At First Sight by Heather Todd

Synopsis: Lola Adams started fending for herself at the age of thirteen after her druggie parents ditched her without any notice. Now, five years later, she is on the fast track to a better life away from her hometown of Los Angeles. She is graduating as valedictorian in one month and she has a full ride to Harvard. Nothing seems to be getting in her way. Then, she meets Dean Baker after he saves her during a wild beach party. Their eyes meet and something powerful happens that makes her feel an immediate attraction and pull to him. While spending time with him, she comes to find out his entire family line is filled with people who can read minds, display imprinted powers, and perform magical spells. Two mysterious family members are suddenly on the hunt for Lola and Dean so they can ultimately rid the family of their love and their powers once and for all. Can they stop an impending battle before everyone, even Lola and Dean, loses their bond forever?

Title: At First Sight
Genre: fantasy, ya romance
Series: none (I hope)
Pages: 200
Ages: 14+
My Rating: 1 star
One Word: blah
Fave Quote: I'm sorry but I seriously could not find a single quote that I liked

Review

So I went to bookcon in NY in May with my best friend and it was exciting. My friend wanted to wait in line for Cassandra Clare (who I unfortunately am not a fan of) so we sat in a line that barely moved for a good hour. Now I'm the kind of person who will not say no to free stuff, so while I'm being a good friend waiting in line, I became the annoying daughter and made my mother go out and get me some signed books. My mom comes back with a handful of YA books (thanks mom!) and hence the existence of this book into my life.

So, I read this book because I got it for free, and I decided to just read it because I needed a book for English class and I finished everything else, so why not this book?

Well, I'll tell you "why not this book". The writing was just poorly written; it's like explaining to a second grader between show versus tell, and from the beginning it felt like I was reading fanfiction (blah). It wasn't a surprise at all when I found out the author writes fanfiction. Ms. Todd, please keep the fanfiction and novels separate. I mean, "allowing his tongue to perform the familiar tango with her own" (179). That sentence alone screams "fanfiction". I've never given a book one star before, unless you count this book I read in 5th grade called Becoming Naomi León Go check it out. Great read.

So that saying, this is the second book I ever gave on star to. Anyway, everything in this book was so fast-paced. I find out Lola's name and right away she meets Dean and right away they go out and right away they say "I love you". There is absolutely no character development at all, and very little plot climax. The only thing I found interesting in this book was Freddie, and then he turned all goo-goo happiness in one page flip, and I was physically gagging.

And what the hell is a manifester? Do any of you know? Because I finished this whole book and I have no idea what they are. Where did they come from? Why do they have special powers? Nothing really was described about these "manifesters" at all.

I freaking hate Lola and Dean so much. First of all, everyone in this damn book, especially Dean, "smirks" way too much even in the weirdest situations. Every single time, Dean is always smirking at Lola which makes him seem so damn conceited. And the annoying nicknames he gives Lola. At first he calls her "baby" and I nearly was about to throw up, and then he calls her "pretty girl" and Lola actually likes it which figuratively had me over the toilet bowl puking my brains out.

And then there was the accident, where Leo breaks into the school, compels everyone to stay still, and nearly kills Lola, and you know what they do? The principal lets Lola, with the cuts and bruises all over her arm and a broken window indicating someone broke in, to go home with Dean. What. The. Hell. First of all, she should've definitely gone to the police or hospital or something! And second of all, they just let her go to Dean's house? For all the principal knows Dean could be the one who broke in and hurt her. Okay, I let that one pass, but then they go to a beach party and prom?!?! When they know that Lola is in danger?! Even if Dean's parents were "working on it" that doesn't mean they could do whatever they want with a murderer on the loose. I was literally going to stop reading there.

I have many more complaints that I'm just going to list off:
- narrators kept switching back and forth every SENTENCE and just so many issues with Ms. Todd's second narrator in general "Lola never wanted to leave this spot" (62). It should be "Lola never wanted to leave that spot."
- Lola doesn't even care that Dean is some psycho alien
- "Leo chuckled at the orb before him as he watched Lola and her family plan out the attack" (165). Great. He has an orb. How cliché.
- Dean's mother has an imprint where she can spy on whomever she wants. And on page 172 she specifically says that she knows Dean has never had sex "referring to her imprint". That makes me believe that she would spy on her kids while they are having sex. *pukes*
- Page 198 is altogether stupid. "collapse to death from their burns" are literally the exact words Todd uses, and when Lola and Dean see their family members dying all they are doing is opening their mouths a little in shock. Like if I were Lola I would've screamed and cried and fell to the floor sobbing!
- Like I said before, Todd tells me everything and doesn't show which kills me. "After waking up feeling pretty blissful and continuing to bask in it all for nearly two hours, Lola and Dean decided to make the best of their time together before their date that night" (62). I now have to play English teacher and tell Ms. Todd that you could maybe say "Lola woke up smiling at Dean with crinkled eyes, basking in the warmth with the amazing morning wrapping around her. Dean edged closer to her, his hair a halo of messiness. 'Let's make the best of our time before our date tonight,' he said, wrapping his arms around her."
- Lola wanted to have sex with Dean in a classroom. Let me rephrase; they were about to have sex in a classroom. How dumb are they really?

It was hard to keep reading; I almost stopped at pg 20. I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't :( I'm not hating on Heather Todd, she's probably a good person and all. I mean I could ask my mom but she could probably be winner of worst memory in history, so I'm literally just judging the book for it's writing, and it's easy to tell that I was very disappointed and annoyed with this book.
★

Ruins (Partial Sequence #3) by Dan Wells

Synopsis: "Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost"

Title: Ruins
Genre: Dystopia, Apocalyptic
Series: Partial Sequence #3
Pages: 451
Ages: 14+
My Rating: 4 stars
One Word: KiraWalkerIsBae
Fave Quote: "'Go ahead and kiss him,' said Marcus, throwing himself down behind the same car for cover. 'He saved our lives--if you don'ts kiss him, I'm going to'" (387).

Review

Like the other two books in the series, it took me a while to get through this book because of it's drawn out storyline and the amount of pages! But in the end, it totally pays off. I somehow knew it was going to happen to the last book of the Partials Sequence as well, but sadly, it wasn't as suspenseful or driven as the last two books. Nevertheless, I was still turning pages quickly.

I love Dan Well's writing, and this is why: it's not all about romance. The romance of this series was just an extra part to the even bigger storyline. Most dystopian novels nowadays will make the romance a huge deal and leave out the potentially great storylines because they believe that's all YA readers think about. Books like that are just not realistic at all. I mean, if there is a crazy dystopian storyline, such as an apocalypse or worse, then all I would be thinking is "Get the hell away, run! SHIT RUN!". Of course that's my personal preference, and usually books involve the main character as the heroine (AKA this book) instead of a character like me that would run and hide.

That being said, let us talk about our main heroine of the day, Kira Walker. I like this girl. A lot. Not because she gets all of the guys, (I mean, I would love me some of Marcus or Samm...) but because she never gave up on the future she believed in for the world. Even after all of the lost hope others had, she pursued her dream and pushed through a hell of a storm (literally). She would easily put herself first if it meant saving the world, and she spoke out her beliefs and would defy anyone who thought otherwise. I look up to this woman because oh how I wish I had the courage to do that.

Samm and Marcus were both very different. Marcus; the fun, talkative, no-awkward-conversations with him, "I-pretend-to-be-arrogant-but-I'm-not" kind of guy

"I'm glad we could have a tearful reunion before I crapped my pants from fear." -Marcus Valencio (299)"

...and Samm; the "seems-emotionless-but-I'm-really-filled-with-feelings-and-I-care" guy. Ugh they were so different in every single way possible, but I loved them both. I was rooting for Kira and Samm to be together, but I personally liked Marcus the best (just not for Kira).

Anyway, there are plenty of characters that I could sit here and type about for days, but there is just not time. Heron was amazing in this book, Calix=eh, I would personally have liked to stab Armin (can't do that anymore though), Haru is the bomb, I loved all of Kira's sisters especially feisty Ariel and I feel so bad for Isolde.

I loved this series so much. The storyline was realistic and frightening at the same time. The question revolving around this book is about the difference between human and Partial. "Why am I human?" Just because one was born through a computer may not mean they don't have feelings or human morals. The heavy themes wrapped around this book such as the concept of being human, or the choice between right and wrong, had me thinking a lot.

Not only that, but with all of this new technology nowadays (I mean, 3-D printing, really??!), I feel like anything can happen. All that I can think of is when the time comes where a new computer-generated species comes to life and the world is ending, I will be a Kira Walker (as long as I don't crap my pants first).
★★★★

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Synopsis: "Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is."

Title: Obsidian
Series: Lux #1
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Romance
Pages: 358
Ages: 15-18
My Rating: 3 stars
One Word: Whaaaat IHopeINeverMeetDaemon
Fave Quote(s):
This is for my hate for Daemon >:)
"'Thanks,' I muttered and added under my breath, 'Douchebag.'
He laughed, deep and throaty. 'Now that's not very ladylike, Kittycat.'
I whipped around. 'Don't ever call me that,' I snapped.
'It's better than calling someone a douchebag, isn't it?'
He pushed out the door. 'This has been a stimulating visit. I'll cherish it for a long time to come.'
Okay. That was it. 'You know, you're right. How wrong of me to call you a douchebag. Because a douchebag is too nice of a word for you,' I said, smiling sweetly. 'You're a dickhead.'
'A dichkead?' he repeated. 'How charming.'
I flipped him off" (10).

And these are my favorite anti-romance quotes :D
"I'd brake-checked him several times.
He'd blown his horn.
It made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside" (217).

"Daemon's laugh cut me off. 'I don't think that's a good idea. Funny, but not a good idea. Humans are fragile.'
'How about I shove my fragile foot up you ass,' I said" (300).

Review 

Is it just me? I had nagging feelings that Armentrout gave the main character a love for books-no an obsession for books-because she wanted us book lovers to for some reason relate to her and give this book 5 stars? ("I'm just like Katy! I love books! ZOMG now I know a hot alien guy is gonna come be my neighbor, and he's gonna 'accidently' see a video of my book blog and he will love me, and we's gon love each other for ever!1! OMG!")

Sorry, I just had to do that. I had that serious suspicion that that is the reason for Armentrout's main character's personality. *phew* no one get all personal with me now!

Oh and by the way, what's with this cocky daemon business? I think it has something to do with the name Daemon....Damon from the Vampire Diaries would agree with me:


I had mixed feelings about this book...I have no idea how I feel about it, so I've settled on 3 stars because some of the writing and descriptions were just awkward. I'm not gonna get into a whole schmeel about this now, but I'll just say that Dee was always crying (blah) and I literally hate Daemon with a burning passion (I mean seriously, "kitten"?! I would shoot him if he called me that). Plus, I don't understand why stopping a truck made Katy glow up like a Christmas tree, but doing all of that alien wacko stuff around her didn't make her light up as much? It doesn't add up right.

Let me get this straight for you all, I didn't hate this book! I mean, I got frustrated over the writing and the just really annoying Daemeon-attitude (ugggggh *facepalms*) but other than that, I laughed out loud a few times with the funny remarks, and the end was pretty suspenseful. And I gotta admit that the part of the book when Daemon was sleeping with Katy was actually adorable ("His face burrowed into the space between my neck and my shoulder, nuzzling. Sweet baby Jesus..." (291).) And why can't Daemon just admit his feelings for Katy?! Oh wait, because we have two more books to get through to admit that (damn you trilogies).

Anyway, enough of these negative comments, self! I thought the plot was pretty awesome, and the healing thing with Daemon and Katy definitely foreshadowed something. I'm seriously surprised that the gossip going around at their school about the "light people" are only rumors, considering that amount of action that happened (should have attracted some attention, no?)

Oh crap, I'm using too many parentheses. Well, let's just say that this was my first Armentrout book and I guess I had my expectations a little too high (especially since I met her at BookCon and she seemed pretty awesome) damn you parentheses! I did it again. Overall, I actually loved the storyline and it did have me turning pages, but the characters *coughcough* DAEMON just wanted me to punch myself over and over again with his cockiness and his braggines and his UGH EVERYTHINGNESS. He doesn't deserve to be hot, there I said it. Okay I should stop typing now...
★★★

Days of Blood & Starlight (DoS&B #2) by Laini Taylor

Synopsis: "Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?"

Title: Days of Blood & Starlight
Genre: fantasy, action, romance
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2
Pages: 513
Ages: 14+
My Rating: 5 stars
One Word: HeartbreakinglyBeautiful
Fave Quote:
"As ever when their eyes meet, it is like a lit fuse smearing past through the air between them. These past days, when this has happened, one or the other would turn quickly away, but this time they rest and let the fuse burn. They are filled with the sight of each other. Here in this cavern, this extraordinary gathering-this seethe of colliding hatreds, tamed temporarily by a shared hate-could be their long ago dream seen through a warped mirror. This is not how it was meant to be. They are not side by side as they once imagined. They are not exultant, and they no longer feel themselves to be the instruments of some great intention. They are creatures gasping at life with stained hands. There is so much between them, all the living and all the dead, but for a moment everything falls away and the fuse burns brighter and nearer, so that Karou and Akiva almost feel as if they are touching" (512-513).

Review

I'm still in that shocked phase one has when they've ended an amazing book; that phase where you are living and breathing, but you're mind is in the world of the book. It's that amazing phase where you're still in the story without reading the actual words on the page. I've never been left this shaken and emotionally distressed before. Do I only get that phase when I read such breathtaking books.

Never in the world had I loved a book so much. This book doesn't even compare to any other book I've read. I even cried at the end for it's beauty (still crying). Everything, I can't put my finger on it, just everything about the book makes me so confused and mixed with emotions, yet I still love it, just as Karou is with Akiva.

How on earth do you make a book this beautiful? I can't even fathom it. I wanted to strangle the book (if I could) when Karou wasn't telling Akiva the truth. I wanted to cry when Karou was being hurt, or when Issa came back. I wanted to do so many things because of this book, but it wasn't until the end did I break.

The end, the end, the end. The end, but not the end. After everything that happened in the book, the end was my salvation. So beautiful because Akiva never gave up on Karou, so amazing because he faced "Thiago" to compromise. All because of Karou. I broke down at the end because the love written on those pages was so real and so unmistakingly perfect.

And as if that wasn't enough, but Zuzana and Mik. I love them so much it hurts. Zuzana's funny but caring personality, and Mik's love for Zuze. Amazing book, amazing. I can't even comprehend words.

This book I can really describe with one word, heartbreaking. More like heartbreakingly beautiful because of just everything, Zuzana, Mik, Issa, Ziri, Liraz, Akiva, and expecially Karou, who has probably faced the limit of pain and loneliness anyone could ever take. My heart broke a thousand times during this book, which only made me love it more. There are times like these where I realize I could never ever write anything as good as this. Now, if only Brimstone were back...well, we have the third book for that matter.
★★★★★

Boomerang (#1) by Noelle August

Synopsis: "Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen, with no-fuss, no-commitment matchups and where the action on the job is steamier than any random hookup

Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They're sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret.

Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post-hookup taxi . . . to the same place: Boomerang headquarters.

What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower, courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against coworkers dating. And second, they're now competing for the same job opening in the fall.

As their internships come to an end, will they manage to keep their eyes on the future and their hands off each other, or will the pull of attraction put them right back where they started?"

Title: Boomerang
Genre: New Adult, Rom-Com
Series: Boomerang #1
Pages: 336
Ages: uuuhhh this is awkward since I'm not a "new adult" (I encourage everyone to read everything disregarding the age range....my age range is just a preference)
My Rating: 3.5 stars
One Word: FunAndFlirty
Fave Quote:

“What are you thinking for a theme?’
‘Theme?’ Ethan sits with his eyes closed, face turned up to the sunlight. His smile holds such contentment that I feel almost guilty bringing up actual work.
‘Yes, for the booth. For the show. What do we want the design to be?’
He sits up and squints at me, shading his eyes. How about something sports themed? You know, ‘Have fun. Score big.’
‘Ew’
‘Come on,’ he insists. ‘We’re not eHarmony. I’s not about lifelong commitments. Nothing wrong with some fun.’
‘I know, but-“
‘And we’re called Boomerang. That’s already sporty. How about, ‘play hard, throw it back?’
‘Okay, that’s even worse.’ I try to contain my hair so I can give him a solid glare, but it’s no use. ‘And what exactly is the ‘it’ in that little slogan?’
He grins. ‘You know.”
‘No, sir, I do not. Because it sounds like you’re talking about lady parts. Like, ‘use them up and throw them away, boys.’
‘That’s crazy,’ he protests. ‘It’s lady and gentleman parts. You’re free to throw it back, too.’
I laugh.’ So, that’s the image we’re unveiling for our investors? Sex organs whipping through the air?’" (144-145)

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

Wasn't expecting to read this book, but once I downloaded the first 19 chapters for free, I needed to finish it!

Let me be honest, this is one of my first new adult books, and I was curious to find out how "Noelle August" would write the romance for this age group. I was definitely satisfied right from the beginning. It reminded me of one of the romantic comedies that I watch way too much ;).

This book was funny and flirty and totally a summer read. I liked the book, but unlike other books that I would give 5 stars to, it didn't pull me in or keep me turning pages. However, it was fun to read and had me laughing out loud at some parts. The character's personalities were funny, quirky, caring, and all-round amazing. Mia and Ethan were so cute and you knew that they would somehow find there way to each other in any situation. I loved reading about their jealousy once they had to watch others on dates, and their jokes and their feelings.

Great predictable, but super funny and original book to read over the summer!

★★★1/2

Through the Ever Night (UtNS #2) by Veronica Rossi

Synopsis: "It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.
Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.

Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first.

Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?

Threatened by false friends and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure-and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable."

Title: Through the Ever Night
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance
Series: Under the Never Sky #2
Pages: 341
Ages: 13+
My Rating: 5 STARS
My Word: Emotional :(:
My Fave Quote: (throughout review)

 

Review

“Aria stood. She wanted to hold him and sob with him. Give it to me, she wanted to scream. Give me the pain. Let me take it from you” (285).

Jesus.

This book held my heart. In the beginning of the book, it pounded gently and evenly with pure love. Then, nearer to the end, it would pound faster and faster, getting out of control, until it eventually fell out of grasp and landed on the floor, in a million pieces.

My heart is in pieces, and the ending was like a meager attempt of sewing it back together.

Two main reasons why this book was amazing: LOTS of suspense (even more than the first book) and LOTS of beautifully written romance once again.

God. So much sadness and love and life and confusion and happiness all in one book. One minute I was bawling with Roar and Aria, and the next I was laughing with Perry. I was so bipolar when reading it, my mom must've thought I was crazy (sorry, I'm not sorry).

The suspense throughout it just made me grip the book harder, turn the pages as fast as I could to read on. What could possibly happen? Who's going to die? Will the succeed? I needed to know those answers. Also, all of the things in this book connected, and it explains everything, with Cinder, Liv, Hess, everyone. At the end, my mind was blown, everything just fit together.

And god that ending. Seriously Rossi? Leaving it at a suspenseful moment. I have a stack of library books that I just checked out yesterday, but I'm tempted to go back and get my hands on the next book. The "Dwellers" and the "Savages" are so completely different, that I'm so curious as to how Rossi has written the last book.

Now I can't forget about the romance. Beautiful once again.

“Aria laughed. That was attractive. She smelled like horse.
‘Do you ever miss anything?’
Perry smiled. ‘You, all the time’” (99).

“’We’re together now,’ he whispered against her forehead.
‘The way we should be.’
She closed her eyes and relaxed her breathing, seeking calm. He was rendered to her. Maybe he’d feel it too. ‘Sleep, Perry.’
‘I will,’ he said. ‘With you right here, I will’” (121).

“’Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame,’ she said. ‘It’s from an opera called Carmen.’
Liv narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you the bird, or is my brother?’
Aria smiled. ‘I think the bird is the connection between us…I’d do anything for him,’ she said, and realized that it really was that simple” (233).

“Aria kept her gaze on his face. On the blond stubble across his jaw, and the bend in his nose. She could look at him forever. She could spend her life watching him just blink and breathe that close to her” (321-322).

“Aria watched, silent in his arms. His gaze trailed over the curve of her shoulder, the slope of her cheek. The dark flick of her eyelashes as she blinked. His heart filled with hurt. Hers. His. Her understood exactly what she felt” (333).



Never have I been more serious when I say that I wish I had a relationship like Perry and Aria. They love each other so much and so intensely that it makes me want to tear up whenever I read about their feelings for each other. WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE SO PERFECT?

This book was simply amazing. It earns a true five stars and I will read the last book very soon.

★★★★★



Panic by Lauren Oliver

Before I start this review, I just wanted to apologize for not being on this blog for a while! I had so much to deal with the last few weeks of school (FINALS :( ) but now it's summer so I'll give you guys PLENTY of book reviews :D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Synopsis: "Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes he very things we fear are those we need the most."

Title: PANIC
Series: None
Genre: Romance, YA Fiction, Suspense, Contemporary
Pages: 408
Ages: 14+
My Rating:
My Word: Heart Racing, freaking anxiety filled
My Fave Quote:
"But Autumn nibbled the blue sky with its teeth, tore off chunks of the sun, smudged out that heavy veil of meat-smelling smoke. It was coming. It would not be held out much longer.
It would bring rain, and cold, and change.
Just before that: the final challenge.
The deadliest challenge.
Joust" (375).
Review
I live in a bubble. Every day, I go to school, see my friends, go home, do homework, and repeat. My town is filled with some rich kids and seeing them waste their money on extra drinks in the cafeteria or wearing a new outfit a day makes me want to cringe. I've learned from an early age not to spend more money than I have to, and now I don't even have to remind myself. It's just a habit to conserve my money.

In Panic, many residents in Carp are poor. There is Meth Row, where Dodge and other poor residents live, and there is the trailer park, where the even poorer people live, including Heather. It was fascinating to read about their lives and their families and the trouble that they endured.

Not only that, but hearing people say "This novel is just like the Hunger Games! It such a copy." First of all, this book isn't set in the futuristic dystopia where you're forced to play a game to show power. This game was created by students and personally I thought this book was more exciting and thrilling due to the absurd stunts and tasks the students have to do. That said, the plot was definitely original and the different challenges made my heart race for these fictional character.

Speaking of fictional characters, the absolute reason why I got this book to be four stars were the characters, specifically Heather and Bishop.
“They had their own language, their own jokes. They were constantly touching each other too – pushing and shoving, pinching and hugging, like kids flirting on a playground.”
*sigh* best relationship ever.Literally, I was waiting for their perfect relationship to happen and once it did I could not contain my feelings.





Not to mention Dodge. He was absolutely perfectly imperfect and his and Heather's background story made me sympathize for them throughout the whole story. Nat on the other hand was a little annoying for the first half of the story and very reckless (not that all of them weren't). She was crying over the stupidest things and making horrible decisions. During the end though, she didn't bother me as much.

One of the things I didn't like as much was that Oliver kind of rushed the last challenge, and she never showed Heather resolve any of her problems, like with Bishop. She just skipped right to the epilogue. I liked the epilogue, but I think I would've been a lot happier if we got to read that scene.

This story was a quick and fun read, and literally had my heart racing for the characters as they went through each challenge. I figured out the twist at the end with Bishop when Dodge started suspecting it and I was shocked and mad at myself for not figuring that out sooner! This story was very creative and I can't wait to read more of Oliver's upcoming books!
★★★★

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Synopsis: "Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?"

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Series: DoSaB #1
Genre: Romantic Fantasy, YA
Pages: 418
Ages: 14+
My Rating: 5 Stars
My Word: Perfect Romance
My Fave Quote: "Snap.
Rushing, like wind through a door, and Karou was the door, and the wind was coming home, and she was also the wind.
She was all: wind and home and door.
         She rushed into herself and was filled.
         She let herself in and was full.
         She closed again. The wind settled. It was as simple as that.

         She was whole" (307).

Review
So I got this book at the library, right when I walked in I saw it on the "staff picks" shelf, and while checking it out, I sort of made friends with the librarian. She picked the book as her "staff pick" and since I picked it out, we were instant friends. She told me how good it was, and that there were two more books in the series.

So, taking the advice from a librarian, I had contradicting feelings about the book before reading. Will it be a good read? Did she over exaggerate? And yes, these are the kind of thoughts that go through my head when I think of a book.

You can never understand how much you hate a good book that says "to be continued..." At the end until you've read one.

I'm still processing... My mind is screaming from everything that I just read. This book was amazing beyond words. Everything that Karou felt I felt, the anguish, the fear, the love, the hatred.

I'm laying in my bed here with the book on my lap while my brain is still recuperating from a roller coaster of emotions. This book was one of the few that felt like I was actually there as Madrigal or as Karou instead of reading the journey.

The ONLY thing I have to critique is that the book was left into two story lines, with Karou's life in the beginning and madrigal flashbacks towards the end. I really wanted to know more about Suzanna and Kazmir, but I will hopefully get more of them in the upcoming books.

What else is there to say? Laini Taylor made this book a whole other world, so pure, emotional, and real with the most simplistic, yet meaningful writing. The romance was so beautiful and real between Akiva and Madrigal that I felt like I was there. Brimstone, Chiro, Suzanna, and all of the other characters flavored the book with a twisting and juicy storyline.

I'm so happy for making friends with the librarian and for picking out this book. Maybe it was meant to be for me and this book since it was right there when I walked into the library, just like Akiva and Madrigal were meant to be ;D no? Not funny?
★★★★★

Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

Synopsis: "In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has."

Title: Cress
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction
Pages: 550
Ages: 13+
My Rating: 5 stars
My Word: YAASS
My Fave Quote(s): These two quotes that have to do with Thorne and his personality :D

“Captain! To your left there’s a Lunar guard and on your right is a doctor who’s running tests on Lunars and I’m being held by one of Levana’s wolf hybrids and please be careful!”
Thorne took a step back into the hallway a gun from his waistband. He spent a moment swiveling the barrel of the gun in each direction, but nobody moved to attack him.
With some surprise, Cress realized that the operative’s grip had weakened.
“Er…” Thorne furrowed his brow, aiming the gun somewhere near the window. “Could you describe all those threats again because I feel like I missed something" (348).

“Knees suddenly weak, she reached for his forearms to stabilize herself. “You came for me.”
He beamed, looking for all the world like a selfless, daring hero.
“Don’t sound so surprised.” Dropping the cane, he pulled her into a crushing embrace that tore her away from Wolf and lifted her clean off the floor. “It turns out you are worth a lot of money on the black market”  (350).

“Captain?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"
He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder"  (512).
I'M TELLING YOU the series just gets better and better
AND THIS BOOK:



Literally, right from the beginning I knew this book was going to be good. And once I found at that Cress liked Thorne, I was totally ready for it.

I mean....it's THORNE



This book was so good and ugh had so much romance and action and suspense and... *sigh* I couldn't contain it all in. I even squealed a couple of times, that's how much I-yes I'm gonna say it- fangirled. And I laughed out loud whenever Thorne was in the story because he always made it funny :D.
“Captain! To your left there’s a Lunar guard and on your right is a doctor who’s running tests on Lunars and I’m being held by one of Levana’s wolf hybrids and please be careful!”

Thorne took a step back into the hallway a gun from his waistband. He spent a moment swiveling the barrel of the gun in each direction, but nobody moved to attack him.

With some surprise, Cress realized that the operative’s grip had weakened.

“Er…” Thorne furrowed his brow, aiming the gun somewhere near the window. “Could you describe all those threats again because I feel like I missed something" (348).

Anywho, let's get down to the nitty gritty here and talk about the fantastic plot. I loved Marisa Meyer ever since I read Cinder and obviously, Cress did not disappoint. The third book, Cress was based off of the fairytale Rapunzel and had a science fiction twist to it. I still can not get over the whole plot, all of the action with Queen Levana with "Cinder and Co." (lol). The part of the book where Thorne and Cress are stranded in the desert just added to the adventurous and humorous book. (I admit I laughed a few times in public :o) Anyway, once everyone regrouped (minus one character :I ), that's when everything started going chaotic and action-packed and awesome. The story was so amazing and all of the new problems and new characters just added to its awesomeness.

Speaking of characters, I immediately loved Cress from the beginning; the quirky, small girl trapped in a satellite for 9 years. I instantly attached to her because I related to her in the "quirkiness and short" sense, not the "trapped in a satellite" sense! NOT TO MENTION that Thorne and her got to bond on a scalding and water-less desert together!

AHH THORNE. He was my all time favorite character (and still is) since the second book, and him and Cress? YES! I 100% guarantee that people were giving me weird looks as I smiled stupidly at my book when there were Cress and Thorne moments. In addition, Meyer kept the characters just as amazing as the last book. Characters such as Cinder, Wolf, Dr. Erland, Scarlet, Queen Levana, Kai, Iko, the list goes on. I loved how the characters still each stuck with their own quirky personality, and not to mention Wolf and Scarlet ahhhh thrilling right there, yet I'm mad that I have to wait until Winter to see what happens with them :O.

Each individual romance (CINDER AND KAI INCLUDED *sigh* only in the end though...) was and stayed perfect since the last two books, and lastly, new characters, such as JACIN AND PRINCESS WINTER, were amazing. I GIVEA THUMBS UP TO THAT UPCOMING BOOK BECAUSE DAMN THOSE TWO CHARACTERS=PERFECTION. AHH I'm already having feels, I mean, who wouldn't ship Jacin, arrogant/emotionless, with Princess Winter, who was all crazy and insane? :D Am I right? I can't wait until the next book!

Yet another amazing book from the Lunar Chronicles and I'm already counting down for Winter because I NEED to know what happens :O I CAN'T WAIT A YEAR D':
★★★★★

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu

Synopsis: "He is a Legend.

She is a Prodigy.

Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position.

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything.

With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."

Title: Champion
Series: Legend #3
Genre: Dystopian, Fantasy, Science Fiction, ROMANCE
Pages: 369
Ages: 12+
My Rating: 4 Stars
My Word: YAASSS, #DatEndingTho
My Fave Quote(s): ""Hi, Metias," I say in a soft voice. "Today's my birthday. Do you know how old I am now?"
I close me eyes, and through the silence surrounding me I think I can sense a ghostly hand on my shoulder, my brother's gentle presence that I'm able to feel every now and then, in these quiet moments. I imagine him smiling down at me, his expression relaxed and free.
"I'm twenty-seven today," I continue in a whisper. My voice catches for a moment. "We're the same age now"" (360).

"“Then Day reaches out and touches my hand with his. He encloses it in a handshake. And just like that, I am linked with him again, I feel the pulse of our bond and his- tory and love through our hands, like a wave of magic, the return of a long-lost friend. Of something meant to be. The feeling brings tears to my eyes. Perhaps we can take a step forward together.
“Hi,” he says. “I’m Daniel.”
“Hi,” I reply. “I’m June”" (369).

Review:
 *sighs* Well... another series has ended from my bucket-list which is bittersweet.

I can't believe I finished the series D:. I remember reading the first book of the series when I was in 7th grade! And two years later I have finished the last :(.

This book was mind-blowing, and romantic and JUST AMAZING OKAY? AND let me just say... THE ENDING LITERALLY MADE THIS BOOK THE BEST BOOK EVER?!?!1!11!??!1!

Okay, I'm not gonna go forever fangirling about the ending, but let's just say this was me reading the last chapter:


The ending is now one of my favorite endings EVER. It was so good of an ending that I am adding a new category for "Best-Endings-Ever" on GoodReads. Now some of you may think the ending is horrible or heartbreaking, but seriously?! Now, I'm not gonna put any spoilers, but let's just say that I thought it was a cute ending and totally different and creative! (<---World's biggest understatement)

Now the plot was good! Not every day to I read books of war and dystopia...oh wait I do... but not like that. The only thing that was kind of iffy for me was that it just didn't seem realistic that Africa would have supplies to help the Colonies at war...even fifty years from now :/.

The characters were fantastic, and I loved more new characters like Pascao, the more-mature-Tess, and of course DAY AND JUNE. I'm not a big fan of Anden at all thought; he was just in the way from the Day and June action to be brutally honest. And I'm so happy that Marie Lu made June SMART and LOGICAL throughout the series unlike some authors who make their main character so dumb it kills me. The way Marie Lu describes the relationship with Day and June; how June gets chills when she hears Day's voice or how Day thinks June is the most breathtaking out of everyone, really kept the story going for me.

Idk maybe it was a bit rushed, but overall I thought it was an action-packed and romantic last edition to the series and I am so happy that I got to read the books! And let's be honest here, nothing beats the first book!--even though this book was so good! Like seriously I've never read a book so creative before :O. I can't wait to read more of Marie Lu's books :D.
★★★★

Fragments by Dan Wells

Synopsis: "Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence—it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them?

Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of postapocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

The second installment in the pulse-pounding Partials saga is the story of the eleventh hour of humanity's time on Earth, a journey deep into places unknown to discover the means—and even more important, a reason—for our survival."

Title: Fragments
Series: Partial Sequence #2
Genre: Science Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 564
Ages: 14+
My Rating: 5 Stars
My Word(s): MindBlowing, VeryCalulated
My Fave Quote(s):

"None of this is by accident, and we have to figure out what it all means. She paused. We have to. It's the same old argument I used to have with Mkele: the present or the future. Sometimes you have to put the present through hell to get the future you want" (pg. unknown)   “I chose to follow you," he said, and his voice was deep and rich. "And I'll find you again" (561)                    Review    THIS BOOK WAS MIND BLOWING

I have to admit, the first 100 pages or so were dragging on a bit, but once you get past that...


This book is the sequel to the amazing book Partials and it was even better than the first if that is possible.

I don't know where to begin...everything was so perfectly planned and it was all carefully calculated and just at the end I was like WHAAAAAT?!?!?!

Plot
The storyline was fantastic. I was getting a little annoyed with Marcus's story coming in during random parts of the story, but as the story progressed, I realized that it all made sense and it fit together very well. Kira's story dragged on a bit in the beginning as they were traveling, but then shit just went down once they reached their destination.

That's when things started to be mind blowing. Everything with Dr. Vale and the cure and the...the (view spoiler)[CHILDREN (hide spoiler)]. Once the story got to there, it went from a three star book to a solid five star.

Literally as I was reading, my mouth was wide open and I was like "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD".

The Character
Let me just start by saying that I was waiting too long for that ending to come in the book with KIRA and SAMM.

I don't know how Dan Wells does it, but every little detail he puts into the book are so genius. He made all the humans actually feel human with their facial expressions and arm gestures and emphatic personalities. And he made the Partials seem human-but-not-human, like Samm feels strong emotions, but you can't actually see them because he is so used to using the Partial Link. If someone were to just look at him or talk to him, they'd see some stoic guy with an emotionless voice, but he actually feels and hurts and you can't tell. And he even tries leraning the human gestures and all WHICH MAKES ME LOVE SAMM EVEN MORE!

Kira...oh I love Kira, the "rebellious model" haha! She is so determined and aggressive and willing to sacrifice herself for mankind, and she was already added to my list of favorite main characters since the first book.

Basically Wells makes each person in this whole book different in so many ways that it feels so real. Heron, Marcus, Woolf, Samm, Kira, Afa, Dr. Vale, Calix, Phan, and so many more. Afa was literally the best out of all! :)

And one last thing. Kira and Samm's bond was PERFECT. It wasn't too much, like they weren't all "OMG I LOOOOVE YOU!!!" But it also wasn't too little. All Dan Wells did was add that little little thing in the end and that was literally all it needed for me to melt with happiness.

Overall I couldn't ask for a better sequel. The suspense, the deaths, the chaos, the feelings, and everything else mixed together made this story one of my favorites!
★★★★★

Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

Synopsis: A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.
When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.

Heaven Beach, South Carolina, is anything but, if you live at the low-rent end of town. All her life, Leah Jones has been the grown-up in her family, while her mother moves from boyfriend to boyfriend, letting any available money slip out of her hands. At school, they may diss Leah as trash, but she’s the one who negotiates with the landlord when the rent’s not paid. At fourteen, she’s the one who gets a job at the nearby airstrip.

But there’s one way Leah can escape reality. Saving every penny she can, she begs quiet Mr. Hall, who runs an aerial banner-advertising business at the airstrip and also offers flight lessons, to take her up just once. Leaving the trailer park far beneath her and swooping out over the sea is a rush greater than anything she’s ever experienced, and when Mr. Hall offers to give her cut-rate flight lessons, she feels ready to touch the sky.

By the time she’s a high school senior, Leah has become a good enough pilot that Mr. Hall offers her a job flying a banner plane. It seems like a dream come true . . . but turns out to be just as fleeting as any dream. Mr. Hall dies suddenly, leaving everything he owned in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. And they’re determined to keep the banner planes flying.

Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

Title: Such a Rush
Series: None
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 325
Ages: 14-18 (involves some make out sessions)
Date I Finished: January 22nd, 2014
My Rating: 4 stars
My Word(s): LoveTheMainCharacter, BlewMeAway (no pun intended), DifferentYetAmazing
My Fave Quote(s):
"'He's not your type.'
'Oh, really?' I laughed, 'Who's my type, Patrick?'
'His brother,' Patrick said.
'Grayson?'...
'We were pretty good friends. You and me, we like playing with fire for some reason'" (193).

"Most people hear an airplane in the sky and think 'there's and airplane,' and go back to what they were doing. A few folks look around for the airplane, try to figure out what plane it is, and watch it from the time they spot it to the time it disappears on the horizon, maybe after that. Those kids are the ones who will be pilots." He pointed at me. "I knew that about you. I've just been waiting for you to show up."

“When I’m with you," he began again, "it’s like… I still don’t feel normal. But I can see normal at twelve o’clock on the horizon." He pointed past me, through the windshield of an imaginary airplane. "At least I know normal is still out there. I’ve spent the last three months not sure of that at all."

Review

Wholy god....I wrote an amazing review for this book and GoodReads just deleted it D: WHHY??

So basically here it went:
I was wary of reading this book at first because I'm not a fan of contemporary novels. They usually bore me to death through the first 100 pages.

But not this book.

The plot of Such a Rush was absolutely brilliant. It wasn't any of those "boy next door" books like the regular contemporary-romance books. Instead, it involved a trailer park, an airport next door, and two guy pilots trying to run their dead father's business.

The characters were definitely amazing as well. Let's just say, I envy Leah Jones. Leah, the main character, lives in a trailer home, and has a horrible mother and father who she doesn't know and still has the I-don't-give-any-shits kind of attitude. She decides to try to fix the life that her mother put her into by getting a job at the airport near her. Ever since she laid eyes on one of her boss's sons, Grayson, she never stopped crushing on him.

Now, the two sons...Grayson and Alec. After their father's death, Grayson decides to keep the banner-towing business running and Alec helps. Alec is the nice, goody two shoes boy, and Grayson is the I-also-don't-give-any-shits adrenaline junkie. The only thing that confused and frustrated me was that Grayson had two personalities throughout the book. At first he was all "Do as I say" attitude, and then he became a mix of that attitude and the "lovey-dovey perfect boy" personality. Imagine those two personalities together...if I hadn't read the book, I would imagine a bipolar dysfunctional crazy guy...actually maybe I still do... Despite that and the "Do as I say" part of him, I would've fallen for him as well.

The plot. That was probably the reason that this book got four stars. I mean, the main character lives in a trailer park for crying out loud! How interesting does that sound?! After I read the summary, I was very curious to what was going to happen in the book, and my expectations were pretty blown away. When I say pretty blown away, I'm excluding the two personality Grayson because although he was okay at the end, I'm surprised Leah still liked him after all the mean stuff he did and all the fights that they had before they were together. Grayson, Leah's crush, blackmails her by dangling the secret that could ruin her pilot career so she could keep working for him. The whole blackmailing mess results in one fake relationship with Grayson's brother and another relationship at the same time that Leah thinks could never work out (if that makes sense). Basically, once Leah does what Grayson says (not just work for him), a lot of shit goes down that knocked me off my socks (yes...I just said knock me off my socks).

Overall, this review is so messy, and I promise you the one that got deleted was so much better D:. But seriously, this book totally beat my expectations, the characters and plot are deliciously different, yet amazing (besides two faced Grayson although he was still sexy enough for me to like ;) ).
★★★★

Tumble and Fall by Alexandra Coutts

Synopsis: "A novel about the end of days full of surprising beginnings
The world is living in the shadow of oncoming disaster. An asteroid is set to strike the earth in just one week’s time; catastrophe is unavoidable. The question isn’t how to save the world—the question is, what to do with the time that's left? Against this stark backdrop, three island teens wrestle with intertwining stories of love, friendship and family—all with the ultimate stakes at hand. "




Title: Tumble and Fall
Series: None
Genre: YA, dystopian-I guess, romance
Pages: 372
Ages: 12-18 (but I don't recommend to anyone)
My Rating: 2 stars
My Word: VeryDissapointing (understatement)
My Fave Quote: (Honestly, I didn't have any)

Review
 



Hmmm... this book...was very hard to get through.

My expression throughout the whole book:

 

I have to say I thought this book was going to be good because the whole point of an asteroid falling and the last week of life on Earth would be suspenseful and full of action and-oh wait, that doesn't happen.

This book was kind of disappointing because all three of the characters' stories were just weird. Especially Caden's story; his dad was just not even realistic and better yet, his dad gets him a prostitute and makes fun of Caden when he couldn't have sex with her?! WTH?!

Sienna's story wasn't at all better. She falls in love with Owen in the first week she's seen him since she was like five? That was kind of freaky. It was especially unrealistic when Owen followed her home and they loved each other all happily in the end.

Finally, Zan's story was okay since she was more rational at the end, but seriously, she has to forget about Leo. She thinks that she made a huge mistake betraying Leo, who is dead, for kissing his friend. Girl, if you the world wasn't going to end, would you eventually move on or not? Even though I'm happy at least one of the stories ended with no lovey dovey stuff, I personally think there should've been only one relationship that actually worked in the book and that should be Nick and Zan.

Also, this bugged me more than it probably should've, but seriously why did all the of the characters acknowledge their parents with their first name? Just say "mom" or "dad". Ugh

There were some really confusing sentences in this book as well:

"There are two single beds built into the wall, meeting to form a giant L in the corner. He doesn't snore or mess up her things. Mostly, she's the one who has to worry about breathing the wrong way or accidentally messing up his" (40).
Okay umm... how do you breath the wrong way?

"Zan hustles to keep up, suddenly hyperaware that she and Nick are holding hands. She isn't sure when that started. Before crossing the street? During? Why? And more important, why isn't she letting go? (238).
Okay, if you're asking yourself why you aren't letting go of his hand then you might have some serious mental problems. Just let go of the hand!

"'Caden don't be ridiculous,' Arthur says quietly. 'What are you going to do? Take her home, and then what? Seduce her?' He laughs, bitter and dry. 'After your little performance with Camille, I can assure you that Sophie won't be impressed'" (268).
Let me remind you that this is a father talking to his son, and Camille was a prostitute that the father bought for him. I mean, I know the man is an asshole, but seriously? This is unrealistic.

"She's wearing a sleeveless yellow sundress, and Caden finds his eyes wandering to the neat, dark shadow between her small breasts" (245).
Okay, that seriously was not needed in the book.

"Over Denny's shoulder, she sees the kids from the neighborhood. They're each standing surrounded by other people, people with similar features, the same hair, the same broad shoulders. Families" (366).
Wow. Families.

Overall, this book was basically about stupid characters who each learn a "valuable life-changing lesson" in the end...too bad it's late to learn a life lesson since the end of the story is literally the end for them. I hate being harsh about books, but while I was reading this, I just couldn't stop guffawing because of the weird writing and the awfully stupid characters. I'm also trying not to be harsh when I say that I actually only liked the ending because they all probably die in the end and I'm not even swayed by any of it. Yeah...it was that bad. there's my honest review ._.
★★

 

 



Let it Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green, and Lauren Myracle

Synopsis: "Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks. Thanks to three of today’s bestselling teen authors—John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle—the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses."

Title: Let it Snow
Series: None
Genre: YA, Christmas, Romance, Funny
Pages: 352
Ages: 12-18 (was very funny and a great quick read)
Date Read: December 31st, 2013
My Rating: 4 stars
My Word(s): Cute, Cold, Funny
My Fave Quotes: (They are put in after the rating of each individual story)

Review

This book is totally different from any book I've read. I'm not a fan of short stories because they make me want more, but the fact that these three short stories came together throughout and especially the end really made me enjoy the book a lot. Each story definitely made me laugh out loud at least once, and after reading all those dystopian, main-character-gets-killed books, I decided that I needed to read a few happy stories for once.

Story #1
Rating: 4.5 stars
"'You're going to need a hat,' Stuart said, as we stepped into the frigid vestibule.
'I don't have a hat, I was going to Florida.'
'I don't have a hat either, but I have these...'
He held up the plastic bags and demonstrated by putting the bag on his head, wrapping it once around, and tucking it in so that it made a snug but strange looking turban, puffed up at the top. Wearing a bag on your head seemed like something that Amber and Amber and Amber would have refused to do... and I felt like making a point that I wasn't like that. I gamely wound it around my head" (43).

This was personally my favorite story out of all three because it was just a fun and quirky story to read. It reminds me of one of the lifetime Christmas movies (which I am not ashamed to say that I love the cheesiness of those movies!)
Anyway, Maureen Johnson really made each character different, and she definitely set up the rest of the book nicely (with each character). I really love Jubilee, just because she's the perfect main character for that kind of short story. She's talkative, funny without trying, and jubilant! (no pun intended). The whole story made me laugh out loud and I seriously loved Stuart and his plastic bags!

Story #2
Rating: 4 stars
"I fell to my knees in the middle of the street and shouted, 'Not in a castle nor in a mansion but in a Waffle House shall we find our salvation!'
The Duke laughed, pulling me up by the armpits. Her ice-matted hat was pulled down low over her forehead. I looked at her and she looked at me and we weren't walking. We were just standing there and her eyes were so interesting . Not in the usual way of being interesting, like being extremely blue or extremely big or being flanked by obscenely long lashes or anything. What interested me about the Duke's eyes was the complexity of the color-she always said they look like the bottom of trash-can bins, a swirl of green and brown and yellow. But she was underselling herself. She always undersold herself.
Christ. It was a hard thing to unthink" (194).

Now don't get me wrong, all three of the short stories were definitely problematic and had totally crazy situations, but this one was probably the craziest, funniest, and most adventurous story of all. It was so funny how the college kids, and the twins were racing JP, the Duke, and Tobin to the Waffle House with fourteen cheerleaders inside. This book was probably the funniest and since it was my first John Green reading, I didn't have any high expectations like other readers who read this book so I was pleasantly surprised with the amazing character development and witty comments. I have to say JP was my favorite character because he was just so damn funny. I literally laughed out loud when he talked about his family immigrating to America so he could have cheerleader sex :'D

Story #3
Rating: 3 stars
"'They said the guy did this dorky happy dance after kissing the phone-flinging girl, and that he thrust his fist into the air and yelled 'Jubiblee!''
Dorrie drew back and made an okay-that's-weird expression.
'What?' Tegan said. 'Wouldn't you want some guy yelling 'jubilee' after kissing you?'
'Maybe they just had dessert,' I said.
They looked at me.
I looked back at them. I flipped my palms up like, C'mon, guys. 'With cherries? Cherries Jubilee?'
Dorrie turned back to Tegan. 'No,' she said. 'I wouldn't want some guy yelling 'jubilee' about my cherry'" (249-250).

I have to be honest. This story only got three stars because of the cute pig added on and the ending where all three stories sort of combined. Addie's personality really made this story just bad. She was just so self-absorbed (as much as she tried not to be) and she wouldn't stop whining and complaining about how Jeb hadn't shown up at Starbucks when she told him to. First she tries to change him, then she yells at him for the stupidest thing, and now she feels sorry for herself and yells at her friends for telling her the truth?? I really wanted to jump into the story and bitch slap her and say "Girl, seriously. I wouldn't be surprised he didn't come if I acted like you do all the time." The whole story she wouldn't stop thinking about her horrible love life and she would look at other couples and sigh. I would most definitely volunteer to be Jeb's girlfriend since Addie does not deserve him at all. Addie's friends weren't that bad though and the ending was really well put together.

Overall, the rating rounded out to about 4 stars and I was finally happy to read a nice lifetime-Christmasy book for the holidays :).

★★★★

Dawn of the Apocalypse by E.S.P. Blog Tour!

~*REVIEW AT BOTTOM! AND READ THE EXCERPT IN THIS POST!*~ *********************************************************

What's better to celebrate the New Year than the end of the world? 'Tis the Season of the Apocalypse is a week long blitz and review tour with awesome prizes, interviews, guest posts, and more!

The tour will also have a two-week long giveaway, where winners can get a signed paperback copy of Dawn of the Apocalypse and $10 Amazon cash. All tour hosts will get a free ebook copy of Dawn of the Apocalypse, along with the chance to win an autographed copy of Dawn of the Apocalypse and a $5 Amazon gift card!

 SO hurry up and enter, before it's too late!

 

Dawn of the Apocalypse by E.S.P.

Published: August 8, 2013

Publisher: Mind Candy LLC

Amazon

January 1, 2000. May 21, 2011. December 21, 2012 These are just a few of the days humans prophesied as bringing catastrophic events that would end the world. We predicted nuclear warfare. Drastic climate change. A call from God. We were wrong. Cue the gargoyle invasion—laboratory bred mutants designed to slaughter humans. When the government goes AWOL and gargoyles are swarming by the hundreds, it's up to the citizens of the United States to regroup and save themselves. Meet Cliff Matthews, a teenage boy separated from his entire family with the exception of his younger sister, whom he is desperate to keep alive. Along the quest to save their lives, he encounters people who aren't all that they seem. Everyday's a battle, but if he can't trust his own species, where does that leave his family? And we can't forget the man who may be willing to sacrifice Cliff's life, if it means world domination. In terms of doomsday, no one could've seen this coming.

Excerpt!

Angel’s chest was rising and falling rapidly as the gargoyles circled them silently. Hunter had never wanted something more in her entire life than to live for another day. She couldn’t even entertain the idea of little Angel being gobbled up by the big bad gargoyle…

 She squeezed her eyes shut. Please, please, please, she chanted silently over and over.

She knew the type of wound a scratch had given Cliff. What type of pain would they concur on her entire body? Would they eat her right away or save her for dinner? Would they pluck out her limbs and eat them one by one?

Time stopped as the door creaked open. The gargoyles soundlessly cloaked themselves back in the shadows. The stairs groaned as someone walked down the stairs without a care in the world. Hunter could practically hear the gargoyles lick their lips.

She wanted to cry out and warn the person. But it was beyond her control. That’s what you get for walking down the stairs so loudly. That’s what you get for walking in the dark during a damn invasion, she reasoned. But her heart was saying something else.

The person reached the bottom of the stairs. The gargoyles uniformly shifted through the shadows. “Hey…” he said suspiciously.

He had realized his danger a second too late. He broke into a run, but the gargoyles would be on him in a second. And he’d be dead.

“C’mon, sweetie.” Hunter whispered to Angel, crawling out from under the stairs. Ignoring the cries of agony, pain, and sorrow, she raced up the stairs. The wood banged against her ankles, but she didn’t stop. There was the cruel sound of cracking. Hunter shielded Angel’s eyes from the scene and dared to look behind her.

The gargoyles were circled around the man. The predominantly bigger gargoyle bit his neck. A gush of blood spewed across its face. The man’s eyes still stared at her, his mouth formed in an O, as if he was trying to speak to her.

“I’m so sorry.” She choked.

She hurried up the steps, slamming her body into the door. The light washed over her body, as did her relief. But her nerves did not settle.

Enter the Giveaway!

 

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About the Author:

 Being the daughter of an accomplished author, E.S.P. grew up listening to stories and telling her own to classmates. After writing for several years and even publishing some short works, she finally decided to take the plunge to write (plus finish!)a full length novel. Thus, Dawn of the Apocalypse was born. When she's not writing, she's either reading books, blogging at whoistheserialreader.blogspot.com, or watching eighties movies. 

Follow E.S.P. on her blog

Join the Discussion!

"Move over zombie apocalypses, the gargoyles are taking over. " Unabridged Bookshelf Book Blog

"Dawn Of The Apocalypse is a novel full of grit, action, blood and never forgetting the gargoyles...you should get your hands on this one!" Emily at Fluttereal Flight Blog

**********************************************************

 Title: Dawn of The Apocalypse

Series: Maybe a sequel coming??

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Pages: Depends since it's an Ebook (546 on my iPhone 5)

Ages: Probably 14+

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

My Word: TotallyUnexpectedAndAmazing :D

My Fave Quote: (First time Hunter and Cliff meet officially :'))

“I don’t know how they do it where you’re from, but around here; when you tell somebody your name they usually tell you theirs. If not, they think you’re weird."
Cliff snapped out of his trance, feeling the heat rise to his face. "My name’s Cliff." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Wouldn’t want you to think I’m weird."
"I do think you’re weird," She whispered back. "You’re named after a type of rock face. And a brand of a granola bar."
He retorted, "Well you are named a hobby. You’re not even named after a profession. A hobby is something they do in their free time. So it’s not a priority."
"Well, at least I’m something people do for fun," Hunter teased. "Who likes to jump off cliffs for fun?"
"What type of person likes to kill animals for fun?"
Hunter was silent and for a second, he considered apologizing. Then, she looked him in the eyes for the first time since they met. "Touché.”(46-47 on iPhone)

(I probably laughed more than I should've during this quote :D ) 

 

Review

This book was definitely not as I expected it to be. It starts out from the main character Cliff on a subway station with his parents and from that moment his whole world is turned upside down.

This book totally both grew on me and surprised me. I loved the idea of gargoyle-creature things taking over the world and it definitely connects to what the real world reaction would be to a catastrophe as horrible as this one-especially the ending which I'll get to later on in the review. There wasn't a single boring part in this book which delightfully surprised me! I love all action books and this one fits the category. Also, the idea of Analis in Mexico was really amazing to read because in the middle of the book I expected that she died, but she obviously didn't. However, in the beginning I thought she was going to be one of the main characters from how it was described, but I was wrong haha.

The characters were really unexpected. I was surprised by how much trauma that went on with Cliff's past. Some certain situations that we found out in the book involved his third sister and grandfather. Also. I truly loved Hunter because she depicts the average teenage girl affected by a gargoyle invasion and it was interesting to read the actions and feelings she had that I would've done just as much. Through the disbelief to being scared to hysterical crying; those were all things that I would've done and I might've even cried a little bit more than her considering the whole world was doomed :$. Anyway, I loved most of the characters such as Scott, Aidan, Harris, Angel (I loved how E.S.P. added a little sister in the situation), Dallas, etc. All these characters were unique and just so interesting to read. Regan was the only character that really confused me...like why would he do what he did? He was seriously a creep I agree with Cliff haha!

The relationship between Hunter and Cliff was very nice because E.S.P. was not like other new writers because she didn't rush the relationship and she made every moment very detailed and spread out just enough so it wasn't too much at once nor was it too little.

There were two events in this book that really pulled on my heartstrings. (I promise you I didn't cry! But was actually pretty shocked at how sad I was during these events.) those two events were the one when Cliff told his story of his third sister :'(. And also THE ENDING.

What happened in the ending? Did the person that I think died actually die? I sure hope not! The ending was totally unexpected yet it was definitely realistic if gargoyles are involved. My eyes were bulging out as I read the last few pages because I was honestly so sad because at first I thought that person died but then I doubted it. Because how would E.S.P. do that?! It would be realistic, but it would totally be pulling a Veronica Roth moment at the end of Allegiant (which I cried for a good 5 minutes afterwards) so I seriously hope that that isn't the case.

All in all, this book delightfully surprised me and there were some grammar mistakes which I expected such as the names Angel and Andy were being mixed up in the beginning of the book (that was basically the major mistake), but seriously past that I couldn't peel my eyes off the book! I was overall startled and happy with the whole book and I can't wait to read a sequel if there happens to be one!! :) 

★★★1/2