ARC Review: "Inheritance" by Malinda Lo

Release Date: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown
Pages: 480

From Goodreads:"The triangular spaceship hovered motionless in the sky above Reese Holloway’s house, as inscrutable as a black hole. It had seemed like a good idea when they were inside: to tell the truth about what happened to them at Area 51. It didn’t seem like such a good idea now.

Reese and David are not normal teens—not since they were adapted with alien DNA by the Imria, an extraterrestrial race that has been secretly visiting Earth for decades. Now everyone is trying to get to them: the government, the Imria, and a mysterious corporation that would do anything for the upper hand against the aliens.

Beyond the web of conspiracies, Reese can’t reconcile her love for David with her feelings for her ex-girlfriend Amber, an Imrian. But her choice between two worlds will play a critical role in determining the future of humanity, the Imria’s place in it, and the inheritance she and David will bring to the universe.

In this gripping sequel to Adaptation, Malinda Lo brings a thoughtful exploration of adolescence, sexuality, and “the other” to a science fiction thriller that is impossible to put down."

After having finished "Adaptation", the first book in this series, I HAD to read this book- not only to see how the general populace would react to learning that they were, in fact, not alone in the universe (or universes beyond), but to see how Reese would navigate her relationships (if any) with both David and Amber. That being said, once I started reading this book, that initial excitement began to wane, becoming almost non-existent.

My largest complaint about this book was its pacing- I can typically read a book within a couple of hours, however, this book took me near two weeks to read because of it. While I thought that the previous book was too focused on the romance aspect, in this book I thought that it was too focused on the politics and too 'info-dumping' about the Imria. As such, I found that I could only read a few pages before my eyes started crossing, being dragged down by it all.

I further had problems with Reese in this novel- while I understand that her thoughts, feelings, and emotions are probably very true to life for many teens in her situation (questioning their sexuality, trying to find out where they belong in the world, and so forth), I couldn't relate to her in the slightest. It increasingly grated more and more on my nerves about how she was unable to make a concrete decision about anything- forever flopping back and forth.

All in all, while I was not a fan of this book, I do think that many others will be (especially those who were major fans of the first). Furthermore, despite my complaints, I really do appreciate what Malinda has done for the world of YA- not only presenting characters we typically don't see in the genre, but presenting alternative relationships to what we typically see."

Rating: 2/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" by Holly Black

Release Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Pages: 432

From Goodreads: "Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black."

Holly Black is, without a doubt, one of those authors who shaped my teenage years, specifically with her "Modern Faerie Tale" series- I literally cannot tell you the number of times that I reread those books growing up. However, I unfortunately wasn't a huge fan of her "Curse Workers" series, while the concept was unique, I didn't find that it grabbed me in any way, shape, or form. That being said, when I heard about this series (and saw all of the glowing reviews from my fellow reviewers), I did decide to give Holly another chance, something that I am not oft to do. Admittedly I am somewhat regretful for doing so as I once again found this series flat, not having the slightest bit of magic that I had become familiar with in her faerie series.

The first complaint that I have about this book is vampires. I am of the opinion that vampires are dead in young adult literature unless you REALLY have something that the likes of has never been seen before. Unfortunately the vampires of this book are no different than any other vampires I have seen in the genre. In fact, the vampires of this book are perhaps the most stereotypical I have ever seen before- with questionable fashion choices (poofy sleeves and slicked backed hair), brooding attitudes, and so forth.

The next complaint is the utter detachment I felt about the plot, characters, and so forth. I felt like much of the plot was overly melodramatic, but it was lacking in any REAL emotion. Characters seeing people being ripped apart in front of their very eyes? Meh. Characters declaring their undying love for one another? *Shrugs*. Any who knows me knows that I LOVE love, however, I felt that the relationship between Tana and Gavriel to be so forced that I didn't even care whether they had one or not.

That being said, I really did the character of Aiden, Tana's ex-boyfriend. I thought that he brought a lot of light-heartedness and humour to the book. Furthermore, despite the book's size, a solid inch and a half or two inches in thickness, I did find that it was an extremely quick read, having finished it almost as soon as I had started it.

All in all, unfortunately the book didn't do it for me, after finishing it having little to no feelings about it- except for the satisfaction of being able to add another tick to my count of books read this year. That being said, with this book being a combination of "The Immortal Rules" by Julie Kagawa and "Blood Red Road" by Moira Young, I do think that it will appeal to a lot of readers. Furthermore, despite my complaints, I do think that I will continue on with the series, if only to see how it ends.

Rating: 2/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "In Too Deep" by Coert Voorhees

Release Date: July 9, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 336

From Goodreads: "Annie Fleet, master scuba diver and history buff, knows she can’t fight her nerd status as a freshman at her Los Angeles private school. And she doesn’t care—except for the fact that her crush, Josh, thinks she’s more adorable than desirable. Annie is determined to set him straight on their school trip to Mexico. But her teacher has other plans: he needs Annie to help him find Cortez’s lost-long treasure.

Suddenly, Annie finds herself scuba diving in pitch-black waters, jetting to Hawaii with Josh, and hunting for the priceless Golden Jaguar. But Annie and Josh aren’t the only ones lured by the possibility of finding the greatest treasure ever lost at sea. Someone else wants the gold—and needs Annie dead. In deeper danger than she ever imagined, can Annie get the boy and find the Jaguar, or is she in over her head?

Critically-acclaimed author Coert Voorhees delivers breathtaking romance and non-stop action in his newest novel, the spirited and captivating In Too Deep."

If the movies "Sahara" and "Fool's Gold" were to have a lovechild, this book would be it. While this should excite me, having thoroughly enjoyed both movies, I couldn't help but wish that this book was more. I thought that this book looked a bit too much like it's mother and father than I would have liked, not having any quirky or unique features- features that were truly it's own, that neither one of its parents could lay claim to.

Another aspect about this book I find myself conflicted about is how technical it was when referring to scuba diving. On the one hand, I appreciate that Coert didn't "dumb down" any of the content, as seems to be the norm in YA literature, however, on the other hand, I oftentimes found myself overwhelmed with all of the talk of o-rings, pressure gauges, and whatnot- at times entirely skimming over those parts.

That being said, I did really enjoy Annie's voice (though I did at times find it unbelievable that she was only fifteen years old, sounding much, much older than that)- something that is often unheard of for me when it comes to female characters. Furthermore, I did like the secondary characters of this book, Annie's best friends especially, as I thought that they helped to really balance out her somewhat serious/ overly mature demeanor.

All in all, despite my complaints, I do think that this is a perfect beach read, for both male and female readers (especially those who are fans of the aforementioned movies). Also, I do appreciate that this book could go both ways- either being a standalone or being the first in a series, all loose ends, but one (which has  very little to any impact on the overall storyline), being tied together by the end of the novel.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "Dare You To" by Katie McGarry

Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 462

From Goodreads: "Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all..." 

"Pushing the Limits" was one of the most emotional books I can ever recall reading, the entire time while reading the book I had a stomachache because of THE FEELS. Therefore, when I learned that this book was to be about Beth, arguably one of the most broken and mysterious characters I have ever encountered before, I had expected it to be just as emotional, if not more so, than "Pushing the Limits". However, I must admit that I found it anything but.

Overall, the large majority of this story felt fairly flat to me (even despite being able to personally relate more to Beth than to Echo)- the romance especially. Though Beth and Ryan did know one another for a fair while before getting together, I still felt that there was insta-love going on. Furthermore, while this book is about Beth and Ryan's story I couldn't help but find that it was too much focused on them- I wish that the secondary characters had played larger roles in the story as I found each and everyone of them to be intriguing (even Gwen).

That being said, I did very much appreciate that this book had something which I very rarely encounter in other books of this nature- character growth. And from BOTH characters. Gone is the old broken, pessimistic Beth, hello to the, at times, bubbly and hopeful Beth. Whereas, gone is the old Ryan who allowed everyone else to dictate his life, hello to the Ryan who truly takes the reins, in the process learning more about himself than he could have ever imagined (and who picks up a skill or two along the way).

All in all, despite my complaints I did enjoy the book overall and I think that diehards of this series will more than likely be pleased with this installment. Furthermore, despite my complaints, I will continue on with this series, if only to see how Isiah's story wraps up.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way.

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ARC Review: "Of Triton" by Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Pages: 256

From Goodreads: "In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?"

"Of Triton" by Anna Banks was one of my best reads of 2012, in fact, in my review of it I described it as being "flawless" and stated that I couldn't contain my fan-girl SQUEEing. As such, I was obviously beyond excited for this book, however, after finishing it I must admit that it is one of the most disappointing sequels that I have ever read before.

My largest complaint about this book is that I felt that it read like a first draft- I understand that I did read an ARC and therefore there may be changes made between it and the final draft, but I feel that I would only enjoy the book if extensive changes were made. I felt that the book was so flat and one-dimensional, not once while reading it did I experience any real emotion (also, I didn't once swoon for Galen, something essentially unheard of for me). Additionally, I found that a number of characters grated on my nerves in this book, Emma's mom especially. While I did like that she rediscovered her long-lost love I felt that overall she was quite inconsiderate when it came to Emma's feelings- especially when she dropped the bombshell about Emma's parentage onto her, informing her that her life was even more so, if possible, a lie. I felt that she acted more immature than the teenagers actually did. Furthermore, I was not a fan of the way in which the POVs were written in this book- Emma's in first person and Galen's in third (I noticed this much more in this book than I had in the previous book, it felt mush more jarring and obvious). I feel like we don't truly get a sense of who Galen is as a person (Errrr... Syrena) with his POV being written in third person. He comes off as being quite superficial and juvenile.

I actually think that this book could have benefited from being longer- 100 pages or so. I think that if it was longer that the characters and plot would be better developed and more complex. It felt that very little happened in this book, as if it suffered from "second book syndrome", and what did happen (ie. the conflicts) were resolved far too easily.

All in all, in my opinion, "Of Triton" lost a lot of the magic that was in "Of Poseidon". That being said, while I personally was not a fan of this book I do think that die-hard fans will be more than happy with it. Furthermore, despite my complaints I do intend to continue on with this series, if only to see how to wraps up.

Rating: 2/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "The 5th Wave" by Rick Yancey

Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Putnam
Pages: 480

From Goodreads: "The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up."

As many will know, this book has had major hype surrounding it- perchance the most hype that the world of young adult literature has experienced in years. While in the large majority of cases I do believe that hyped up books deserve all of the hype surrounding them, I must admit that I didn't believe that that to be the case for this book. While overall I did really enjoy it, I can't think of a single reason why this book stands out more than any other YA book of this nature out there.

While I hate making book comparisons with best-sellers, I do find the following titles to be the most apt description- this book is "The Hunger Games" meets "The Host". Like Katniss, Cassie goes out of her way to protect her brother at all costs- even if means sacrificing herself, she's quick on the draw, and she has a difficult time trusting people. Like "The Host", this book makes us question what makes humans human and whether others are capable of humanity. Furthermore, like "The Host", the aliens implant themselves within humans and have a similar make-up.

I think that my largest complaints about this book was the pacing of the book- I personally found the first 100 pages to be a draaaaag- almost entirely composed of world-building/ back story. There were a number of times when I thought that the characters were dragging their feet/ not realizing the severity of the situation that they were in/ the action-packed moments never really felt as such. If upwards of a 100 pages of this book were shaved off I think that I would have enjoyed it more so.

Furthermore, I didn't find the plot to be near as unique as I had hoped (as becomes evident with my comparing it to "The Hunger Games" and "The Host")- we have a kick-butt female character, a mysterious male who quickly sweeps her off of her feet, a post-apocalyptic society reminiscent of "Partials" by Dan Wells, and so forth. Additionally, I found myself growing increasingly overwhelmed with the changes in POV (we have POVs from Cassie, Zombie, and Cassie's young brother)- especially with the POVs being so un-uniform (one character's POV would be a hundred pages, the next 20 pages, the next 60, and so forth)- every time I found myself finally starting to settle into a character it switched.

That being said, Yancey knows how to write THE FEELS/ twisty turns quite unlike any other. There were a number of times while reading this book that I literally gasped out loud. Furthermore, I LOVED Evan- he is very likely to knock a number of my top YA book boyfriends down the list, if not entirely off of it.

All in all, while I did overall enjoy this book I do question whether or not it has the potential to become the "next big thing in YA". I personally find it to be no different than many other books on the market, the aforementioned "The Hunger Games" and "The Host", "Partials", "Blood Red Road", and so forth. That being said, I will continue on with this series, if only just to see how it wraps up.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "Sever" by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 384

From Goodreads: "Time is running out for Rhine in this conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Chemical Garden Trilogy.

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered."

While I was a fan of "Wither" (not a super fan like some, just a fan, fan- while I did enjoy it there were a number of things about it that irked me) I WAS NOT a fan of "Fever" (I couldn't, for the life of me, get into it, with the crazy carnival, Rhine continuously going in and out of consciousness,  and so forth), and, as such, I was quite hesitant to read this book. That being said, after finishing it all I can do is shake my head at my earlier stupidity- it was as if this book took all of my favourite characteristics from the previous two books and increased them by tenfold.

My most parting prominent thought about this book is, "Wow, Lauren knows how to write." I know that that may sound silly, her being an author and such, however, it wasn't until I read this book, really read it, that I understood what people are talking about when they say that an author has beautiful prose. Lauren? She haz it. And then some. Lauren is to make the most simplest of thing beautiful, all while not overwhelming the reader, making them feel that her writing is too heavy or detailed. Furthermore, the thought processes that Rhine goes through are second to none.

My second parting thought? "HALLELUJAH! WE HAVE CHARACTER GROWTH!" While I did like Cecily, to a degree, in the earlier books, it was nothing compared to this. While Lauren has beautiful prose like no other, Cecily has strength like no other. Numerous times while reading this book I forgot that Cecily is only 14 years old because she exuded such strength and maturity (as icky as I feel like writing this, I do truly believe that having a child was the best thing that ever happened to her). I also really, really, REALLY liked Linden in this novel. I loved that he saw the light and assumed responsibility for his father's actions in this novel.

That being said, like the previous two books I do also have a few problems with this. Namely, I find the ending to be quite a cop-out. Rather than the characters truly getting the opportunity to take control of their lives that, which they are so deserving of, fate intercepted, ripping it from from them. I feel like there was such a build-up of epicness and that the ending fell flat. However, as becomes evident from my 5 star rating, that fact didn't wreck this book for me as the other elements were able to make up for it.

All in all, I think that despite its ups and downs this is overall an enchanting series by Lauren. I personally cannot wait to see what she has in store for us with her "Internment Chronicles" series, slated to be released in 2014!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "The Lives We Lost" by Megan Crewe

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Disney
Pages: 288

From Goodreads: "First, the virus took Kaelyn’s friends. Then, her family. Now it’s taken away her home.

But she can't look back—the life she once had is gone forever.

A deadly virus has destroyed Kaelyn’s small island community and spread beyond the quarantine. No one is safe. But when Kaelyn finds samples of a vaccine in her father's abandoned lab, she knows there must be someone, somewhere, who can replicate it. As Kaelyn and her friends head to the mainland, they encounter a world beyond recognition. It’s not only the “friendly flu” that’s a killer—there are people who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the vaccine. How much will Kaelyn risk for an unproven cure, when the search could either destroy those she loves or save the human race?

Megan Crewe's second volume in the Fallen World trilogy is an action-packed journey that explores the resilience of friendship, the ache of lost love, and Kaelyn’s enduring hope in the face of the sacrifices she must make to stay alive."

Admittedly I can't help but feel that this book suffers from that not unlike Kristen Simmons "Breaking Point" does- second book syndrome. While while I read it it felt as if a lot was happening, after I finished it and sat back and considered it I realized that not all that much did- essentially the characters traveled from their home in the Maritimes to Toronto with very little difficulties, all things considering. I can't help but wonder how Megan is going to fully wrap up this series in one more book, this series being a trilogy- it feels to me that we could have at least another handful of books until we finally saw the end of the virus.

Furthermore, while I was a large fan of the characters, Kaelyn, Drew, Tessa and Gav, in "The Way We Fall", in this book I felt that all but Kaelyn didn't make all that large of an impact upon me. Drew and Tessa played very little roles in this book, while Gav bordered on being a possessive boyfriend, at times. However, I was quite impressed with Kaelyn- she continuously grows as a character and never loses sight of the end goal- finding a cure and making it widely distributed. I also did like the character addition of Tobias, however, I am uncertain about how I feel about Leo being fully ingrained into this story line. It's obvious that Megan is hinting at a story line between Kaelyn and Leo and I can't help but feel that it is far too forced- in my opinion the best romances are those that sneak up at you and are understated.

That being said, I really liked that this book wasn't told in the same format that it was in the previous- that instead of being written as a journal/ diary it was written as an ordinary narrative. I thought that this was much less flat and one-dimensional than the previous, and therefore even more of a "pageturner".

All in all, despite my complaints I did enjoy this book and I will be continuing on with this series- I think that fans of the first will be more than happy with this installment (perhaps even liking it more than the first!) and curse the year or so that they will have to wait for the third, and final book, in the series.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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"The Way We Fall" by Megan Crewe

Release Date: January 29, 2012
Publisher: Disney
Pages: 309

From Goodreads: "It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in. 

And then you're dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.

Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living."

When I first got my hands on this book I was beyond excited- I had heard nothing but good things about it and, being the genre that it is, I thought that it would be right up my alley (I consume what might be considered an unhealthy amount of dystopians/ post-apocalyptic YA books). However, I'm sad to say that I didn't like this book near as much as my peers did.

My largest complaint about this book is the style that it was written in- a letter/ journal format from Kaelyn to her former best friend, Leo. I found that in being written in this style that it was extremely two-dimensional, in the emotions that it imparts, in its development, both plot and character, and vernacular (after all, this is about a virus which confounds much of the medical world- you'd think that they'd be able to throw a bit more than simplistic medical jargon into it here and there). As such, I found it quite hard to relate to (I think that "Stolen: A Letter to My Captor" by Lucy Christopher and "Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer are much more successful at using this writing style). That being said, being written in this style I found it to be an extremely quick read, which I appreciate.

The most memorable aspect of this novel to me were the characters- from Kaelyn, a girl trying to readjust to a life that she had thought that she had lost, to her brother, Drew, who, despite marching to the beat of his own drum, does want to be accepted, especially by those closest to him, to Tessa, a girl who relates more to plants than she does to people, to Gav, who doesn't let his somewhat questionable background drag him down, doing everything in his power to better the lives of people around him.

As becomes evident, despite my complaints I was invested enough to finish (and I am invested enough to read the second book in the series). I'm curious to see how the outside world responds to what occurred on the island (or if the virus spreads beyond) and how the characters readjust to their new lives full of loss.

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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ARC Review: "Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 5, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 464

From Goodreads: "Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner."

I have to start this review by thanking author Marissa Meyer- thank you, thank you, THANK YOU. It has been SO LONG since I have felt THE FEELS and SQUEEd over a book, so long so that I had come to think that the heart-pounding/ bubbly chest feeling that I experienced when reading something so good, so cute, so flaily, and so forth, was just a figment of my imagination. You, Marissa Meyer, were able to do something that so few authors have been able to do for me and I cannot thank you enough.

As becomes evident, I LOVED this book. After finishing it I had a large smile on my face and happy tears in my eyes. Not only is this one of the best sequels that I have ever read before, but one of the best books overall. I honestly cannot think of a single complaint about it- not for lack of trying. While I had found "Cinder" to be fairly predictable, correctly guessing the entire plot within the first couple of pages, I was sitting on the edge of this seat the entire time while reading this book, never quite knowing where Marissa was going to take it next.

Additionally, going into this book I was quite concerned about how Scarlet and Cinder would compare and how they would meet up- both were flawless. While both girls have big personalities, and are physically, emotionally, and mentally strong, they are each their own unique person- Cinder quite literally trying to discover where she fits in our world (or beyond) and Scarlet doing everything in her power to protect those she loves. Furthermore, their meeting felt so natural and seamless, not jarring or obvious in the slightest.

While I loved both girls I also loved Wolf- I love that he wasn't like any other bad boy I have ever read of before. He was just so subdued and understated. While I do, for instance, find Jace Wayland's arrogance, cockiness and charm to be swoon-worthy, I also found Wolf's quietness, thoughtfulness, and childlike innocence to be swoon-worthy. Furthermore, I liked seeing Kai really step up to the plate, assuming the role that he was born for. AND I LOVED Captain Thorne. He was just so over the top that you couldn't help but fall for him (in fact, I think that I may like him even more than Kai)- I think that him and Cinder compliment one another well (just as friends though, of course)- with her dryness and his head almost as big as his ship.

All in all, as becomes evident I loved this book- "Cress" and "Winter" have quickly raised in the ranks of my "Most Highly Anticipated Books of 2014 and 2015". I highly recommend this series to everyone- with memorable characters, a flawless plot, and feelings/ emotions like no other, you can't go wrong!

Rating: 5/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review,

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ARC Review: "Breaking Point" by Kristen Simmons

Release Date: February 2, 2013
Publisher: Tor
Pages: 400

From Goodreads: "The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?" 

While I was somewhat iffy on the first book in this series, "Article 5" (primarily because of Ember), I did find this to be a vast improvement (it's clear that Kristen is growing tremendously as an author)- however, it's not without its faults. Personally I feel that this book suffers from "second book syndrome", to a degree. After finishing it and sitting back to consider it I found myself thinking, "That's it? All that this story centered around was trying to rescue Rebecca?" I just don't think that it was as near epic than it should have been/ there was really only one basic story line (especially when taking into consideration that there were SO many other elements that could have been added- I mean, they are living in an essentially war torn dictatorship where every single one of their actions is monitored, not unlike that of "The Hunger Games" or "Matched").

That being said, the dystopian world that Kristen has concocted is one of the best I have ever read of before (and I consider myself to be somewhat of a post-apocalyptic/ dystopian connoisseur, almost everything that I read in 2012 falling within the two genres). Her world building is second to none and I think that many authors of this genre could learn a lesson or two from her (there is an actual back story, folks!).

Furthermore, I loved that there was actual growth- in both the characters and in relationships. While Ember was somewhat whiny and nerve-grating in "Article 5" in this book she understood what was at stake and she stepped up to the plate, doing what no one else was able to. While Ember and Chase's relationship didn't play a massive role, I savored every moment that it did. Their relationship was one of the most mature and least superficial that I can ever recall reading in a YA before. 

All in all, I think that there was an even balance between things that I enjoyed in this novel and things that I didn't quite so much- regardless, I am quite looking forward to the next, and final, installment of this series, "Glass Arrow"!

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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"Opal" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: December 11, 2012
Publisher: Entangled
Pages: 452

From Goodreads: "No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it."

Jennifer L. Armentrout has quickly raised in the ranks of my TOP AUTHORS OF ALL TIME, basically in my eyes I think that she can do no wrong. However, I must admit that I didn't quite enjoy this book, one of my most highly anticipated of 2012, as much as I had hoped to.

What I have come to understand after thinking about this book for quite some time is that when it comes to these two, Daemon and Katy, I enjoy the chase more so than the actual relationship- while in theory I had always wanted to see Daemon and Katy together, when it actually happened it didn't quite meet my expectations. I loved the banter and snarkiness that they tossed at one another pre-relationship and when they came together I found them to be far too domestic-y for my liking, bordering on predictable, or, dare I say it, boring. That being said, I did quite enjoy Katy's relationship with... Dawson. I liked that she was able to break through to him to the extent that no other was. Though I was somewhat disappointed with Katy's lack of relationship with Dee.

Furthermore, I did quite like the character development in this book, especially the physical character development- give her another book or two and I think that Katy can truly give the most kick-ass YA female characters, Katniss, Tris, and so on, a run for their money! Another aspect that I liked was the ending- while, in my opinion, it was entirely unexpected, coming completely out of left field, I wouldn't have it any other way (and despite it being a cliffhanger of sorts, I don't find it to be near as painful as JLA has written before- she truly knows how to write endings like no other ).

All in all, despite my complaints I still do believe that this book, not to mention series, is one of the best that I have read in the world of YA in a long time and you can bet that I will still be first in line at the bookstore to pick up the next book in the series, "Origin"!

Rating: 4/5

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ARC Review: "The Archived" by Victoria Schwab

Release Date: January 22nd, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 336

From Goodreads: "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 first parting thought about this book? I. Love. Wesley. He is basically everything that my high school emo-heart beated for (don't judge, I was 16). He was just so cute and fun and brought a much needed light-heartedness to the novel. My second parting thought? Whoa. Every now and again a book comes along where all you can do is gape at it, specifically about how the author came up with it- with its concept, world building, characters and whatnot. I mean, Library + dead people + keys + hallways + pyschopaths + piece of paper not unlike the Marauders Map = WHA? And while it may seem like a strange combination I can assure you that it works.

However, I must admit that while I did LOVE Wesley I am more than a little on the fence when it comes to Mac. On the one hand I thought that she was super strong physically but on the other I am a bit annoyed by how easily manipulable she was. I have noticed a recent trend in YA where a female is quickly swept off of her feet by a male who is obviously NOT right for her when the RIGHT boy is standing right in front of her (either because she doesn't realize that he is right for her or because she is being rebellious, refusing the accept the fact- a la "House of Night" and "The Demon Trappers Daughter"). She allows the wrong boy to essentially dictate her life, putting everyone that she loves about at risk and so on, when it was easily avoidable (WHY? Why does it always have to be the female character to trek down this path? Why isn't it ever the male character? Why did Mac have to be one of those girls?).

All in all, (despite liking Wesley and the twisted ending, just when I was convinced that I had everything figured out Victoria made everything topsy turvy, in the best possible way) after finishing this book I just can't really say that I feel anything for it. That being said, despite my complaints this book did pique my curiosity enough to continue on with the series- I feel like this is one of those series where each book will get progressively better and better.

Rating: 3/5

I  received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

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