{Review} Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Lies Beneath
by Anne Greenwood Brown
Series: Lies Beneath #1
Pages: 303
Release Date: June 12, 2012
by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (an imprint of Random House)

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Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death.

It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves.

One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

*A copy was provided by Random House for review purposes*

I haven’t read many mermaid books, and I’ve certainly never read a mermaid book from a guy’s point of view, so I was a bit nervous to start this book.  I had seen some not-so-great reviews, and I was kind of worried I wasn’t going to like it.  The beginning of this book, I will admit, was a train-wreck.  The idea was really good, but the staging was atrocious, and everything was so lucky, and gosh…but after that it got so much better.  The whole idea for this book wasn’t water-tight, but it was decent, and the writing was absolutely superb and, once I got about a fourth into the book, the staging started getting better and it was awesome from then on.  I really loved the story line and how the romance grew, and I loved the situation and how it looked like there was no way out.  One thing that I really loved was the ending.  People, if you are a writer and want to write a good ending, follow Anne Greenwood Brown.  The ending was everything it should be: fast-paced, thrilling, interesting, and everything should be explained and there shouldn’t be any loose ends.  I will admit that I thought I had the whole ending figured out and I was expecting it to go as I thought it would, but no, Greenwood had to pull that!  Gosh, what an awesome ending.  It was so perfectly done, all bad situations were averted, and everything worked out perfectly.  The simplicity and believability of it all was just superb, and this is one of the best endings I’ve ever read.

Usually the books I read have the girl as the main protagonist, but this one had a boy, and, to be honest, I really enjoyed reading from Calder’s point of view.  He seemed like a pretty cool guy – nice, smart – but he definitely had a dangerous streak, so that made it interesting.  I especially liked Lily though.  She was a lot stronger as the supporting character than most girls are as main characters.  One thing that I really liked was that she was smart – smart and defiant.  I liked that she kind of suspected what Calder was before she found out, that she was strong and smart enough to figure it out.  That doesn’t usually happen.

This is my first mermaid/guy POV book I’ve ever read, and it was awesome.  What with the ending, solid cast, and really cool idea, I can’t wait to read the next book and find out what happens with Calder and Lily.  One thing though: if this book is about a guy mermaid, why is there a girl on the cover?

4 pink flowers

Review: Abandon

Abandon
by Meg Cabot
Series: Abandon Trilogy #1
Pages: 320 (in paperback edition)
Release Date: January 1, 2012 (paperback edition)
by Point (imprint of Scholastic)

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New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

*A copy was provided by Scholastic for review purposes*

Even though I’ve already read this book (I read about half, marked it as DNF, and gave it 1 star) I decided to give it another try. I will admit, it took all my willpower not to give up on this book. The beginning was so unbelievably bad and slow-paced, I almost threw the book across the room. Some blogs and people that I know are always raving about how awesome a writer Meg Cabot is, but I’m just not seeing it. Her writing was so…well, bad. In the beginning of this book, she kept on repeating things over and over and over and over again, it was so annoying. She went on and on about how Pierce died, about John, about everything, saying the exact same thing. And she would make these really dramatic one-liners as well, and it was so cliché and annoying…gah. Also, the story line was so boring, literally nothing happened in the first half of this book. Then, about three quarters of the way through, something did finally happen, and the story was going somewhere, and there was action and no dramatic lines…and then splat – back to same old boring. Not to mention, the ending was a snoozefest. The ending of a book is when everything should come together in a dramatic, fast-paced, suspenseful way, and all the links and strings should make sense. In this ending...well, none of the stuff above happened, that’s for sure. Those of you who have read this book know what happened, and I almost felt like laughing when I read what Meg Cabot decided to do. It was so…pathetic.

You’re probably thinking, “Oh, okay, well, she hated the story, but the characters must be a bit better, right?” Well, to answer your question…NO. The characters were atrocious. Cabot didn’t take the time to develop any of them. John was probably featured in a whopping 20 pages! We had no time to get to know him, although we learned what he was and a bit about him, but we couldn’t connect with him. Pierce was an average character, but I still don’t feel like Cabot did anything to make her readers connect with the characters. AND THE ROMANCE! Literally 15 pages before the end, Cabot brings in John and Pierce and him are suddenly in love. WHAT?! WHAT?!

As you guys can probably tell, I am not a fan of this book. The annoying writing, the clichéd drama, and the repetition of the SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN just drove me crazy. I will probably be reading the second book (mostly because I own it and it has a really pretty cover in hardback lol) but I don’t think I’ll enjoy it much more than I did this one. And, as you can see, I still rated this book 1 star.

1 pink flower

Review: Article 5

Article 5
by Kristen Simmons
Series: Article 5 #1
Pages: 362
Release Date: January 31, 2012
by Tor Teen

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New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

*A copy was provided by Tor Teen for review purposes*

Dystopian has become very popular lately, and I can’t help but notice that most of the books in this genre all kind of have the same world structure. Article 5, however, is different. Yes, it has the basic similarities to other dystopian books – such as the government taking over and castes and such – but Article 5 took the scariness a bit farther. In this book, the government is really messed up and extremely violent, and that was pretty freaky. I liked how Simmons explained the situation and the setting. Her writing was kind of hard to follow, and the story line was kind of stop and start action, but other than that I think this book is a decent book. There was awesome staging, and the story got going from page 1, and it was a really well set-up story.

I really like it when a book has really strong characters, and both Chase and Ember fit this description. Chase was messed up, yes, but he realized it and tried to fix it. He was tough, fierce, strong, and nice in his own way. Really, I loved the guy! Ember was a pretty strong character too. My favorite part of the book was when Ember took everything upon herself and broke out of…somewhere. Don’t want to give you guys any spoilers. But I really did like her. She was tough, smart, kind of annoying at times, but a solid character.

This book wasn’t amazing, but it wasn’t horrible either, and sometimes it’s good to read an average book. I really did enjoy this book and the story line and characters, I just wasn’t wowed, and that is totally okay. Can’t wait to read the next book.

3 pink flowers

Review: Inside

Inside
by Maria V. Snyder
Series: Inside #1-2
Pages: 600
Release Date: February 21, 2012
by Harlequin

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The world of Inside is simple. Do your job, stay out of the way and don't dream of anything better. Because as every Scrub knows, there are no other options.

Until Trella—the Queen of the Pipes, as some call her—gets involved with a revolution that will rock her world….

Trella was just doing a favor for a friend—her only friend. Hiding an injured man from the Pop Cops seemed easy enough—though dangerous. But then she discovered that the myths of Outside might be real….

Being Inside's hero only left Trella with more work. Ducking those responsibilities, she continued to explore her stark world—and found something she never expected. Strangers. From Outside…

*A copy was provided by The Great and Mighty and Awesome Maria V. Snyder for review purposes*

Note: Since there are two different books in this edition, I will be doing two seperate reviews

Inside Out

 Maria V. Snyder is easily my most favorite fantasy writer ever, so I was excited to see what she would do with her dystopian series. The things that really stand out to me about her other series (the Study series and the Healer series) is that they have REALLY kick-ass main female characters, REALLY hot, attractive guys, and a really awesome supporting cast. I feel like M.V.S. still managed to incorporate most of this into this book.

The idea behind this book is totally awesome and completely original. As usual, Snyder got right into the story from page 1, no messing around. I loved how she explained the situation and setting without boring everyone to death, and the story line moved smoothly and quickly. Her writing and staging was simply amazing, and the fact that the story moved so quickly, plus the twists and turns, made this book an awesome thriller.

Usually when I talk about a Maria V. Snyder book I rant on and on about the huge cast. But this cast, while pretty big, isn't like her other books' casts, because this book focuses on mainly two poeple, and that is Trella and Riley. Trella has a huge legacy to live up to what with her competition (Yelena and Avry) and I think Trella really held her own. She wasn't an awesome fighter or anything like Yelena, but she strong, smart, tough, and kick-ass in her own way. Riley also has a lot to live up to as well after Valek, and I think he held is own as well, but not as much as Trella did. Riley was nice, sweet, attractive, but not overly hot or sexy or appealing like Valek. But oh well, not everyone can be a Valek right?

I think that Maria V. Snyder did a really awesome job branching away from her normal fantasy genre and trying out a dystopian book. Even though I miss the awesome supporting cast and extremely attractive main guys in her other books, I think this one is unique from her, and I can't wait to read the second one and see where this story is going.

4 pink flowers

Outside In

Well, Maria V. Snyder has done it again! She has made a masterpiece! I actually liked this book a bit more than the first book, Inside Out . Like all her books, this one had non-stop action, twists and turns, and awesome writing. I loved how she find some way to continue on from the first book, and I really like what she came up with. The idea was so cool, and really imaginative! The plot was really complex, and there were so many situations to get out of, but I really liked that Maria V. Snyder made the escapes believable.

Like I said in my first review, this series has a different cast structure than her other books, but I actually like the cast a bit more in this book than I did in the first book because she focuses on only a few, and we get to know them better. What Maria V. Snyder did with Trella - the main character in this book - was pure genious. She wrote her as annoying, selfish, and reckless, and she used that to affect her relationship with Riley (the main guy). But then has Trella realise what she's become, and she fixes it. I'm not sure if I explained that very well, but it was just really smart of Snyder to manipulate her character like that. For the supporting cast, Snyder really focused on Logan, Anne-Jade, Babba Boom and Doctor Lamont, and I gotta tell you, they made the book a whole lot more interesting.

Time and time again Snyder stuns me with her imagination, writing skills, and her ability to make you fall in love with her books and her characters. These books were probably really out of her comfort zone, but wow, did she ever deliver. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

5 pink flowers

Review: Defiance

Defiance
C.J. Redwine
Series: Defiance #1
Pages: 403
Release Date: August 28, 2013
by Balzer + Bray

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Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan--the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same one who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but a fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

Usually when there is a lot of hype around a book and I have really high expectations about it, it usually ends up disappointing me…but this one didn’t.  This book is virtually perfect.  I absolutely loved the setting and the world – kind of a combination of fantasy and dysopian – and those are some of my favorite genres.  I loved how Redwine got right into the story, no messing around, and didn’t let up on the suspense and action all book long.  The way she wove the story was just beautiful – I loved the way she set up the story line and explained the history and everything.  This book is a perfect combination of romance, action, and fantasy, and all writers who are trying to write a book like that need to use this book as an example.  The writing was superb, the story was superb…ugh, it was just perfect.  I liked how Redwine switched the point of view throughout the story, showing what was happening with each person, and how the different actions connect.  Also, for each problem, there was a good, solid, believable solution, and sometimes that is really lacking in books.  Also, the ending was super thrilling, and there will definitely be another book.

I have never read a book with this kind of love situation.  Let me sum up: When she was younger, Rachel was in love with Logan, and she told him one day, but he said he didn’t love her, so then she’s “hated” him ever since.

So that’s basically a summery, and what an awesome idea to do it like that.  I absolutely loved the romance in this book.  It was so cute and sweet and perfect…aaaaah just great.

I really loved Rachel!  In this kind of book the main female character has to be really strong and kick-butt, and Rachel was definitely that.  In fact, I think she was a bit too kick-butt, a bit too violent.  But other than that, she was pretty awesome.  I also really liked Logan, because he too was pretty kick-butt and awesome.  If I was told to choose three words to best describe him they would be: perfect, sexy, nice.

I’m really sorry for the long, rambling review, but you guys just don’t understand how awesome this book is!  It reminds me of Maria V. Snyder, who you guys know is my most favorite author of ALL time!  Also, I just want to mention the cover.  I’m sure you guys have seen it on Goodreads and been like “wow, that’s a cool cover”.  But then if you hold a real physical copy in your hands and look at it you’re like “Holy shit, this is the best, most kick-ass cover I’ve ever seen!!”.  I’m pretty sure I’m not wrong ;P

5 pink flowers

Review: Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi
Series: Under the Never Sky #1
Pages: 374
Release Date: January 3, 2012
by Harper

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Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

After reading so many rave reviews about this book, I couldn’t wait to read it.  I think I might have gone into it with too high expectations, because it wasn’t that awesome.  The idea was a really good one, and I liked how the story got going from page one, and the staging in the beginning was really good, but I just didn’t like this book.  I think the main reasons were the writing and the main character, Aria.  To me, the writing was kind of disconnected, and I had to reread sentences several times to get the meaning.  The world and situation that Rossi created was really great, and I really wish she could have been able to finish it off with her writing, but sadly she wasn’t.

Really the main reason that I both hate and kind of love this book is the characters.  I’m going to start with what I hate, and that is Aria.  In a book like this, the main female character has to be really strong and kick-butt.  Aria was weak, whiny, and, for lack of a better word, a bitch.  Even though Perry saved her life several times and took care of her, she was never grateful, and kept on calling him “Savage”, which was kind of a huge insult in this book.  She was stupid, annoying, stubborn, and just totally not the kind of character she should have been.  For these reasons, I can’t figure out why on earth Perry actually liked her.  Because of the situation he was in, he couldn’t let her die, but I don’t know why he put up with her being such a whiny kid and actually ended up liking her.

Even though the idea for this book was really original and I liked the setting, the not-so-awesome writing and the annoying main character brought the books rating down for me.  And honestly, I feel bad for Perry, because he’s got to deal with Aria’s attitude for a whole another book.

2.5 pink flowers



Review: Everneath

Everneath
by Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #1
Release Date: January 24, 2012
by Balzer + Bray

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Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

I was kind of nervous about reading this book because I think sometime a while ago a read some not-so-rave reviews.  But I decided to read it for myself, and I was pleasantly surprised.  Mythology isn’t really a hugely popular genre, but I enjoy it, and I like seeing what spin authors will put on the mythology they choose.  I really liked the spin that Brodi Ashton put on this mythology.  It was an awesome idea, and she wrote the story very well.  I liked how the story line flowed smoothly together, the events following each other flawlessly.  I liked how Ashton explained the situation, explained the problem, and explained how to solve it.  Sometimes authors make the final solution really easy to figure out, or make the characters figure it out really easily, but Ashton didn’t do that in this book.  I don’t usually cry when I read books, but I will admit that I did when I read the ending this book.  It was so raw and heartbreaking, I couldn’t really help it.

I don’t really know how to describe the love situation in this book, but here’s a try: Cole tricked Nikki into letting him feed off her, so she’s drawn to him, but she’s in love with Jack, who was her boyfriend in the real world.  Actually, I think I explained that really well *pats self on back*

Cole, obviously, is kind of the villain in this book and, like most villains I read about, I hated him.  He tried to back Nikki into a corner to make her go with him so he could prosper in the Everneath.  Jack, obviously, is kind of the love interest n this book and, like most love interests, I liked him.  He seemed like a really awesome guy, nice, sweet, and caring.  Nikki, obviously, is kind of the main character in this book and, like most main characters I read about, I loved her.  She was really brave to Return, and I know I would have totally freaked if I had to deal with what she did.  She was strong, brave, and just really awesome.  And yes, I started each character’s sentence the same on purpose :P

Since this book ended on kind of a cliffhanger, I can’t wait to read the next book in this series and find out what happens to Nikki and Jack.

4 pink flowers

Review: Scent of Magic

Scent of Magic
by Maria V. Snyder
Series: Healer #2
Pages: 400
Release Date: December 18, 2012
by Mira

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Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.

*A copy was provided by Maria Snyder for review purposes*



Maria V. Snyder is quit possibly my favorite author of all time, definitely in the top three.  I was pretty much drooling to read this book, and literally started screaming when I got a copy.  All of her books that I’ve read (well, except one) have blown me away, so I was expecting this book to be just as good.  Well, Maria V. Snyder didn’t disappoint.  I know Snyder for her amazing writing, thrilling story line, and cliffhanger chapter endings.  All of that was present in this book.  She started off the action from page one, and didn’t let up the entire book.  Her writing was amazing, awesome, great, and the events flowed together flawlessly.  The twists and betrayals in this book were amazing, and several times I literally yelled at the book as I was reading it.  The way she staged her events was awesome, and made it possible for the main character to figure things out.  None of the books I’ve read by Snyder really have cliffhanger endings, but this one totally did.  When it ended I almost started bawling because what happened…it can’t happen.  She must find a way to make what happened not happened because I swear if she doesn’t…I will die!

Snyder always has an extremely kick-ass main character, and an extremely attractive love interest.  In this case, they were Avry and Kerrick.  First off, let me just say I am totally jealous of Avry.  First off, she gets Kerrick.  Second off, she knows how to fight and can use weapons.  I do like Yelena and Valek (from Poison Study) a bit more than Avry and Kerrick, but I still love them.  Avery was so kick-ass, I couldn’t believe it.  She was brave, super sharp, and very cunning.  Kerrick was freaking awesome too.  Really nice, loving, and totally, TOTALLY attractive <3

Okay Snyder, this is my message to you.  YOU MUST FIX WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THIS BOOK!  IF YOU DON’T, I WILL CRY FOREVER!!!!!!

5 pink flowers

Review: The Friday Society

The Friday Society
by Adrienne Kress
Release Date: December 6, 2012
by Dial

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An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns–and the heroines who use them all. 
 Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.
 It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling.
Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk who-dun-it introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

*A copy was provided by Dial for review purposes*

The Friday Society was probably my most-anticipated release of 2012, and it really didn’t disappoint.  It was just one of those books that was so effortlessly awesome, you’ll never forget it.  I loved how Kress got right into the story from page one, and from then on it was a fast-paced rollercoaster ride.  It was funny, action packed, well-written, an just perfect.  I loved the wit and kick-ass-ness incorporated into the book, and most of all I liked that the main character were kick-butt women.  Awesome!

I will say that the only part of the book that I didn’t like was the ending.  For me, it all happened just a little to easily.  I think Kress was eager to just finish the book, so she became sloppy with the loose ends.  I also didn’t really like the ending after the ending.

But, other than those two small details, this book was awesome.  There aren’t many books that don’t have guys or romance in them, and while this book had a little of that, it was only a minor thing, and I loved that!  It was kind of a “girls only” book.

I must say, this group of girls might just be my favorite characters EVER!  Each one was kick-ass to the fullest, and I loved reading about them.

Nellie was so awesome!  I loved that she was pretty and girly but still really kick-butt.  Cora was really smart and brilliant, and it’s cool to see that in a book.  And, even though she couldn’t speak English, Michiko was freaking awesome!

This book is one of the few that I will probably keep forever and read over and over again, because seriously, it’s freaking awesome!

4 stars

Review: Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #1
Release Date: June 5, 2012
by Henry Holt and Co.

Purchase / Goodreads

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

*I won a copy from Mackenzie @ Oh, For The Love of Books!*

This book and I kind of have a love/hate relationship. Some aspects of this book, like the action, I loved, but other aspects of the book, like the story line, I hated. But, overall, the good outweighed the bad.

This book has everything: action, romance, and magic. But there were a few kind of iffy things. The first was the story line/writing. I say that because it wasn't really either of them, but somewhere in the middle. To sum it up, the events were too sudden. There wasn't any build. I think what Bardugo was trying to do was make the book fast paced, but what she ended up achieving was a disconnected story line. She would be talking about spring, and then in the next paragraph, it would be winter, and it’s kind of hard to keep track of as a reader. Also, I kind of wished the book was longer. The characters didn't really get to develop, and not much happened. But, I guess that’s what a second book is for, right?
But, other than that, this book was awesome. I loved how Bardugo went right into it, didn’t mess around, and that there was action from page one. There were some unexpected twists and turns that had me literally gaping at the book. And the ending was superb as well! Action, action, action.

In this book, there were three main characters, the Darkling, Alina, and Mal, but I’m only going to discuss the last two, because if I discuss the Darkling I will most likely give away spoilers. And anyway, if you’ve read this book, you know what I’m talking about :P
A novel with action and magic always needs a great female main character, and Alina fits that description perfectly. She was smart, kick-ass, and a great female protagonist.
I also really liked Mal. In the beginning I thought he was kind of a jerk, but I quickly learned to love him. Go Mal!!

For a debut, this book was good. I kind of compare this book the Study series, by Maria V. Snyder. But I really shouldn’t do that, because I doubt any book, or series, will be as good as those, but, considering, this book was pretty good.

4 PINK FLOWERS

Review: League of Strays

League of Strays
by L.B. Schulman
Pages: 288
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: October 1, 2012
by Amulet

Goodreads / Amazon

This suspenseful debut follows a group of teenage misfits in their delicious quest for revenge on those who have wronged them at their high school. When a mysterious note appears in Charlotte’s mailbox inviting her to join the League of Strays, she’s hopeful it will lead to making friends. What she discovers is a motley crew of loners and an alluring, manipulative ringleader named Kade. Kade convinces the group that they need one another both for friendship and to get back at the classmates and teachers who have betrayed them. But Kade has a bigger agenda. In addition to vandalizing their school and causing fights between other students, Kade’s real intention is a dangerous plot that will threaten lives and force Charlotte to choose between her loyalty to the League and her own conscience.

*A copy was provided by Amulet for review purposes*

I think I can safely say that I have never read a book like this one. From the cover, I was thinking that this book was a paranormal, but it turns out it’s contemporary. I was surprised by this. But, other than the misleading cover, I though it was a pretty good book.

The idea, the writing, the story line, the staging, everything was there in this book. The idea is one of the most original ones I’ve read of in a long time, the writing was superb, flowing together perfectly, and the story line was really good too. The beginning was a bit iffy to me, but once I got farther into the story I started to enjoy it. I though the staging was really good too. Schulman did a really good job of dropping hints about the “bad guy” (I won’t say his name) and how Charlotte grew to realize the truth. I also love how there was a happy ending. Ok, so it’s not necessarily a happy ending, like when they kiss and ride of into the sunset, more like a satisfying one, because you wanted it to end that way.

This is seriously one of the best casts I’ve seen in a long time. I loved how they were each from different walks of life, each dealing with their own problems, but were still able to be friends.
I will say that from the minute he was introduced, I hated Kade. I just had a feeling. He seemed really dark and evil and just creepy.
Even though in the middle of the book I didn’t really like her, by the end I did enjoy reading about Charlotte. The whole book, when the League was doing horrible, wrong things, I was waiting for her to step in and stop them, and when she didn’t I started to get kind of annoyed, but by the end of the book I liked her again.
Two of the supporting cast-members I really liked: Zoe and Richie. I loved how Zoe went from creepy, scary, look-at-me-and-you-die to nice, pretty, and sociable. I also liked how Richie went from being kind of a door-mat when people made fun of him for being gay to standing up for himself and not taking it anymore.
The one supporting cast member that I don’t like is Nora. I liked her in the beginning, but by the middle of the book I hated her as much as Kade.

Before I sign off I have to go into detail about what I think of this cover. First off, if you hadn’t read this book or the summery and were only looking at the cover, would you say it was a paranormal or contemporary book? If you picked paranormal, that’s what I would pick too. It looks nothing like a contemporary book.
On the other hand, this cover is perfect for this book, because of the actual people getting photographed. The guy looks just like I imagined Kade, and the girl looks just like I imagined Charlotte, so this cover is good and bad at the same time.

3 pink flowers

Review: Through To You

Through To You
by Emily Hainsworth
Pages: 272
Release Date: October 2, 2012
by Balzer + Bray

Goodreads / Amazon

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.

The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

*Huge thank you to Montana @ The Book Belles for sending me an ARC of this book!*

Coming into this book, I was a little nervous. I’ve never read a contemporary book from a guy’s point of view, so I didn’t think I would like it very much. But I ended up enjoying it.

I’ve never read a book like this before, and it was a good introduction to the genre. It was kind of contemporary/sci-fi, and that’s an extremely imaginative idea, so I really appreciate that. The writing was really good, as was the story line. Several things that happened I didn’t see coming at all.
If you are looking for a light, fun read I wouldn’t recommend this one, because let me tell you, it’s sad. One problem that I had with this book is the world changing. It took me a while to understand which world Cam was in. It was also kind of slow-paced throughout, but other than that it was pretty good.

In this book, Hainsworth kind of portrays Viv as not such a great person. I’m sure that in the real world Viv is really nice, but in the alternate universe she’s really mean. I can understand why Hainsworth makes her out to be like that, but I didn’t particularly like it.
Cam is a really good character, I think. I’m actually surprised how much I liked him as the main character. And seriously, I felt so bad for the guy.
I also really liked Nina. She’s my favorite character of the book, and with good cause. She’s smart, grounded, and a good person. Go Nina!

This book has an ending that can only be called a “Happily Ever After” ending, and I’m so glad. For a debut, Hainsworth did an excellent job.

3.5 pink flowers

Review: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Wings of the Wicked
by Courtney Allison Moulton
Series: Angelfire #2
Release Date: February 23, 2012
by Katherine Tegen Books

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Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

After reading and loving Angelfire about a year ago, I was super-excited to read this one.  It started off kind of iffy, and I wasn’t sure if I would like it.  Then Moulton kicked it into high gear and wrote like I knew she could, and it was amazing.

This book was rockin’.  Non-stop action, great plot, and yummy romance.  Moulton went right into it, starting off with a fight scene.  The only thing was, it wasn’t very well written.  She didn’t describe the scene very well, and it wasn’t just that singe scene, there were fight scenes throughout the book that were badly describe.  Another thing that really bothered me was when Ellie, Will, and their gang first found out that the bad guys were looking for something.  To be more precise, it was one of the things they needed to take over the world.  Now, if I was to ask you where you would hide the most important object in the world, you would probably say somewhere really safe, like, say…Fort Knox.  Well, guess where this all-important object was hidden.  An apartment.  With one guard.  Somehow I fail to agree with this.

Other than those two things, I really enjoyed this book.  The writing was really good, ok at times, but good.  The staging was awesome, and the story line twisted in ways I had no idea about.  I literally gasped out loud at some things, especially a certain sad event (don’t worry, it doesn’t have anything to do with Will, if that’s what you’re thinking).  And OMG, that ending.  Why do you do this to me Moulton?  Imagine the biggest cliffhanger ever, and multiply it by ten.  And let me tell you Moulton, it better all work out in the third book, because, I swear…anyway.  I won’t tell you guys any more, but people who have read the book understand what I’m talking about.

The characters in this book were a real problem for me.  I’m going to go through them, then discuss something that really bothered me.

You guys have heard me rant on and on about my all-time favorite guys (Duval, Dean, Sam, Valek).  Well, you guys are going to start hearing me rant about Will, because he is my new true love.  Seriously, this guy is perfect.  Kick-ass, super cute, sexy, yummy and…oh gosh.  Just dump Ellie and come with me, man! :P

And, while I’m on the subject of Ellie, I’m going to talk about her a bit.  She was super kick-butt, fierce, and a perfect lead female character.

Now comes the part where I talk about the problem I had, and the reason I’m mentioning it here is because it has to do with the characters and the romance.  What I just said about the characters was the positive.  Now comes the negative.  Ellie is, for lack of a better word, a bitch.  She treats Will like shit, and I hate it.  She hits him, shuns him, ignores him, and is an all-around beeotch to him.  What I don’t understand is, why doesn’t Will dump her ass?  Forgive the language, but I mean, seriously?!  No one deserves to be treated like Will, especially not nice, hot, sexy, smoking Will.   That just really, really bothered me.

All in all, this book was really good.  The romance was perfect when Ellie wasn’t being a brat and Will wasn’t being a doormat, so I really enjoyed that.  And seriously, if Moulton doesn’t start the third book like I want her to, I will throw a tantrum.  This book had the biggest cliffhanger of the century, and I swear, Moulton better make it work.

5 PINK FLOWERS

Review: Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Burn for Burn
by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Series: Burn for Burn #1
Release Date: September 18, 2012
by Simon & Schuster

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Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

*A copy was provided by Simon & Schuster for review purposes*

For some reason, I just am not a huge fan of this book.  When I first started it, I was like “Yeah!  This is going to be a really good contemporary read”, but I was kind of disappointed.  I don’t really like these kinds of books, when all they are about is revenge, so I guess that’s why I didn’t like it.  It was a good idea, just not one that I enjoy reading about.  I loved how Han and Vivian went right into the action, and how they switched between the past and present.  They did a great job of explaining the history as well, and the writing was superb.  The staging was really good as well, but the actual revenge ideas weren’t that good.  Actually, I take it back; one revenge idea wasn’t good (the Alex Revenge was super lame) but the other two were really good.  I also didn’t really like the little supernatural twist thrown in.  But the ending was really good.  Cliffhanger!!

It’s kind of hard to write about these characters.  On the one hand, I feel really bad for them and the things that happened to them.  On the other, I don’t like them because they are doing exactly the same thing as the people that hurt them.  But, I’ll give it a try.

I like all the main characters: Mary, Kat, and Lillia.  I like Mary because she went from being a timid little door-mat to standing up for herself.  I like Kat because she’s tough, defiant, and doesn’t take any crap.  And I like Lillia because she’s not a typical popular girl, but nice.

And I would really like to know which author wrote which character.  Does anyone know?

One last thing before I sign off: the cover.  I’m just guessing here, but, looking at the cover, I think that Kat is on the far left, Mary is in the middle, and Lillia is on the right.  And seriously, this cover is awesome.  The models look exactly like I image the characters…well, except for Kat.  But it’s still pretty close.

3 PINK FLOWERS

Review: What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

What's Left of Me
by Kat Zhang
Release Date: September 18, 2012
by HarperTeen


Pre-Order / Goodreads

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

*A copy was provided by HarperTeen for review purposes*

Coming into this book, I was super-excited.  The summery looked really good, and the cover was intriguing (yes, I totally judge books by their cover.  I mean, who doesn’t!?)  But I have to admit that I came away a little disappointed.

While this was a really good idea, it’s not an uncommon one.  I can think of at least one recent release that is basically the same idea as this book.  There were some parts that were action, and they were great, but the rest was kind of medium-paced.

The writing was really, really good, and the staging and escapes were awesome as well.  I also liked the point of view used in this book.  Eva, the weaker soul, was the main character, and I think it really helped the book that she was, instead of, say, switching points of view, or having Addie as the main character.  I really wanted to like this book, I really did, and I did, kind of, but it just wasn’t amazing for me.

I’ve never read a book where there are two souls in a person, so I’m going to do my best with the characters.

So I’ll start off by saying that I loved Eva.  She was definitely my favorite character.  I loved how she grew so much over the course of the story.  I liked her much better than Addie.

I also really loved Ryan/Devon.  I say them both because I really loved both, where as with Eva/Addie, I only really liked Eva.  Ryan/Devon was so nice, cute, and perfect.  I really liked him/him.

I tried really hard to love this book, but for some reason it just didn’t click with me.  I don’t know why not.  I will continue this series, and cross my fingers that the books to come are really good.

3.5 pink flowers

Review: Envy by Elizabeth Miles

Envy
by Elizabeth Miles
Series: Fury Trilogy #2
Release Date: September 4, 2012
by Simon Pulse

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The Furies are back in the second book of a chilling paranormal trilogy where revenge rules the day—and “sorry” isn’t going to cut it. Spring is coming, and the ice is slowly melting in Ascension…revealing the secrets buried beneath.

     Emily Winters knows the Furies have roots in Ascension, Maine—but she’s about to discover that they’re deeper than she ever imagined. With the help of her new friend Drea, she vows to dig them out. But it’s hard to focus when she’s desperate to make up with JD, and to figure out why Crow, a mysterious Ascension High dropout, seems to be shadowing her.

     Meanwhile, new girl Skylar McVoy is determined to leave her own dark past behind. So she’s thrilled when popular Gabby takes her under her wing, and the stunning and sophisticated Meg offers to give her a major makeover. But everyone knows what happens to the vainest girl of all…

     It’s tempting to be naughty. But beware: the Furies are always watching, and their power grows stronger by the day.

*A copy was provided by Simon Pulse for review purposes*

Contains minor spoilers.  They will be marked with [ ] 

I have a policy that when I read the first book in a series and hate it, I always read the second book to give the author another try. That is what I did with this series. The first book, Fury , I didn’t care for at all, but this book was a huge improvement over it.

I think what made this book so much better than Fury was the fact that the story line was already established and explained. [In Fury, we had to figure out that the furies were tormenting people who messed up, and Miles did a very poor job of explaining it to us. ] In this book, we already understood everything about the furies, so we weren’t like, “What the heck is she talking about?” like in the first book. Furthermore, the writing was significantly better than in Fury . I liked how Miles used to furies to stage events and drop hints throughout the book too.
The idea was really good too. It kind of reminds me of Pretty Little Liars (you know how A knows all their secrets? Well, in this book, the furies know all their secrets).
The one thing though that was kind of see-through was Em, or, to be more specific, what she was. Either I am a super genius and able to know everything, or it was pretty obvious (I’m not saying anything else because I don’t want to give you guys spoilers)

This was a very interesting cast of characters, and I liked most of them, but the one that I didn’t like was Skyler. In the beginning I felt really bad for her, but as the story progressed she turned into a (I know I don’t usually swear, but I have to this time) bitch. She took advantage of the fact that Gabby was so nice to her. She was sneaky, kniving, and just repulsive.
On the other hand, I really liked Gabby. Even though she was super popular, she was still really nice, and I love that Miles wrote her that way. Even though she didn’t have much to do with the actual story line, she still played a pretty big part in the book.

I am so glad that this book was better than Fury . Miles has finally learned how to build the plot and stage events, and she improved her writing a lot. I can’t wait for the next installment.

3 1/2 pink flowers

Review: Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

Dragonswood
by Janet Lee Carey
Release Date: January 5, 2012
by Dial

Purchase / Goodreads

Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy.

*A copy was provided  by Dial for review purposes*

Dragonswood has been sitting on my shelf for the longest of all my review copies, so I though it was only fair to finally give it a try. I’m not a huge fan of witch books, and I had no idea that there was a witch undertone in this book, and luckily it wasn’t a huge aspect of the book so I ended up liking it pretty well.

While the writing was only average in this book, I still did enjoy it. I think that Carey was trying too hard to make the diction sound old and eloquent, and, as a result, the writing was really choppy and disconnected. Also, at the end of the book, when we find out that someone is not who he/she says he/she is (not telling), the act of finding out isn’t dramatic enough. It should be groundbreaking, not just “Oh yeah, so-and-so is actually so-and-so” and leave it at that. Also, I got really confused with all the characters and places. But, on the bright side, I did really enjoy the story. The staging and story line was really good, and I loved the escapes/rescues. They were believable scenarios so I enjoyed that. I also really liked the ending. I was extremely confused about who was bad and why, because Carey didn’t really explain it in the beginning, but I’m guessing he was a pretty good villain :P

This is a very interesting cast, and I really enjoyed it. I think Tess is the perfect leading female character. She was strong, defiant, and smart, and kick-butt in her own way.
I also really liked Garth. He was so nice and sweet and cute and totally sexy. Mmmmmmmmmmm :p

So, all in all, a pretty good fantasy book. And, let me just point out, this cover is absolutely stunning. Love love love love LOVE it!!

4 pink flowers