Review: Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Get Even
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Series: Don't Get Mad #1
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: September 16, 2014
Source: ARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars in Gretchen McNeil’s witty and suspenseful novel about four disparate girls who join forces to take revenge on high school bullies and create dangerous enemies for themselves in the process.

Bree, Olivia, Kitty, and Margot have nothing in common—at least that’s what they’d like the students and administrators of their elite private school to think. The girls have different goals, different friends, and different lives, but they share one very big secret: They’re all members of Don’t Get Mad, a secret society that anonymously takes revenge on the school’s bullies, mean girls, and tyrannical teachers.

When their latest target ends up dead with a blood-soaked “DGM” card in his hands, the girls realize that they’re not as anonymous as they thought—and that someone now wants revenge on them. Soon the clues are piling up, the police are closing in . . . and everyone has something to lose.

My thoughts: 

Let's be honest, I love a good mean girls book when it's done in the right way and Gretchen McNeil does it absolutely perfect. What's not to love about revenge, payback for those who have been bullied and a murder mystery to boot. I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't figure out what was going to happen next or who done it. 

The four main characters Margo, Olivia, Bree and Kitty all run in different groups of friends and the school has no idea that they are the members of the DGM club that has been responsible for the "paybacks" that have been happening for the past year.  They all met out of coincidence and decided to become the school's vigilantes and righting the wrongs.  The anonymity of the group has cause the school to become restless and on top of the recent murder, the students are demanding answers. Now it seems that someone is on to them as they have all received anonymous envelops filled with threatening messages.  They start to get suspicious of each other and they all have to watch their own back because they have no idea who or what is lurking behind them.  

Gretchen McNeil is one of my favorite authors and she has done it again with another book that is sure to become a hit series. I for one am definitely looking forward to reading Get Dirty and the rest of the trilogy.  It's a fun, quick read and so much fun! I would definitely recommend it to those who love mystery and intrigue.

Early Review: The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

Title: The Cure for Dreaming
Author: Cat Winters
Publisher: Amulet Books
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Source: ARC via ALA
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

My thoughts: 

Going into The Cure for Dreaming, I was super excited and really looking forward to reading something somewhat spooky! Hearing about books like this really makes me excited that fall is coming in a couple months and makes me wish it was coming much sooner.  The Cure for Dreaming takes place in the overcast city of Portland which just makes me think that creepy things can happen there all the time.  

The main character Olivia lives in a time people when women were finally voicing their concerns and really wanting to be treated as equal with men.  When she hops on board with the Women's Suffrage movement, her father becomes so concerned that she is becoming too independent that he hires a hypnotist to help "cure" her dreams of going to college and other "nonsense". 

100 page Evaluation: Really interesting so far! Set in Portland so totally dreary but in a good way. Gives the book a really creepy feel. May have a paranormal aspect? They talk about Dracula a lot which makes me was to read it. Perfect fall read for around Halloween. Interested to see where this hypnotism thing goes.  I really like the creepy pictures.  

Overall thoughts: I was really hoping for something a little scarier, maybe something that was scary enough that I couldn't read it at night for fear that it would keep me up.  But it's nothing like that. The whole tone of the book is just creepy. It ends on a fairly good note and, I don't want to spoil anything, but she definitely doesn't turn out to be the typical girl in the end.  It was a little disappointing only because I thought it was going to be absolutely amazing and the cover just makes it seem like it's going to be different than it really is.  I'm definitely glad I read it because it was one of my most anticipated reads of this fall! 

Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Title: To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 15, 2014
Source: ARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

My thoughts:

I love Jenny Han. She writes the cutest, sweetest stories. Some of them are moving, some of them are funny but all of them are page turners that I just can’t get enough of. I love Jenny Han and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is another Jenny Han book that I loved.

Lara Jean is the main character in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and it’s all told from her perspective. Everything changes for Laura Jean when her older sister (Margot) of 2 years moves away to college. Since their mother passed away when they were young, Margot naturally took up the role of mother which is something that Lara Jean is trying to take over now that her sister is gone. Margot also left behind her boyfriend that Lara Jean had a huge crush on only a few years before. While Lara Jean is trying to navigate all these new changes, someone find the letters that she wrote to the boys she loved before and mails them out!

Even though Lara Jean can be a really immature character at time, I think it really works for her. She’s babied by her sister for most of her teenage life and didn’t really have to do anything for herself until her sister moves away. I think it’s really going to work for her character arc at the end of the series. Now that Margot is gone, Lara Jean seems to be seeing everything new again and is experiencing everything very differently. Her eyes are really opened to what really goes on in high school.

I really enjoyed this love triangle because it seemed very realistic to me. It really shows how something you want is just out of reach or that you waited just a little too long to say something. Josh doesn’t ever admit that he had feelings for Lara Jean back in the day until he accidently receives her letter. Peter doesn’t realize how awesome Lara Jean is until after he completely hurts her feelings. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before really shows the difficulty of navigating relationships.

I really loved To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book! Jenny Han in definitely on my A-list of authors I must read no matter what!

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Curse Trilogy #1
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Release Date: March 04, 2014
Source: ARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

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: 

When ARCs of The Winner's Curse went out and bloggers started raving about how awesome this book is I knew I had to somehow get my hands on a copy! Luckily, I entered a giveaway for it and I won! 

There is something so fascinating about this world. I definitely feel like it could be a dystopian but it also has some magical elements to it.  The society itself is just very interesting where all citizens are required to either join the military or get married. Male and female alike.  Not very interesting choices.  

Kestral is the general's daughter who just wants be to free to make her own choices.  Then there's her slave Arin whom she bought in the marketplace.  I love the dichotomy of these two main characters.  Kestral is part of the people who conquered Arin's people when they were both just children. Up until he was about nine years old, Arin's family was very wealthy and he lived in a world where he could have anything he wanted.  Then Kestral's people conquered the land and forced Arin's people to be slaves. 

There's not a whole lot that happens in The Winner's Curse but it's still really good! There's a lot of world building, we're getting to know the society and the characters.  It's a lot of building up to what's going to happen at the end and since I'm not giving away any spoilers, the whole last third of the book was really good! And there's a crazy cliffhanger that really took me by surprise! 

The Winner's Curse is a richly imagined new world and a brand new trilogy that I will definitely continue reading! And that cover is one of my favorite of this year so far! 

Early Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Taking #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Source: eARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

My Thoughts:

Kimberly Derting has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time. I’m a huge fan of The Body Finder series and even though The Pledge wasn't that great for me, I was super excited when I found out she was releasing a new series! The Taking was literally the first book that I read this year! I was so excited about my ARC that I couldn't wait to dive right in.

The Taking is about a sixteen year old girl named Kyra who, after a softball game, suddenly disappears without a trace. She wakes up behind the dumpster of her local gas station 5 years later but it feels like the next morning to her. She’s still wearing her softball uniform and hasn't aged a day. Soon, a mysterious stranger starts showing up everywhere she goes and Kyra soon discovers that there is a lot more behind her disappearance than she originally thought.

Even though Kyra is a good main character I didn't feel all that emotionally attached to her. Everything that happens, her disappearance and reappearance, all happens so fast in the very beginning that you don’t really get a chance to become attached to the life that she had before. Most of the story is her struggle with accepting that everyone has moved on without her. We, the readers, don’t get the chance to know the Kyra before, we only know the person that Kyra becomes after she resurfaces.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Kyra and Tyler who incidentally is her “before” boyfriend’s younger brother. Since five years has now passed, Tyler is one year older than Kyra. They become really close throughout the book, both trying to figure out what happened to her. Tyler is really super cute! He always admired his older brother's girlfriend and now here she is, she hasn't aged a day and he has the chance to actually get to know her! I really like that he kind of always held a candle for her!

The plotting and the pacing of the book were a little bit slow at times, especially in the middle but it really kicks up towards the end, making me hopeful that book two will be an action-packed adventure. There was also a bit of a cliffhanger at the end which made me really excited! I don’t generally like cliffhangers but this one made me really anticipate the rest of the series! Oh, and since I wasn't super obvious about it, it’s about aliens which we definitely don’t have enough of in YA right now.

The Taking was a really great book to start the year off with and now in just a couple of weeks everyone can enjoy it as well! Not only was it a great start to a really exciting new series, it can really appeal to those readers who are new to sci-fi!

Review: Life by Committee

Title: Life by Committee
Author: Corey Ann Haydu
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Source: ARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Some secrets are too good to keep.

Tabitha might be the only girl in the history of the world who actually gets less popular when she gets hot. But her so-called friends say she’s changed, and they've dropped her flat.

Now Tab has no one to tell about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to her: Joe, who spills his most intimate secrets to her in their nightly online chats. Joe, whose touch is so electric, it makes Tab wonder if she could survive an actual kiss. Joe, who has Tabitha brimming with the restless energy of falling in love. Joe, who is someone else’s boyfriend.

Just when Tab is afraid she’ll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she finds Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe.

Tab likes it that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she’d ever go on her own.
But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go?

My Thoughts:

Life by Committee, which will be released in May, takes in interesting look at how influential the internet can be in teenagers’ lives. Not only does it show the inter-working of female friendships but it also shows just how fragile everything seems when you’re in high school.

Life by Committee follows high school student Tabitha after she has had a huge falling out with her best friends. As a hobby, she likes to collect old, used books, especially those that have notes in the margin so that she can go through and read other people’s thoughts. While reading the margin notes in a used copy of The Secret Garden she comes across a website called Life by Committee. It’s a place where teenagers can share their secrets as long as they agree to complete dares set by the moderator. They are also required to complete one dare a week if they want to continue being members of this group. Before Tabitha knows it, she becomes completely obsessed with Life by Committee and is living her life by secrets and dares; almost all of her decisions are made by the group’s moderator. Nothing good can come when you let other people make important life decisions for you. And most of Tabitha’s dares involves another girl’s boyfriend. If you felt like you had no one left who understands you, would you turn to strangers on the internet? It’s interesting because a lot of people do even though it’s not to this extreme.

I thought Life by Committee was a pretty good contemporary and a pretty quick read. I liked it because it’s not the typical love story and the ending was definitely different.  I really like contemporaries like this: short, quick read, intriguing main characters and a story that wraps up well at the end.  I definitely recommend this book for those who are really into contemporaries.

Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Publisher: Balzar & Bray
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Source: ARC
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

My Thoughts: 

Wren works at her parents reception hall where she is a waitress during weddings and other big events.  During a wedding reception she saves a teenage boy from chocking on a pig in a blanket and cuteness follows throughout the of The Promise of Amazing.  

A lot of people are saying that they didn't like The Promise of Amazing because it has a bad case of insta-love. While I can see why there are a lot of harsh reviews with insta-love running rampant in YA right now, I'm willing to let this slide.  There are a few other things that bothered me about this book. 

So we have the usual story of the plain girl with the beautiful best friends but of course the hottest guy inexplicably wants her. His friends don't really want to be friends with him anymore because he's acting all different and doesn't really want to party like he used to.  They don't want him to get too serious with this girl because they know that she will make him a better person.  

Wren was kind of annoying and she doesn't listen when people tell her that Grayson is bad news.  Of course she looks the other way when he confesses his academic crimes that were worthy of expulsion.  Wren starts by forgiving the little things in the beginning which makes it easier for her to forgive the big things when the shit hits the fan.  And the whole thing about how she calls Grayson Gray right off the bat without him even telling her it was okay for her to call him that.  For some reason that really bothered me. I guess I know a lot of people who don't like nicknames.  

I consider Wren to be a very big person for being able to give Grayson a second chance after she finds out what he was really doing with this friends.  If I was in her position I don't think I could do it, but hey, she saved his life and apparently she loves him.

Overall, The Promise of Amazing was an okay contemporary read.  It kept my attention and I wanted to know how everything was going to play out.  I give The Promise of Amazing 3 starts for being enjoyable.

Review: Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepard

Title: Her Dark Curiosity
Author: Megan Shepard
Series: The Madman's Daughter #2
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Source: ARC

To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island—and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy—though someone, or something, hasn't forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer—Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

My thoughts:

Sequels are always ify for me and it never fails. No matter how much I loved the first book I’m always hesitant going into a sequel because I have been completely disappointed in the past. So I was very hesitant when I picked up Her Dark Curiosity the sequel to The Madman’s Daughter. I absolutely LOVED The Madman’s Daughter and I didn't want anything to taint a really great story.

I went into Her Dark Curiosity completely blind. I didn't read the synopsis and I really had no idea where this book was going to pick up after that crazy ending of The Madman’s Daughter. Her Dark Curiosity picks up about six months later and Juliet is back living in London and has become the ward of one of her father’s co-workers/friends. I thought it was very convenient that she is now living in wealth and she has her best friend’s company again which allows her excuses to steal away to a low rent apartment where she is working on reproducing her father’s serum and trying to make it better so it can cure her. The first part of the book was slow going, the only interesting parts were the string of murders of people who had wronged Juliet in the past.

Why is Juliet crazy though? WHY? What is this attraction she has to that beast boy who changes into this horrible animal who has a very strong blood lust? I’m thinking maybe it’s the animal parts in her speaking to the animal parts in him. It could be something. But she has enough of a rational mind to know that she shouldn't be having such feelings for a murderer! But then she remembers how he kissed her behind the waterfall on the island and she literally remembers that like 10 separate times!!!

Luckily Her Dark Curiosity gets better towards the end and it turns into quite the adventure. There are some very shocking moments and some revelations that are going to make the third book very interesting. I have a feeling there might be some kind of half human half weird beast animal baby happening. But we’ll see! I’m excited!

I'm giving this book a 3 and that's being very generous.

Book Haul: Recent E-Galleys

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

I received some pretty awesome ARC's for review over the past month and I can't wait to read them!

From NetGalley:

Pawn by Aimee Carter

Witch Finder by Ruth Warburton

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

From Edelweiss: 

Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepard

Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Talker 25 by Joshua McCune

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's USA
Source: ARC via ALA
Find it Here:  Goodreads, Amazon

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

My thoughts:

Whoa, whoa, WHOA!!!! Now I understand what all the hype is about and why everyone is loving this series sssssoooo much!! And why is it that Throne of Glass has been sitting on my shelves for almost a year and a half? I picked this book up at ALA 2012 having no idea what it was. There was just this pile of books sitting on a table and the publicists told me to take one! So I did and a year and half later….whoa!!!!

The story of Celaena is as fascinating as the world she lives in. We meet her at a death camp where has been sentenced for being a world famous assassin. She works in the salt mines and has surprisingly survived this place for a year when the Prince of Adarlan has an offer she just can’t refuse. She goes to the castle to compete in a five month competition in the hopes of becoming the King’s champion which means she would still be an assassin just killing the people that the King wants her to kill. And then there’s the mystery of where all the magic went when the King banned magic and why it all disappeared so quickly! This world is going to be quite fascinating when we get more into the history of it because apparently there are also magical beings that most people believe don’t exist anymore! We’ll see about that.

I am not usually a big fan of love triangles especially when they just pop up out of nowhere. But the love triangle in Throne of Glass is a pretty good one. Both Prince Dorian and Chaol (the captain of the guards) keep their distance from Celaena because they know that she is dangerous and possibly going to try to escape. But as they both spend more time with her they both get to know her better and see the person she really is and they both start to fall in love with her!! Yes, it’s good and it happens slowly and I am literally torn between the two of them. They both have their strengths and weaknesses but yet both of them can be really good for her. I’m definitely interested to see where the love part of the story goes in Crown of Midnight!

Celaena is such a great heroine!! She’s likable, funny, strong, sensitive, kind and an animal lover! She’s funny at all the right moments and serious when she needs to be. She’s not one of those annoying sarcastic characters that I've been seeing a lot of in YA recently. You know the character: something as serious as life and death is happening but the main character always makes some stupid, witty comment in her mind like, “I’m about to fight the lord of the giants. No big deal. It can’t be much harder than climbing the rope in P.E.” I hate shit like that. I want to punch characters like that. And Celaena is NOT like that at all!

I loved Throne of Glass so much! It’s an instant favorite series for me! And from what I've heard Crown of Midnight is just as good and as exciting! It’s a really quick read and for those who love fantasy out there, it is now part of the top five that I would recommend in fantasy!

Review: Hysteria

Title: Hysteria
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Source: ARC from Netgalley and Publisher

Mallory killed her boyfriend, Brian. She can't remember the details of that night but everyone knows it was self-defense, so she isn't charged. But Mallory still feels Brian's presence in her life. Is it all in her head? Or is it something more? In desperate need of a fresh start, Mallory is sent to Monroe, a fancy prep school where no one knows her . . . or anything about her past.But the feeling follows her, as do her secrets. Then, one of her new classmates turns up dead. As suspicion falls on Mallory, she must find a way to remember the details of both deadly nights so she can prove her innocence-to herself and others.

In another riveting tale of life and death, Megan Miranda's masterful storytelling brings readers along for a ride to the edge of sanity and back again.

My thoughts:

I have really been putting off this review. I just don't know what to write! I didn't hate Hysteria but I didn't love it either. The only way I can put it, is that it's weird in a weird way. I absolutely loved Megan Miranda's debut Fracture and I was so excited to hear that she had another book coming out and I was couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

Sadly to say, I was somewhat disappointed. The story could have been great! A girl who murders her boyfriend but was so traumatized by the event, she can't really remember what happened. Now she's being stalked by her dead boyfriend's mom and brother and to help her get away from all the drama, her parents are sending her to boarding school. That's the basic premise. And of course there's a new boy because what YA novel wouldn't be complete without a love interest.

I've read other reviews and people have talked about Hysteria being some sort of retelling of The Tale Tell Heart by Edgar Allen Poe and if I had known that going in I might have liked it a little more.  Honestly the parts when she could hear the mysterious heart beat kidn of annoyed me. They seemed a little out of place. Maybe if it had been pitched at a re-telling everything might had made more sense.

The main character Mallory didn't really do it for me. I didn't feel her guilt over killing her boyfriend nor could I feel her desperation that led up to that situation. I didn't have anything invested in the character so I didn't really care how it ended.  I really on continued to read so I could find out what really happened that night and why she killed him.

Hysteria was a flop for me.  Like I said before, I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. Have you read Hysteria? How did you feel about it?

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge: May 2013

Hey guys! I'm participating in this years Clean Sweep ARC Challenge in May. As a blogger I have fallen into ARC and Netgalley guilt! I can't help it! There are just way too many great books out there and I just want to read them all! So in the month of May I will only be reading ARC's that have been sitting on my shelves for way too long! There will also be some mini-challenges and some awesome prizes, as well! 

This challenge is hosted by Kimberly @ The Windy Pages and Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer! If you want to sign up too, you can add your link to either of these ladies' pages! 

I've challenged myself to quite a large amount of books but since I know myself pretty well, I know I need a pretty big selection to choose from. 

It's a lot but if I really put my mind to it, I can read a lot of books in a month. I hope you guys decide to sign up and get rid of some of your ARC guilt!

Review: Defiance

Title: Defiance
Author: CJ Redwine
Series: Defiance #1
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: ARC from Publisher

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

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

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

My thoughts:

I have only just discovered that I really love fantasy about last year when I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns and it literally blew my mind. I've been on the hunt for other fantastic fantasy novels ever since because I seem to have this thirst that only really great fantasy novels can quench! The cover of Defiance just screams epic adventure and I knew it was going to be a must read for me!

Defiance is not really the typical fantasy novel in the fact that it takes place many, many years in the future when the world has become a barren wasteland instead of taking place in an alternate world. But it almost seems like it takes place in a completely different world because of how much the world has changed. Instead of towns and cities, there are only these little settlements that have rulers who don't really like each other very much.  People who live there have reverted back to a very old fashioned way of living. And in the miles between these settlements there are a lot of barren wastelands that are plagued by some very vicious creatures called the dark ones.

There is just something so appealing about the male hero and protector in fantasy novels! Maybe because they're almost like a throwback to Arthurian times and they're these iconic knights in shining armor characters. They just twist my heart and make me fall hard! Logan is definitely worthy of being one of the Knights of the Round Table! He is protective, fiercely loyal, strong and compassionate all while being hot and irresistible! And then Rachel is a rare female character who doesn't annoy me. I see her as this woman with two sides. She plays the good little girl while she's in public but while she's at home her father has taught her to be a fierce warrior and how to take care of herself! And she's not a whiner! She rises up to become Logan's equal instead of someone she has to depend on.

Defiance was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2012. It's an adventure with twists and turns around every corner. And that passionate love story had me on the edge of my seat just waiting for them to take their relationship to the next level! If you love fantasy and you have not read Defiance yet, DO IT!!!! So good!

Review: The Archived

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Series: The Archived #1
Publisher: Hyperion
Source: ARC from publisher

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

My thoughts: 

As soon as I read the synopsis for The Archived I knew that I would pretty much do whatever it took to get my hands on a copy! Luckily they were giving them out like candy at ALA so I didn’t have to resort to biting anyone to get a coveted copy; I just had to ask. I love the smoky mystery of the cover and a world where souls sit on shelves like books!

There were so many great aspects to this story! Discovering this world where the archived souls were housed was so interesting and figuring out how order and seniority worked with those who worked at “the library”. And then we get the mystery of the very old apartment building that she just moved into. And then the question of why another Keeper has been assigned to the same territory as Mac and why are there so many Histories running around? So many great questions are explored in this first installment of this very exciting new series!

I really loved the dynamics between the characters and their relationships with each other. Even though Mac is not close with her parents it’s evident that she is devastated by the death of her grandpa who also trainer her. Every time there was a flash back to one of their conversations I found myself getting chocked up and moved by their relationship.

 
Some of my favorite parts of the book were when Mac was doing a little detective work and trying to figure out the mystery of what happened in her apartment building many years ago. I love reading about other times, especially being able to see past memories. 

This is such a great book and I think it will appeal to many readers! It has a great adventure and an exciting mystery that did not disappoint me!

Review: Red Rain

Title: Red Rain
Author: R.L. Stine
Publisher: Touchstone
Find it here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from ALA

Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers orphaned twin boys and impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island—husband Mark and their two children, Ira and Elena— aren't quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the twins’ true nature—or predict that, within a few weeks’ time, Mark will wind up implicated in two brutal murders, with the police narrowing in.

My thoughts: 

I grew up reading R.L. Stine. He writes such great horror that I couldn't get enough of him when I was in elementary school and junior high.  I read as many Goosebumps as I could and then moved on to the Fear Street novels! Looking back now they're probably pretty cheesy but R.L. Stine definitely installed himself as one of the great middle grade horror writers! So when I heard that he was writing a horror for adults, I knew that I absolutely had to read it!

The basic plot of Red Rain is that Lea is a travel blog writer and she goes to a little island off the coast of South Carolina. While she's there, a hurricane hits and she ends up taking home twin boys whose parents died in the storm.  When they get to Long Island, horrible things start happening and the whole town goes a little crazy. Even though I really enjoyed the story, it's not a mystery to try and figure out what's happening or who is killing people.  It's revealed right in the beginning who the twins really are and what their intent is. I enjoy a good horror novel when I have no idea who is behind the murderous and anyone who jumps out could be the killer! But there is still a twist in the end that's revealed which I didn't realize until I was almost finished with the book.

Even though I really liked the book I didn't like that the murderers were these twelve year old twins.  I understand that they're pretty unsuspecting and that the adults in the novel would never have guessed that these innocent looking boys are killing people but I thought it was just kind of weird.  And I didn't like their accents.  They were supposed to be these white boys with blonde hair and blue eyes but they sounded Jamaican! So that kind of threw me off! I also didn't like that the story changed from so many perspectives. That's just a personal preference though.

Red Rain is a great horror novel to read around Halloween time! I give Red Rain 4 hearts because even though the story was a little weird, it still has all the blood, guts and gore that I'm looking for in my horror novels!  

Review: The Turning

Title: The Turning
Author: Francine Prose
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from HarperTeen

Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he?

Where does reality end and insanity begin? The Turn of the Screw reinvented for modern-day teens, by National Book Award finalist Francine Prose.

My thoughts:

When I first saw the cover of this book, I thought to myself, “I must know what that book is about because it looks so creepy!” And then that synopsis sounded even creepier! So I went through the proper channels and practically begged for this ARC. I absolutely had to have it!

It was a really quick read which is something I am always grateful for. What kind of threw me off about it is the fact that it is written in letter form instead of chapters and I had a really hard time believing that a high school, teenage boy would write such lengthy letters as these. Some parts of the story were really creepy and other parts were really just weird. And even after it’s all said and done, the whole reason why the children were so weird was never really resolved. Maybe it was and I just don’t remember. It’s not really a book that stuck with me.

When I first started reading The Turning I had no idea that it was a modern retelling of an old classic The Turning of the Screw. I've never read it so I don’t have anything to compare it to but I enjoyed this really odd book. I like how he thought that he was seeing people who he thought were dead but then towards the end it got really weird because he was convinced he was falling in love with one of the ghosts. But overall, I give The Turning a solid 3 hearts for definitely being a different kind of book!

Audio Book Review: Because it is My Blood

Title: Because it is My Blood
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Series: Birthright #2
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from ALA/Audio book for review from publisher

“Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”- Michael Corleone, The Godfather

Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship.

But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.

My thoughts:

I really loved All These Things I've Done! So when I picked up the ARC of Because it is My Blood at ALA I was really excited to read it! But because I am a blogger and I always have a stack of books screaming at me to read them, the ARC got pushed aside all summer. Then I received the audio book in the mail and I saw the perfect opportunity to continue the story!

When I finally got into Because it is My Blood (not a fan of that title) I felt like the story was night and day from All These Things I've Done! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I read the first and listened to the second. The story just seemed to trudge along and not really have any direction! There were so many times I thought, “Where is this story going? What does the main character wish to accomplish?” There were a least three or four times where I thought the story could end between discs seven and nine but it continued on, in my opinion, aimlessly. I also felt that Anya getting in trouble and going back to Liberty Island was just another repeat of what happened before! I was really hoping that Zevin would have moved on and been able to further the story of Anya’s life.

As for Anya herself I thought she was complacent and somewhat removed from her family and the plot line. Instead of Anya being pro-active and moving the plot forward, the plot was moving her. It was annoying because I wanted to do something about it! Where as in All These Things I've Done, she is very involved in the affairs of her family and is very much the protector but in Because is it My Blood she seemed knocked down and for most of the book she allowed herself to be. Don’t even get my started on the way she acted with Win! She was like a deflated balloon the whole book! The only glimpse of the Anya I recognized was when she used her badass machete and cut off that guy’s hand!

I really believe that some of these complaints stem from the fact that I listened to the audio book. The narrator’s voice grated my nerves and didn't really embody the character of Anya that I had grown to love in All These Things I've Done. I am tentatively giving Because it is My Blood 3 hearts because I still want to know what happens in the next book. And I really hope there is only one more book in this series.

Review- Betrayal

Title: Betrayal
Author: Gregg Olsen
Series: Empty Coffin Series #2
Publisher: Splinter
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from the publisher

In this action-packed thriller sequel to Envy, foreign exchange student Olivia Grant is stabbed to death after a party--and the prime suspect is her best friend. As twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan get pulled into the aftermath of this Amanda Knox-like crime, they realize nothing is what it seems. Could it be betrayal of the ultimate kind?

Betrayal features real-life crime-solving techniques, heart-stopping suspense, plenty of red herrings, hard-hitting ethical questions, and information about the Amanda Knox case that inspired the novel. As the crime unravels, so does the twins' past…and they must face off against a family member who may unexpectedly have carried out the worst betrayal of all.

My thoughts:

For as long as I can remember I've always loved a good murder mystery novel! And I'm pretty sure I always will. There's just something about a good mystery that keeps me reading a book. Now add a little bit of the paranormal element and I'm definitely hooked!  Even if I have it somewhat figured out, I'm going to read it to the end just to see if I'm right or wrong! 

When reading Envy, I couldn't get enough of the mystery that is surrounding twins Haley and Taylor. Even after Betrayal, their special abilities haven't been truly explained but it's still fun to get wrapped up in their world.  I love how we get to see so many aspects of the twins lives and see how most of the time they work in perfect sync but then how they also argue.  

I really enjoy how Olsen writes the mystery.  He gives away the clues that are only necessary and as the story evolves, more is revealed and the pieces fall into place.  It's probably the reason why I have never been able to figure out who is the murderer. Betrayal is such a great murder mystery because of the characters, the dark and gloomy setting and because of the touch of paranormal! I give Betrayal 4 hearts for being a mystery that I couldn't figure out! 

Review: The Crown of Embers

Title: The Crown of Embers
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns #2
Publisher: GreenWillow
Realease Date: September 18, 2012
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC, ALA

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

My thoughts: 

I have been itching to write this review since the day I finished The Crown of Embers! After reading the last page I literally wanted to fan myself with the book because I’m pretty sure that ending gave me a heart attack! When I first started reading The Crown of Embers I was worried that it wasn’t going to live up to The Girl of Fire and Thorns because it is one of the most epic fantasy books I’ve ever read! If you’re having these same hesitations then don’t!! The Crown of Embers is a great sequel and you won’t be disappointed!

Elisa is still this really great heroine that we met in The Girl of Fire and Thorns! Even though she is now considered more beautiful and shapely than before, she doesn’t allow it to go to her head. She still carries all the great qualities that makes me want to cheer for her! I was really hoping to see her be this great queen that her sister knows she can be but then as I thought about it, a foreigner isn’t going to be so easily accepted as ruler of Joya d’Arena. She has to work for it which is what Elisa does best! When it comes to Elisa’s sister, Elisa is a stronger woman than I! The whole situation (no spoilers) shows Elisa’s strength of character and the fact that she puts the kingdom’s need before her own.

The romance! OH the Romance!!!! Talk about a slow, slow burn! Sometime I was yelling at the book, sometime I was squeeing with excitement, at one point I was almost crying and then again I had to fan myself with the book! I love that I was able to experience all these emotions while reading The Crown of Embers! Hector is one hunk of a royal guard and Elisa’s deserves a man who is loyal and kind-hearted like him!

The world building was just as fantastic in The Crown of Embers as it was The Girl of Fire and Thorns. Elisa experiences a whole new area of her country while she is on her journey. The ending of that whole situation had me shocked and saying “WTF!!” Needless to say, I will be in agonizing anticipation for the release of The Bitter Kingdom! I give The Crown of Embers 5 hearts for being a heart pounding adventure romance, pretty much part of the best fantasy trilogy I’ve ever read!

Review: Don't You Wish

Title: Don't You Wish
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Publisher: Delacourte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of the Publisher

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.

My thoughts: 

I really enjoyed this story! It’s a somewhat different take on the whole “the grass is greener on the other side”. And who hasn’t wondered if the grass really is greener on the other side? I know I have. One of the reasons that this book really stuck with me is because I spent a lot of time in junior high and my early years of high school wondering what it would be like if I was born into a wealthy family or if I was more popular. In Don’t You Wish, Annie experiences firsthand what it would be like to have a different life while retaining her previous life memories.

Annie Nutter is a great character! She’s the epitome of nerd, striving to be noticed by those who are deemed “more popular” by her peers. Annie and her best friend eat junk food to their heart’s content, gossip endlessly about the hottest guy in school and have each other’s back no matter what. After a seriously mean prank played on her by her ultimate high school crush, Annie goes home wishing she was popular more than ever. When her house gets hit by lightning, she wakes up a completely different person in a completely different place.

Annie/Ayla is convinced that she is having the most awesome dream for the whole first day. She’s gorgeous, popular, filthy rich with the most popular boyfriend. She is pretty much basking in every moment she can. After a few days pass she begins to understand that not everything is perfect in this world and she doesn’t know if she wants to go back. Even I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to go back and I was kind of hoping that she could fix her family in this new life. Annie/Ayla always does the right thing so I knew in the end she would make the right decision.

I believe that Don’t You Wish dealt with the question of “what if” really well. It showed that nothing can ever be perfect and even wealthy and beautiful people have problems. I give Don’t You Wish 4 hearts for being fun and tackling series questions at the same time!