Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

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Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (October 1, 2013)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 320
Series: The Legion (Book 1)
Source: ARC from Publisher Rep
ISBN-13: 9780316210171
Genre: Supernatural/Suspense/Thriller
Author: Website | Twitter | Blog

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

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This is a book to devour. Kami Garcia has brought together a fantastic combination of great proportions. In a world that involves secret societies and hidden clues we find the Legion. The Legion exists just as surely and soundly as the all the other hidden societies in the world and it was founded shortly after the appearance of the Illuminati in a hope to defeat the heretics.

But Kennedy Waters doesn't know any of this. All she knows is that she has lost her mom and she is about to be shipped off to boarding school. She is alone and her life is broken...until she wakes up to Lukas and Jared in her bedroom, shooting a dead girl.

All that serves to do is drudge up more questions and confuse Kennedy, breaking her life into that many more pieces. This touches on one of the tiny problems with this book and it was that Kennedy just absorbed the information about ghosts and demons and was ready to run off with the twins. She didn't hit a level of appropriate denial or ask enough questions that would indicate her disbelief, she just seemed to take at face value. In the midst of trauma and confusion, it shouldn't be that easy.

As a whole, Kennedy was a likable character and each character was unique themselves. They didn't fit into any specific and stereotypical mold and that makes them brilliant. Kennedy has her talents but she makes mistakes that nearly cost them their lives, the little punk genius is well rounded and witty, the already-present-in-the-group girl is multi-faceted with her emotions, and the twins have a past and have been broken.

This makes their Da Vinci Code-like adventure even more exciting when you find out that the Legion is really fighting ghosties and demons. It it like taking two of my most favorite fandoms and mashing them together, this book was made for me. It is an easy read so it isn't too complex and that makes it a breeze to devour.

Just be prepared that much in the same tone as Cassandra Clare's writing, the moment you think you have something figured out, Kami Garcia is going to throw you a twist that will leave you in agony for the next book.

Rating out of 5:

Mini-Review: Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa

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Publisher: HarlequinTEEN (May 20, 2010)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (eBook): 49
Series: The Iron Fey (Book 1.5)
Read Next: The Iron Daughter (Book 2)
Source: Bought
ISBN-13: 9781426858321
Genre: Fantasy (Faeries)
Author: Website | Twitter | BlogSeries Reviews: Book 1 (4.5★) Book 2 (5★)Book 3 (5★) Book 3.5 Book 4 (4.5★)


Meghan Chase used to be an ordinary girl...until she discovered that she is really a faery princess. After escaping from the clutches of the deadly Iron fey, Meghan must follow through on her promise to return to the equally dangerous Winter Court with her forbidden love, Prince Ash. But first, Meghan has one request: that they visit Puck--Meghan's best friend and servant of her father, King Oberon--who was gravely injured defending Meghan from the Iron Fey.

Yet Meghan and Ash's detour does not go unnoticed. They have caught the attention of an ancient, powerful hunter--a foe that even Ash may not be able to defeat...

An eBook exclusive novella from Julie Kagawa.

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Novella Mini Review:

Reading this novella after The Iron Knight, I see that it highlights the complexity of Prince Ash. It really conflicts with his love of Meghan and his loyalty to the court. Picking up exactly where The Iron King left off, we join Meghan on her journey to keep her deal with the Prince and return to The Unseelie Court. We are accompanied by our favorite feline but are hunted by a force older and wiser than faery it seems. The chase is just enough action that perfectly paces the book but it was rather abrupt and cut off, even for a novella. A great meanwhile read but not as charming as its counterpart, Summer's Crossing.

Review: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

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Publisher: Graphia (March 15, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 213
Series: Riders of the Apocalypse (Book 2)
Read Next: Loss
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780547445281
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Author: Website | Twitter
Series Reviews: Hunger (2.5★)

Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different. That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control. A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world. 
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Overview:

The accuracy that I can see in this series now is absolutely astonishing. I found this book to be emotionally devastating and heart wrenching for Missy. These book reach out to teenagers going through something like this and show them they're not alone and that is absolutely power in words.

Review:

This book takes realism and accuracy in fiction to a new level. It highlights all the things that give Young Adult fiction the name of being "too dark" but it does that because its real; these are things that teens face in the deep recesses of themselves and hide from the world. I was unsure of how deep and true Hunger could have been but this book clarified that Jackie Morse Kessler is gifted and dedicated to true storytelling.

As part of the series, this book can still function as a stand alone for someone who wanted to reach out for something their experiencing. In this book, we have our Kurt Cobain rocker, Death who is the one resounding connection through the books. It is his task to replace the Horsemen of the Apocalypse as the rider position opens. Missy's adventure is unrelated and irrelevant to the story in Hunger though it is lightly referenced and gives background to why War is vacant.

When Death enters the scene, we find Missy holding her family's dead cat in her hands, "You have blood on your hands". The mood is instantaneously set to be dark, brooding, and quite appropriately raged. Missy's life is a disaster in her eyes. Love gone wrong, family gone wrong, life is wrong and the only way to fix it is to bleed the bad out. Driven by such intense emotion, Missy wars within herself at the things she has been forced to face. Humiliated by her ex, estranged from her sister, and now empowered by the sword, she really is just trying to sort out the straight path for herself but it is messy and heartbreaking.

These books are incredibly short reads that pack an incredible punch and I would recommend them for anyone who needs to know they are not alone. As a previous self-injurer, all I wanted to do was tell Missy she wasn't alone and I want you to know it, too.

Rating out of 5:

Review: The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

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Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co. (August 1, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 319
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780807565896
Genre: Paranormal (Ghost Story)

Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs.Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself---a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.

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Overview:

I really did enjoy the atmosphere of this book and the story that was offered. Historically accurate, we have our heroine of the story, Abigail, facing the trials and tribulations of being a scullery maid to an overly hostile housekeeper in the mid 1800s. Unraveling a twisted but fragile plot, we get the haunting feel of this spooky story and the twists and turns of the hard mystery behind it all. What a pleasant stand alone read.

Review:

We find ourselves sent back into a dreary, historical London in the days of house masters, scullery maids, and extreme propriety. Michael Ford has crafted a daunting world with vivid and accurate descriptions for the time period that set up an daunting outlook for our story and our littler heroine, Abi.

Abigail Tamper is a young scullery maid stuck in the middle of a devastating situation. In addition to being the clutches of a rigid housekeeper and a maddening house master, Abigail finds herself alone after the death of her mother. She is starts as a broken young girl who finds herself poor and hopeless but when strange things begin to happen around the manor, she finds a hidden strength to uncover the mystery and solve the puzzles that surround her. In her sleuthing, not only does she uncover twists, turns and betrayals but evolves into being a determined young lady.

Ford did a wonderful job a creating a character that can connect to the reader. You can understand her pain, feel her fear, and hope for her to overcome the devastating truths she discovers. Other characters are not as intricately detailed and she doesn't really have much of a cast of support characters. It provides an interesting opportunity to really understand Abi and Abi alone.

Understanding Abi and her fragile situation is a major facet of understanding the entire story that is the underlying mystery here. In the beginning, I felt the plot was setting up for a shallow idea of what a haunting is or really can be. However, when it reveals more than just a haunting and that true mystery is what is lying behind this, it is more intense than a simple ghost story and it is extremely well crafted to be that puzzling mystery.

If you are looking for a cross-genre read, this covers ghost stories, mystery, and historical in one fatal, and well-crafted, swoop. I would recommend this to readers looking for a haunting story that doubles as a simple read.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

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Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (February 21, 2012)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 341
Series: Chemical Garden Trilogy
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9781442409071
Genre: Dystopian
Author: Website | Twitter | Blog
Series Reviews: Book 1 (4★)

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

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This review may contain spoilers for other books in the series.

Overview:

In her sophomore novel, Lauren DeStefano continues the treacherous life of Rhine and Gabriel as they escape the dangers only to fall into a bigger and more convoluted world of survival. With the outlook dreary and maddening, Rhine struggles maintain her grip on reality while Gabriel's love shines for her. The villain of our story is an absent, yet incredibly enveloping presence throughout the book which leaves you feeling the pain and gripping sadness of this devastated world.

Review: 

In a world of devastation, Rhine and Gabriel have journeyed out to face the terrors with no plan and no resources. Danger seems to lurk at every turn while the invisible dangers of starvation, sickness, poverty and more rack our young survivors. This book didn't not fit into the same mold that its predecessor, Wither, had set. Previously, Wither had a very rigid setting and it was a unique approach for a setting of such a desolate world; this book however, was an open world. A world that allowed Rhine and Gabriel complete exploration of its depravity and desolation. 

I went into this book expecting the terrors of the carnival to be a persistent problem. The cover eludes that it will be a significant part of the story and even the synopsis sets up that same expectation. With that in mind, the plot of this book fell a little short; I feel like this may be common in terms of a trilogy's middle read. The creepiness and haunting experience of the carnival was limited and extinguished early and set up for only a few major plot points following its end. It left this book feeling oddly paced and hopeless. 

The characters made up for a wavering experience because in this book we get an intense look at Gabriel and his love for Rhine. Gabriel's love is different from the shallow, naive love that we saw from Linden in the first book and it really grows into major focus and safe harbor for Rhine. Rhine on the other hand doesn't grow and expand in this book the way a hard-knocked survivor would. I think that is accomplished through the overtone this book starts early on with intense yet unintended drug use. It inhibits Rhine from really becoming a thoughtful character that would perhaps have had the opportunity to devise plans and concentrate on truly surviving. 

The villain of this book, House Master Vaughn, is incredibly well crafted and has a haunting and invisible tie that leaves Rhine and the reader increasingly terrified that he is lurking and watching every move she makes. It is a thrilling twist to really understand how twisted and determined he is without the use of common means such as guns and violence; his presence is always surrounding the escapees even if he is not.

Though this book was languid in its pacing and climax, it brought out a lot of characteristics about the characters that pull the reader in and leave us wondering where we will find ourselves and our little heroes in book three.

Rating out of 5:

Review: A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young

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Publisher: Balzer & Bray (June 21, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult (M*)
Pages (Hardcover): 276
Series: A Need So Beautiful (Book 1)
Read Next: A Want So Wicked
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780062008244
Genre: Urban Fantasy
      *This book contains mature themes

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

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Overview:

I'm at a loss of what to actually rate this book. I liked it, there were definite parts I didn't like, but it was in fact beautiful. When I finished this book, it stayed with me, lingering in my thoughts and it pretty rare that a book reaches me like that. But there was something about this book that didn't reach my expectations yet I'm not disappointed.

Review:

If the overview of my thoughts is anything to go by, this book left me confused on whether or not I actually enjoyed it. In the beginning, we are introduced to Charlotte and her extremely unique situation. Charlotte has a beautiful gift that she refers to as The Need; this need compels her to people who need to be saved. In powerful ways, this gift changes lives but it also changes Charlotte because this is her destiny. Every time Charlotte pours herself into this need, she loses herself as part of the Forgotten. 

Essentially, Charlotte is an angel in this breathtaking and unique spin on what it actually means to be an angel. Charlotte is a strongly defined and created character. She is loving, empathic, compassionate, and a teenager who wishes only to live. She doesn't have to be strong enough to fight wars or evil incarnate trying to take over the world, she only has be to be strong enough to live her life and fulfill her destiny and I think a lot of times we, as readers, struggle to do that very same thing.

I believe the aspects of this book that I didn't like stem from the note of mature content that I have included. I understand that the bond between Charlotte and Harlin is unique and special and that it requires illustration of just how powerful it is, but I felt this book was too focused around that illustration being sex. For all its beauty, this book was a incredibly sex driven. I believe it is strongly for this reason that it doesn't get a better overall "rating" because I was that distracted by the content and it honestly takes a lot for me to say that.

In the end, I was left with the perfect amount of closure but with a heartbreaking desire to read A Want so Wicked. I was also left with a hint of sadness for this could have been a beautiful and gripping stand-alone for it ended in such glory. It would have left readers with a rare ending not typically found in YA literature and with a radiant story, but alas our journey with Charlotte continues and I can't wait to embark upon it.

 Rating out of 5:

 

Review: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden

Arthas: Rise of the Lich King by Christie Golden

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Publisher: Pocket Books (April 1, 2009)
Age Group: Young Adult/Adult
Pages (Paperback): 312
Source: Borrowed
ISBN-13: 9781416550778
Genre: Epic Fantasy

His evil is legend. Lord of the undead Scourge, wielder of the runeblade Frostmourne, and enemy of the free peoples of Azeroth. The Lich King is an entity of incalculable power and unparalleled malice -- his icy soul utterly consumed by his plans to destroy all life on the World of Warcraft.

But it was not always so. Long before his soul was fused with that of the orc shaman Ner'zhul, the Lich King was Arthas Menethil, crown prince of Lordaeron and faithful paladin of the Silver Hand.

When a plague of undeath threatened all that he loved, Arthas was driven to pursue an ill-fated quest for a runeblade powerful enough to save his homeland. Yet the object of his search would exact a heavy price from its new master, beginning a horrifying descent into damnation. Arthas' path would lead him through the arctic northern wastes toward the Frozen Throne, where he would face, at long last, the darkest of destinies.

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Overview:

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the writing style Christie Golden presented in this piece and I squeed over her work with Chris Metzen. I knew a lot of the pieces to this story but it was eloquently put together in a fantastic novel. It was the first book in a long while that I finished in 24 hours.

Review:

As a lore supplement, this book is great. As a book telling a story, this book is amazing! This book offered a unique experience for someone who has played the game, and would be a great story for someone who hasn't.

This book takes us on the full journey of the life of Prince Arthas Menethil. Destined to be the Lich King, the evil ruler of the Undead that plague the world, Arthas was not always so heartless and cold. In fact, the depth of this character is remarkable in his complexity. Arthas was (perhaps is) capable of love; profound and ever present love.

Our story starts with a boy who loves his father. Shortly into our story we see a boy who can develop and harness friendships that could span kingdoms. Beyond that the story grows into a young boy in the throws of his first and eternal love. Then our tale darkens to a young man, nearing the throne and expressing a deep love of his people; deep enough this love will cost him everything. But darker yet, our grown prince continues to twist within himself and develops a love of power, a power he now wields over his valued army of the dead.

In such a short span of a book, Christie Golden has absolutely painted a remarkable image of young Arthas Menethil. Power reading this book is the only way to satisfy your need to know more about this young prince. With her intensive research, her easy writing style, and the attention to detail Christie Golden has won my heart and respect.

I would recommend this to fans of fantasy who can shoulder the burdens of betrayals and tragedy as well as feel the elation of love. Without making this seem like a sappy love story (as it clearly is not) I walk away from my favorite parts of this book with the lesson that love can transcend good and evil; through the taint of power, love can survive.

Rating out of 5:

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

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Publisher: Simon & Schuester Children's (September 27, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult (Sug. 18+)
Pages (Hardcover):  452
Series: Mara Dyer
Read Next: Evolution of Mara Dyer (Oct. 2012)
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9781442421769
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Suspense

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

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Overview:

This book had me hooked. I thought it was suspensful, horrifying, and full of mystery. What in the world could possibly be happening to Mara? There were times that I was sufficiently creeped out while reading. That is the good stuff; however, this book fell into some of the more cliche pitfalls of YA books and love stories. I couldn't stop the images of Bella and Edward that came forth in the struggled romance, and that was not a good feeling.

Review:

I can't deny that this book was brilliant. It is the plot that pulls you in hook-line-and-sinker. As a debut, Michelle Hodkin has really hit home with a unique plot and a solid suspenseful feel to a haunting story. There were times in this book that I couldn't put it down because I had to know what was happening. During an episode or a flash to what happened in the accident, I felt the chill of the story deep within where the idea of entertainment really hits us.

But there is still a reason that this book gets only three stars. The character development and love facets of this book stumbled into a pitfall. Mara was exceedingly independent, hiding her problems while they were essentially drowning her in herself. She was attracted to the bad-boy-man-whore that had the "Something is wrong with me" mentality. Then these two characters were wrapped up in the weird yet destined idea of love. Essentially it was overdone and cliché in comparison.

I also thought it was disappointing with the build up the trailer and the small introduction that the book had with her lawyers and Mara Dyer not being her real name, etc. This, as far as this first book goes, had no relevance because we don't even essentially know what happened, only that it has left Mara in a fragile mental state, not in the troubles of legalities. I was possible for it to have been a series setup but it resulted in a let down for book one.

I was impressed with the intricacies and the balance that the author maintained when implementing so many subplots. Again, I go back to the idea that the actual story of this book is remarkable. How interwoven is the entire story? Mara is a mystery in and of herself but what about the case her dad is on; why is this case so important? I have to know.

It is always hard to point out of the aspects of the negative aspects of a book but it fell short in my expectations. I would have loved to have experienced strong and unique characters to match such a powerful and fresh plot line. For the sake of the story, I can't wait to continue the unraveling mind and mystery that is Mara Dyer.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

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Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (December 6, 2012)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Hardcover): 498
Series: The Infernal Devices
Read Next: The Clockwork Princess (Nov. 2012)
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9781416975885
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Steampunk
Author: Website | Twitter | Blog
Series Reviews: Book 1 (5★)

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. 

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
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Overview:

Again, Cassandra Clare has crafted another piece of art. Continuing from the Clockwork Angel, we join Tessa on the journey full of the twists and turns that we have come to expect from Clare. Thick with mystery, laden with glorious steampunk, wrought with drama, and completed with our favorite characters, The Clockwork Prince leaves us in waiting purgatory for the Clockwork Princess.

Review:

The one thing that can consistently be said about these books is that they are well worth the wait. Cassandra Clare has such a solid world creation and concept behind each of her characters and the Clockwork Prince only perpetuates this as fact. As one of the most anticipated books of 2011, this book doesn't disappoint.

What we get from this book is deeper mystery, more about the characters we love, and triumph.  Tessa, as a female protagonist, continues to shine through in this book in her strength, courage, and unwavering loyalty. The delicate love triangle blossoms into a very intricate situation in this book. Tessa acknowledges the feelings for Will but behind that the feelings exist for Jem.

I have always been Team Jem. I feel like the idea of Will being the bad boy is overdone and cliche, where the creation and history of Jem is unique and vivid. From the color of his hair to the cane, he is unique and heartwarming. The relationships amongst these characters, and all other characters as well, are all tried and tested in this book as secrets, lies, and cheating are all.

Cassandra Clare's trademark in my eyes are her twists. You never expect the plot to unfold the way it does and she has an uncanny way of keeping you on the edge of your seat; that rings true for this book as well. It is this unfolding mystery that has me waiting for Clockwork Princess.

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

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Publisher: HarperCollins (January 3, 2012)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 376
Series: Under the Never Sky (Book 1)
Source: ARC from Publisher
ISBN-13: 9781742666693
Genre: Dystopian
Author: Twitter | Blog

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

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Overview:
 

This is a brilliantly crafted debut from author Veronica Rossi. Featuring a intricate and vivid world, there exists the dichotomy of two types of peoples, the dwellers and the outsiders. When these worlds mix for Aria and Peregrine, not only are we in for a wonderful journey but we join them on their own paths to self identity and growth. Beautiful and strong are perfect words to describe Rossi's story.

Review:

From virtual reality, Aria's life is safe and pseudo. In her attempt to reach out for her mother's safety, she risks it all and loses. It is through her loss, she gains everything. Dwellers are genetically enhanced and exist within the safety of their sanitization and virtual realities. However, the Outsiders are similar to the depiction of the human race in The Time Machine; they have developed ways to survive the aether and the dangers.

This is a strong and bold setup for the factions that are at odds in this trilogy. Each "race" has a deep and solid foundation for its existence in this world and as readers we are given the information in an easy welcome to the world. On the outside, Aria has no idea how to survive and neither do we, it is always an unique experience to be able to learn about the world with the characters. What a fantastic feeling to read a book where absolutely everything is explained.

The pace of this book was interesting; it was neither slow nor extremely well paced. I struggled to stay awake when reading this book nearly every time I opened it but when the book was closed, it was all I could think about. I had to know what was going to happen to Perry and Aria. That isn't to say that it wasn't still brilliantly written. The action was well timed, realistic and even dark at times. It was true and real which is something that tends to get lost in most places when it comes to "good" and "evil".

So much of this book is beautiful but the character creation and development takes the cake. Aria and Perry start as enemies, the dweller versus the outsider are only allies in attempt to reach an end; each of them desperately needing the other but despising that same need. Aria is desperate to survive but through her journey with Perry, she becomes the woman she is meant to be. While she rarely displays fear, by the end of the book she radiates pure strength to overcome the odds. Perry, strong and dedicated to his cause, struggles and waivers with his feelings for Aria but learns truths and finds loyalty to raise to be a hero.

It stands only to reason that the two of them will continue to blossom into bigger and better people in the second book, Through the Ever Night. In a vivid and strong ending, this book has a sense of resolution but also leaves you waiting and wanting for the next step in this journey.

Rating out of 5:

Review: I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

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Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire (March 26, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 285
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9781402256363
Genre: Contemporary
Author: Blog

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

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Overview:

I wanted to love this book. I wanted this book to rip at my heartstrings and break my heart but it fell short. Did I expect a teen execution of My Sister's Keeper? I will admit to it, that is what I wanted; however, the execution of this book not only failed to live up to this expectation, at times I considered not even finishing the selection.

Review:

There is no denying that this book is heartbreaking; Tessa, an artistic introvert, is thrust in the middle of her familial crisis as her older, and extremely popular, sister is diagnosed with cancer. This isn't the tale or recount of a girl struggling with a fight to survive; it is Tessa's story about struggling to watch someone she loves suffer as her life changes beyond anything she recognizes.

I wanted to like this book, I wanted to love it but I was exasperated with what I found when I finally got the chance to read it. This book expressed some of the most real and hard situations with cheesy delivery and disappointing execution.

It wasn't that I couldn't get behind the character of Tess, I felt so strongly for her and what she must be going through as she watches her life 360 in mere days. The way that she was handling situations was incredibly accurate to the ego-centrism teenagers can sometime experience; but I feel that it was still unreal that her parents were so numb to their daughter. For her mother to harbor the negativity she did, the lack of belief in Tess, she allowed Tess to get away with saying, and behaving, in some outlandish ways.

A particularly traumatizing situation in the middle of the book, which I will refrain from spoiling, is handled haphazardly. The delivery of knowledge to the character, and in turn the reader, is above and beyond cheesy. That attitude and execution of the event diminishes the effect the event had on me as a reader. Not only was it forecasted but it lost all authenticity by the way in which the author wrote of it.

Towards the end of the book, there were some random and completely pointless subjects mentioned. Tess' mom refers to her habit of scrapbooking that is, at no other point, mentioned or hinted at in the book. She also refers to some completely obscure honor program, The Toastmasters, which only serves to show her complete apathy towards her daughter. These references left me pulling my hair out; they were irrelevant and insignicant.

The closer I came to the end of the book, the more nervous I grew. There was no build towards a soft ending, there was no hint at resolution, there was nothing to indicate the end of the book was drawing near; and then, the book just ended. In the blink of an eye, it was all over with no resolution for the family, for Kristina, and no closure for the reader.

 I can't stress how badly I wanted to like this book, but I just can't.

Rating out of 5:

Review: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Goodreads | Amazon

Publisher: HarperTEEN (July 26, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 336
Series: Paranormalcy (Book 2)
Read Next: Endlessly (July 2012)
Source: Library
ISBN-13: 9780061985881
Genre: Paranormal
Author: Website | Twitter
Series Reviews: Book 1 (4★)

 Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

____________________________________________________________________

Overview:

An interesting comparison to the first, this book has its perks. It brings to life an easy to read voice that shines through as Evie and immerses us in a world of paranormal beings and mystery. This book took a while to find that hook but eventually turned into a true Kiersten White page turner. What this book fell short on was paced action, what did occur was in fantastic fashion, but far too often the lack of action was lulling.

Review: 

I went into this book hoping that reviews of it not being as good were false; but alas, I have come to understand the validity of those reviews. That is not to say that it is not good, in fact, it is still quite an enjoyable read. The twists and plot points of unraveling the mystery and the history of Evie is still gripping and still unique; but this book falls into a lot of lulling patterns found in contemporary or "normal" life.

This book sets up with Evie having finally acquired everything she ever wanted, everything that is normal. She has a locker, a boyfriend, high school, an after school job, she has it down but then she starts to see that the routine of human (normal) life isn't all it is cracked up to be.This element, the focus on the normal, subtracts from the plot of the story; it hinders the idea of thrills and mystery and when we are introduced to the new character, Jack, we welcome his (probably unhealthy) shenanigans.

The biggest problem I had with this book was its central focus on Evie's relationship and feelings for Lend. In the first book, it was a burning curiosity that grew and an attraction that blossomed, but here, she was a love sick puppy that eat, breathed, and slept Lend. Her jealousy against other girls was evident and the fights between the two of them were at the forefront of what had previously been a cute first love.

The best part of this book is that it is Kiersten White's brilliant writing and I still love the voice that she has created for Evie. I only wish I could have experienced more of her unique creativity that was expressed in Paranormalcy. She uses this book to perpetuate the story into the third book, but it still manages to have its own story with its own agenda for the characters. Lies, betrayals, and even truths come to play as she utilizes this book in the way most second books are, as a continuation to the end.

Rating out of 5:

Guest Post: Flame of Surrender

Flame of Surrender by Rhiannon Paille

Goodreads | Amazon

Author Rhiannon Paille is stopping by with a guest post in the spirit of release day for her new book Flame of Surrender, Book 1 in the Flame and the Ferryman series. Be on the lookout for the review of this wild fantasy ride!

About Rhi:

Rhi was never a normal girl. She tried, but she couldn’t get rid of the visions, the voices in her head, and the hallucinations. When she was on the edge of crazy someone pulled her back and explained it all. She wasn’t insane. She was psychic, really psychic, too psychic. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She frequents twitter and facebook, and can be found at www.rhiannonpaille.com

_________________________________________________________

Flame of Surrender Deleted Scenes

There were A LOT of things that got deleted in FoS, so let me try to sum them up and then tell you roughly why.

1) The Villains POV 

There were about 20,000 words from the Villain’s POV that went away. Salvaged from the wreckage was that crazy disturbing torture scene. I loved it, but my BETA readers kept saying the same thing, “I was getting into it and then I hit the Villain POV and it went blah on me.” So I had to take them out because they didn’t work with the flow. We’re not living in the 90’s where Epic Fantasy Authors write 1100 page books and simultaneously follow three or four different storylines at once. We’re in the digital, technology age and we like our books to be one story at a time because there are so many of them out there to read. It’s much friendlier to the reader to divide up all those subplots and do spin offs and separate stories than to build this entirely huge network of a book right off the bat. Plus, agents and editors will go cross eyed if you send them something that’s 250k words and it’s your first book. So I axed this entire thread because it didn’t keep the book flowing.

2) The Tower Scene

This was a scene that originally I hadn’t planned for and then it just happened and then when I was reading the book through and checking all my p’s and q’s I felt like it was just too much. The characters are in turmoil, having this sexy moment between all the stuff on their mind is nice and all, but it’s two pages in the midst of close to four hundred and I didn’t see the point of it being there when there’s all the other kissing scenes and making love scenes already in the book. Plainly, it seemed like overkill, but that doesn’t mean it can’t exist somewhere else right?

3) Krishani destroying things in Amersil

This was crafty of me because in the beginning chapters I talk about five different instances of Krishani destroying things, but I don’t go into vivid detail of these things. That was an earlier version of the book that had the scenes where Krishani destroyed things in the present instead of having flashbacks of destroying things. The reason this was removed was because it didn’t fit into the timeline of the book, and I didn’t want to do any flipping back and forth in the time line. It’s confusing enough chronicling three years of Kaliel andKrishani’s lives without me taking liberties with my author prowess and heading back in time as well as forwards. I always hated it when books would jump around and I had to pay attention to figure out if this scene is from the past, present, or future. The way the book is now, it’s always the present, and time only moves forward, signified by me talking about the seasons, the festivals or straight up saying it’s been six moons. (moons being months)

And that was all the major cuts to the book, I tried to keep my cutting light because the book is 105,00 words now, the first draft was 170,000 words, and then my second draft was 135,000 words. A lot of that was grammar, spelling and sentence structure stuff. I got rid of A LOT of fluff stuff that made no sense and sounded funny.

Review: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Goodreads | Amazon

 Publisher: HarlequinTEEN (October 25, 2011)
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages (Paperback): 386
Series: The Iron Fey (Book 4)
Source: NetGalley
ISBN-13: 9780373210367
Genre: Fantasy (Faeries)
Author: Website | Twitter | Blog
Series Reviews: Book 1 (4.5★) Book 2 (5★) Book 3 (5★) Book 3.5

My name—my True Name—is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn.


I am the last remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her.

My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl…

_______________________________________________________

Overview:

I have spent the last 300+ pages indulging in my secret love affair with Prince Ash. What is entirely unique about this story from the other books in the series is that Ash is on an impossible mission to keep his vow to Meghan. From the beginning we know what the plot of this book is and it is just a matter of whether or not he succeeds or fails. It is an interesting journey that in the end is gripping and you won't want to put it down.

Review:

Julie Kagawa has perfected the fairy tale ending. The ending to The Iron Queen was devastating and left a void in our hearts where closure belonged for surely that could not be the end to Meghan and Ash. What Julie gave us in this book was magnificant; a journey of sheer impossibility but bold strength and devotion. Twists, turns and confrontations were the key to unraveling the mystery that Prince Ash was.

For the first part of this series, we were in our story from the eyes of Meghan, the human who's fate had become saving all of Nevernever. In Summer's Crossing, we have a brief glimpse into the chaotic yet striking personality of Puck. But here, in The Iron Knight, we grow intimately close with the monster, the pain, the anger, and pure love that Ash is as he begins to grow and sort through his mess of entangled emotions. The true depth of this character had been sealed off from Meghan, and the reader, and this book unleashes a flood of what  it means to be Unseelie. In seeing Ash's history as Winter Prince and knowing who he is now, we can see that this is a tale about overcoming, a strong ideal that all of us are our own person.

The other character favorites we love, Grimalkin and Puck, accompany Ash on this treacherous journey and we are introduced to some new faces that bring an interesting dynamic to the trio. This book, while about Ash, gives a little more insight into Puck; through his interactions with Ash, the prince and the readers begin to have a little bit more of an understanding about the pain that Puck really tries to hide. As an extra bonus, you don't even really have to miss Meghan; Julie has done a fantastic job of intertwining all of the favorite characters.

I loved the characters and I loved the journey that Ash was on to maintain his vow but there was still something missing from this book that I thought was pretty prevalent in the other books: mystery. It isn't anything detrimental and I still loved this book, but from beginning to end we know the journey that Ash has embarked upon and it is only a tale of whether or not he succeeds; can he succeed? It traded mystery for suspense and a long, timeless journey and while the action that occurred was riveting, I felt the journey was just mildly off-pace for such a phenomenal ending.

This book comes with an Epilogue that returns to Meghan's point of view and serves as a non-encompassing ending that still allows our imagination to bloom into the "what shall become of them" and fills that void that we had after The Iron Queen. Also included in the book is a small interview with the author and some wicked guests. The interview actually made me giggle out loud. It was witty and a great addition/end to a book. Also be sure to check out the letter that Ash wrote to Meghan before embarking on his journey. This was released at the Twitter launch party and is a great piece to the puzzle.

Rating out of 5:

The Reality of YA (Saves)

If you didn't know, the Wall Street Journal published an article demonizing YA literature. In response, the YA community and supporters surged Twitter taking it to the top of trending topics and voice their opinions that #YASaves.

It is hard to deny the point that a lot of YA lit does cover dark material but the point is that these are still issues that teens face in these days.

In Jackie Morse Kessler's gruesome but inventive 2011 take on a girl's struggle with self-injury, "Rage," teenage Missy's secret cutting turns nightmarish after she is the victim of a sadistic sexual prank. "She had sliced her arms to ribbons, but the badness remained, staining her insides like cancer. She had gouged her belly until it was a mess of meat and blood, but she still couldn't breathe." Missy survives, but only after a stint as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. - WSJ article

These issue books  reach out to children and teens who may feel that they don't have another way; they provide a sense of hope and support that it is possible to overcome the agony, the strife, the hatred. Just because they encompass a story in dazzling tales of sparkling vampires or worlds ravaged by war doesn't mean that the message isn't the same: You are not alone.

When you face such dark and difficult times, it seems that where you turn to for help you hear only what they think it is you want to hear and not the truth; not what helps and that is what YA provides for teens who are reading. YA faces a lot of the issues the rest of the world refuses to address or acknowledge; Libba Bray's words ring true:

I genuinely believe that these articles are hurtful, that they goad banners & keep much-needed books out of the hands of the teens who should be reading them. Books are, at their heart, dangerous. Yes, dangerous. Because they challenge us: our prejudices, our blind spots. They open us to new ideas, new ways of seeing. They make us hurt in all the right ways. They can push down the barricades of “them” & widen the circle of “us” And when one feels alone–say, because of a terrible burden of a secret, something that creates pain and isolation, books can heal, connect That’s what good books do. That’s what hard books do. And we need them in the world. -- Series of tweets from Libba Bray

I cannot wait to read Rage because I've been there. I was that teenager and someone else, a girl 17 close to my heart, is there now. These books are more than that; they're great stories that encourage teens to continue reading to continue reaching out. YA helped propel me into a world of reading with its vivid descriptions and characters I could relate to and things that existed only in my happy place like magic. Whether it is the mean girls in high school, GLBT, or eating disorders, YA reaches out and helps, but it lets you escape for just a minute and that minute may be all you need to save your life.

Do you think we just make this stuff up? The darkest parts of my books came directly from my teenage life. - Tweet from Holly Black to WSJ

But if you walk into a bookstore and see only negativity lurching out at you from every angle in the YA section, you should really open your eyes because there is so much more to YA lit than a dark reality...did I mention they were still great stories?

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Featured Book

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Series: The Revenants

 My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen. 

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind. 

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?