Review: Out of Control by Sarah Alderson

Out of Control by Sarah Alderson

Genre: YA contemporary

Published May 22nd, 2014 Simon and Schuster (UK)

320 pages

What it's about:

When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target.

Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall

My thoughts:
I've read a few (and own almost all) of Sarah Alderson's books, so when I saw her post on GRs asking if any bloggers would like to review her new book, I immediately replied with "Me! Me! Pick Me!!!!!!!" because I knew that Out of Control was going to be just as awesome as her other books.

And it was. Of course.

Alderson just throws you right into the book and the action doesn't stop till you hit the end. And wow, what a crazy ride it was.

While I can't relate to the characters too much because I've never been super rich or had a family involved in gangs, I can thoroughly enjoy them. They kept me guessing and I never knew quite what they would do. I love when characters can do that. Keep me on my toes.

If you want a quick, fun read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this book.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Series: book #1

Published June 7, 2011 by Quirk

Genre: YA fantasy/Historical

$9.99 (US Paperback)

348 pages

What it's about:

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

My thoughts:
I have been wanting to read this book since it first came out, but for some reason I wouldn't let myself buy it new, and I could never get a copy at the library (always checked out) so it took me a long time to read it. I finally found a copy (used) and scarfed down the book in a matter of days.

This book read sort of like a fairy tale. The stories you hear as children coming to life in a big way. I kinda dig those stories, and will always gravitate towards them, so this was my kind of book.

I've read a lot of reviews for this book, where the reader stated that the first part of the book was really good, and then just fizzled and died for them. I didn't find this the case at all. I will agree that the first half of the book is by far the better half, but I really enjoyed the second half as well, and the ending left me wanting the next book.

The characters were all pretty entertaining, but Jacob took me a while to get to like. He was down in the dumps for the first part of the book, which is always really painful to read (at least, to me it is). Depressed characters are hard to like, but this changed. And I loved learning all about the Peculiar children and how their life works.

And the pictures! Oh how those pictures are marvelous! The whole idea of finding old pictures and creating a story to make them come to life is fantastic. I thought Riggs did a pretty great job coming up with an interesting story to explain all the pictures. There were times when Riggs would describe something and I wished it had a picture to go along with it, but it wouldn't. That was disappointing, but oh well.

My rating: 4/5 stars

DNF review- I Hunt Killers

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Published 4/3/2012 by Little Brown Company

Genre: YA contemp

359 pages

What it's about:

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

My thoughts:
I ended up DNFing this book about 100 pages into it. I think. I was actually listening to this audiobook and got through the first 4 discs of the audiobook, so I'm not sure on the page numbers.

I just check the Goodreads page for this book and am actually pretty surprised by it's rating. 3.99? Really? Most people I've talked to about this book have DNFed it, so I was surprised to see such high ratings for it.

The reason I had to stop with this book was all the details. Jazz would talk about all the small things his father would do to his victims and was a little too obsessed with the murdered girl. I did not enjoy being in the head of a killer (or a boy thinking like a killer, really). This book majorly had my anxiety rising while I was listening to it. I was curious as to who the killer was and had a friend read the end for me and tell me who it was (haha), but I just couldn't handle this book. It reminded me of the show Criminal Minds. Good show, well done, but I just couldn't handle it.

Review: Dorothy Must Die

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Published April 1, 2014 by Harper Teen

Genre:  YA Retelling

$17.99 (US hardback)

452 pages

What it's about:

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

My thoughts:
I'm surprised by how much I actually really enjoyed this book. I read the first few pages while standing in the isle, trying to decide if I was going to spend the full price on this book. I didn't immediately fall in love with it, Amy is kind of complaining for the first few pages, but I decided to buy it anyways.

This book is a lot darker than I was expecting it to be. A lot. I don't know exactly what I was expecting, maybe sort of a retelling of Wizard of Oz. Amy would meet up with three odd strangers, travel down the road, go kill the evil lady. That's not exactly what happened. It had it's own ideas, plots, descriptions. I loved it. I loved seeing the messed up mutilated Scarecrow creatures, the perma-smile witches, and the scared people of Oz. Wow, that sounds bad, but it was dark and interesting.

I was hoping that this was going to be a stand alone, but it looks like it's going to be a series.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday- Characters that pissed me off

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks topic, I'm going to go with characters that pissed me off. I'm going to try and go with non obvious ones, ones you aren't supposed to hate.  Angry posts can always be fun to write and to be honest, they are a lot of fun to read most of the time. Everyone likes a good ol' rant every once in a while. That and I have a lovely little board on Goodreads called "someone needs to be punched" to help me remember which books pissed me off. haha. BTW, feel free to friend me on goodreads. Hopefully this link works clicky clicky to see my Goodreads

These are in no order. Just whatever popped into my head.

1. Mary from Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan:
Okay, I lied, this one is in order for being #1. I HATE MARY. Talk about a selfish bitch. She is willing to sacrifice every single person she knows and loves so that she can see the beach. I mean, I love the beach as much as the next girl, but really? You are going to let everyone you know get attacked by zombies so you can live on the beach? No. No no no no no.

2. Lenah from Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel:
I will never understand why anybody liked this book, honestly. It's been a few years since I've read this book, so my precise reasoning for hating her so much is escaping me. Something about murdering children, being completely selfish. I dunno. But when I think of this book, I just get angry.

3. Ever from Evermore by Alison Noel:
How dumb can this girl get? I mean, really. My friend and I would call her "Ever Stupid" when talking about these books. I know, it's a very clever and sophisticated nickname. Haha.

4. Four in Allegiant by Veronica Roth:
I feel I might get some smack for this one. But I did. I hated him in this book. Everything was his fault. Everything.

5. Nick from Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn:
I'm actually in the middle of this book right now, but I Loath Nick. At one point, he says "this is the point where you will hate me, if you didn't before" and I actually said "well Nick, I did already hate you." He's just so... ugh. Too sneaky, too selfish.

Starting to see my theme of hates? I hate selfish characters.

6. Simon from the Mortal Instruments:
Okay, this isn't a hate, he just annoyed me. I couldn't stand how he treated Clary. Which this one is funny cause I have a dog named after him... it just fit.

7. Nick from The Hollows series by Kim Harrison:
Okay, you are supposed to end up hating him. But oh man, I hate this guy.

8. The Brotherhood in Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood:
This book had me so angry while reading it, I had trouble getting through it.

9. Alcantara in the Isle of Night series by Veronica Wolff:
Stupid vampire.

10. Wendy from Switched by Amanda Hocking:
I couldn't even get through this book because Wendy was just so horrible. Life is too short for bad main characters.

Audiobook review: Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

Series: Shadowlands #1

Published January 8, 2013 by Hyperion (book)

September 3, 2013 by Brilliance Audio (audiobook)

Format: Audiobook ($5.19 on Amazon)

Narrated by Amy Rubinate

What it's about:

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye. 

Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

My thoughts:
This was a book I had been wanting to read before it was released, and never got around to it. Then I saw the audiobook at my local library and decided to listen to it.

I had to try three different times to get into it. The narrator (Amy Rubinate) sounds like she works for a 1-900 number, if you catch my drift. I couldn't take it seriously for about the first 40 minutes of the book. I finally had to stop thinking about it and really focus on the story. Even then, every once and a while it would catch me off guard, and her breathy voice seemed inappropriate.

Despite the narrators voice, I loved the book.  There were certain scenes that had my heart racing so fast, I was tempted to fast forward so I could know how the scene ended. It's a good thing I was listening to this as opposed to reading it because I know I would have cheated and read ahead quite a few times. Same goes for the ending. I probably would have skipped to the end to see if my guess was correct for what was going on (it wasn't.)

I ended up listening to the whole audiobook in about two days (the book really dragged me in) and I bought the next one too. I finally got over the weird voice and really enjoyed the rest of it. I liked how Rubinate would change her voice for the different characters and the males didn't all sound like pre-pubescent boys.

Also, this audiobook is only $5.19 for the MP3 on Amazon right now. Super sweet deal. Totally worth it.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday-- Bookish things I want

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks topic is Top Ten Bookish Things (That Aren't Books) That I'd Like To Own 

These are in no particular order. 

1. A home library. I want one of those ladders!

2. This HP scarf. I'm thinking I might buy it for myself for my bday next month :)

3. To make myself a sign like this one.

4. This kindle case

5. The Fault In Our Stars movie poster. It's just so perfect! I want it on my wall.

6. And this TFIOS quote shirt

7. Infernal devices jewelry Tessa's angel .... This lady has amazing bookish jewelry

8. Or Jessie's umbrella

9. I plan on getting a literary tattoo. I'm thinking an HP one, because HP isn't a fandom, it's a lifestyle

10. And lastly, I want to date this guy...

What??? He played Harry Potter, that makes him a bookish want.... ;)

Review: The Winner's Curse

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Published March 4th 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux

$17.99 (US hardback)

355 pages

What it's about:

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. 

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. 

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

My thoughts:
I heard nothing but good things about this book, so when I found a copy of it for cheap, I made sure to buy it.

It seemed to me that most of the rave reviews were worth it. I was immediately drawn into this book, and managed to read it in two sittings, in two days. I think the pages were either smaller than normal, or the font bigger, because this seemed like a very fast read.

My biggest (and only problem, really) with this book was lack of descriptions. I would have liked to have known more details. For instance, we don't get a description of what Kestrel looks like until the end when Arin mentions her bright hair. Maybe I some how missed this (I've been known to do that) and it did say what she looked like, but I don't think it did. I also would have liked to have known a little more about the time period and location. Background information! I wanted it.

Other than that, I loved this book. I loved Kestrel. She is so sneaky! She blackmails, she manipulates, she's all around kind of an unpleasant girl. Yet I liked her, probably for all those reasons. I like my leading ladies a little darker. And Arin seemed like a pretty cool guy as well. Wish we could have heard more of his side.

I think my favorite part of the whole book, is the fact there there isn't a good side, or a bad side. It shows both sides of war and makes you feel for everyone. There is just the facts. It tore me up. I felt bad for everyone. Ah, well, some could say there is an actual "bad" side, so I guess that is up to you to decide. Actually, I would really love to know know if you have read the book, how you view that option.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Cruel Beauty

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Published by Blazer + Bray

Genre: YA Fairy Tale

$17.99 (US Hardback)

342 pages

What it's about:

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

My thoughts:
I've grown weary of fairy tale retellings. I have read so many bad ones but can't seem to help myself. Every time I hear there is a new fairy tale retelling, I will read it. Thankfully this one was actually pretty good.

Nyx is the heroin of the story, and she is pretty despicable. She's lived a hard life knowing that she isn't loved by her father, and will grow up to marry a demon. I don't blame her for being bitter. And that's what I loved about her. Because this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, we all know that Nyx is going to fall in love with "the beast" in this case, Ignefix, the Demon Prince. I found it believable that a bitter, angry girl would fall in love with a charming demon.

Besides actually finding the love story believable, I also enjoyed the new twist to the classic story. There was still all the classic parts of the story, but a lot of new ones that were interesting. A little confusing at points, but still interesting. It kept me reading and entertained.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Waking Up Pregnant

Waking Up Pregnant by Mira Lyn Kelly

Published by Harlequin Kiss

Genre: Romance

Source: Netgalley

$1.99 (ebook)

224 pages

What it's about:

The night that changed everything!

Waitress Darcy Penn is the smart, sensible type—flirting with the extremely cute guy in the bar just isn't her usual style. As for ending up in his hotel room? Definitely not! Sneaking out while he's in the bathroom to avoid the post-sex awkwardness? Much more like it….

If Darcy had stuck around, Jeff Norton could have told her about their "epic latex fail." So he shouldn't be quite so shocked when months later, Darcy turns up at his classy L.A. office and throws up in his wastepaper basket. She's got a bad case of morning sickness, and she's here to find out what he's going to do about it!

My thoughts:
I don't tend to read romance books very often, but when I do, I want them to be the cheesy, too perfect kind. I want the happy ending. Waking Up Pregnant is definitely that kind of romance, it even tells you that in an author's note before the book.

Going into this book, all I wanted to read was something quick, happy, and nothing I needed to think too hard about or get connected too. I just wanted something fun. That is exactly what I got. From the very beginning, you can guess what is going to happen and how everything is going to go, and still be entertained along the way. Even though Darcy drove me a little crazy at times with her lack of communication, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My rating: 3/5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks topic is Bookish Bucket List

These are in no particular order:

1. Own and read all of Agatha Christie's works. So far I own all but 5 of her books. I'm way behind in the reading them.

2. Read all of the books I own. Seeing as how I add about 3 books to every 1 I read, this will take a long time.

3. Meet all my favorite authors. I'm doing a pretty good job of this one.

4. Own a house that has a library in it!!

5. Go to BEA. I WILL GET THERE ONE DAY!!!

6. Write a book. First I just need to come up with an idea. Haha.

7. Go on a giant book buying spree. Like spend $1,000 on books in one spot.

8. Go to the locations my favorite books take place. Given that they are real locations.

9. Have a empty "to buy" list. Even if it is just for a day, I would like to see that piece of paper I carry around everywhere be empty of books I want.

10. I can't really think of anything for this one. I used to really want to own a bookstore, and I still think that would be amazing, but my career choice has changed.

Review: Fire and Flood

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott

Series: Fire and Floor #1

Published by Scholastic Press

Genre: YA 

$17.99 (US Hardback)

320 pages

What it's about:

A modern day thrill ride, where a teen girl and her animal companion must participate in a breathtaking race to save her brother's life—and her own. 

Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?

My thoughts:
Hey, you guys, I ADORE THIS BOOK!!!!

I do, I really, truly do.

I have been having bad luck with the YA books I've been reading the last month or two, then this book came along and finally changed that. Tella was such a special character. She's funny, she's girly without being obnoxious about it, she's caring, and lastly, she is strong. Even while she is all of these, she is still relatable and believable. I didn't have a hard time believing that she cared so much for her ill brother that she would join a race that she knew nothing about. And she changed throughout the book at a good pace.

And then there are the Pandoras. I really, really want one. So bad. I don't even care which one. I liked how they added fantasy into the story in an interesting way. It also separates this book from other similar stories, like Hunger Games.

I'm trying to debate on how much to say without giving away too much. I think this will have to do. The writing was my favorite type of voice and I immediately connected with it. The story has a little bit of everything in it and was wonderful. I received a Galley of this book, but I have already bought two copies of it: one for me, and one for my sister.

My rating: 5/5

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Covers of 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish

Today is a rewind day, so I decided to make up my own (or is this being done/has been done? I don't know) and go with My favorite covers of 2014.

I think this might be one of my all time favorite covers, ever. It's so different! If you go to a bookstore and ask "what is the book with a tiger and a girl sitting on the beach on the cover?" the clerk could tell you right away it's this one. It's beautiful.

Brenna Yovanoff always gets amazing covers. So creepy yet stunningly beautiful. I adore the font and how it blends in, yet stands out and how the color of it matches perfectly. I love the details of the flowers growing in the roots, and the sagging of the house. It's just breathtaking, in a super creepy way.

I like how this one looks like a painting. Also how the girl is not in a dress.

Ugly Christmas sweater gone wrong! I love that.

Really, what isn't there to love about this one?

I like how you can tell exactly what this book is about just from the cover.

Kiersten gets yet another stunning cover. Now if only the synopsis was out for this book...

Look at that castle!! And the colors! It's so pretty!

It's simple yet awesome. But why aren't the shoes red? That is, unless they are going with the books silver shoes. Then it makes sense.

WE GET TO SEE TRENT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also, Happy release day Undead Pool!!!

Review: Insanity by Susan Vaught

Insanity by Susan Vaught

Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Genre: YA Paranormal

Format: ebook from Netgalley

$17.99 (US Hardback)

384 pages

 

 

What it's about:



Never, Kentucky is not your average scenic small town. It is a crossways, a place where the dead and the living can find no peace. Not that Forest, an 18-year-old foster kid who works the graveyard shift at Lincoln Hospital, knew this when she applied for the job. Lincoln is a huge state mental institution, a good place for Forest to make some money to pay for college. But along with hundreds of very unstable patients, it also has underground tunnels, bell towers that ring unexpectedly, and a closet that holds more than just donated clothing....When the dead husband of one of Forest's patients makes an appearance late one night, seemingly accompanied by an agent of the Devil, Forest loses all sense of reality and all sense of time. Terrified, she knows she has a part to play, and when she does so, she finds a heritage that she never expected.

With her deep knowledge of mental illness and mental institutions, Susan Vaught brings readers a fascinating and completely creepy new book intertwining the stories of three young people who find themselves haunted beyond imagining in the depths of Lincoln Hospital.

My thoughts:
I feel like I am having the worst luck with YA books lately. I can't seem to find one that keeps my attention all the way through the book.

When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that something was off. It only talks about Forest and at the end says that four teens stories come together. So lets clear this up right now, Forest is not the MC; she is one of four. One fourth of the book is hers, then switches to someone else and so on. I wish that would have been clear in the synopsis before I started reading. It did throw me off a little because it was sort of a BAM! POV change. And it did that each time. No warning. :/

The next big problem I had with the book was there was a lot of telling and no showing. The character would go "okay, I need to learn how to do this" and then the POV would change and all the sudden we are learning the character did go learn what they needed but we are never privy to the lessons. I would have liked to see what all they learned and how they did it. Grow with the characters so I could stay connected to them. I never fully connected to anyone because you didn't get to stay with them for long enough. I would have liked this book better if it would have been in one, maybe two, characters POVs.

So those are my problems with the book. Besides those, I thought the ideas behind the plot were really interesting and liked the setting. For me, I just couldn't connect to the characters and that was the downfall, it was more personal on my part. If you are into creepy paranormal books, this might be a good one to look into.

My rating: 2.5/5

Review: Fates by Lanie Bross

Fates by Lanie Bross

Series: Fates #1

Published by Delacorte Press

Genre: YA Paranormal?

$17.99 (US Hardback)

336 pages

 

What it's about:



One moment. One foolish desire. One mistake. And Corinthe lost everything.

She fell from her tranquil life in Pyralis Terra and found herself exiled to the human world. Her punishment? To make sure people's fates unfold according to plan. Now, years later, Corinthe has one last assignment: kill Lucas Kaller. His death will be her ticket home.

But for the first time, Corinthe feels a tingle of doubt. It begins as a lump in her throat, then grows toward her heart, and suddenly she feels like she is falling all over again--this time for a boy she knows she can never have. Because it is written: one of them must live, and one of them must die. In a universe where every moment, every second, every fate has already been decided, where does love fit in?

My thoughts:
What I really love about reading on my Kindle is that it will track how fast I read, and then it will tell me how much longer I have till I will finish the book. That's pretty awesome.

The time tracker was a problem with this book though. When I saw that it would only take 5 hours to read the book, I thought that was pretty cool because that is a lot shorter than it normally takes me to read a book. Yet when I was reading, time seemed to have slowed down. Maybe even stopped. I was having a hard time getting into this book. Fates was everywhere in both plot and location. The characters seemed to be jumping realms at an alarming rate. I don't think I have ever said that a book is "everywhere" before, but this story really was. It was a mess.

That was my big problem, that the story was everywhere. And Corinthe herself. I couldn't connect to her in the least. She was just so blah.

I think this could have been a pretty good story with a little more work to it. Fix some of the everywhere-ness.

My rating: 2/5

Top Ten Tuesday- Books that make you swoon

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls at The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks topic is books that make us swoon!

Some of the titles go to the links for the "my book boyfriend" posts I have done about the books. Pretty much all of those I did back in 2012 so hopefully all the pictures and everything are still there. And as always, these are in no particular order.

1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell:
I'm expecting this one to be on everyones lists this week. The second I heard the topic this week, this book popped into my head. How can you not love Levi????

2. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Augustus. Waters. Yum. And because I love this so much, I'm posting the trailer so we can all swoon again.


Does anyone else cry every time they get to the end of that trailer? Or is that just me?

3. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner:
The end! Ack! I was swooning so hard for Tarver.

4. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Oh Peeta. That boy is probably my all time favorite book boyfriend ever. He is just perfect <3 p="">
5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
Team Dorian!!! This is one of those rare times that I'm not in the favorite team. But Dorian is dreamy. He's funny, he's hottie mchott hot, he loves to read, and he's a freaking Prince. Come on!

6. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick:
I should really reread this book sometime soon. Jase is just great.

7. Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis
This whole book is so stinking cute! Hott guys and animals. The best combo ever.

8. The Host by Stephenie Meyer:
This is one story of Meyer's that hasn't been ruined for me. Thankfully because I love it. Ian and Jared are such great guys (Ian better than Jared for sure.)

9. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning:
All the guys in Sinners are just so yummy. Can't help but swoon.

10. Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
I love the super nerdy Seth in this series.
 

Review: Written in Red

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Series: The Others #1

Published by NAL

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

433 pages

 

What it's about:



As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.


My thoughts:
This book and I are having a love affair.

This is the first book of Anne Bishop's that I have read, and it won't be my last. Now I am regretting that I had not read her books sooner so I could have had her sign some when I was able to meet her a few months ago. Ack!

This happened to be one of those books that I fell in love with right from the first page. I knew immediately that I was going to love it and could hardly put it down. I even considered calling into work the next day so I could stay up all night reading. I decided against that, but the second I could, I would pick this book back up and start reading again.

There is something about this world that is so captivating. It's unique and dangerous. Humans are not on the top of the food chain and the Others don't understand a thing about humans, just that they are stupid and taste good. There are lots of descriptions of the Others eating humans and yet, you end up really loving them. I don't know how, you just do. It's great.

I don't want to say too much about this book. I wouldn't want to ruin anything for anyone. All I can say is I finished this book about two weeks ago, and I'm already seriously considering rereading it. It's just that good.

My rating: 5/5!

Review: The Queen's Choice

The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver

Series: Heirs of Chroir #1

Published by Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA Fantasy

$17.99 (US hardback)

512 pages

 

What it's about:

Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.

When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equalled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.

Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined.



My thoughts:
This is the fourth book of Kluver's I have read, and unfortunately it wasn't a favorite of mine.

Kluver's writing is absolutely stunning. It flows beautifully while being descriptive and detailed. That also happens to be part of my problem with this book, it's detailed. Everything is written out which is why the book is over 500 pages long. The book could have been at least 100 pages shorter and still would have been enough.
The length really was what I was having problems with. I'm no stranger to 500 (or even 900+) page books, but they really need to captivate me from the beginning with strong characters. Anya unfortunately wasn't a very exciting narrator. While I did feel for her and wanted to know how her story turned out, I didn't have any problem skimming the second half of the book to find out what goes down.

Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this book, or maybe it just wasn't my style. Either way it has to be said that the writing is beautiful, but I'd read the first chapter before buying the book to make sure that it works for you.

My rating: 3/5


*Thanks to Harlequin Teen for sending me an advanced copy*

Review: Doon

Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon

Series: Doon #1

Published by Zondervan

Genre: YA Fantasy

$17.99 (US hardback)

368 pages

 

What it's about:



Veronica doesn't think she's going crazy. But why can't anyone else see the mysterious blond boy who keeps popping up wherever she goes? When her best friend, Mackenna, invites her to spend the summer in Scotland, Veronica jumps at the opportunity to leave her complicated life behind for a few months.

But the Scottish countryside holds other plans.

Not only has the imaginary kilted boy followed her to Alloway, she and Mackenna uncover a strange set of rings and a very unnerving letter from Mackenna's great aunt—and when the girls test the instructions Aunt Gracie left behind, they find themselves transported to a land that defies explanation. Doon seems like a real-life fairy tale, complete with one prince who has eyes for Mackenna and another who looks suspiciously like the boy from Veronica's daydreams. But Doon has a dark underbelly as well. The two girls could have everything they've longed for...or they could end up breaking an enchantment and find themselves trapped in a world that has become a nightmare.


My thoughts:
This book..... sucks. There, I said it. It sucks. I knew from the very first chapter that this book and I were going to have a hard time. The beginning jumps around everywhere but then when it should really pick up, it just lingers. "Jamie gave me one of his cute smiles. Oh no! He just now glared at me? Why doesn't he like me?!?!?!?!" on every page (not a direct quote, but it felt like one).

I imagine after reading Twilight (I know it says it's based after the play Brigadoon, but there was a freaking meadow scene that read just like Twilight), the authors got together and had a conversation like this:
Author 1: That was great! Let's write one for ourselves.
Author 2: Good idea! Instead of vampires, let's make the guy a prince!
Author 1: A hott prince!
Author 2: And Scottish!
Author 1: And live in a magical kingdom! And it will have evil witches in it!
Both authors: yayayayayayyayayay!!!!!

And ugh, I completely fell for it too. My reactions to hearing about this book (and seeing the cover, it is gorgeous) was "it's about a hott prince! And he's Scottish but lives in a magical land! What could be more awesome than that?" Apparently a lot of things could be more awesome. This was twilight but with Scottish princes. Vee, one of two MC's, is just like Bella. Same exact looks, and she complains all the time and has no idea how hott she is even though all the guys are constantly tripping over her. But this book also has a BFF sidekick that constantly reminds you how beautiful Bella Vee is and how ugly she (the BFF) is, even though she is described as beautiful as well.

I told myself I was going to try and not rant about this book for the review, and I failed. I couldn't help it. I'm annoyed I have wasted my time (and money) on this book.

My rating: 5/10