Review: The One by Kiera Cass

   The One (The Selection #3)
By Kiera Cass
Released: May 6, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
eBook, 323 pages 

The highly anticipated conclusion to Kiera Cass's #1 New York Timesbestselling Selection series, The One will captivate readers who love dystopian YA fiction and fairy tales. The One is the perfect finale for fans who have followed America's whirlwind romance since it began--and a swoon-worthy read for teens who have devoured Veronica Roth'sDivergent, Ally Condie's Matched, or Lauren Oliver's Delirium.

The Selection changed America Singer's life in ways she never could have imagined. Since she entered the competition to become the next princess of Illéa, America has struggled with her feelings for her first love, Aspen--and her growing attraction to Prince Maxon. Now she's made her choice . . . and she's prepared to fight for the future she wants.

Find out who America will choose in The One, the enchanting, beautifully romantic third book in the Selection series! --Goodreads

 

3 Stars

Review

After sludging through the soap operas called The Selection and The Elite, I could not believe that I had the audacity to read the conclusion to the mess. Unfortunately, Kiera Cass has some magical powers that forced me to read this book. How awful, right?

In all honesty, this series taught me to never take anyone or anything seriously. If you do, you end up more miserable than otherwise. As long as you go with the flow and just take things with a grain of salt, anything remotely similar to The Selection series (ahem The Bachelor or dating shows) can be palatable. 

So we are down to 4 girls squabbling over Maxon. Normally, this would be the moment where America and the other girls would start doing the most outlandish things to win. Actually, America does continue with her irrational antics as usual. Getting shot, sneaking rebels into the castle, and sleeping with men, America is truly a migraine-inducing protagonist. Yet somehow, the four finalists actually bond together and form some strong relationships. How this happens is beyond me.... The only possible answer is puberty.... probably. Anyway, it's really adorable to read about.

There are many of these incredible moments that seem so unbelievable. Not only do America, Celeste, Kriss, and Elise seem to interact somewhat amiably, but many characters seem to swap personalities. We see Celeste treating people nicely and Elise whining like a toddler. Celeste's personality switch seems to be very popular among the YA community, but honestly it was very inorganic because it was so sudden and instantaneous. Also, America manages to sneak a rebel into the castle as a guest and the king never bothered double checking the rebel's identity? I thought the king had brains, but apparently not. Oh well, remember to just accept it all as logical.

In spite of these bewilderingly confusing moments, The One does serve as a wonderful conclusion to The Selection series. Kiera Cass has succeeded where many authors have failed when it comes to properly ending a love triangle. I was so relieved to see the end of this miserable love triangle. America continues to hurt both Aspen and Maxon, who follow her like little puppies. Seeing these puppies kicked around is painful, but America has shown tremendous growth in that she actually admits that she made at least one mistake toward both of these men. That is such a grand accomplishment, especially for America, so let's give her a little slack. 

Even now, I still do not understand how this series became so popular. There are so many flaws, including America as a protagonist and the randomly rushed details included in The One's last pages. I guess there is some magic in cat fights and finding a true love within a dystopian world. 

Purchase The One here: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles | The Book Depository

Review: Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2)

By Diana Peterfreund

Published: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Baltzar + Bray

Hardcover, 464 pages

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine. --Goodreads

Purchase Across a Star-Swept Sea here: Amazon/ Barnes & Nobles/ The Book Depository

 

5 Stars 

Review 

Across a Star Swept Sea is a beautiful gem among the masses of dystopians, which I fondly refer to as the “world sucks, so let’s blow it up” stories. However, this novel succeeds not only as a dystopian, but also as a compelling retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel. 

Honestly, I had never even heard of The Scarlet Pimpernel until I came upon the blurb of this book. In preparation for the amazingness of Across a Star Swept Sea, I read The Scarlet Pimpernel, which was a fantastic read (great recommendation if you’re into the classics). The funny thing was after I read The Scarlet Pimpernel, I was prepared to dismiss any retelling because of the complexity of the plot. Classics like Pride & Prejudice are easily translatable into the modern world, but The Scarlet Pimpernel seemed to be impossible to retell properly. Thankfully, Across a Star Swept Sea dismissed any of my initial skepticism easily after one chapter.

Persis Blake stars as the Superman of her world: pretending to be a ditz during the day, while rescuing Galatean nobles at night. Unlike most dystopian heroines who are portrayed as fierce but usually are whiny brats, Persis is ferocious and intimidating. There is no stopping this girl from doing as she pleases, as she runs around saving people at the cost of her own health. 

Sometimes though, Persis is a flat character because she doesn’t seem to have any faults. Even her weaknesses aren’t really weaknesses because Persis’ suicidal nature is implied to be part of her unselfish nature. Admittedly, most people, including myself hate selfish characters but I wish Persis had some flaw to make her more human.

The writing style is spectacular with its vivid descriptions and witty dialogue. The alternating points of views between Persis and Justen were great because we could see the romance developing, which would have been impossible if there was only one POV. After all, when both people in a budding relationship are lying to each other, it’s impossible to witness the awkwardly hilarious inner turmoil. 

For any For Darkness Shows the Stars fans, no fear for Elliot, Kai, and Ro make special appearances in this companion novel. They’re not the primary characters evidently, but they do play a major role. Their appearance was exciting to read, but I wish that there were more interactions between Elliot and Persis because they would make an awesome duo as two fierce ladies.

There have been very few books published in the past year that are as spellbinding and beautifully written as Across a Star Swept Sea. With a beautifully woven world (not to mention cover) along with romance fluttering off the pages, this book stands out as one of the best dystopians of the YA world.

Review: The Elite by Kiera Cass

The Elite (The Selection #2)

By Kiera Cass

Released: April 23, 2013

Publisher: HarperTeen

Hardcover, 323 pages

Source: Library

The hotly-anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestseller The Selection.

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea.

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide.

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending. --Goodreads

Purchase The Elite here: Amazon/ Barnes & Nobles/ The Book Depository

1.5 Stars

There may be spoilers, but nothing too excessive. 

Review/Rant:

There are books, then there are books that you start to regret reading after finishing them; The Elite is one of those sorts of books. Knowing that this book, or series as a whole, has no merit plot-wise or writing-wise just makes it even more depressing. My only reason for giving this a rating slightly more than 1 star is because this book is like a drug. It is dumb and idiotic to read it, yet everyone is reading and loving it. The question is really why this series is a New York Times Bestseller?

After reading The Elite, it has come to my conclusion that America Singer is either suffering from severe hormonal imbalance or is a psycho. This book consists of an extremely distorted love triangle, unfortunately. While America goes all mooney-eyed over Maxon and promises to marry him, she makes out with Aspen in her spare time. I don't buy the whole 'I'm so conflicted over whom I love' excuse because America totally told Maxon that she likes him. In conclusion, the only reason that explains why America is such a yucky cheater is that Aspen is secretly an alien who releases pheromones that makes people with low IQs even dumber. And that just makes no sense, but it's the only thing that is somewhat logical...

America definitely sucked and was puke-worthy, but the worst thing about The Elite is the repetitiveness of the plot. 

Here's a list of the top 6 scenes (paraphrased) that are supposedly noteworthy (not in any particular order):

1. WTH was I thinking? Maxon was the wrong guy for me. He doesn't shave enough! (OK, fine, get rid of the shaving part). I ran to Aspen, kissing him and hugging him we fell to the ground. Aspen was my home. This happens at least 3 or 4 times. Now, I just pity Maxon and hope that America ends up dead.
2. I heard gunshots. The rebels from Oz (way more creative than the "realistic" terms given for the rebels) were attacking the castle again. I ran toward the underground shelter below the castle, but then something got in the way, so I decided letting the rebels capture me was a better idea. OK, maybe this exact moment happened once. Still, rebels attacking the castle happened at least 4 or 5 times, but nothing really happens. Poor rebels are being taken out of the picture in favor of love spats. Once again, THE BLURB WAS ALL A LIE!!!
3. Major argument between America and Maxon. Imagine a grand debate over whether Maxon is in the wrong for flirting or America is in wrong for pushing and pulling Maxon back and forth. Then comes America's favorite question: You're going to send me home now, right? Spoiler: Still waiting for her to go home... 
4. You must prepare to be queen. Then you're going to have tons of princess lessons in politics and diplomacy... When I heard this, I looked at Celeste who smirked and Kriss who looked like she knew exactly what she was doing. Then I knew that I would fight tooth and nail to be better than Celeste. I'm sorry, if these are your priorities, then clearly you have no purpose in life... Yeah Celeste is a mean girl, but shouldn't you try to be better than all of the other girls, than just one? I thought you wanted to be queen, girl!
5. You haven't changed America. In spite of all of the fancy stuff they stuff you with, you haven't turned into a zombie yet. Well, yeah! The stuff they've been poisoning her with has been turning her into an unstable person who lacks any brains. Not just her, everyone in the castle is a moron.
6. I don't want to be in the spotlight! The crown isn't right for me. ______ would be way more qualified than me! She totally can handle the press better than me! Well, I don't know about you, but if you were a performer wouldn't you enjoy the spotlight? After all, America's mom did say that she loved performing in front of people.... America, you need a better excuse than spotlight. It doesn't add up. Anyway, you suck at talking to the press because you have no filter. Maybe that should be fixed too, in addition to your brain.

In conclusion, there isn't much substance in the plot. Well, that was already pretty obvious, but reading the same scenes repeat over and over again with slightly different details sucks for a reader. Now, I don't have much faith for the last book in this trilogy, The One. Kiera Cass is treating her readers like fools which isn't right. Readers deserve books that are fun to read, yes, but also make sense. I won't say any character deserves better than what they were left with at the end of The Elite, but I definitely hope that Cass ends this series with a bang. This bang should probably include the rebels doing something, as a word of advice.

Although The Elite was a cute, fluffy read, there were just way too many issues with the characters and plot for it to be an enjoyable read. Hopefully the romance can settled with some blood involved because that would just rock the reality dating show world.

Cover Reveal: Creators by Tiffany Truitt

Creators (The Lost Souls #3)

By Tiffany Truitt

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Paperback, 400 pages

Pre-order: Amazon

Heartbroken but more determined than ever after a tense showdown in the woods, sixteen-year-old Tess once again returns to the safety of her community of Isolationists. Bolstered by new alliances and desperate to protect those she loves, this time she knows she can return stronger and more powerful than ever to take back what is hers.

As she trains in combat and grows more confident, Tess receives beautiful letters penned by her forbidden love, the chosen one James, from his prison in Templeton. He is now serving as a bodyguard to the creators—the team of scientists who created artificial life in the first place. And what he has discovered about the true origin of the illness that halted natural life could change everything.

Enemy will become ally and death will bring new hope in this stunning conclusion to Tiffany Truitt’s epic Lost Souls trilogy.

Also Tiffany has a Pre-Order Contest going on over at her blog http://tiffanytruitt.wordpress.com/. Three lucky people that pre-order CREATORS will win a signed Cassandra Clare poster!

Exclusive Excerpt!

Somewhere, James was just as trapped as I was.

I thought of the morning when we lay with each other, curled against one another, never beginning and never ending. How we’d stayed like that till the sun began to rise.

James had reached down and pulled me off the ground. He wore a satisfied grin on his face. “Someone is mighty proud of himself,” I teased.

He laughed. It bounced through the forest, calling it awake. Readying it for the day. “I’m just insanely happy.”

I stood on the tips of my toes and kissed him gently on his scar. “I’m insanely happy too,” I whispered.
James looked down at me, and I was lost all over again. I would never tire of looking into those mismatched eyes. They didn’t make him different. They made him him. He chuckled as he reached over and pulled a leaf from my tangled hair. “They’ll know just by looking at you that we’ve been up to no good.”

“No good?” I purred. “I thought it was very, very good.”

James growled and lifted me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he pressed his lips hungrily against mine. I moved my hands to his hair, curling my fingers into it, attaching myself to him. I never wanted to let go. Every part of me ached to be touched by him, and every part of me ached to touch him right back.

“Do you know how much I love you?” he breathed into the base of my neck. His lips fluttered against my s
skin.

I nodded, kissing the top of his head. “As much as I love you.”

James slowly put my feet back on the ground. He cradled my face in his hands. “That will never change. No matter what.”

I looked deep into his eyes. “I know.” Because I did. It was one of life’s few assurances. I would always love James.

I pressed my lips once again to his scar. “I adore this scar,” I whispered, unable to hide the smile that seemed etched on my face all morning.

“You’re enough to drive a man crazy,” he said The tremble of his voice caused my toes to curl. I wanted him again. And again. And again.

My fingers traced the waist of his pants. “Tonight?” I said, knowing full well it was a promise that I probably wouldn’t be able to keep.

James grabbed my hand and brought it to his lips. “Tonight,” he echoed.

As the sun climb higher into the sky, I knew our moment was coming to an end. James reached down and placed his hand over my heart. “Thank you,” he said.

“For what?” I asked, my voice choked with emotion.

“For everything.”

As the memory slipped away, I looked back up at the night sky. Praying and hoping that James knew how much I wanted to thank him too.

For everything.

About Tiffany:

Tiffany Truitt was born in Peoria, Illinois. A self-proclaimed Navy brat, Tiffany spent most of her childhood living in Virginia, but don’t call her a Southerner. She also spent a few years living in Cuba. Since her time on the island of one McDonalds and Banana Rats (don’t ask), she has been obsessed with traveling. Tiffany recently added China to her list of travels (hello inspiration for a new book).

Besides traveling, Tiffany has always been an avid reader. The earliest books she remembers reading belong to The Little House on the Prairie Series. First book she read in one day? Little Woman(5th grade). First author she fell in love with? Jane Austen in middle school. Tiffany spent most of her high school and college career as a literary snob. She refused to read anything considered “low brow” or outside the “classics.”

Tiffany began teaching middle school in 2006. Her students introduced her to the wide, wonderful world of Young Adult literature. Today, Tiffany embraces popular Young Adult literature and uses it in her classroom. She currently teaches the following novels: The Outsiders</ i>, Speak, Night, Dystopian Literature Circles: The Hunger Games, The Giver, The Uglies, and Matched.

Tiffany is proud to call herself an educator and Young Adult author. Her first book will be published by Entangled Publishing.

Website/ Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Book Trailer Reveal and Giveaway: Debt Collector by Susanne Kaye Quinn

Debt Collector Series 

By Susan Kaye Quinn

Released: 2013

What's your life worth on the open market?
A debt collector can tell you precisely.

Lirium plays the part of the grim reaper well, with his dark trenchcoat, jackboots, and the black marks on his soul that every debt collector carries. He's just in it for his cut, the ten percent of the life energy he collects before he transfers it on to the high potentials, the people who will make the world a better place with their brains, their work, and their lives. That hit of life energy, a bottle of vodka, and a visit from one of Madam Anastazja's sex workers keep him alive, stable, and mostly sane... until he collects again. But when his recovery ritual is disrupted by a sex worker who isn't what she seems, he has to choose between doing an illegal hit for a girl whose story has more holes than his soul or facing the bottle alone--a dark pit he's not sure he'll be able to climb out of again.

The first three episodes of the Debt Collector serial are collectively the length of a short novel, or 152 pages. These are the first three of nine episodes in the first season of The Debt Collector serial. This dark and gritty future-noir is about a world where your life-worth is tabulated on the open market and going into debt risks a lot more than your credit rating. Episode 4, Broken, releases 4/17/13. For more about the Debt Collector serial, see DebtCollectorSeries.com --Goodreads

Purchase Debt Collector Books #1-3 here: Amazon (Kindle) | Barnes & Nobles (Nook)

For a Limited Time, Delirium (Debt Collector Book #1) is free on Amazon (Kindle)!

Book Trailer:

Giveaway:

Enter to win the Audiobook version of Debt Collector Books #1-3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Info:

Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. Her teachers pretended not to notice and only confiscated her stories a couple times.

Susan left writing behind to pursue a bunch of engineering degrees, but she was drawn back to writing by an irresistible urge to share her stories with her niece, her kids, and all the wonderful friends she’s met along the way.

She doesn’t have to sneak her notes anymore, which is too bad.

Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as a much as she can handle.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Review: Rebel Heart by Moira Young

Rebel Heart by Moira Young

Where in Series: Dust Lands #2

Published: October 30, 2012

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Pages: 432

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion. -Goodreads

4 Stars

Review

Well well well. Here I am, finally done the much anticipated sequel to Blood Red Road, and I have to say, when is the next book coming out? 

First of all, oh Saba. I feel like in this book she was less cool and badass, but that made her more realistic. Humans have flaws, and so does Saba. It is hard to defend against creeping doubts. Not only that but the ghosts of people she's killed kind of haunt her too. Also, she refuses to confide in her friends, bearing her burden alone. She doesn't want to trouble them (because they have problems of their own), but it's like really Saba? You need help (an intervention). To that extent she is also very brave and determined, but too rash in some of her decisions. I did do a facepalm (or two) concerning some of her not so bright ideas. She had her ups and her downs, but I think I liked her better in the first book (she was so much cooler).

For Rebel Heart, I almost enjoyed the development of other characters more than I enjoyed reading about Saba (especially when she annoyed me). I really liked how the characters of Tommo and DeMalo progressed (and throw in plot twists), and I just loved Emmi (she's so sweet and concerned about Saba, what a great sister). Poor Tommo, I feel like Saba should have been more honest with him and not have used his feelings to her advantage. It is hard to face some one and tell them some thing like that, but Saba should have done the right thing (she let me down). 

Also, for the most part, Lugh annoyed me. I get that he has scars, and that there is a new distance between him and Saba, but that is no reason for him to take her for crazy (she just like him is going through emotional times). He also intervenes at times when he should just shut up and go with the flow. Still, I found his subplot with Maev to be beautiful yet tragic. 

Ok, so I can't give too much away, but basically everyone's opinions about Jack do a complete 180. Admittedly, Lugh was always suspicious of Jack (after all he is the new most important guy in Saba's life, jealousy anyone?), but I was disappointed in everyone else. Especially Saba. She should have known better and trusted herself; she shouldn't have let her fears and doubts take over (yet I have to say there was some pretty damning evidence against Jack). It was kind of cliche.  

One thing that I really liked was Young's writing style. It was the same as in Blood Red Road, and by this time around, I was definitely more used to it and could get into it quicker. The language and writing easily makes this series stand out. One of the best parts was the ending. It was so sweet, yet so sinister. I am genuinely scared for Saba. Young did not disappoint, and the ending is a total cliffhanger. How will Saba's actions come back to haunt her?

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good dystopian (it's a bit more unique than others). However, I would strongly suggest reading the first book in the series, Blood Red Road, first, as to understand much of the ideas and struggles in this book that originate in the first one. Happy reading.

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Published: Nov. 11, 2011 by Harper

Hardcover, 338 pages

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior. --GoodReads

Review

Shatter Me is a dramatic, beautifully written story of a girl who is given the chance to hope, smile, and laugh once more. It's emotional, heartening, and many times, very DEPRESSING. And a bit very really uber repetitive. To those of you who have read the book, you will understand my stylistic joke.

Okay, so I know a lot of people out in the YA novel world think that this novel was "ahbsolutelygoodohmygawditwassodramaticandallthat." I can't say that it was perfection, but I would like to point out a few things. For those new and have yet to read it, I would suggest "Go for it!," but I shall warn you. It is quite, no, VERY d r a m a t i c. With an extra "-uh-"

That's my representation of the story in about three pictures. Oh, I kid, I kid. But really.

Soooo, for the new people around town that just skipped to the review. The story's about a girl, Juliette, who's lived a life without love - even from her parents! Yippee, that sounds like just a SWELL childhood. She's completely good, and takes crap from people around her just because of one thing. When she touches people, she kills them. Sorta like Rogue from X-Men. Except that she's blond, 5'3, can't fly, and just kills them (you know, instead of making them pass out.)

But, oh, hey! They both end up wearing dorky jumpsuits!! Oh, and every man she encounters, which is a lot,  by the way, thinks she's "stunning, gorgeous, beautiful." Yeeeeet, she can't see for herself that she's attractive. I don't understand YA heroines. JUST LOOK IN THE MIRROR. If you're gorgeous, you KNOW you're gorgeous. Don't beat around the bush. Just admit it. No body likes an indecisive girl.

But anyway. Juliette is really an unstable (sort of annoying) girl. It's narrated in her POV, so we get to hear her innermost thoughts! My joke from before was that Tahereh's writing style was to depict the story such a way that looks like the notebook she writes in all the time. There are fragments that make no sense, yet still work with the story. Those things are fine.

My only real pet-peeve is that she crosses out thoughts she thinks she shouldn't be thinking ALL THE TIME!!!!! It happens at least 4-5 times per chapter.  It's really annoying. No it's super annoying. Terribly horrible. And then you can barely read the letters because the darn line is right in front of eeverything so how are you really supposed to tell an "E" from a "C" in lowercase????

One more thing. This book is really emotional and deep so if you flip to a random page in the middle and start reading aloud to your friends, you'll probably burst out laughing because you won't know what's going on. I feel like you have to have understood the plot line and be really into it in order to feel the emotions that Juliette is trying to convey. Otherwise, it's just silly.

NOT TO MENTION, Adam (the love interest) and Juliette enjoy each other's presence. A LOT. Probably way too much. Every other chapter they're going at it like rabbits.

Frankly, I'm surprised it's still a YA novel.  Shut yer eyes, you little kids that shouldn't be reading YA lit!!

However, I cannot deny this book's addictive quality. Although the drama may be a little over the top, I can't ignore the fact that I couldn't put it down! Setting the cliché factor aside and an author who may have went a little too happy with the "strike-through" option, this book was over all pretty good. I would suggest this to anyone willing to give an emotional/feels book a try and/or loves Rogue from X-Men.

Order Shatter Me at: Amazon/ Barnes&Noble/ The Book Depository

Review: Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Don't Turn Around (PERSEF0NE #1)
By Michelle Gagnon
Published: August 28, 2012
Published: HarperCollins 

Hardcover, 320 pages

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa's talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation called AMRF threatens his life in no uncertain terms.

But what Noa and Peter don't realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who'd stop at nothing to silence her for good. --Goodreads

5 Stars

Review:

Don't Turn Around is a beautiful book. Seriously, I think I've been waiting my whole life for this. It's got everything a truly terrific young adult book needs to have:

1. A strong female character (Noa) who doesn't get progressively weaker as they male character (Peter) appears.
2. The beginnings of a romance between the two main characters (it's only the first book. I'm sure it'll progress)
3. A storyline improbable enough to be classified as young adult, but grounded enough in reality and the insane world of hackers to make for an incredibly entertaining read.
4. An author with some insane writing skills.

The book alternates between the viewpoints of Noa, a girl living on her lonesome after running away from the foster care system, and Peter, a rich boy who lost his brother to some mysterious disease that is taking out the country's teenagers. The book starts out with Noa waking up in a warehouse crawling with evil henchmen with an IV in her arm and Peter's house being broken into by a group of masked thugs. The story continues on the action packed course it starts off with and doesn't slow down. 

The book ends up including just about everything and action book could. Tragedy? Some. Insanely wild and awesome fights/running away? Lots of it. Sheer fantastical hacking scenes? Enough to make you want to become a professional hacker. The beginnings of a revolution just to spice things up a bit? You got it. A few predictable plot lines? Come on. This is young adult fiction we're talking about. You already know the answer.

Overall, Don't Turn Around was a gripping novel with strong characters the reader roots for, a storyline that keeps the pages turning and, of course, hackers!

Purchase this book at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Review: Talented by Sophie Davis

Talented (Talented Saga #1)
By Sophie Davis 

Released: January 11, 2012 

eBook, 281 pages

When Talia Lyons was just a child, her parents were murdered before her eyes. Offered a choice between accepting their fate and exacting revenge, Talia trains to become one of the country’s deadliest assassins in order to kill the man responsible for their deaths: Ian Crane. Luckily, Talia was born with a gift- the ability to read and influence the minds of others. At sixteen, Talia is poised to graduate from the McDonough School for the Talented, where she learned to control her abilities. Now there is only one obstacle standing between her and the retribution she craves... Talia herself.

Her greatest asset may also be her undoing; while a formidable weapon in the field, Talia’s talents prevent her from both shutting off the mental connection she shares with her questionable boyfriend and blocking out the thoughts of a beguiling fellow recruit. But Talia can’t afford to have the feelings and distractions of a normal teenage girl, when her life is far from normal.

She must regain the single-minded determination that has brought her this far, or it may cost Talia her life when she finally faces Crane. And even after being molded in to a weapon of war, she’ll still have to find the strength it takes to pull the trigger.

If James Bond and Sookie Stackhouse had a love child with a yearning for vengeance, her story would be TALENTED: an adventure about powerful teenagers who aren’t afraid to embrace their fears and fight for what they believe in. --Goodreads

4 Stars

Review

There are times when books that have summaries that interest you, but not in the way that the author probably intended. The whole little snippet at the end talking about James Bond and Sookie Stackhouse's love child is what had me sold. It wasn't like I wanted them to have a love child, that wouldn't be a pleasant experience, it was more that the writer of this blurb clearly wanted to prove that this book would meet the ridiculously high expectations placed upon it by comparing it to James Bond and Sookie Stackhouse, and I intended to determine whether it was a deserving honor or a farce.

The story begins with Natalia "Tal" proving herself as an expert 'Talented' who can kick butt with her mental capabilities. Whoo-hoo! Natalia is introduced along with the group she is assigned to as she is training to be a Hunter, which includes the ever-responsible Henri and the playboy Erik. With her childhood friend boyfriend, Donovan, and her new best friend, Penny, it seems as if Tal's life is an average one, even with the whole Hunter thing. In fact, Tal's life is a little too simplistic in this radically different dystopian world with people with superpowers. Soon enough, Tal is quickly caught into the net forcing her to challenge her ideals and the sacrifices she will have to make to finish her retribution. On a side note, the guy who killed her parents is kind of important here, but then again not really.

This summary that I have crafted is full of contradicting statements. I know, it is ridiculous. Well, the reason for that is because truthfully, I have no idea how to describe the basic plot. There are shifts from epic fighting scenes that deserved more description and detail to cute girly scenes about fashion and nail polish to highly emotional scenes that either make me want to smile or want to puke. So many descriptions to choose from, so how am I supposed to decide?

One of the things that I struggled with most was the emotions that a scene would try to evoke. Sometimes the author succeeded in her goal with certain scenes, while at other times, not so much. For example, Tal's questionable boyfriend is a playboy and everyone knows it, but her. Despite the fact that they know it will crush her, the teammates that Tal lives with, Henri and Erik, don't even tell her because they are afraid that it would ruin the karma within the group! In other words, they think that Tal is too weak to handle her cheating boyfriend, so they just let him continue cheating on her! It is ridiculous and totally hypocritical for a book that seems to advertise the girl power. 

There were scenes that had made me start tearing a bit, though they were few and far between. When Tal, Henri, and Erik are assigned a Kill Mission to assassinate a scientist, the author was able to capture the conflicting emotions that everyone was experiencing. Most books about spies and assassins tend to skim over the nitty gritty emotional conflict one may experience when killing another human being, but Talented instead used it to make the characters that originally seemed too uppity become more relatable. 

Even with all of the flip-flopping feelings I had about the characters and their decisions, Talented was an extremely enjoyable book. At times, it was hard to decipher what direction the author intended to take it. One of the most important characteristic that a protagonist must have is to be flawed, which Tal excels in. Her mistakes and teeny bit of arrogance make her a heroine I love to cheer for because it is always a surprise whether or not she succeeds. The dystopian world that Tal lives in is one that is quite fascinating, full of facets, that I cannot wait to discover when continuing on with this series!

Talented is free here: Amazon (Kindle)/ B&N (Nook)

Release Day: Shadow of Wrath by L.W. Patricks

Today marks the release day for the Shadow of Wrath: Complete (Sins of the 7)! Get it now on Amazon or Smashwords!

The Shadow of Wrath: Complete (Sins of the 7) 

By L.W. Patricks 

Publisher: Strange Crow Publishing 

Release Date: March 13, 2013

In the Arena, you're either a killer or a victim.

If survival meant murdering an innocent person in cold blood every week, could you do it? Are you able to stick the knife into your opponent's heart while they look at you with fear in their eyes? Life in the Arena turns everyone into sinners.

When a starving and homeless boy is kidnapped and brought to a modern-day gladiator arena, hidden deep within the abandoned city of Bimini, he is forced to fight for his life. The crude death matches are a source of enjoyment for Ryker, who resides over the Arena as its vicious master. Given the name Dog, the street boy must find a way to survive, even if it means murdering other innocent kids in combat at the expense of his humanity. With every dead body he leaves behind in the pit, the blood and the violence threatens to wake a beast inside him.

Allegra, a slave girl in the pits and a victim of Ryker's constant abuse, is his only key to salvation. She has lost everything already -- her family, her innocence, and her dignity -- while her will to live hangs on by a thin thread. Can she save Dog's humanity before she too succumbs to the horrors of the Arena? With death casting it's long shadow over everyone, how can anyone survive?

A tale about survival, tragedy, and human perseverance, SHADOW OF WRATH allows us a glimpse into the world of the Sins of the 7.

If you love Hunger Games, Divergent, and Maze Runner, you'll love SHADOW OF WRATH.--Goodreads

Sample: Chapter One:

 In the Arena, you're either a killer or a victim. 

If survival meant murdering an innocent person in cold blood every week, could you do it? Are you able to stick the knife into your opponent's heart while they look at you with fear in their eyes? Life in the Arena turns everyone into sinners. A homeless boy is kidnapped from the streets and finds himself imprisoned in a far more horrifying place: the Arena, a place where teenage boys fight to the death for the pleasure of various lowlifes in a modern gladiator pit. The Arena is the brainchild of Ryker, an ex-convict addicted to alcohol, gladiatorial-esque combats, and money. When not devising new ways for boys to kill each other, he's ruling his small empire with a ruthless fist, rewarding his guards with sex slaves and punishing those who oppose him with barbaric executions. Renamed Dog, the boy from the streets must turn himself into a killing machine if he is to continue surviving, but as he leaves a trail of bodies in his wake, the ghosts of slain boys haunts him and the violence threatens to wake a beast inside him. Allegra, a slave girl in the Arena and a victim of Ryker's constant abuse, is his only key to salvation. She has lost everything already -- her family, her innocence, and her dignity -- while her will to live hangs on by a thin thread. Can she save Dog's humanity before she too succumbs to the horrors of the Arena? Seeking to defy Ryker as Dog rises to power as his champion, the stage is set for something to give in this murderous world of young gladiators.

A tale about survival, tragedy, and human perseverance, the complete Shadow of Wrath is the first book in the Sins of the 7 series. Fans of edgy and controversial dystopian books will love Shadow of Wrath. 

About the Author

Ever since I opened that book of Fairy Tales when I was a kid, I loved reading and spent countless hours recreating a parallel universe where Red Riding Hood kung-fu kicked the wolf in the jugular and Snow White discovered a spell to merge all the dwarves together to form a Super-Dwarf that tossed the evil step-mother into the sun.</ span>

With this love for reading and writing, I took it to the next level and published a book. Sadly no super human fairy tale characters (but it’s always been on my radar).

My debut novel Shadow of Wrath is now published by Strange Crow Publications and can be found at http://www.strangecrowbooks.com/books/ shadowofwrath

I am the author of SHADOW OF WRATH and the literary architect behind the upcoming Sins of the 7 series with Book One: AWAKE THE GHOSTS to be published late 2013.

So in a nutshell, what’ I’ve been telling everyone is some half baked story of how I’m the spawn of a typewriting chimp and a literary ninja and I eat Unicorns to sustain my crazy imagination. It may or may not be a cover up…but I like to leave things open for interpretation =).

My short fiction works has been published by Crow Toes Quarterly Magazine, Fiction and Verse literary magazine, and upcoming Denizens of the Dark. I enjoy writing contemporary fantasy with an emphasis on creating urban mythology for my stories.

I was born in Toronto, Ontario where I graduated from University of Toronto’s Fiction Writing course. I have travelled all over the world including Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, United Kingdom, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia just to name a few. My diverse experience amongst other cultures provides inspiration for my stories.

I currently live in Toronto with my wife where I enjoys the the hot summer days and the cold winter nights.

Connect with L.W.:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Mailing List

Giveaway

L.W. Patricks is having a tour-wide giveaway for a $20 Amazon gift card.

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Review: Reached by Ally Condie

Reached (Matched #3)
By Ally Condie
Published November 13th, 2012
Publisher: Penguin

Cassia’s journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect façade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

The wait is over.

One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most—family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion.

With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international–bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.

-Goodreads

Review

Wow. What a conclusion to this series. Although I originally liked it, Matched was a great dystopian book (if a little stereotypical), but Reached kinda let me down. The reason why I did decide to read Reached, was because I had to know the ending. Well, here I am, now done the series. I have to say, that was a fitting ending.

I have to admit it. The beginning half was pretty boring. Not much action. It's not so bad though, you are able to get a feel for what part everyone plays in the Rising. Also, I did like the alternating views between Cassia, Ky, and Xander. The reader is able to glimpse what everyone is doing, and how they all connect together, which I love.  

Once the pace quickens, and stuff starts happening, it's quite a whirlwind and very unpredictable, which is what I like about it. My favorite part though, has to be the ending. It was left kind of open ended, which I usually hate, but I think it was a fitting end to the series. At first Iwas annoyed at the ending, how can it be left open like that? But after a while I understood that maybe it was all for the best, and maybe some things are better left a mystery unanswered. It also was a bittersweet ending, I have to admit that I absolutely love sunset happy endings, but yet the end was so perfect. The loss was present, but the hope shined through, which I think is the case for a lot of real life stories, which made it more realistic and presented it in a way I definitely could connect with and understand. Having a balance between sadness and happiness is very hard, and Condie did an amazing job.  

This book was a little deeper than the others. It really made you think, especially concerning the Pilot. You are never given a full answer, and you're let to chew on that idea. I think it's great 'cause it lets people interpret it in different ways. The writing was also stunning. I think Reached really let Condie show off her writing style (especially at the end).

Reached is the finale in a series about a girl ready and willing to fight for change. The beginning was quite slow, but I strongly suggest for readers to hang on, the wait for the good stuff (the really interesting part) is worth it. Overall I would suggest this series to anyone who likes dystopian stories with a deeper feel to them, and even if you're not a fan of love triangles (which I'm not really) still read this series, it rights itself in the end (that's all I can say). Have fun!

Purchase this book at: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository