 4 stars.
Bright Me to Life by Alyson Noel - 3 stars
This story is about a girl who gets accepted into an art academy after painting her dreams for that said acceptance. Once she arrives at the manor, her dreams become more vivid. As she paints her dreams, some eerie things start to happen, and she learns that she has to bring someone to life. This started off really strong, and the buildup was thrilling, but it fizzled out spectacularly at the end.
Above by Kristin Cast - 0 stars
I can't possibly tell you what this story was about. I honestly didn't understand anything that was happening. Looking at other reviews, I am glad I'm not the only one who thinks this.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - 4 stars
Kat turned into the undead six months ago, and she doesn't know what that would entail as she turned into a vampire using scientific methods by an evil organisation called the Edison Group, whom she's been trying to escape from with her guardian, Margurite, a real vampire. When Kat is abducted, she meets two other guys who were also experimented on by the Edison Group. Now, they'll have to band together to escape. This was my favourite of the bunch.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - 2 stars
Paul Michael lives in a small town and is an outcast at his school. When a mysterious new girl, Lilith, arrives and pays attention to Paul, he gains confidence like never before. I am conflicted about this story. I thought it was building to something, but it never quite gets there. It was odd and good at the start, but it felt incomplete.
Overall, it was a good mix. I am making my way through the entire collection in this series.
2.6 stars, rounding it to 3 stars
January 20, 2011
This book is five stories by five authors. I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others in this "series". Alyson Noel's story saved it for me. Kelley Armstrong's was also good.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead ***
A story about a bunch of vampire teenagers. They are born vampires called Moroi. They aren't out of control monsters - those are Strigoi. Moroi can become Strigoi by draining a human of blood.
Eric is a player. His father wants him to find a girl and settle down to carry on the family line.
Rhea is engaged to a boy who is self-centered. She loves him, but is not in love with him.
Guess what happens?
Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noel *****
Loved it! The beginning especially is very reminiscent of Dracula. Dani gets excepted into a very exclusive art school which is in a fantastically creepy old house and not what it seems. Very compelling story.
Above by Kristin Cast **
This one was written like poetry. I don't like poetry. I didn't like the story either. It was about some weird fae or something, the ones Below and the Others Above. The best thing about this story was that it was really short.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong ****
I enjoyed this story. About a girl who is an experimental vampire running from the people who conducted the experiment.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block **
I didn't really like this story about a strange boy and a succubus? who helps him escape his sad world.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead ***
A story about a bunch of vampire teenagers. They are born vampires called Moroi. They aren't out of control monsters - those are Strigoi. Moroi can become Strigoi by draining a human of blood.
Eric is a player. His father wants him to find a girl and settle down to carry on the family line.
Rhea is engaged to a boy who is self-centered. She loves him, but is not in love with him.
Guess what happens?
Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noel *****
Loved it! The beginning especially is very reminiscent of Dracula. Dani gets excepted into a very exclusive art school which is in a fantastically creepy old house and not what it seems. Very compelling story.
Above by Kristin Cast **
This one was written like poetry. I don't like poetry. I didn't like the story either. It was about some weird fae or something, the ones Below and the Others Above. The best thing about this story was that it was really short.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong ****
I enjoyed this story. About a girl who is an experimental vampire running from the people who conducted the experiment.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block **
I didn't really like this story about a strange boy and a succubus? who helps him escape his sad world.
August 29, 2024
Niets voor mij. En ik hou nochtans van vampieren.😥
December 26, 2025
15-letnia ja byłaby pewnie zachwycona.
November 17, 2017
Kisses From Hell is a book of Anthologies dedicated to one of my favorite genres...vampires! I love Paranormal in general but vampires are a favorite of mine, so this was right up my alley.
There are 5 different stories written by 5 different talented YA authors.
The first story Sunshine by Richelle Mead is the story of Lissa Dragomir's (from Vampire Academy) parents, Eric Dragomir and Rhea Daniels, meeting for the first time.
Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noël is a story of a girl named Danika who is one of several students that wins a art contest that allows them to study at the Sunderland Manor Art Academy in the UK. When Danika gets there she finds she is the only student that shows up on top of some other creepy occurrences.
Above by Kristin Cast is an interesting tale of how vampires came to be creatures of the night.
Hunting Kat by Kelly Armstrong is Katiana's story of how she became a vampire and how she tries to outrun the Edison Group, the entity that is responsible for her "condition".
And the last story Lilith by Francesca Lia Block revolves around Paul Michael who is an outcast teenager whose life takes a turn when meeting a beautiful new student named Lilith.
Each of these stories has their own unique take on one of the most famous creatures of the night (of course vampires). I enjoyed each and everyone but my favorites were Sunshine and Above. Above was a little different and harder to follow at first but it was the most unique and had an interesting take on vampires.
I have only read 2 of the authors books but these short stories have me excited to read the other 3 authors books as well.
Definitely 4 thumbs up for Kisses From Hell. I will definitely check out the other Anthologies in the Short Stories From Hell series.
There are 5 different stories written by 5 different talented YA authors.
The first story Sunshine by Richelle Mead is the story of Lissa Dragomir's (from Vampire Academy) parents, Eric Dragomir and Rhea Daniels, meeting for the first time.
Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noël is a story of a girl named Danika who is one of several students that wins a art contest that allows them to study at the Sunderland Manor Art Academy in the UK. When Danika gets there she finds she is the only student that shows up on top of some other creepy occurrences.
Above by Kristin Cast is an interesting tale of how vampires came to be creatures of the night.
Hunting Kat by Kelly Armstrong is Katiana's story of how she became a vampire and how she tries to outrun the Edison Group, the entity that is responsible for her "condition".
And the last story Lilith by Francesca Lia Block revolves around Paul Michael who is an outcast teenager whose life takes a turn when meeting a beautiful new student named Lilith.
Each of these stories has their own unique take on one of the most famous creatures of the night (of course vampires). I enjoyed each and everyone but my favorites were Sunshine and Above. Above was a little different and harder to follow at first but it was the most unique and had an interesting take on vampires.
I have only read 2 of the authors books but these short stories have me excited to read the other 3 authors books as well.
Definitely 4 thumbs up for Kisses From Hell. I will definitely check out the other Anthologies in the Short Stories From Hell series.
May 12, 2024
Title: A Book from Hell.
Let me be honest with you, I have no idea what I read. 2.5 stars it is.
Every novella had a weird plot but especially the 3rd and 5th novellas. I am so happy I finished reading this. It took me 9 MONTHS to finish reading because I was SO BORED, from July 21st, 2023 to April 27th, 2024.
Let me be honest with you, I have no idea what I read. 2.5 stars it is.
Every novella had a weird plot but especially the 3rd and 5th novellas. I am so happy I finished reading this. It took me 9 MONTHS to finish reading because I was SO BORED, from July 21st, 2023 to April 27th, 2024.
September 1, 2019
Decent but really wanted and expected more from these ladies.
1. "Sunshine" by Richelle Mead - Okay I love her books so I was a bit biased returning to the world of V.A. I liked seeing how Lissa's parents met and all but this story was a bit cliche.
2. "Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noel- Potential was her but I think it needed to be fleshed out a bit more. It just felt...lacking.
3. "Above" by Kristin Cast - *HISS* Boo! Utterly dissatisfied. Wanted my time back. Long, lengthy and pointless.
4. "Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong - Probably my favorite here. I really want to go read more by her now. Sadly my planned TBR is booked up without her for awhile but I might up her on the general priority. This was edgy and fun!
5. "Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block Mixed thoughts I this one. I think this one was just too abrupt. Again, it had potential but didn't draw me as much as the others.
1. "Sunshine" by Richelle Mead - Okay I love her books so I was a bit biased returning to the world of V.A. I liked seeing how Lissa's parents met and all but this story was a bit cliche.
2. "Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noel- Potential was her but I think it needed to be fleshed out a bit more. It just felt...lacking.
3. "Above" by Kristin Cast - *HISS* Boo! Utterly dissatisfied. Wanted my time back. Long, lengthy and pointless.
4. "Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong - Probably my favorite here. I really want to go read more by her now. Sadly my planned TBR is booked up without her for awhile but I might up her on the general priority. This was edgy and fun!
5. "Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block Mixed thoughts I this one. I think this one was just too abrupt. Again, it had potential but didn't draw me as much as the others.
August 8, 2013
Sunshine—Richelle Mead 2 stars
The very first sentence was a complete turn-off. Idk how “romantic” it’s supposed to be when the guy says “Emma wasn’t Eric Dragomir’s first girlfriend. Nor was she likely to be his last.” And his dad asks him how many more girls he’s going to go through. How romantic and sweet!
Emma was impossible to like, and I thought that was who he was going to get with, until Rhea came into the picture. Emma complained about how long the boat was taking, and then made an insensitive comment that people were going to turn on the guy whose party it was because it was taking so long. Then when Strigoi come she just clings to Eric like a total helpless female. After the attack she gets all excited about it, which was really stupid and cruel, because Eric’s mom had been killed by Strigoi.
I hate when guys currently have girlfriends, before they get with the main girl, because of the sordid details that come along. Emma gets her dress wet and then jerks Eric into the pool with her. She presses up against him and kisses him, and “Eric found the feel of her body, with its tightly clinging dress, was better than alcohol for forgetting his worries. He jerked her closer, running his hand over her hip.” And she asks if he wants to leave the party early, and if he wants help getting out of his clothes. Wtf?
Eric sees Rhea then, and goes to talk to her when she’s about to feed. And that whole concept is just disgusting. The human servants with a list of names to check off to keep up with how much the Moroi feed, and the cubicles set up with human feeders willing to give their blood. Ew. It’s disgusting. And Rhea having a relationship with her feeder didn’t make her gracious and kind in my mind; it was all just very nasty. Emma finds them together in the hallway and looks jealous. And as Eric leaves with her she hears him say “Now that you’re here, maybe you can help me change after all.” W.T.F? How am I ever supposed to like this guy when he’s going off to have sex with his girlfriend after he’s met her? He knows how cruel and thoughtless Emma is, yet he’s making comments like that. Screw this.
I actually liked the relationship that Rhea and Stephen had, that they’d grown up together and got engaged, and that were complete opposites in personality. It was really sweet, and I liked them together.
“Emma was easy enough to soothe once Eric brought her back to his bedroom. She seemed much more interested in helping take his clothes off than discussing what had happened with Rhea, particularly since neither of them ended up putting on dry clothes or returning to the party.”
“Emma gripped Eric so tightly that her nails dug into his skin, kind of reminding him of last night in bed.”
Oh, that’s just great. Make disgusting and crude comments like that about him with another girl and I’m just falling in love with his character. Wtf would possess someone to write this crap? I’m making a mental note to never read anything else by Richelle Mead, cuz I don’t like this trashy style of writing. This isn’t romance; this is smut.
The relationship could’ve been interesting, but like all short stories, it’s over before it even really begins. Things were left off so unfinished, and more should’ve definitely happened. Then at the end he makes a comment about her reminding him of a Russian legend called Vasilisa the Brave. She says she’s never heard of it, but she likes the name. Well . . . do you maybe wanna say who Vasilisa the Brave is? If you assume the reader knows what you’re talking about, you’re gonna be left with a confused reader ticked off because they have to look it up when their own, because the author was too lazy to spell it out for them. You can’t put something out like that and then not explain it. The least he could’ve done was to say who that was.
Bring Me to Life—Alyson Noel 1 ½ stars
The beginning seemed interesting enough, an art student traveling to an art school across country. Then the bomb dropped right out of the gate about her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend. Wow, that’s great.
The story was pretty intriguing, about there being no other students there, the way they referred to the mist as “he,” when they said “She’s here” when she first got there, and the dreams she had. I love the element of mystery in a book, and I wanted to know what was going on. I wish Bram had a better style though. I don’t go for skinny jeans on a guy, or Converse shoes. It was obvious by his name, pale skin, and sunglasses that he was a vampire.
Things turned really crazy without any warning. They’re walking in the grave, and then they get separated, and Lucian comes, with the servants backing him up and urging her to get with him. Bram talks her into forsaking Lucian, his evil brother, and then Bram bites her neck, turning her into a vampire, which I initially thought made him the evil one instead. That probably shouldn’t have happened. Them being reincarnated lovers seemed really random to me, and the house feeding off of her art and soul was straight-up weird. And Danika has no problem swallowing that fact and drinking his blood. Whew, what a fast ride that was.
Above—Kristin Cast 0 stars
It starts out like a poem and pretty much stays that way throughout, with short sentence fragments that make for choppy, stilted reading. And nothing makes much sense. It’s like someone’s talking out of their butt. I don’t even think I could enter a place where I could conceive of such weird/stupid/senseless thoughts. And I can’t even believe someone actually thought this up, much less published it for the world to see. Not everything that enters your head should be made into a book.
“She is unique, evolved, brave. Her difference, the seed of abuse. She touches, sees, hears, smells, tastes, wants . . . different.” Wtf?
The writing was so stupid, so incredibly inane, I thought it must have been dreamed up by a 5 year old. Let me share a couple quotes to emphasize that point.
“Light from the rising moon rubbed the dark of her hair. It shone onyx appreciation.”
“The grass tangled her new limbs, threatening to pull her back to where she was filthy stupid fun.”
Yeah, I copied those directly from the book. Kristin Cast actually wrote that down. “She was filthy stupid fun. Wow. It’s absolutely shocking what gets published these days.
I could’ve written better than that when I was 5 years old. The story was stupid, and I couldn’t understand it, and then I wondered if I even wanted to understand it as stupid thing after stupid thing was thrown out. Rheena’s dad didn’t want her and her mom didn’t either, who pushed her into the hole and said she was never to come back, so she can go Above, and they’re Below, with all the tree roots because they’re ants or something, and Above there are male spiders who go hunting who touch her with acid fingers. WHAT?!
Sol, the love interest, who’s like a killer spider, says this little gem:
“Killer. Coward.
The torture tool whispered, sadistic. Craving. Happy.
Kill her.
We will kill.
Bleed her.
Bleed her, taste her, lick her dry.
She asked for it. For us to kill.
Born a freak.
Kill kill kill kill killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill. Yummmmm.”
Boy, that’s romance at its greatest. And yeah, I painstakingly copied each “kill” just to show how stupid this writing is. This is like the most stupid writing I’ve ever read. Books I read when I was in kindergarten were smarter than this.
“The people you are from, their bodies are luminescent, their pupils consume and reach out for light. That light that courses through them gives us something here, Above.
Something that we must drain.
Something that we must drink.”
His lips parted. A row of teeth revealed. All the same.
He pushed his eyelids together.
Wait.
Two, different.
He had released his canines. Carved to points. Sharp. Deadly.
And gone.
“I do it for this. My music. What you heard, what awakened you, I cannot create
Alone.
Without your people, their brilliance
I cannot imagine.
I, we are absent
of feeling, touching.
Of having
True emotion.”
Why
Are the words
Bouncing around the page
Like that?
That makes no sense.
And
It’s annoying
To read.
When I found out he was a hunter of her kind, I wondered how that was going to work out, but Cast quickly cleaned that up by making Rheena’s touch fill him with the same life he would get with killing, so he doesn’t have to kill her after all! He can just touch her. Idn’t that sumthin? And their pupils cast out light, light that his kind needs? Wtf? I feel like I’m caught up in some weird Syfy movie that the directors let kids come up with. Jeeze.
Then they’re just kissing and touching and undressing the minute she wakes up. Wow, the first second you meet a member of the opposite sex just jump the crap out of them. The Casts are definitely not known for their class, if the Night series was anything to go by.
This man keeps calling her a whore, and at first I wondered why he called her that, because wanting to go Above shouldn’t make you a whore, but then she just has sex with Sol because she wanted love, and I see now there’s no better word for her. Anyone that has sex with a guy she doesn’t even know, whom she just met a few minutes ago, well, there’s really no other word for it.
The man comes and just kills her, and then carves the word freak into her cheek. I didn’t even get the chance to know the main character before she died, and then Sol gets mad and goes on a killing rampage and kills the guard and the murderer. Wow. I don’t even know how someone could go to such a dark place to write this crap.
When I got done I wanted so badly to just detox myself from that god-awful excuse of a story. I felt like scraping my fingers down my arms and ridding myself of the crawling sensation of stupidness it left. I didn’t want that stupid rubbing off on my own writing. I feel like my IQ has suffered a blow just from reading this.
Hunting Kat-Kelley Armstrong 2 stars
I expected much better from Kelley Armstrong, and was quite surprised with her bratty, unlikable character complaining about everything. Even when she explained why, about being experimented on, I still didn’t feel sorry for her. She mentioned running from the Edison Group now, and I couldn’t believe Armstrong would use that from her other series.
“I looked in the mirror—yes, unlike Hollywood vampires, I can see my reflection.”
“Vampires don’t get superhuman strength—another myth debunked—and the branch was all the way through the seat, so it required work, but finally I got it free.”
Those Hollywood comments are so overused and old. I’m so sick of hearing them it’s not even funny. I was shocked at the language her characters used. I don’t go for the GD word.
I liked the scene between Chad, Katiana and Neil, when they were trying to find out who the snitch was. There was a little humor there. I was disappointed that it was Chad, because I wanted him to get with Katiana. When you have the brawny, good-looking guy against the nerd, it’s pretty clear who most readers want the girl to end up with, but Chad never lost his jerk-ness so I guess that’s for the better that she got with Neil. He did seem sweet, and I liked that he blushed from her staring at him and hadn’t been with any other girls.
I’m not sure why Armstrong would pick such an involved plot, with teenagers being experimented on, and the Edison Group trying to capture them, which is the same plot that she had going in her Darkest Powers series which had 3 books, and that could’ve even used another book or two. So I’m not sure why she’d use the exact same plot with the exact same antagonist in a short story.
Lilith—Francesca Lia Block 0 stars
Paul Michael, and it’s never just Paul. No, it’s always Paul Michael, like you can’t have the first name without the last. That’s highly annoying. And he has greasy hair and sometimes doesn’t take a shower on purpose so he’ll smell and girls will squirm. He also thought up his own planet. What a freak. I could overlook the whole make-believe planet thing, but the no-bathing, not-wearing-deodorant thing, I can’t.
And Lilith, oh boy. I guess she was perfectly suited for him. She wore turtleneck sweaters in hot weather, wore all black clothes, a hat and sunglasses, all the time. Then she goes up to him when these two guys are making fun of him, and just yanks his hair, tilting his head back. Okay . . . that isn’t weird at all! And then Paul just feels grass under his hands and tugs on the blade. Okay . . . how did that happen?
“Come in,” he said aloud in his sleep. He was known to say things in his sleep and even to get up and walk around sometimes. Once his mother had found him naked at the foot of her bed, staring at her in a way that she said turned her blood to blue ice.”
Boy, this story is getting weirder by the minute. If you wanted to create a loser that I don’t even want to read about, much less see him find love with an equally weird girl, then you’ve succeeded.
He wakes up to find her squatting on his chest. Weird thing #1. She was staring at him hungrily with teeth bared. Weird thing #2. Webbing connects her toes. Weird thing #3. She sucks blood from his neck. Weird thing #4. She tells him she’s just going to have a little, and he’ll have a little too, and then they’ll both have more at Kirk’s party. Weird thing #5. He wakes up the next morning to find black feathers in his bed, and blood on his sheets and mouth. Weird thing #6. This story is shaping up to be so incredibly weird I feel weirded out just by reading it. Who even comes up with this?
Paul, oh, I’m sorry, I mean Paul Michael, goes to the popular guy’s party. There, they hold a chicken up to his face, claiming that geek is a word for people who bite chicken’s heads off. Whew, Idk what it would be like to come up with stuff like this, but I’m glad I don’t have what it takes. They hold a knife to his throat, and tell him to bite the chicken’s head of. Wow. Does anyone actually know anyone on this planet that would make a person do that?
Paul asks why she wanted to go to the party, and she laughs, “almost coyly,” and says, “It’s practically foreplay to watch those pricks acting out like that.” So that’s what gets your blood pumping, watching guys order other guys to eat chickens? She’s more of a freak than I thought.
Paul offers her his neck, and then she sucks his blood. When she’s finished her mouth is dark with his blood, cuz that’s a real turn-on, and then she says it’s his turn.
Paul goes for a run and sees the two guys bending over the trunk, where Lilith is. He puts a knife to Carter’s neck, and Kirk runs away. Then he offers Carter’s neck to Lilith and she “came forward and bent to drink like a little girl at a drinking fountain, demurely tucking her hair behind her ears.” Then she mounts Carter, just like she did Paul. Wtf? This isn’t romance. This is utter filth. She goes on to call carrion birds down, making a loud screeching sound, and they tear Carter’s body up right before their eyes. Then she tells him he has to take her place, so he’s gonna be a killer now. Wow, I can’t believe I just read that crap.
The very first sentence was a complete turn-off. Idk how “romantic” it’s supposed to be when the guy says “Emma wasn’t Eric Dragomir’s first girlfriend. Nor was she likely to be his last.” And his dad asks him how many more girls he’s going to go through. How romantic and sweet!
Emma was impossible to like, and I thought that was who he was going to get with, until Rhea came into the picture. Emma complained about how long the boat was taking, and then made an insensitive comment that people were going to turn on the guy whose party it was because it was taking so long. Then when Strigoi come she just clings to Eric like a total helpless female. After the attack she gets all excited about it, which was really stupid and cruel, because Eric’s mom had been killed by Strigoi.
I hate when guys currently have girlfriends, before they get with the main girl, because of the sordid details that come along. Emma gets her dress wet and then jerks Eric into the pool with her. She presses up against him and kisses him, and “Eric found the feel of her body, with its tightly clinging dress, was better than alcohol for forgetting his worries. He jerked her closer, running his hand over her hip.” And she asks if he wants to leave the party early, and if he wants help getting out of his clothes. Wtf?
Eric sees Rhea then, and goes to talk to her when she’s about to feed. And that whole concept is just disgusting. The human servants with a list of names to check off to keep up with how much the Moroi feed, and the cubicles set up with human feeders willing to give their blood. Ew. It’s disgusting. And Rhea having a relationship with her feeder didn’t make her gracious and kind in my mind; it was all just very nasty. Emma finds them together in the hallway and looks jealous. And as Eric leaves with her she hears him say “Now that you’re here, maybe you can help me change after all.” W.T.F? How am I ever supposed to like this guy when he’s going off to have sex with his girlfriend after he’s met her? He knows how cruel and thoughtless Emma is, yet he’s making comments like that. Screw this.
I actually liked the relationship that Rhea and Stephen had, that they’d grown up together and got engaged, and that were complete opposites in personality. It was really sweet, and I liked them together.
“Emma was easy enough to soothe once Eric brought her back to his bedroom. She seemed much more interested in helping take his clothes off than discussing what had happened with Rhea, particularly since neither of them ended up putting on dry clothes or returning to the party.”
“Emma gripped Eric so tightly that her nails dug into his skin, kind of reminding him of last night in bed.”
Oh, that’s just great. Make disgusting and crude comments like that about him with another girl and I’m just falling in love with his character. Wtf would possess someone to write this crap? I’m making a mental note to never read anything else by Richelle Mead, cuz I don’t like this trashy style of writing. This isn’t romance; this is smut.
The relationship could’ve been interesting, but like all short stories, it’s over before it even really begins. Things were left off so unfinished, and more should’ve definitely happened. Then at the end he makes a comment about her reminding him of a Russian legend called Vasilisa the Brave. She says she’s never heard of it, but she likes the name. Well . . . do you maybe wanna say who Vasilisa the Brave is? If you assume the reader knows what you’re talking about, you’re gonna be left with a confused reader ticked off because they have to look it up when their own, because the author was too lazy to spell it out for them. You can’t put something out like that and then not explain it. The least he could’ve done was to say who that was.
Bring Me to Life—Alyson Noel 1 ½ stars
The beginning seemed interesting enough, an art student traveling to an art school across country. Then the bomb dropped right out of the gate about her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend. Wow, that’s great.
The story was pretty intriguing, about there being no other students there, the way they referred to the mist as “he,” when they said “She’s here” when she first got there, and the dreams she had. I love the element of mystery in a book, and I wanted to know what was going on. I wish Bram had a better style though. I don’t go for skinny jeans on a guy, or Converse shoes. It was obvious by his name, pale skin, and sunglasses that he was a vampire.
Things turned really crazy without any warning. They’re walking in the grave, and then they get separated, and Lucian comes, with the servants backing him up and urging her to get with him. Bram talks her into forsaking Lucian, his evil brother, and then Bram bites her neck, turning her into a vampire, which I initially thought made him the evil one instead. That probably shouldn’t have happened. Them being reincarnated lovers seemed really random to me, and the house feeding off of her art and soul was straight-up weird. And Danika has no problem swallowing that fact and drinking his blood. Whew, what a fast ride that was.
Above—Kristin Cast 0 stars
It starts out like a poem and pretty much stays that way throughout, with short sentence fragments that make for choppy, stilted reading. And nothing makes much sense. It’s like someone’s talking out of their butt. I don’t even think I could enter a place where I could conceive of such weird/stupid/senseless thoughts. And I can’t even believe someone actually thought this up, much less published it for the world to see. Not everything that enters your head should be made into a book.
“She is unique, evolved, brave. Her difference, the seed of abuse. She touches, sees, hears, smells, tastes, wants . . . different.” Wtf?
The writing was so stupid, so incredibly inane, I thought it must have been dreamed up by a 5 year old. Let me share a couple quotes to emphasize that point.
“Light from the rising moon rubbed the dark of her hair. It shone onyx appreciation.”
“The grass tangled her new limbs, threatening to pull her back to where she was filthy stupid fun.”
Yeah, I copied those directly from the book. Kristin Cast actually wrote that down. “She was filthy stupid fun. Wow. It’s absolutely shocking what gets published these days.
I could’ve written better than that when I was 5 years old. The story was stupid, and I couldn’t understand it, and then I wondered if I even wanted to understand it as stupid thing after stupid thing was thrown out. Rheena’s dad didn’t want her and her mom didn’t either, who pushed her into the hole and said she was never to come back, so she can go Above, and they’re Below, with all the tree roots because they’re ants or something, and Above there are male spiders who go hunting who touch her with acid fingers. WHAT?!
Sol, the love interest, who’s like a killer spider, says this little gem:
“Killer. Coward.
The torture tool whispered, sadistic. Craving. Happy.
Kill her.
We will kill.
Bleed her.
Bleed her, taste her, lick her dry.
She asked for it. For us to kill.
Born a freak.
Kill kill kill kill killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill. Yummmmm.”
Boy, that’s romance at its greatest. And yeah, I painstakingly copied each “kill” just to show how stupid this writing is. This is like the most stupid writing I’ve ever read. Books I read when I was in kindergarten were smarter than this.
“The people you are from, their bodies are luminescent, their pupils consume and reach out for light. That light that courses through them gives us something here, Above.
Something that we must drain.
Something that we must drink.”
His lips parted. A row of teeth revealed. All the same.
He pushed his eyelids together.
Wait.
Two, different.
He had released his canines. Carved to points. Sharp. Deadly.
And gone.
“I do it for this. My music. What you heard, what awakened you, I cannot create
Alone.
Without your people, their brilliance
I cannot imagine.
I, we are absent
of feeling, touching.
Of having
True emotion.”
Why
Are the words
Bouncing around the page
Like that?
That makes no sense.
And
It’s annoying
To read.
When I found out he was a hunter of her kind, I wondered how that was going to work out, but Cast quickly cleaned that up by making Rheena’s touch fill him with the same life he would get with killing, so he doesn’t have to kill her after all! He can just touch her. Idn’t that sumthin? And their pupils cast out light, light that his kind needs? Wtf? I feel like I’m caught up in some weird Syfy movie that the directors let kids come up with. Jeeze.
Then they’re just kissing and touching and undressing the minute she wakes up. Wow, the first second you meet a member of the opposite sex just jump the crap out of them. The Casts are definitely not known for their class, if the Night series was anything to go by.
This man keeps calling her a whore, and at first I wondered why he called her that, because wanting to go Above shouldn’t make you a whore, but then she just has sex with Sol because she wanted love, and I see now there’s no better word for her. Anyone that has sex with a guy she doesn’t even know, whom she just met a few minutes ago, well, there’s really no other word for it.
The man comes and just kills her, and then carves the word freak into her cheek. I didn’t even get the chance to know the main character before she died, and then Sol gets mad and goes on a killing rampage and kills the guard and the murderer. Wow. I don’t even know how someone could go to such a dark place to write this crap.
When I got done I wanted so badly to just detox myself from that god-awful excuse of a story. I felt like scraping my fingers down my arms and ridding myself of the crawling sensation of stupidness it left. I didn’t want that stupid rubbing off on my own writing. I feel like my IQ has suffered a blow just from reading this.
Hunting Kat-Kelley Armstrong 2 stars
I expected much better from Kelley Armstrong, and was quite surprised with her bratty, unlikable character complaining about everything. Even when she explained why, about being experimented on, I still didn’t feel sorry for her. She mentioned running from the Edison Group now, and I couldn’t believe Armstrong would use that from her other series.
“I looked in the mirror—yes, unlike Hollywood vampires, I can see my reflection.”
“Vampires don’t get superhuman strength—another myth debunked—and the branch was all the way through the seat, so it required work, but finally I got it free.”
Those Hollywood comments are so overused and old. I’m so sick of hearing them it’s not even funny. I was shocked at the language her characters used. I don’t go for the GD word.
I liked the scene between Chad, Katiana and Neil, when they were trying to find out who the snitch was. There was a little humor there. I was disappointed that it was Chad, because I wanted him to get with Katiana. When you have the brawny, good-looking guy against the nerd, it’s pretty clear who most readers want the girl to end up with, but Chad never lost his jerk-ness so I guess that’s for the better that she got with Neil. He did seem sweet, and I liked that he blushed from her staring at him and hadn’t been with any other girls.
I’m not sure why Armstrong would pick such an involved plot, with teenagers being experimented on, and the Edison Group trying to capture them, which is the same plot that she had going in her Darkest Powers series which had 3 books, and that could’ve even used another book or two. So I’m not sure why she’d use the exact same plot with the exact same antagonist in a short story.
Lilith—Francesca Lia Block 0 stars
Paul Michael, and it’s never just Paul. No, it’s always Paul Michael, like you can’t have the first name without the last. That’s highly annoying. And he has greasy hair and sometimes doesn’t take a shower on purpose so he’ll smell and girls will squirm. He also thought up his own planet. What a freak. I could overlook the whole make-believe planet thing, but the no-bathing, not-wearing-deodorant thing, I can’t.
And Lilith, oh boy. I guess she was perfectly suited for him. She wore turtleneck sweaters in hot weather, wore all black clothes, a hat and sunglasses, all the time. Then she goes up to him when these two guys are making fun of him, and just yanks his hair, tilting his head back. Okay . . . that isn’t weird at all! And then Paul just feels grass under his hands and tugs on the blade. Okay . . . how did that happen?
“Come in,” he said aloud in his sleep. He was known to say things in his sleep and even to get up and walk around sometimes. Once his mother had found him naked at the foot of her bed, staring at her in a way that she said turned her blood to blue ice.”
Boy, this story is getting weirder by the minute. If you wanted to create a loser that I don’t even want to read about, much less see him find love with an equally weird girl, then you’ve succeeded.
He wakes up to find her squatting on his chest. Weird thing #1. She was staring at him hungrily with teeth bared. Weird thing #2. Webbing connects her toes. Weird thing #3. She sucks blood from his neck. Weird thing #4. She tells him she’s just going to have a little, and he’ll have a little too, and then they’ll both have more at Kirk’s party. Weird thing #5. He wakes up the next morning to find black feathers in his bed, and blood on his sheets and mouth. Weird thing #6. This story is shaping up to be so incredibly weird I feel weirded out just by reading it. Who even comes up with this?
Paul, oh, I’m sorry, I mean Paul Michael, goes to the popular guy’s party. There, they hold a chicken up to his face, claiming that geek is a word for people who bite chicken’s heads off. Whew, Idk what it would be like to come up with stuff like this, but I’m glad I don’t have what it takes. They hold a knife to his throat, and tell him to bite the chicken’s head of. Wow. Does anyone actually know anyone on this planet that would make a person do that?
Paul asks why she wanted to go to the party, and she laughs, “almost coyly,” and says, “It’s practically foreplay to watch those pricks acting out like that.” So that’s what gets your blood pumping, watching guys order other guys to eat chickens? She’s more of a freak than I thought.
Paul offers her his neck, and then she sucks his blood. When she’s finished her mouth is dark with his blood, cuz that’s a real turn-on, and then she says it’s his turn.
Paul goes for a run and sees the two guys bending over the trunk, where Lilith is. He puts a knife to Carter’s neck, and Kirk runs away. Then he offers Carter’s neck to Lilith and she “came forward and bent to drink like a little girl at a drinking fountain, demurely tucking her hair behind her ears.” Then she mounts Carter, just like she did Paul. Wtf? This isn’t romance. This is utter filth. She goes on to call carrion birds down, making a loud screeching sound, and they tear Carter’s body up right before their eyes. Then she tells him he has to take her place, so he’s gonna be a killer now. Wow, I can’t believe I just read that crap.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2024
Calificación: ⭐(1.3)
Opinión:
"Kisses from Hell" promete una antología tentadora de cinco autores de renombre en la literatura juvenil paranormal, pero desafortunadamente, no logra cumplir completamente con las expectativas.
🔥 Richelle Mead inicia con "Sunshine", ofreciendo un trasfondo interesante para la serie Vampire Academy, aunque se queda corto en impacto.
🧛 Alyson Noël sigue con "Bring Me to Life", una versión moderna del mito de Drácula que carece de originalidad y profundidad en su trama.
🌎 Kristin Cast intenta crear una nueva mitología paranormal en "Above", pero su ejecución confusa y poco clara deja mucho que desear.
🦇 Kelley Armstrong brinda un respiro con "Hunting Kat", que presenta personajes carismáticos y una trama intrigante, pero, aun así, no logra destacar del todo.
🌑 Francesca Lia Block aporta "Lilith", una historia con potencial, pero con un tono oscuro que se siente fuera de lugar en la colección.
En resumen, "Kisses from Hell" ofrece una mezcla de relatos que oscilan entre lo intrigante y lo decepcionante, dejando a los lectores con un sabor agridulce. 📚
Opinión:
"Kisses from Hell" promete una antología tentadora de cinco autores de renombre en la literatura juvenil paranormal, pero desafortunadamente, no logra cumplir completamente con las expectativas.
🔥 Richelle Mead inicia con "Sunshine", ofreciendo un trasfondo interesante para la serie Vampire Academy, aunque se queda corto en impacto.
🧛 Alyson Noël sigue con "Bring Me to Life", una versión moderna del mito de Drácula que carece de originalidad y profundidad en su trama.
🌎 Kristin Cast intenta crear una nueva mitología paranormal en "Above", pero su ejecución confusa y poco clara deja mucho que desear.
🦇 Kelley Armstrong brinda un respiro con "Hunting Kat", que presenta personajes carismáticos y una trama intrigante, pero, aun así, no logra destacar del todo.
🌑 Francesca Lia Block aporta "Lilith", una historia con potencial, pero con un tono oscuro que se siente fuera de lugar en la colección.
En resumen, "Kisses from Hell" ofrece una mezcla de relatos que oscilan entre lo intrigante y lo decepcionante, dejando a los lectores con un sabor agridulce. 📚
April 4, 2019
Star rating by story:
Sunshine (2 stars) - Read the Vampire Academy series so the family names and writing was familiar. Thought it ended a bit abruptly. Wanted one more (epilogue-y) chapter.
Bring Me to Life (3 stars) - Felt the most YA out of all but it also felt like an homage to Dracula, and that I can always appreciate. Nice little twist. Cute.
Above (1 star) - Ugh. I get it was supposed to be poetic-y but it was bad. I didn't get the point of it all. Most disappointed since this was one I was excited to read. Won't be picking up any Cast books now.
Hunting Kat (3.5 stars)- Apparently there is a prequel that was written after this short story but I'm more interested in what happens to Kat and the boy (might have to look if there's a sequel). Liked Kat's backstory, good action, good vampire set-up, nothing to complain about.
Lilith (5 stars) - I was intrigued. I wanted more. It left me the way Paul Michael felt. I will definitely be reading more from Francesca Lia Block.
Average of all 5 = 2.9.
Sunshine (2 stars) - Read the Vampire Academy series so the family names and writing was familiar. Thought it ended a bit abruptly. Wanted one more (epilogue-y) chapter.
Bring Me to Life (3 stars) - Felt the most YA out of all but it also felt like an homage to Dracula, and that I can always appreciate. Nice little twist. Cute.
Above (1 star) - Ugh. I get it was supposed to be poetic-y but it was bad. I didn't get the point of it all. Most disappointed since this was one I was excited to read. Won't be picking up any Cast books now.
Hunting Kat (3.5 stars)- Apparently there is a prequel that was written after this short story but I'm more interested in what happens to Kat and the boy (might have to look if there's a sequel). Liked Kat's backstory, good action, good vampire set-up, nothing to complain about.
Lilith (5 stars) - I was intrigued. I wanted more. It left me the way Paul Michael felt. I will definitely be reading more from Francesca Lia Block.
Average of all 5 = 2.9.
April 9, 2018
I just read the Sunshine story, from part of the Vampire Academy series. The story was just so-so though...
December 4, 2012
Sunshine--Richelle Mead
One Star.
I didn't like Rhea. She was so incredibly insecure and bitchy. There was no way anyone could talk to her without walking on egg shells. Don't call her on it though, that just makes her talk down to you like you're a piece of shit.
And what the hell..? Why was this about vampires? A human suffering from blood loss could take them out. Why did Rhea have a fire ability when she didn't ever use it? Not even to defend herself?
A tug-of-war between two people is not what I would consider a "fight".
Rhea, who was supposedly smart, only knew she had to act after Eric is practically falling off the edge of the cliff.
I'm also unsure of why Eric had the right to be upset that no one was concerned about Rhea's safety. She didn't know anyone, and she sure as hell did not go out of her way to get to know anyone. She kept to herself. The only person who would have found her behaviour odd, was Stephen, but there was nothing odd about her not being around. Eric only knew there was something wrong because he had been actively looking for her anyway. Yeah, shitty short story.
It was brought to my understanding that this is actually a prequel to the Vampire Academy Series--which I think I have, and have not read yet--I won't be reading it.
Bring Me to Life--Alyson Noel
Two stars.
I had made a deal with myself that I would never read another book by Noel again, after the whole Evermore fiasco. But it's part of this book and it is a short story, so I figured what the hell.
My biggest problem with this one was that this could have been awesome. Hence the two stars. However it fell flatbecause it really was just a reinvention of Evermore.
I noticed that Noel never found a healthy balance with her overwhelming description of places and lack of character development.
Noel added fuel to my fire raging against repetitive phrases; especially herinfamous: "I press my lips together and avert my gaze." But that wasn't enough. "I tilt my head and scrunch my nose" was added...but she did try to up the ante with that one by replacing "tilt" with "cock". And may I ask, what was up with the squinting? Did they all need glasses or something? Why did they not narrow their gaze, or cast a look of suspicion? Now, I know she has creativity because as I stated earlier, she goes overboard with her description of places, so where does she hide it when it comes to describing expressions?
I wonder who knows...
Anyway, this story was entirely too predictable. The only thing that surprised me was that Bram was Lucian's brother rather than his son. Yeah...family issues.
Anyway, this has not changed my mind on whether I will pick up another book written by Alyson Noel. No, it just confirmed that I will not.
Above--Kristin Cast
One and a half stars.
I really wasn't fond of how this was written. It was kind of poetic so I can kind of respect that but it didn't flow well; it was disjointed, confusing, and just ambiguous for the most part. Not a good thing.
These were my favourite lines.
"With her touch he now felt all. Sucked hurt and burn from her body filtered through him leaving shadows of emotion."
"Rational.
Emotion.
Never. Not any.
Except with her touch."
"A twisted shadow stealing life. Collared by loss, led by wrath."
Hunting Kat--Kelley Armstrong
Two stars.
I read this earlier in the year by itself. And it didn't do much for me. I am seeing that it was supposed to be part of a series which I have not yet read, but do have in the waiting list.
It was lacking quite a bit of oomph. But it was certainly intriguing enough that I am still interested in reading the series. And so far this was my favourite short story in the book.
Lilith--Francesca Lia block
One Star.
I did not see the point in this short story. Really, I was so distracted, I was tempted to just give up on it. It was not interesting.
Over all, I would give this book one and a half stars. It wasn't worth the read.
One Star.
I didn't like Rhea. She was so incredibly insecure and bitchy. There was no way anyone could talk to her without walking on egg shells. Don't call her on it though, that just makes her talk down to you like you're a piece of shit.
And what the hell..? Why was this about vampires? A human suffering from blood loss could take them out. Why did Rhea have a fire ability when she didn't ever use it? Not even to defend herself?
A tug-of-war between two people is not what I would consider a "fight".
Rhea, who was supposedly smart, only knew she had to act after Eric is practically falling off the edge of the cliff.
I'm also unsure of why Eric had the right to be upset that no one was concerned about Rhea's safety. She didn't know anyone, and she sure as hell did not go out of her way to get to know anyone. She kept to herself. The only person who would have found her behaviour odd, was Stephen, but there was nothing odd about her not being around. Eric only knew there was something wrong because he had been actively looking for her anyway. Yeah, shitty short story.
It was brought to my understanding that this is actually a prequel to the Vampire Academy Series--which I think I have, and have not read yet--I won't be reading it.
Bring Me to Life--Alyson Noel
Two stars.
I had made a deal with myself that I would never read another book by Noel again, after the whole Evermore fiasco. But it's part of this book and it is a short story, so I figured what the hell.
My biggest problem with this one was that this could have been awesome. Hence the two stars. However it fell flat
I noticed that Noel never found a healthy balance with her overwhelming description of places and lack of character development.
Noel added fuel to my fire raging against repetitive phrases; especially her
I wonder who knows...
Anyway, this story was entirely too predictable. The only thing that surprised me was that Bram was Lucian's brother rather than his son. Yeah...family issues.
Anyway, this has not changed my mind on whether I will pick up another book written by Alyson Noel. No, it just confirmed that I will not.
Above--Kristin Cast
One and a half stars.
I really wasn't fond of how this was written. It was kind of poetic so I can kind of respect that but it didn't flow well; it was disjointed, confusing, and just ambiguous for the most part. Not a good thing.
These were my favourite lines.
"With her touch he now felt all. Sucked hurt and burn from her body filtered through him leaving shadows of emotion."
"Rational.
Emotion.
Never. Not any.
Except with her touch."
"A twisted shadow stealing life. Collared by loss, led by wrath."
Hunting Kat--Kelley Armstrong
Two stars.
I read this earlier in the year by itself. And it didn't do much for me. I am seeing that it was supposed to be part of a series which I have not yet read, but do have in the waiting list.
It was lacking quite a bit of oomph. But it was certainly intriguing enough that I am still interested in reading the series. And so far this was my favourite short story in the book.
Lilith--Francesca Lia block
One Star.
I did not see the point in this short story. Really, I was so distracted, I was tempted to just give up on it. It was not interesting.
Over all, I would give this book one and a half stars. It wasn't worth the read.
August 31, 2010
Lacking real bite despite the vampires
KISSES FROM HELL brings together five popular young adult paranormal authors with short stories about love and vampires. Similar to the companion anthologies that came before it (LOVE IS HELL, PROM NIGHTS FROM HELL, and VACATIONS FROM HELL), this book is composed of five different tales, each centered loosely around the title's theme. Different from the other volumes, however, this book focuses on vampires only, instead of a wider host of paranormal creatures.
"Sunshine" by Richelle Mead - Set in Mead's Vampire Academy universe, this story explores how Lissa's parents met and fell in love, and it succeeds in providing a great backstory for that series. "Sunshine" was cute and showed good character development, but it wasn't overwhelming. 3/5
"Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noël - In this story, Noël presents a modern twist on the Dracula myth involving an eerie fog, an old English manor, and a cute artsy boy. Though okay, "Bring Me to Life" wasn't very engaging or original with its use of obvious and cliché plot clues throughout. 2/5
"Above" by Kristin Cast - In "Above," Cast attempts to create a complex new paranormal mythology about creatures who live below the surface of the earth and their enemies who live above. Even with its two sympathetic main characters, this story fell extremely short due to its confusing and unclear world building that seemed like an attempt to be avant garde or edgy. 1/5
"Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong - Set in Armstrong's world that appears in her Darkest Powers series, "Hunting Kat" introduces a feisty young vampire named Kat who is being pursued by the Edison Group. In the process, she meets two boys, either of whom may be with her or against her. "Hunting Kat" was fast-paced and interesting with a strong, likeable female protagonist and a likeable male lead. I really enjoyed this story and would love to see a longer novella or book based on these characters. 4/5
"Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block - In this story, Block puts a vampiric twist on the original bad girl of the Bible, Lilith. This story had the potential to be very original, but it seemed out of place in this collection with its very dark tone and lack of any real romance. 2/5
While I enjoy short story anthologies and the opportunity they present to sample multiple authors, KISSES FROM HELL left me disappointed. Outside of those by Mead and Armstrong, the stories weren't very interesting or well-written. In addition, the huge font size and the chapter breaks used within individual stories felt like an attempt to hide the overall short length of the book. Despite its title and description, most of the stories also contained very little romance or kissing. If you're willing to branch out into other paranormal creatures in search of a good short story anthology, I would heartily recommend KISS ME DEADLY: 13 TALES OF PARANORMAL LOVE or LOVE IS HELL instead.
KISSES FROM HELL brings together five popular young adult paranormal authors with short stories about love and vampires. Similar to the companion anthologies that came before it (LOVE IS HELL, PROM NIGHTS FROM HELL, and VACATIONS FROM HELL), this book is composed of five different tales, each centered loosely around the title's theme. Different from the other volumes, however, this book focuses on vampires only, instead of a wider host of paranormal creatures.
"Sunshine" by Richelle Mead - Set in Mead's Vampire Academy universe, this story explores how Lissa's parents met and fell in love, and it succeeds in providing a great backstory for that series. "Sunshine" was cute and showed good character development, but it wasn't overwhelming. 3/5
"Bring Me to Life" by Alyson Noël - In this story, Noël presents a modern twist on the Dracula myth involving an eerie fog, an old English manor, and a cute artsy boy. Though okay, "Bring Me to Life" wasn't very engaging or original with its use of obvious and cliché plot clues throughout. 2/5
"Above" by Kristin Cast - In "Above," Cast attempts to create a complex new paranormal mythology about creatures who live below the surface of the earth and their enemies who live above. Even with its two sympathetic main characters, this story fell extremely short due to its confusing and unclear world building that seemed like an attempt to be avant garde or edgy. 1/5
"Hunting Kat" by Kelley Armstrong - Set in Armstrong's world that appears in her Darkest Powers series, "Hunting Kat" introduces a feisty young vampire named Kat who is being pursued by the Edison Group. In the process, she meets two boys, either of whom may be with her or against her. "Hunting Kat" was fast-paced and interesting with a strong, likeable female protagonist and a likeable male lead. I really enjoyed this story and would love to see a longer novella or book based on these characters. 4/5
"Lilith" by Francesca Lia Block - In this story, Block puts a vampiric twist on the original bad girl of the Bible, Lilith. This story had the potential to be very original, but it seemed out of place in this collection with its very dark tone and lack of any real romance. 2/5
While I enjoy short story anthologies and the opportunity they present to sample multiple authors, KISSES FROM HELL left me disappointed. Outside of those by Mead and Armstrong, the stories weren't very interesting or well-written. In addition, the huge font size and the chapter breaks used within individual stories felt like an attempt to hide the overall short length of the book. Despite its title and description, most of the stories also contained very little romance or kissing. If you're willing to branch out into other paranormal creatures in search of a good short story anthology, I would heartily recommend KISS ME DEADLY: 13 TALES OF PARANORMAL LOVE or LOVE IS HELL instead.
November 16, 2012
Fourth in the Hell anthology series with a theme of paranormal romance for young adults.
Series:
"Sunshine" (Vampire Academy, 0.5)
"Hunting Kat" (Darkest Powers, 3.5)
I would be remiss in not mentioning that "a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to College Summit" to aid in college enrollment for all students, and especially those from low-income backgrounds. Proceed at your own risk.
My Take
Yeah, it was reading from hell as well! I'd suspect that part of the mandate was to write as poorly as possible and see how many suckers got taken.
The Stories
Richelle Mead's "Sunshine" was sweet and provides background on Vasilisa's parents. How they met and the inspiration for their daughter's name. The writing is okay, a bit dorky.
Alyson Noël's's "Bring Me to Life" was icky creepy and probably the best of the five in terms of originality. It's a deep-laid plot enticing a young, unhappy art student into its snare. And rather condescending in the writing.
Kristin Cast's "Above" was the worst. It's set as a long poem with the words offset to indicate the agony its protagonist is suffering. The best part was all this offsetting made the pages fly by. It rather reminded me of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine with its Morlocks and Eloi. I have only a vague idea of what happened. If anyone else can make any sense of it...please let me know.
Kelley Armstrong's "Hunting Kat" is a quick peek into the challenges of staying free of the clutches of the Edison Group when Katiana, a young vampire is captured and escapes. Can she trust the two young men with whom she was imprisoned?
It's a bit of background on Kat, the dramatic capture, and then the "young adult" interaction of two teens who have been hurt before. It's okay. It's best feature is rounding out the general theme of this series.
Francesca Lia Block's "Lilith" is a dorky teen's fantasy in which he saves and gets the girl, winning out against the bullies, er, evil forces. It seems as if there may be something to his fantasy after all until it all goes wrong (at least in my mind!). It's actually well written even if I did dislike it. The saddest of them all, Block portrayed the school misfit very well.
The Cover
The cover is pretty with its subdued black-on-purple brocaded background and the rich purplish pink flowers in varying stages of life. Very classy. If you want to retain that sense of class, don't open the book.
The title is a convenient catch-all---Kisses from Hell doesn't actually apply to Mead's or Armstrong's stories although it certainly does to the other three.
Series:
"Sunshine" (Vampire Academy, 0.5)
"Hunting Kat" (Darkest Powers, 3.5)
I would be remiss in not mentioning that "a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this collection will be donated to College Summit" to aid in college enrollment for all students, and especially those from low-income backgrounds. Proceed at your own risk.
My Take
Yeah, it was reading from hell as well! I'd suspect that part of the mandate was to write as poorly as possible and see how many suckers got taken.
The Stories
Richelle Mead's "Sunshine" was sweet and provides background on Vasilisa's parents. How they met and the inspiration for their daughter's name. The writing is okay, a bit dorky.
Alyson Noël's's "Bring Me to Life" was icky creepy and probably the best of the five in terms of originality. It's a deep-laid plot enticing a young, unhappy art student into its snare. And rather condescending in the writing.
Kristin Cast's "Above" was the worst. It's set as a long poem with the words offset to indicate the agony its protagonist is suffering. The best part was all this offsetting made the pages fly by. It rather reminded me of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine with its Morlocks and Eloi. I have only a vague idea of what happened. If anyone else can make any sense of it...please let me know.
Kelley Armstrong's "Hunting Kat" is a quick peek into the challenges of staying free of the clutches of the Edison Group when Katiana, a young vampire is captured and escapes. Can she trust the two young men with whom she was imprisoned?
It's a bit of background on Kat, the dramatic capture, and then the "young adult" interaction of two teens who have been hurt before. It's okay. It's best feature is rounding out the general theme of this series.
Francesca Lia Block's "Lilith" is a dorky teen's fantasy in which he saves and gets the girl, winning out against the bullies, er, evil forces. It seems as if there may be something to his fantasy after all until it all goes wrong (at least in my mind!). It's actually well written even if I did dislike it. The saddest of them all, Block portrayed the school misfit very well.
The Cover
The cover is pretty with its subdued black-on-purple brocaded background and the rich purplish pink flowers in varying stages of life. Very classy. If you want to retain that sense of class, don't open the book.
The title is a convenient catch-all---Kisses from Hell doesn't actually apply to Mead's or Armstrong's stories although it certainly does to the other three.
October 18, 2010
Kisses from hell is a collection of five short stories by five popular young adult authors. I have previously read works by four of the five authors. Kristen Cast, Richelle Mead, Alyson Noel and Francesca Lia Block. I am not a huge fan of these authors’ accept for Richelle Mead, she was the sole reason I picked this novel up.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I love reading back round stories of characters, and I quite liked this one. I have read many bad reviews for this short story, but I liked it, I thought it was cute, and I loved the ending.
Bring me to life by Alyson Noel.
I am not a big fan of her Evermore series, the characters get on my nerves. This one had great potential to be a good story. The plot line was pretty good, and the characters where easy to relate to, but this story just didn’t have much time to become some thing great. The story progressed building up to a climax, and then it ended. The ending was rushed way to much, I wouldn’t mind reading a full length novel of this.
Above by Kristen Cast.
The only words that come to my mind when I think of this one is ’What the hell?’ I read about two chapters and gave up. I think Kristen was trying to be poetic, but failed miserably. This short story-if you can call it a story– let the whole anthology down. It was going smoothly until this story came up.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong.
This would have to be my favourite story in this anthology. Kelley is the only author I haven’t previously read works from before reading this anthology. Though know I’m going to go down to my local library and pick up a copy of one of her books. This one was filled with action and comedy, though there wasn’t much in the romance department. Other then that this was a very enjoyable story.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block.
Like Pretty Dead this story was very vague, and jumped around a lot. I liked the made up world that Paul created, as I too am a big daydreamer. Francesca’s stories aren’t really my cup of tea.
Sunshine by Richelle Mead.
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I love reading back round stories of characters, and I quite liked this one. I have read many bad reviews for this short story, but I liked it, I thought it was cute, and I loved the ending.
Bring me to life by Alyson Noel.
I am not a big fan of her Evermore series, the characters get on my nerves. This one had great potential to be a good story. The plot line was pretty good, and the characters where easy to relate to, but this story just didn’t have much time to become some thing great. The story progressed building up to a climax, and then it ended. The ending was rushed way to much, I wouldn’t mind reading a full length novel of this.
Above by Kristen Cast.
The only words that come to my mind when I think of this one is ’What the hell?’ I read about two chapters and gave up. I think Kristen was trying to be poetic, but failed miserably. This short story-if you can call it a story– let the whole anthology down. It was going smoothly until this story came up.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong.
This would have to be my favourite story in this anthology. Kelley is the only author I haven’t previously read works from before reading this anthology. Though know I’m going to go down to my local library and pick up a copy of one of her books. This one was filled with action and comedy, though there wasn’t much in the romance department. Other then that this was a very enjoyable story.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block.
Like Pretty Dead this story was very vague, and jumped around a lot. I liked the made up world that Paul created, as I too am a big daydreamer. Francesca’s stories aren’t really my cup of tea.
May 30, 2011
The short book is comprised of five short stories from five different authors.
Overall, I gave this book three stars. I enjoyed it for what it was: just a short book to read within an hour and delight in the stories within. I mostly picked it up to read Armstrong's story because I'm on a kick to finish all her young adult stuff, and her story was four star worthy.
Cast's story was annoying; I don't like poetry, and I certainly don't want to read a half poem/half short story that doesn't make sense. No thank you! I just passed over her story.
The other three stories were ok. Mead's story was... annoying to be honest. I've read the first book of her popular series, and I didn't particularly like it. However, I found that the "classes" of vampires within this short story is sad and didn't make a whole lot of sense. We have so much discrimination in this world already. Why make up a whole different species/race and put in the same discrimination? Doesn't make sense to me.
Noel's story was disturbing. The type of story probably falls in line with her popular series, young girl who is stupid and doesn't know what is going on and who gets taken away and controlled by a boy. *rolls eyes* Paahhleeaase. These stories don't excited me; they make me worry for those girls who fall into the trap of believing controlling men are sexy.
Black's story was different! It was nice to see a girl as the instigator, but the story was sad too. I rather liked it.
So, I like Armstrong and Black's stories but didn't like the other ones nearly as much. Good collection for those who are fans.
Overall, I gave this book three stars. I enjoyed it for what it was: just a short book to read within an hour and delight in the stories within. I mostly picked it up to read Armstrong's story because I'm on a kick to finish all her young adult stuff, and her story was four star worthy.
Cast's story was annoying; I don't like poetry, and I certainly don't want to read a half poem/half short story that doesn't make sense. No thank you! I just passed over her story.
The other three stories were ok. Mead's story was... annoying to be honest. I've read the first book of her popular series, and I didn't particularly like it. However, I found that the "classes" of vampires within this short story is sad and didn't make a whole lot of sense. We have so much discrimination in this world already. Why make up a whole different species/race and put in the same discrimination? Doesn't make sense to me.
Noel's story was disturbing. The type of story probably falls in line with her popular series, young girl who is stupid and doesn't know what is going on and who gets taken away and controlled by a boy. *rolls eyes* Paahhleeaase. These stories don't excited me; they make me worry for those girls who fall into the trap of believing controlling men are sexy.
Black's story was different! It was nice to see a girl as the instigator, but the story was sad too. I rather liked it.
So, I like Armstrong and Black's stories but didn't like the other ones nearly as much. Good collection for those who are fans.
March 21, 2015
The book is a collection of five short stories:-
Sunshine : The plot was good and the story was well written. Was a really nice read.
Bring Me To Life : It was another good story. The suspense was maintained till the very end. The whole setting and everything about the book was pretty nice and interesting. I totally loved the story.
Above : Even though this was the third story, I read it at the end. Or rather tried to read it. But something about it seemed just so wrong that I gave up in the middle of the second chapter itself.
Sunshine : The plot was good and the story was well written. Was a really nice read.
Bring Me To Life : It was another good story. The suspense was maintained till the very end. The whole setting and everything about the book was pretty nice and interesting. I totally loved the story.
Above : Even though this was the third story, I read it at the end. Or rather tried to read it. But something about it seemed just so wrong that I gave up in the middle of the second chapter itself.
January 15, 2022
I loved atmosphere in couple of the stories: they had really awesome gothic vibe that I love. There was only one story that wasn't that good, couple were really good and couple average. It was really nice to read stories by different authors and enjoy some darker shades.
May 31, 2025
Meh. It was 2010's vampire stories, two are related to series (one I've read and one I haven't) and it's not necessary to do so to understand the short stories. Ranked:
1) Bring me to life(3⭐)
2) Hunting Kat (2⭐)
3) Sunshine (2⭐)
4) Lilith (1⭐)
5) Above (0⭐)
1) Bring me to life(3⭐)
2) Hunting Kat (2⭐)
3) Sunshine (2⭐)
4) Lilith (1⭐)
5) Above (0⭐)
did-not-finish
May 25, 2023DNF - Only finished one story.
This anthology is bad. That's all I have to say about it as a whole. One, single story was readable to me and the rest either bored or annoyed me into not finishing them.
Sunshine by Rachelle Mead - DNF
This is apparently a story set in the Vampire Academy universe, which I think is a very strange choice for a random anthology. It suffered in pacing and flow, due to having to quickly summarize lore which I assume the main novels reveal in spaced-out doses. But even without that issue, the story was just plain boring with a detached and emotionless narrative voice. Yawn!
My eyes glazed over and I quit by 'chapter' three. I just didn't care about the characters or the universe. In fact, quite frankly, this has made me feel a bit disinterested toward the entire Vampire Academy series and I may have to reconsider whether I actually want to read it someday. If this is the writing I can expect, I'm very much not interested.
Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noël - 3.5 stars
This one isn't amazing, and it certainly has flaws, but I mostly enjoyed the story. It flows well enough to be a quick read and it has a level of intrigue to make the uneven pace forgivable. I just couldn't stand the writing style. It's written in first person present tense, but without any... I don't know the term I seek. "Literary pizazz," maybe? It feels more like listening to a somewhat spoiled teenager narrate their day aloud to a friend or reading someone's heavily dramatized and casual-language-ridden blog post. The kind you'd find on oldschool livejournal, not tumblr.
Not a big fan of the style, though at least I managed to read the whole thing and I liked the plot even if it was a touch predictable. What can I say? I can be a sucker for paranormal, fated romance and there's only so many ways to do that plot; eventually, it gets predictable just by nature of what it is.
Paradoxically, I would have definitely given up and quit reading if it were even one chapter longer, since I disliked the narration tone so much, but I also wish for more substance to the ending because it feels incredibly rushed compared to the slower pace of everything else.
Above by Kristin Cast - DNF
Yeah, no. This is the kind of "profound" trash I wrote (and consumed) on deviantART as a wannabe-emo-goth teenager. I have no interest in this brain breaking bad writing style. And here's an example - the very beginning of the story - so you can understand what I mean.
It's worse in the real thing, because that also includes extraneous spacing which I can't replicate in a Goodreads review.
No, thanks, I hate it.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - DNF
This one also has an annoying manner of first person narration, but unlike its predecessor it provides no value to convince me I should keep reading. The "we're not like Hollywood vampires, silly human" shtick got old a decade ago - if not sooner. I'm not interested in dealing with it to reach whatever story might be hidden behind the attempt at pseudo-clver trendiness here.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - DNF
Here we have a "not like all the other vampires" girl who's practically an overly sexualized ripoff of Wednesday Addams. (Why did readers need to know the size of this high school character's breasts...?) Also a nerdy guy who intentionally forgoes bathing because he likes tormenting people with his stank-ass body odour. And he's the main character!
Needless to say, I didn't make it through this one, either.
This anthology is bad. That's all I have to say about it as a whole. One, single story was readable to me and the rest either bored or annoyed me into not finishing them.
Sunshine by Rachelle Mead - DNF
This is apparently a story set in the Vampire Academy universe, which I think is a very strange choice for a random anthology. It suffered in pacing and flow, due to having to quickly summarize lore which I assume the main novels reveal in spaced-out doses. But even without that issue, the story was just plain boring with a detached and emotionless narrative voice. Yawn!
My eyes glazed over and I quit by 'chapter' three. I just didn't care about the characters or the universe. In fact, quite frankly, this has made me feel a bit disinterested toward the entire Vampire Academy series and I may have to reconsider whether I actually want to read it someday. If this is the writing I can expect, I'm very much not interested.
Bring Me to Life by Alyson Noël - 3.5 stars
This one isn't amazing, and it certainly has flaws, but I mostly enjoyed the story. It flows well enough to be a quick read and it has a level of intrigue to make the uneven pace forgivable. I just couldn't stand the writing style. It's written in first person present tense, but without any... I don't know the term I seek. "Literary pizazz," maybe? It feels more like listening to a somewhat spoiled teenager narrate their day aloud to a friend or reading someone's heavily dramatized and casual-language-ridden blog post. The kind you'd find on oldschool livejournal, not tumblr.
Not a big fan of the style, though at least I managed to read the whole thing and I liked the plot even if it was a touch predictable. What can I say? I can be a sucker for paranormal, fated romance and there's only so many ways to do that plot; eventually, it gets predictable just by nature of what it is.
Paradoxically, I would have definitely given up and quit reading if it were even one chapter longer, since I disliked the narration tone so much, but I also wish for more substance to the ending because it feels incredibly rushed compared to the slower pace of everything else.
Above by Kristin Cast - DNF
Yeah, no. This is the kind of "profound" trash I wrote (and consumed) on deviantART as a wannabe-emo-goth teenager. I have no interest in this brain breaking bad writing style. And here's an example - the very beginning of the story - so you can understand what I mean.
Earth.
She sits in her belly, swallowed by dirt,
desolate
bruised
broken.
Part of the world no one desires, entombed among creatures that slime and bloat with waste.
She is a tree root stuck below:
suffocating,
twisting to break
free.
It's worse in the real thing, because that also includes extraneous spacing which I can't replicate in a Goodreads review.
No, thanks, I hate it.
Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - DNF
This one also has an annoying manner of first person narration, but unlike its predecessor it provides no value to convince me I should keep reading. The "we're not like Hollywood vampires, silly human" shtick got old a decade ago - if not sooner. I'm not interested in dealing with it to reach whatever story might be hidden behind the attempt at pseudo-clver trendiness here.
Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - DNF
Here we have a "not like all the other vampires" girl who's practically an overly sexualized ripoff of Wednesday Addams. (Why did readers need to know the size of this high school character's breasts...?) Also a nerdy guy who intentionally forgoes bathing because he likes tormenting people with his stank-ass body odour. And he's the main character!
Needless to say, I didn't make it through this one, either.
July 28, 2011
UN SOLEIL INTERDIT :
Ha, quel plaisir de retrouver le style de Richelle Mead pour cette première histoire ! En plus, on ne fait pas que retrouver sa manière d'écrire. Nous sommes aussi plongés dans l'univers de Vampire Academy ! Et oui, ici on suit Eric Dragomir, un Moroï haut placé. Dragomir, ce nom ne vous dit-il rien ? Pour les lecteurs de Vampire Academy, vous aurez compris que ce personnage n'est autre que le père de Lissa. Grâce à l'histoire "Un Soleil Interdit", on remonte le temps jusqu'à l'époque où Eric était adolescent.
Dans cette nouvelle, Eric est accompagné d'Emma, sa petite-amie actuelle, qui ne le restera pas très longtemps car il entasse les conquêtes. Tous deux, ainsi que de nombreux Moroï, se rendent à une fête via à un yacht censé les conduire sur une île où les festivités auront lieu. Sur ce bateau de luxe, Eric va rencontrer une jeune fille, Rhea, et tomber amoureux d'elle presque instantanément. Pour les fans de Vampire Academy, vous aurez compris que Rhea n'est autre que la mère de Lissa. Mais alors comment vont-ils s'aimer ? Comment a commencé leur histoire ? C'est tout ce que je vous souhaite de découvrir ! En tous cas, l'action et le mystère ne sont jamais très loin.
Dès le début une attaque de Strigoï va semer la zizanie. Ensuite, tout n'est que pur délice ! Le cadre est superbe, l'atmosphère est à la fois prenante et oppressante... C'est toujours très sympa de lire des petites nouvelle comme ça, et "Un Soleil Interdit" ne déroge pas à la règle ! Merci Richelle pour cet intriguant petit récit qui nous plonge dans l'univers toujours aussi passionnant de Vampire Academy !
BRING ME TO LIFE :
Je dois dire que là franchement, Alyson Noël m'a très agréablement surpris ! Cette nouvelle s'inscrit dans la lignée de celles que j'adore ! Mystère, suspense à très haute tension et huit clos sont au programme, et le mélange de ces trois éléments est explosif !
On suit Danika, une jeune étudiante de dix-sept ans qui est très douée dans l'art de peindre. Elle vient juste de recevoir une lettre l'informant qu'elle a remporté un concours de peinture. Parmi des milliers de candidats, cinq personnes, dont elle, vont pouvoir se rendre dans un merveilleux manoir doté de professeurs et de salles de classe exceptionnels pour devenir des experts dans leur discipline. Mais voilà le seul hic, c'est que ce manoir est à des kilomètres de toutes civilisations et surtout que Danika va y arriver oui, mais seule...
En effet, les quatre autres étudiants ne pourront pas venir à cause du climat... Une épaisse brume semble s'être installée tout autour de la propriété... A partir de là, j'ai été scotché ! Dani ( son surnom ) va se mettre à faire de très étranges rêves, toujours en rapport avec l'épais brouillard qui s'infiltre dans sa chambre... Mais pourquoi cet étrange fumée lui donne-t-elle l'envie de peindre avec autant de désir et de ferveur ? Et qui sont les deux serviteurs qui paraissent errer dans le manoir ? Rien que de repenser aux réponses, je ressens ce sentiment d'oppression et de panique qui m'a envoûté pendant ma lecture !
Je pense qu'Alyson Noël en surprendra plus d'un(e) dans ce court récit beaucoup mieux écrit qu'Éternels ( saga que j'ai abandonné ), et, surtout, qu'elle fera prendre à vos rêves une teinte étrangement... Vivante.
LES AUTRES :
Hum... Là, je ne sais pas trop quoi dire... Cette histoire est plutôt étrange, mais étrange dans le sens "je n'ai pas tout compris". Kristin Cast nous entraîne dans un monde vraiment... Bizarre, et un peu déconcertant. Je n'ai pas eu peur, je n'ai pas stressé, je n'ai pas souri. En fait, je n'ai rien ressenti.
Tout ce dont je suis sûr, c'est que l'on suit une jeune femme vivant En-Bas, sous terre, nommée Rheena et un homme, venant d'En-Haut, qui s'appelle Sol. Après, on part dans quelque chose qui n'a pas vraiment de fil conducteur. On a le droit à différents points de vue qui sont mal coupés. Il y a eu des moments où je ne savais pas à travers qui je lisais !
La fin de l'histoire est aussi confuse que le début. Je suis un peu déçu, avec un titre comme "Les Autres" et une aussi bonne auteure, je m'attendais à beaucoup mieux. C'est le moins bon récit du livre à mes yeux pour le moment.
TRAQUÉE :
Dans "Traquée", Kelley Amstrong nous entraîne, comme Richelle Mead, dans l'univers de sa saga. Auteure de la trilogie Pouvoirs Obscurs, Kelley sait magner les mots pour nous faire ressentir de la peur, de l'angoisse et de l'inquiétude. Ce don se retrouve dans cette nouvelle très intéressante et très fluide. Je l'ai bien aimé. La fin m'a semblé un peu facile, mais bon, c'est une petite histoire, donc ça passe.
On suit ici une jeune vampire, Katiana, qui est recherchée activement par... Le groupe Edison ! Pour les lecteurs des romans de Kelley, vous aurez compris que l'on parle de cette association soit disant faite pour les êtres surnaturels mais qui en fait les torture. Notre héroïne va d'ailleurs se faire avoir par ce groupe, qui va l'enfermer. En prison, elle va rencontrer Chad et Neil. Deux adolescents qui sont en train de se transformer en vampires. Mais très vite, ils comprennent que l'un d'eux est une taupe. C'est là que l'histoire devient intéressante et prenante, car on ne sait plus qui croire.
Le cadre de l'histoire est plutôt oppressant, car en réussissant à s'échapper de la prison ( je viens de me rendre compte que je ne l'avais pas précisé ), les trois personnages vont se perdre dans une forêt. Un lieu qui peut se révéler confiné ou immense... Ca, j'ai adoré ! "Traquée" est donc une petite histoire sans prise de tête. On plonge à nouveau dans l'univers alarmant de Kelley Amstrong, et je dois dire que ça fait du bien !
LILITH :
Haaaa enfin, je sais qui est cette fameuse Lilith ! Oui oui, ça me tourmentait depuis que j'ai commencé le livre ! De plus, on ne fait pas que découvrir cet étrange personnage, mais également une nouvelle auteure : Francesca Lia Block !
Dans son histoire ( très courte ), on suit un jeune homme, Paul Michael, qui n'a aucun ami. La solitude est la seule chose qu'il possède depuis des années. On se moque de lui, on le critique, on l'humilie... Mais au fond de lui, il sait que tout ça n'a pas d'importance tant qu'il peut s'évader dans son monde imaginaire. D'ailleurs, son imagination et ses rêves commencent à être peuplés par le visage d'une personne... Lilith. Depuis qu'il l'a croisé dans les couloirs du lycée, il n'arrive plus à l'oublier. Mais qui est-elle vraiment ? Elle s'habille toujours en noir, préfère être seule qu'entourée d'ami(e)s et jouer de la guitare sur un banc, isolée de tous. C'est grâce à tout cela que Paul Michael va être irrémédiablement attiré par Lilith. Mais lorsqu'il apprendra la vérité sur elle...
Ce récit est sympa. Comme il est court, l'intrigue n'est pas extraordinaire, mais elle est pas mal. J'ai beaucoup aimé le fait que la personnalité de Lilith soit dévoilée lentement. D'ailleurs, on apprend une chose sur elle dans les dernières lignes qui va laisser Paul Michael pantois... Tout comme nous ! C'est aussi une nouvelle très sombre. En plus, il y a des passages assez gores et sanglants, qui avaient lieu dans des circonstances assez glauques. En effet, dans les dernières pages, j'ai eu l'impression d'être en train de regarder la série True Blood ! Le sexe, même s'il n'est pas vraiment présent, n'est pas loin, et on le sent.
Cette nouvelle est donc prenante. Tout est assez étrange et l'univers de l'auteure est captivant. Je pense que c'est une de mes préférées du livre.
Ha, quel plaisir de retrouver le style de Richelle Mead pour cette première histoire ! En plus, on ne fait pas que retrouver sa manière d'écrire. Nous sommes aussi plongés dans l'univers de Vampire Academy ! Et oui, ici on suit Eric Dragomir, un Moroï haut placé. Dragomir, ce nom ne vous dit-il rien ? Pour les lecteurs de Vampire Academy, vous aurez compris que ce personnage n'est autre que le père de Lissa. Grâce à l'histoire "Un Soleil Interdit", on remonte le temps jusqu'à l'époque où Eric était adolescent.
Dans cette nouvelle, Eric est accompagné d'Emma, sa petite-amie actuelle, qui ne le restera pas très longtemps car il entasse les conquêtes. Tous deux, ainsi que de nombreux Moroï, se rendent à une fête via à un yacht censé les conduire sur une île où les festivités auront lieu. Sur ce bateau de luxe, Eric va rencontrer une jeune fille, Rhea, et tomber amoureux d'elle presque instantanément. Pour les fans de Vampire Academy, vous aurez compris que Rhea n'est autre que la mère de Lissa. Mais alors comment vont-ils s'aimer ? Comment a commencé leur histoire ? C'est tout ce que je vous souhaite de découvrir ! En tous cas, l'action et le mystère ne sont jamais très loin.
Dès le début une attaque de Strigoï va semer la zizanie. Ensuite, tout n'est que pur délice ! Le cadre est superbe, l'atmosphère est à la fois prenante et oppressante... C'est toujours très sympa de lire des petites nouvelle comme ça, et "Un Soleil Interdit" ne déroge pas à la règle ! Merci Richelle pour cet intriguant petit récit qui nous plonge dans l'univers toujours aussi passionnant de Vampire Academy !
BRING ME TO LIFE :
Je dois dire que là franchement, Alyson Noël m'a très agréablement surpris ! Cette nouvelle s'inscrit dans la lignée de celles que j'adore ! Mystère, suspense à très haute tension et huit clos sont au programme, et le mélange de ces trois éléments est explosif !
On suit Danika, une jeune étudiante de dix-sept ans qui est très douée dans l'art de peindre. Elle vient juste de recevoir une lettre l'informant qu'elle a remporté un concours de peinture. Parmi des milliers de candidats, cinq personnes, dont elle, vont pouvoir se rendre dans un merveilleux manoir doté de professeurs et de salles de classe exceptionnels pour devenir des experts dans leur discipline. Mais voilà le seul hic, c'est que ce manoir est à des kilomètres de toutes civilisations et surtout que Danika va y arriver oui, mais seule...
En effet, les quatre autres étudiants ne pourront pas venir à cause du climat... Une épaisse brume semble s'être installée tout autour de la propriété... A partir de là, j'ai été scotché ! Dani ( son surnom ) va se mettre à faire de très étranges rêves, toujours en rapport avec l'épais brouillard qui s'infiltre dans sa chambre... Mais pourquoi cet étrange fumée lui donne-t-elle l'envie de peindre avec autant de désir et de ferveur ? Et qui sont les deux serviteurs qui paraissent errer dans le manoir ? Rien que de repenser aux réponses, je ressens ce sentiment d'oppression et de panique qui m'a envoûté pendant ma lecture !
Je pense qu'Alyson Noël en surprendra plus d'un(e) dans ce court récit beaucoup mieux écrit qu'Éternels ( saga que j'ai abandonné ), et, surtout, qu'elle fera prendre à vos rêves une teinte étrangement... Vivante.
LES AUTRES :
Hum... Là, je ne sais pas trop quoi dire... Cette histoire est plutôt étrange, mais étrange dans le sens "je n'ai pas tout compris". Kristin Cast nous entraîne dans un monde vraiment... Bizarre, et un peu déconcertant. Je n'ai pas eu peur, je n'ai pas stressé, je n'ai pas souri. En fait, je n'ai rien ressenti.
Tout ce dont je suis sûr, c'est que l'on suit une jeune femme vivant En-Bas, sous terre, nommée Rheena et un homme, venant d'En-Haut, qui s'appelle Sol. Après, on part dans quelque chose qui n'a pas vraiment de fil conducteur. On a le droit à différents points de vue qui sont mal coupés. Il y a eu des moments où je ne savais pas à travers qui je lisais !
La fin de l'histoire est aussi confuse que le début. Je suis un peu déçu, avec un titre comme "Les Autres" et une aussi bonne auteure, je m'attendais à beaucoup mieux. C'est le moins bon récit du livre à mes yeux pour le moment.
TRAQUÉE :
Dans "Traquée", Kelley Amstrong nous entraîne, comme Richelle Mead, dans l'univers de sa saga. Auteure de la trilogie Pouvoirs Obscurs, Kelley sait magner les mots pour nous faire ressentir de la peur, de l'angoisse et de l'inquiétude. Ce don se retrouve dans cette nouvelle très intéressante et très fluide. Je l'ai bien aimé. La fin m'a semblé un peu facile, mais bon, c'est une petite histoire, donc ça passe.
On suit ici une jeune vampire, Katiana, qui est recherchée activement par... Le groupe Edison ! Pour les lecteurs des romans de Kelley, vous aurez compris que l'on parle de cette association soit disant faite pour les êtres surnaturels mais qui en fait les torture. Notre héroïne va d'ailleurs se faire avoir par ce groupe, qui va l'enfermer. En prison, elle va rencontrer Chad et Neil. Deux adolescents qui sont en train de se transformer en vampires. Mais très vite, ils comprennent que l'un d'eux est une taupe. C'est là que l'histoire devient intéressante et prenante, car on ne sait plus qui croire.
Le cadre de l'histoire est plutôt oppressant, car en réussissant à s'échapper de la prison ( je viens de me rendre compte que je ne l'avais pas précisé ), les trois personnages vont se perdre dans une forêt. Un lieu qui peut se révéler confiné ou immense... Ca, j'ai adoré ! "Traquée" est donc une petite histoire sans prise de tête. On plonge à nouveau dans l'univers alarmant de Kelley Amstrong, et je dois dire que ça fait du bien !
LILITH :
Haaaa enfin, je sais qui est cette fameuse Lilith ! Oui oui, ça me tourmentait depuis que j'ai commencé le livre ! De plus, on ne fait pas que découvrir cet étrange personnage, mais également une nouvelle auteure : Francesca Lia Block !
Dans son histoire ( très courte ), on suit un jeune homme, Paul Michael, qui n'a aucun ami. La solitude est la seule chose qu'il possède depuis des années. On se moque de lui, on le critique, on l'humilie... Mais au fond de lui, il sait que tout ça n'a pas d'importance tant qu'il peut s'évader dans son monde imaginaire. D'ailleurs, son imagination et ses rêves commencent à être peuplés par le visage d'une personne... Lilith. Depuis qu'il l'a croisé dans les couloirs du lycée, il n'arrive plus à l'oublier. Mais qui est-elle vraiment ? Elle s'habille toujours en noir, préfère être seule qu'entourée d'ami(e)s et jouer de la guitare sur un banc, isolée de tous. C'est grâce à tout cela que Paul Michael va être irrémédiablement attiré par Lilith. Mais lorsqu'il apprendra la vérité sur elle...
Ce récit est sympa. Comme il est court, l'intrigue n'est pas extraordinaire, mais elle est pas mal. J'ai beaucoup aimé le fait que la personnalité de Lilith soit dévoilée lentement. D'ailleurs, on apprend une chose sur elle dans les dernières lignes qui va laisser Paul Michael pantois... Tout comme nous ! C'est aussi une nouvelle très sombre. En plus, il y a des passages assez gores et sanglants, qui avaient lieu dans des circonstances assez glauques. En effet, dans les dernières pages, j'ai eu l'impression d'être en train de regarder la série True Blood ! Le sexe, même s'il n'est pas vraiment présent, n'est pas loin, et on le sent.
Cette nouvelle est donc prenante. Tout est assez étrange et l'univers de l'auteure est captivant. Je pense que c'est une de mes préférées du livre.
January 18, 2026
It was 5 very different stories.
Each with their own way of writing and storytelling.
'Sunshine' by Richelle Mead
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
As part of a larger series, 'The Vampire Academy', this was the story I wanted to read from this book and the reason I got it.
The story was a sweet first meeting. Also get to know the main characters and their personalities. They story do have a bit of angst, with a attack and kidnapping.
'Bring Me to Life' by Alyson Noël
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
It was a bit weird read. I don't like to be confused, so I was annoyed with the first few chapters. But it made good on explanation in the end. So overall a sweet story of two lovers finding each other again.
'Above' by Kristin Cast
🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
It is more like a long poem, than a short story. Also even though I have read it, I'm still not sure what is happing. However it felt like a war between Heaven (above) and Hell (below). There was lost and love. A girl trying to find her rightful place and a boy learning something new.
'Hunting Kat' by Kelley Armstrong
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
This story got me hooked. A kidnapping, an escape and who to trust. Amazingly written and exciting content. It is a part of a longer series I didn't know about. Though now I am considering reading the series. I'm so hooked.
'Lilith' by Francesca Lia Block
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
A dark devilish story. Someone getting their revenge while getting stronger by changing. The story have a very demonic presence.
Each with their own way of writing and storytelling.
'Sunshine' by Richelle Mead
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
As part of a larger series, 'The Vampire Academy', this was the story I wanted to read from this book and the reason I got it.
The story was a sweet first meeting. Also get to know the main characters and their personalities. They story do have a bit of angst, with a attack and kidnapping.
'Bring Me to Life' by Alyson Noël
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑
It was a bit weird read. I don't like to be confused, so I was annoyed with the first few chapters. But it made good on explanation in the end. So overall a sweet story of two lovers finding each other again.
'Above' by Kristin Cast
🌕🌗🌑🌑🌑
It is more like a long poem, than a short story. Also even though I have read it, I'm still not sure what is happing. However it felt like a war between Heaven (above) and Hell (below). There was lost and love. A girl trying to find her rightful place and a boy learning something new.
'Hunting Kat' by Kelley Armstrong
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
This story got me hooked. A kidnapping, an escape and who to trust. Amazingly written and exciting content. It is a part of a longer series I didn't know about. Though now I am considering reading the series. I'm so hooked.
'Lilith' by Francesca Lia Block
🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
A dark devilish story. Someone getting their revenge while getting stronger by changing. The story have a very demonic presence.
April 7, 2023
Powyżej - 4⭐️
Przywróć mnie do życia - 4⭐️
Blask słońca - 4⭐️
Polowanie - 2,5⭐️
Lilith - 1,5⭐️
Przywróć mnie do życia - 4⭐️
Blask słońca - 4⭐️
Polowanie - 2,5⭐️
Lilith - 1,5⭐️
December 21, 2024
Sunshine by Richelle Mead - 5 ⭐
Чи хочу я тепер повну книгу про батьків Ліси? Так. І ще раз так, не дивлячись, на всі питання до її батька
Але де хоча б маленька історія про батьків Рози 😔😔 Така шикарна пара пропадає
Чи хочу я тепер повну книгу про батьків Ліси? Так. І ще раз так, не дивлячись, на всі питання до її батька
Але де хоча б маленька історія про батьків Рози 😔😔 Така шикарна пара пропадає
December 27, 2024
*Only read Sunshine
OMG I didn't expect to like it so much!
OMG I didn't expect to like it so much!
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