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: "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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"Mortality" by Kellie Sheridan

Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Self-Pub
Pages: 271

From Goodreads: "After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death. 

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough."

While I love all paranormal beings, I must admit that zombies are by far my most favourite (I'm totally one of those people counting down the days until the zombie Apocalypse). Therefore when I heard about this book I knew that I HAD to get my hands on it. After having finished reading it, my overall impression of this book is, "OMG, Savannah is bad-ass." While she was the only girl running in her group of boys, she certainly never let that drag her down, going toe-to-toe with them on a number of instances. Furthermore, her loyalty to said boys was second to none- she was willing to sacrifice her own safety for them time and time again. That being said, she wasn't perfect, at times she didn't make the wisest of  decisions, but I do think that that made her much more relatable to the reader.

Therefore, because I liked Savannah so much, I must admit that I did put up a bit of a fight when it came to Zarah's side of the story (alternating chapters)- I didn't want to let Savannah and her gang go. However, I do think that Zarah's story is necessary to the book, it completely changes our perception/ understanding of what these zombies are. And after learning what they truly are you can't help but... pity them. Furthermore, Zarah and Liam's relationship brought the FEELS quite unlike those experienced in Savvy's side of the story.

All in all, I think that this was an amazing debut from author Kellie Sheridan! I think that this will equally appeal to male and female readers and those of all ages. Furthermore, I believe that zombie fans will appreciate Kellie's different take on thegenre (differing "waves" of zombies, zombies who react to the climate, and so forth). I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us in the next installment of her "The Hitchhiker Strain" series and I highly recommend checking out the prequel to this, "End Dayz", to have a better understanding of how the zombie Apocalypse came to be and how it truly impacted the characters lives.

Rating: 4/5

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

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"Things I Can't Forget" by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 

Pages: 320

From Goodreads: "Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. 

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…"

As becomes evident from my review of "Stealing Parker" (my introduction to Miranda Kenneally's "Hundred Oaks" series, having not read the first book in the series, "Catching Jordan", as these are companions novels and therefore prior knowledge of the series isn't required) I was not a fan of it- there was a number of things about it that irked me, from Parker's behaviour, to the "preachiness" of the novel, to the overall superficiality. That being said, despite my complaints I did decide to continue on with the series, reading this book, the third book, and I'm extremely happy that I did make the decision to do so as I liked the book twofold over the previous. 

While one would think that because the large majority of this book took place in a church camp that it might be quite "preachy", I personally didn't find that (that being said, I did spend over a decade in a church camp, even being the arts and crafts director myself, so that may play into my biases). I think that it anything this book was about character growth, namely in Kate's religious beliefs- her beliefs growing, adapting and adjusting, and her learning that there is perhaps more to life than them (and that others beliefs may differ from her own). I think that a lot of YA readers will be able to connect to her as she does face many struggles that they may be experiencing or have experienced, first boyfriend, arguments with friends, forming new friendships, and so forth. 

Matt was also an enjoyable character- I appreciated the fact that he simply was who he was- he didn't try to be someone else and he was extremely honest about it (like the ways in which he expressed his religious beliefs). I also thought that the interaction between him and his siblings were adorable, especially when his younger brother told Kate not to break his heart.  

Additionally, while I did like Kate and Matt in this novel I did find myself finally coming around to Parker (that being said, I wouldn't yet consider us to be BFFs, though we are somewhat getting there). It was nice to see her so less boy crazy in this book (her eyes only for Will) and to see her start to realize that perhaps she hadn't only been at the receiving end of misjudgment, but at the giving end. 

All in all, as becomes evident, I am glad that I did continue on with this series and I intend to read the final three books in the series (also, I will be finally picking up "Catching Jordan"). I think that those who are already fans of this series will be more than pleased by it and I thank them for their enthusiasm for this series, convincing me to give it another go. 

Rating: 4/5

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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Blog Tour: "The Ruining" by Anna Collomore

Release Date: February 7, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 313

From Goodreads: "Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door. 

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity."

When I first started to read this book I was excited- it had all of the elements that I enjoy in books of this nature, psychological thrillers, where the main character struggles to differentiate between fact and fiction- a fast-paced plotline where you are constantly sitting on the edge of your seat, a build-up and swell of emotions as the main character spirals more and more downwards into insanity, and a villain who is so convincing that you can't help but wonder if they actually are a villain. That being said, I feel that at the crescendo of the book, the most epic part, it just... fell flat, ending on a sour note, or, in this case, too normal of a note, bordering on domestic.

Additionally, I did find the romance element of the book, between Annie and Owen, to be fairly unconvincing. Only after a few encounters, in all of which Annie was horrid to Owen, he was willing to do anything for her. While I think that the author had intended for this to come across as being romantic, I thought that it was anything but- I couldn't help but think that Annie had ended up in almost an identical situation to that of which she was in with Libby, with Owen (being bossed around by another, not having control of her life, etc.)- you'd think that with everything that she had suffered through she would know better than to do that again.

As becomes evident, I am quite torn about this book, perhaps the most torn that I have ever been while rating a book before- does the awesome first 3/4 of the book outweigh the iffy last 1/4? Or is the last 1/4 do disappointing that it colours everything else? Is the book worth 3 stars? 4? Or even 5? Would I recommend this book? Or would I recommend similar books instead? Overall, while I do love the concept of the book I think that the execution is lacking, especially at the end. I personally find that "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkins and "Lucid" by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass are more successful at tackling this genre than this book is. That being said, I can see myself rereading this book again in the future- a sign that I like it enough to do so.

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: "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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"The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton

Release Date: 1967
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 187

From Goodreads: "According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser."

Admittedly going into this book I was somewhat determined not to like it- for one reason, it's completely out of my comfort zone (that being YA pararnormal and dystopian/ post-apocalyptic), for another, I had to read it for school (I cannot recall having ever finished a novel for school in its entirely, especially during high school). However, all that effort to not like it was to was to no avail- when all is said and done, I really enjoyed this book and it's safe to say that it completely exceeded my expectations.

After finishing this book the two elements which stick out to me most are the emotions and the relationships. In reading YA over the years I have grown so accustomed to the male characters being "bad boys"- cocky arrogant, and charming to the nth degree, however, despite all of that they have nothing on these boys. I've come to realize that those "bad boys" are fooling themselves, their "badness" (and all of the emotions surrounding it) is such a facade and superficial. These boys, from Soda, with a larger-than-life personality and who brings a smile to everyone's face, not unlike the beverage he derives his name from does, to Darry, stuck in a "between" state, due to putting his brothers before himself, to Dally, who isn't near as jaded as he lets himself come off of as, to Johnny, who, out of his death, inspires new life, to Ponyboy, a young man truly trying to find where he fits in the crazy world that he was born into, experience real and raw emotions- while they certainly have swagger, they aren't afraid to cry whenever need be (it was refreshing and I think that authors of the twenty-first century could certainly learn a thing or two from this author of the mid-twentieth-century). As for the relationship element, I can't remember the last time I read of such a strong family unit, despite many of these boys not being related by blood. These boys could always count on one another, even during those times when they may not deserve it.

All in all, while I did enjoy this book I don't believe that it's the "best" and "most popular young adult novel of all time" as the cover boasts (though it is one of the best novels that I have been required to read for school, both high school and university)- but I am entirely thankful for it as it truly paved the way for all future YA.

Rating: 4/5

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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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"Life As We Knew It" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Release Date: October 1, 2006

Publisher: Harcourt 

Pages: 337

From Goodreads: "Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world."

At the time that I had read this book I had just finished both "The Way We Fall" and "The Lives We Lost" by Megan Crewe and I cannot help but compare this to the two, the former especially, as they were both written in the same format- that of a journal/ diary. While one of my largest complaints in "The Way We Fall" was that I was unable to relate to much of the book as I found the writing to be quite flat and one-dimensional, that was anything but the case for this. If I had to describe this book in a few words it would be "a roller coaster of emotions"- I cannot even put to words all of the different emotions that I felt while reading it, one minute I was smiling, the next I was sobbing.

Aside from the emotional-strength of this book, I think that its other biggest strength is that it just comes across as being so realistic. While reading it I kept wondering to myself how my family and me would fare if something of this nature occurred (probably not very well, if the 5 cans of soup in our cupboard are any indication and the fact that we still haven't mastered the thermostat during the winter months in our house, despite having lived in it for over a year). I don't think that it would be all that far-fetched for future generations to have to experience something of this nature (I mean, look at the flu endemics that our world is currently experiencing). 

All in all, I think that this is one of the best books of this nature that I had read in a far while- nature taking back the reigns of control, pushing mankind into the beginnings of an apocalyptic society. That being said, I am on the fence about whether or not to continue on with this series (something that is almost unheard of for me), one reason being because I feel like this nicely wrapped itself up, having the potential to be a standalone, another reason being because the next one doesn't focus on Miranda and her family, but instead Alex Morales (though I do understand that the third book once again focuses on Miranda/ her interactions with Alex)- this is a family that I don't want to let go of, even for a book. 

Rating: 4/5

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"Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 404

From Goodreads: "After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."

If I were to be asked what the first thing that pops into my head when I think about this book was it would be the characters- It has some of the best that I can recall reading in quite some time, main and secondary alike. From Celaena, a young assassin who is trying to find exactly where she stands in life and is loyal through and through, despite not owing anyone anything, to Prince Dorian, who, despite knowing that you'll just be another notch in his belt, you can't help but fall for,due to his larger-than-life personality, to Chaol, perhaps one of the most mature YA boys I have ever read of before, to Nox, a fellow criminal who is thrown into the champion competition alongside Celaena, providing her with the much needed camaraderie/ support that she so desperately needs (I don't know about y'all but for a while there I was totally rooting for Nox to be the third arm in the love triangle).

That being said, if I were then asked what the second word that pops into my head is it would be "busy". At times I thought that there was WAY too much going on- from a crazy king hellbent on committing essentially genocide, to a battle of champions, to a rebellious princess, to Fae,  to a gateway between worlds, to religions and holidays, and the likes of. I personally would have preferred if the champion competition had played a larger role, after all, it is the core of the book- I found that in the latter half of the book especially it was too glossed over, with Celaena just mentioning it in passing (for instance, something along the lines of, "After the sixth competition that I did today..." Would you care to give us a bit more information about what exactly you had to do? How everyone fared, etc.?)- it seemed to be one of those instances of "told" rather than "showed".

All in all, despite my complaints I did quite enjoy the book- it is one of the better that I have read in quite some time and I will be continuing on with this series as I am quite curious to see how all of the various elements will come together. I think that fans of Tamora Pierce will devour this book as it is, in my opinion, her "Song of the Lioness" meets her "Trickster's" duet (and then some).

Rating: 4/5

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 Sea of Tranquility" by Katja Millay

Release Date: November 13, 2012
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 380

From Goodreads: "I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Please Note: This book contains mature content including profanity, drug/alcohol use, and sexual situations/language."

Admittedly I had an entire review written about how I was "iffy" about this book and so on, but I deleted it. Why? Because every day since finishing this book (and writing the original review- near two months ago) I have thought about this book (and recommended it to almost everyone I know) and realized that I am in no way, shape, or form "iffy" on this book- I am entirely committed to it and then some. This book is the epitome of one of those books that sneaks up on you, ensnares you in its teeth and refuses to let go (not that you really put up much of a struggle once it does) .

In all honesty it took me a fair while to become wholly invested in this novel- I found that the first forty percent of the book dragged its feet, the plot kicking and screaming the entire way, with the characters sloooooowly introducing themselves to us, their histories, their world, and so forth. However, once I hit the 40% mark, and the characters really revealed themselves to us and there was a change in Josh and Nastya's relationship- going from the strange (sometimes bordering on creepy) girl who randomly shows up one day and the boy with a force field of death surrounding him- to friends (and eventually beyond), I was HOOKED. However, after finishing this book and thinking about it I realize that the original 40%, however slow it may have been, was necessary- the build-up is quite unlike any other I have ever experienced before.

When I think about this novel the two elements which jump to mind first are the characters and the romance- both which are flawed beyond belief, but both which work. Nastya, who has as many layers of emotion and depth as she does of make-up on her face, Josh, who is the break in the storm  clouds, revealing the sunshine, and Drew, who despite his playerish ways brings a child-like innocence to the book. The romance being one of the best I have ever encountered before- the progression from strangers, to friends, to confidants, to boyfriend/ girlfriend (the closest romance that I have every encountered before is that of Jay and Vi in Kimberly Derting's "The Body Finder" series).

All in all, I don't think that I can ever do this book justice in a review. All I can say is that this is a book that I will visit time and time again (and never tire of). I recommend this book to everyone, even those who are not fans of contemporary as this book can (and WILL) convert them.

Rating: 5/5 

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