Champion (Legend #3) - Marie Lu

Review: Champion
Series: Legend (#3)
Author: Marie Lu
Rating: ★★★★★
Genre: Dystopia

Hell. Wow. That is how you end a series. I'm an utter mess. But it was so worth it. 

So basically, there was never a dull moment. After Prodigy, I was already half done but after reading Champion, I was dead. The plot had so much. War, politics, romance, disease, air raids, bombs, making love (oh yes), etc. It continued Prodigy with the story of June as she struggles to be Anden's Princeps-Elect and advise him to best run the country; and of course Day, who has to come to terms with his illness and what he believes he can give the Republic. 

I mean just wow. I always loved June and Day, but after this I realized how much they meant to me. June was so strong and brave, the steady one with a glossy outer covering, but filled with internal turmoil. And Day. Oh god, Day. Constantly giving and helping. Arrogant and cocky on the outside, but so unsure on the inside. Just no. The characters were flawed and perfect. Their story a thousand times more so.

The setting was incredible too - the ruined Republic of America, the Colonies, and most of all the little glimpse we get of the world outside North America. The way the world has progressed is so interesting, and very vivid. Dystopia is often made up of a post-apocalyptic world churned out of a blender. But with Legend I felt like there was a lot of thought that was put into building the world. Even the propaganda was interesting. it was the little details like the names of the slum sectors that really built the story.

I don't really know what to say, other than this book is a bundle of action and emotion. Everything about this book made me think of how the clock is always ticking, and how if we're not careful we can lose so much time. It made me think about what was important, and how easily we can lose those things. It was really flawless, but it hurt so much too. The dual-POV is frustrating and wonderful, and I just wanted to take each of the characters I loved and take them away someplace safe. It was action packed, full of politics and intrigue, jammed with emotions being frayed at every possible moment, and wrapped the series with an exquisitely painful, gorgeous ending.

Dead Silence (Body Finder #4) - Kimberly Derting

Review: Dead Silence
Author: Kimberly Derting
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Paranormal-romance
Recommend To: fans of the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

I've read this series for a while and I have started to detect a certain pattern....here's a brief overview. Violet senses a dead body. Jay tells her to trust others to handle it. Violet is dumb and goes to handle it herself, putting herself in grave danger. She survives. Jay and her kiss. They kiss some more. The killer targets more people, and is usually gravely psychotic. Something drastic happens. Violet goes to save they day. Something else happens. The killer is caught, Violet is fine. Jay and Violet kiss again.

I just summed up the whole series..but then again...it's still good. While the books follow the same path and have become very predictable, it's hard to pull yourself away. For one, Violet and Jay are too dang shmexy to resist. Really one of my favorite fictional couples (Jay is too cute). Also, The killers are CrEePy. No joke, every time you hear from their point of view, you get chills. They are very sick and twisted. And deranged. And then you almost, ALMOST, start to feel sorry for them. It's very gross and confusing and addicting. Each killer gets more and more weird and scary. Each book becomes more and more intense. The overarching plot is thickening, and we're finally getting the answers we so crave. 

It's moving from just being about Violet finding dead bodies, and it's progressing to what she wants to do with that ability, the limitations she has, and how the past affects the future. There are a lot of interesting revelations and discoveries Violet makes, and it adds to the mysterious aura of impending doom. I think the series will soon turn into a much more interesting direction, rather than just random killers. 

However, for now, Violet needs to stop being dumb and actually listen to the people around her for once. Honestly, she doesn't have the best decision making skills. She's constantly running into dangerous situations head first even after 4 books of being abducted and tortured, and putting her loved ones in danger. (Poor Jay is at his wits end). The books also need to become less predictable, although the intensity and horror factor are still fantastic.

Vesper (Deviants #1) - Jeff Sampson

Review: Vesper

Author: Jeff Sampson

Rating: 2/5

Genre: Paranormal

Recommend To: N/A

Honestly, it was weird. In a sort of not OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO UNEXPECTED but more of a .....huh...that was....unexpected...and odd...kind of way. It was just blah. The thing that attracted me to it the most was the cover. And the title. But nothing ever gets explained. There is some stuff that is supposed to confuse you, make you think plot twists and things, throw you off the trail, but it is overkill and completely ruins the romance aspect (that was awful), and other than that...the characters are pretty flat.

Ugh, what's her name....gosh I already forgot...Emily! It was Emily. Okay, Emily Webb not Cooke, it a boring person during the daytime. During the nighttime she morphs into.....oh look! Another boring Emily! Really, the concept was cool, but the rest of it really was not. The parties and random boy-licking (eew) and the drunkenness was probably supposed to make her really really different from daytime Emily, but I never even got a feel for the original character herself. The nighttime Emily was just a boring drunk. I never thought whoa, she is a really dangerous and awesome female main character. Her best friend Meghan was beyond obnoxious. Normally I love the secondary characters, they're the quirky ones who light the book up! But uhh....Meghan celebrated the death of a girl...because she was a popular girl who apparently deserved no less. Umm okay who does that? And then she wished for more dead popular people and told her best friend she was better off dead than well-liked. Great message there. There are also the usual absent parents, no older guide whatsoever, and her dad doesn't say more than 5 lines and plays video games (I get her mom is dead but still). 

The love interest? We spend ages listening to Emily ramble on about some other guy. We are introduced to the actual guy after 80% of the book is over, and we don't learn a thing about him. Bam, he is just there. Yeah, plot twist or just random and not well done? I vote the latter. They don't even TALK. It's completely useless and it's not even love at first sight. It was something else altogether. Ugh. 

The only thing that salvaged this book even remotely was the whole F. Savage dialogue interview thing. I don't make much sense but I don't really want to spoil. It was different though, I enjoyed it more than the whole book put together. And the ending was better. It really showed a better, more sarcastic, and actually intelligent side of Emily. Although still no explanation whatsoever, it just was not well done.

Overall, a pretty horrible book with the potential to be something. Maybe. It was all just weird and off kilter. The pacing was terrible, the romance was...nonexistent let's just say....and the characters were two-dimensional. 

Perfect Scoundrels (Heist Society #3) - Ally Carter

Review: Perfect Scoundrels
Author: Ally Carter
Rating: 4/5

Genre: Espionage

Recommend To: fans of the Gallagher Girls, the Specialists

Ally Carter writes the some of the cutest literature. Don't take that the wrong way, it's a compliment. If you need something light-hearted and simple to read curled up somewhere on a rainy day, Ally Carter is your way to go. I'm going to say her Gallagher Girls series didn't start of that well, but it's definitely much better in the later books. However, Heist Society is good throughout the series. 

The plots are very simple; there's a bad guy, then Kat's adorable family gets involved. They pull the biggest con ever attempted, and they win YAY. It's very suitable for younger kids, (except for when Hale gets drunk). But even then, it's written for a more juvenile audience. If you're looking for a complex. emotional plot, with twists and turns this is not it. BUT, it's still so, so enjoyable. It's fun and adventurous. The names of some of the Heist capers are ridiculous (ex. Three Blind Mice, the Anastasia, Cat in the Cradle, Count of Monte Cristo). It's so much fun imagining all the different cons those could possible refer to!

The characters are definitely one of the best aspects of this book. Kat, Hale, Uncle Eddie, Bobby, Gabrielle (who I really love), Angus, Hamish, Simon, Silas Foster, Marcus, Marianne. They're all fantastic and whimsical and hilarious and very, very lovable. And the bad guys are fun to hate too! Hale's entire family is horrible, Garrett was despicable. But it was all so lighthearted. Although, there was a scare towards the end, there is nothing awful that happens in these books. They'll just make you plain old laugh in amusement. 

The relationships are beautiful. Kat and Hale go through some bumps, but they still love each other. Kat and her Uncle Eddie are always there for each other. Kat and Gabrielle...I adore them and their little cousin bickering. The characters never let each other down though, they are loyal to the end. In these books, family is everything, and it just adds a bright spot to your day.

Overall, these books are simple, delightful, and heartwarming. It's just a pleasure to read, and will take your mind off your problems.

Mila 2.0 (Mila 2.0 #1) - Debra Driza

Review: Mila 2.0

Author: Debra Driza

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Science-fiction

Recommend To: fans of Adam & Eve, Maximum Ride, and Unwind

Hmmm...I was stoked about this book, and the cover totally helped to increase my excitement. I was expecting heart-pounding action, awesome tech, and a great cliffhanger (according to the blurb at least.)
There was also the expectation of some slow, simmering romance that would gradually build. 

I was ready to absolutely love this book, but there were some parts I could not bring myself to like. First off, there wasn't really a cliffhanger. Nah. Also, the character development was stunted except in the case of Mila's relationship with her mom. Everyone else just showed up...and then disappeared. Mila herself, I liked, she was easy to root for, but she was so typical. Bleh. Her obnoxious "friend" Kaylee? Yeah no, she was useless. It was really her mom who I could see a growing relationship and understanding developing. 

The romance was.....there? I just didn't enjoy it. There was Hunter, who falls in love with her after like a minute, and they have a secret meeting in the barn....stuff happens. Bye Hunter. Enter Lucas, a nice guy working for the bad guys, who seems to care for her.....stuff happens. Bye Lucas. Oh hey Hunter, I need your help. END OF BOOK. That was honestly it. I felt nothing for Hunter, who she kept thinking about, and then Lucas, I don't even think he was supposed to be a love interest, although it's pretty confusing when she compares the two. 

Yes it sounds awful right? The good thing was, the bad stuff was focused on very little of the time. The main focus is the action and the suspense and it delivers. Mila discovers she is an android, activate defense capabilities and badaboom she can FIGHT. Throw in some bad guys, and an evil scientist/madman, it is automatically a fun book. Mila has to learn how to use both her human and android abilities to rise up and it is so very awesome. 

The end was not a cliffhanger, but it will lead into the next book, which will no doubt be suspenseful and will probably answer some questions.

But the real question remains *serious face*....how on earth does Mila 2.0 go to the bathroom if she's an android?

The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2) - Michelle Hodkin

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Rating: 5/5

Genre: Paranormal-romance

Recommend To: fans of the Body Finder

Wow oh wow. I am a huge fan of the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and the Evolution just certified that fact. It's creepy and confusing at times, and mirrors the effects of insanity (you go with Mara the whole way). The romance is practically sizzling off the page, I think I actually blushed at some points. Yeah (Noah...*sighs dreamily*). There are probably people who can argue that the basic story follows the same girl meets boy and is a superhero type of plot line, but seriously, how many times does the girl have the ability to kill everything in a mile radius and also ends up in an asylum? 

The Evolution of Mara Dyer continues on from the Unbecoming which ended with that nasty, shocking cliffhanger. Mara grows a lot, she focuses on her family and keeping them safe, as well as her relationship and familial connections to Noah *sighs dreamily again* . What I liked was that Mara recognized the fact that the more she acted insane, the more she would be scrutinized and institutionalized. She is intelligent enough to know what to do to cover up her slipping grasp on reality, whereas other characters just whine a lot. What's even more scary is when we go with her on her insane rides into the past. Her life becomes more terrifying as she realizes she is forgetting things, and at times, she'll fall asleep or have blackouts, and wake up somewhere completely different. The Jude situation worsens, as she wonders if he is stalking her and her family with the intent of doing harm (plus he's creepy, that's all I'm going to say there).

The most frustrating thing about the book was how her family wouldn't believe her and the dramatic irony of the situation. It was pretty painful, and I just wanted to shake them like *Jude is THERE and Mara ISN'T insane!!! Why can't you SEE??* Although it is so nice to have a character with an actual supportive family, rather than being a poor orphan raised by an aunt or something. That's been overdone.

Finally, the mystery of the powers she has is slowly being solved (can't wait for book 3!) and Noah is there every step of the way. The relationship between him and Mara is deepening, as they try to figure out what is actually going on with Mara and well, a whole boatload of crazy stuff. He is deep and brooding, typical guy dark hero stuff, but you can't help loving him. It's actually a fun read and isn't too heavy. It makes you go nuts, but it's always fun to get into a story the way you can easily slip into the world of Mara Dyer. I recommend for paranormal romance fans who are tired of the werewolves and vampires. 

Eve & Adam - Michael Grant, Katherine Applegate

Review: Eve & Adam
Authors: Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate
Rating: 3/5

Genre: Science-fiction

Recommend To: fans of Partials

This was not the most original book I've read all year. Just based on the cover, the whole mother is in charge of a biochem lab; the whole thing was screaming GENETICALLY MODIFIED MUTANT STUFF HAPPENING HERE. Yeah it was obvious. But it was still very enjoyable. 

It was interesting enough (just not surprising). Evening Spiker is tasked by her mother to program a human being, DNA and up. Of course she picks male. (DUH) However, the company her mother heads has some funky stuff underfoot (wow who didn't see that one?) and is breaking the law and creating biological anomalies (*gasp! WHAT?* Yeah not really) and the cute boy who works around the building thinks it's Eve's mom who's the head of the whole operation. He plans to bring the company down to expose the atrocities occurring, all the while Eve is slightly clueless. ("I'm only creating him using the program, the billion dollar biochemistry company my mom is the CEO for would never actually do something with it!") Right. Thanks for your input Eve. 

Beyond that though, the concept was cute, the wee romance was also adorable. There was not much of actual chemistry I guess, but for the book's sake let's say that Eve and Solo were cute. His determination to bring down her ruthless mother was commendable (lol). Adam....eh. I loved Aislin though, it was hard not to. She was very dumb, but I was happy in the end. Best friends are usually fun side characters and Aislin was no exception. He nherent dumbness was frustrating but that was sort of the point. She was always there for Eve. 

Terra Spiker is probably the baddest, most awesome woman ever. I hated her at first, but at the end I was totally in awe. She's that person who is emotionless, but only on the outside, and will not hesitate to TAKE YOU DOWN.

It was very predictable, and utterly simple. Even the horrifying creatures didn't really make me shiver in fear or anything. It was too straightforward. But on a hot summer day, or a cozy winter day, this book would be a good companion. It's a good tale and ends neatly. It's fantastic stand-alone book because it ends so tidily, I probably liked the ending a good amount more than the beginning of the book. The bad guys were bad, they died, the good guys were good, they lived. It was undemanding, but maybe at times, that is exactly what is needed.

Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

Review: Eleanor and Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Contemporary, romance

Recommend To: fans of Pushing the Limits, the Fault in Our Stars (they cause similar amounts of trauma)

What did I ever do to you books? Why do I deserve this absolute heart-wrenching, completely terrifying experience? I never caused you pain, but you nearly killed me. I never made you cry, but you made me drown in tears. Why would you do such a thing? I felt compelled to write this review at 1 in the morning. Because I just finished and the tear tracks are still fresh. This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. 

The characters, still so fresh in my mind just evoke such emotions. Eleanor, love and independence. Park, bravery and loyalty. Richie, complete and utter hatred. Even the secondary characters invoke crazy things, Tina, Steve, DeNice, Beebi, Ben, Maisie, Park's parents, Eleanor's mom and actual dad. The feelings were just flowing freely and were completely out of control. My family probably though I was a psychopath or something. 

The writing itself, it just....I'm going to be honest here, it terrified me. I was going out of my mind. Because as the story progresses, it hastens and develops a sense of urgency. I was feeling utter dread as it continued. The beginning was almost slow, Park and Eleanor meeting, falling in love. But then it starts to go. And it makes your heart crawl up into your throat. Because you know, you KNOW, something is going to happen and you KNOW it's going to do something to do this fragile/indestructible love of Eleanor & Park and all you can do is sit tight and pray that they both don't end up like Romeo and Juliet. It's completely crazy. And it's one of my favorite books of the year. 

Eleanor. She made me want to cry. And then get a grip on myself and hug every single member of my family. Her story...just the incredible amount of things she is forced to go through. The fear of not having enough food, not having clothes, not having a bathroom door, not having batteries. A useless mother, a drug addict father (actual father). Siblings who honestly terrified me. The amount of things against her were astounding. I wanted to pack my entire room up and hand it to her with a bow. Like here...an actual toothbrush and clothes. And yet through it all, she still remained Eleanor. 

Park. He was freaking Asian Prince Charming. Can I say I completely fell in love with him? The comic books, and the music, and making Eleanor tapes. He was the opposite of Eleanor in every way. HIs family too, gods they were adorable. I loved how they eventually welcomed Eleanor into their family, especially his mom (I loved her).

Here comes the actual ranting. Richie you sick, SICK, TWISTED man monster. I hope you rot in hell. Because even if you are fictional, you embody perverts, rapists, sexual predators, domestic abusers, sex ring runners and every humanly horrible thing on this earth and I want you all to die slowly. Because you are freaking disgusting. 

Sigh, overall, this book is simply amazing. But it completely drains you. And uses every ounce of your being. Then it rolls over you with a train a couple times for good measure. Just a note of caution. 

Blood of the Sorcerer (Kingdom Chronicles #2) - B.C. Morin

Review: Blood of the Sorcerer
Author: BC Morin
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Fantasy
Recommend To: fans of the Iron King

There was loads and loads of fresh, fun, fantasy in Blood of the Sorcerer! It continues from Mark of the Princess with the rise of Samil aided by Maligo, and has the return of wonderful characters such as Alannah, Evyette, Brennus, Tristan, and Kaleb. The plot gets twisted and complicated, but remains engaging and full of magical confrontations and romance. Alannah continues her training and grapples with her feelings for Brennus who is set to marry Isibeal, who in turn is hiding a secret. Evyette continues to learn about her mysterious past with her love Tristan and friend Kaleb by her side. 

The characters themselves are very complex with intricate personalities. The relationships between them are well explored and the world building is lush and full of sensory overload. The descriptions are full of detail and the settings are easy to visualize. Although the different magical creatures can be easy to confuse (Dorchae, Drow etc.) the story isn't hard to get into; you automatically become lost in the world.

Even better was the introduction of backstories for the villains. Originally they seemed flat, but with the added tales of how Samil and Maligo became the way they are, the story was enhanced and became better in general. The villains became 3-Dimensional and were easier to understand and sympathize with while still being fun to hate.

The romance was incredible. Although there was predictable love triangle stuff, it wasn't drawn out and overly boring, plus the constant misunderstandings (especially between Alannah and Brennus) were frustrating but amusing. The tension between Alannah and Brennus was tangible (as in really WOW) and drunk Brennus is so SEXY. My gosh. Evyette and Tristan were also so adorable.

[ I'm just sad about the end, Tristan's death felt almost uneccessary. So much time was spent building their relationship and instead he just dies? And Kaleb gets the girl? No thanks I'll pass. Sigh, I don't know, I felt zilch amounts of chemistry between Kaleb and Evy. (hide spoiler)]

With all this glorious stuff there seem to be no flaws but sadly, the writing itself was not exceptional. I suppose it is a self-published book after all, but it was hard to ignore the awkward sentence structure. The dialogue was stilted at times, made to sound overly archaic and then almost modern, and it was occasionally predictable. For example, this quote is just wordy and awkward, and tries too hard to sound antiquated.

"You seem to ask a question to which you may know the answer to. Do you not, old fae?"

There were also some very cliche moments like "Huh, the last mysterious scroll is on some dark, deserted island overrun by wild beasts where NO FAE EVER GOES. Who saw that one coming?" However, there was sarcasm and tinges of humor which were very refreshing and enjoyable.

Overall I enjoyed this book, it had well written characters, a gripping plotline, and positively steamy romance. Although the wording was unnatural it was still descriptive and built the characters and world well. I would strongly encourage high-fantasy lovers to read it!

Ship Breaker (Ship Breaker #1) - Paolo Bacigalupi

Review: Ship Breaker
Author: Paolo Bacigalupi
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Dystopia
Recommend To: fans of Exodus

This was a really interesting read, and a really different spin on the entire post-apocalyptic/dystopian genre. Instead of a despotic government and rebellion, we just have total chaos and poverty. Nailer, our main protagonist, scrapes through life crewing for a team of people who scavenge valuable materials off broken ships and ancient oil tankers. It's dangerous, dirty, backbreaking work that requires total loyalty. When a storm blows an expensive ship onto the shore along with a mysterious and beautiful girl, Nailer begins to face the dilemma of upholding his morals or escaping his hellish life.

I really did enjoy this book, but I think that there were some aspects of it that others would like more. There was a lot of description of the ships, and a lot industrial details. Not to say that this is a book for boys, but the shipping and trade wars did dominate a lot of the book. The story behind the fall of humanity was explained only briefly, and some of the plot points were vague. For instance, the different countries and what kind of situation they've fallen into, as well as the genetically engineered men weren't really focused on that much (Tool was awesome, but there wasn't much explanation.) I wasn't really sure what condition the rest of the world was in other than Nailer's little world.

However, the characters were very detailed, and the story was interesting and exciting. Nailer's journey from frightened to courageous was real and believable. He was a wonderfully flawed character, and was easy to root for. Nailer's twisted father, and the other power hungry drug addicts were chilling. Tool was also alarming but awesome and very perplexing. The romance was okay, but at least it was slow, and grew over time. The adventure was new and different, and the story was very unique from others. 

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1) - Gail Carriger

Review: Etiquette & Espionage
Author: Gail Carriger
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Steampunk, historical-fiction
Recommend To: fans of Leviathan, Airborn

This is book was totally unexpected. Definitely in a good way. I was expecting more of a focus on the Victorian Era rules for girls and the schooling for assassins but instead I got a LOT more steampunk than I had bargained for. If you don't really like technology or industrial oddity, then this book isn't really for you. The romance was also very low-key to nonexistent. BUT it was adventurous and exciting. 

Sophronia is a precocious 14 year old girl with a penchant for trouble. To Sophronia's horror, her mother decides to ship her off to a fancy finishing school....where they learn a different sort of finishing altogether. Honestly, I thought it would be more of a boarding school type book, rather than...strange floating machinery in the air, with vampires and werewolves. I also thought there would be more of a focus on Sophronia getting her unusual education, but instead there was the strange mystery of an odd little secret package.

The focus wasn't on what I was expecting, and certain things got smudgy and confusing...but the points of the novel that were supposed to be good were REALLY good. For one, Sophronia was hilarious, outgoing, courageous, and fair. She was an enjoyable main character. The third person threw me off for a bit because I've gotten so used to first person but it flowed well and was descriptive. The way history and technology mesh in steampunk always fascinates me because authors always do it so differently! 

Overall, it lacked in some elements, but it was original and funny. It mixed a lot of genres and wasn't a long, tedious read. It isn't the regular espionage spy-book/romance genre but it sure was fun!

Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3) - Melina Marchetta

Review: Quintana of Charyn
Author: Melina Marchetta
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Fantasy
Recommend To: fans of the Seven Realms, A Game of Thrones

This series has been a true roller-coaster. It was going up and down, upside down, and the end was nearly impossible to see. Over the course of this book, dozens and dozens of characters were introduced, and their stories were so entwined that it was almost impossible for the book to have any sort of happy ending. 

I first met the majority of characters in Finnikin of the Rock, and it was impossible not to love all of them and just want them all to be happy. When I learned that there would be a sequel I was thrilled. When I learned it was told from the point of Froi I was a little put out, but by the end the book completely changed my mind. I NEEDED to get hold of Quintana of Charyn. I had fallen in love with a completely new set of characters and it looked like they were being pitted against each other. 

It was stressful. 

Honestly, it looked as if they would all end up killing each other, or never finding their true loves and it was just awful. But Melina Marchetta is some kind of fantasy book goddess and managed to wrap it up. When books say they're satisfying they're usually wrong, but this one was deep, complex, confusing, at times humorous, at other times (the majority of the book actually) heartbreaking, and very very satisfying. 

The countries of Charyn and Lumatere will forever be making repairs after the years of struggle they went through, and there will always be problems with neighboring countries, but I loved these broken lands with a passion fueled by the inhabitants. Each inhabitant had a story (usually a painful terrible story) and they created the overall story of their nation. 

The story wasn't always pretty, it showcased some ugly sides of human nature, it addressed mature topics such as rape and genocide. It forced you to put every inch of your soul into the book and care so much that you thought you would self-implode at times. And that's what makes it one of the best series I've read.

Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss #1) - Stephanie Perkins

Review: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Rating: 5/5
Genre: Romance

Recommend To: fans of Pushing the Limits, the Fault in Our Stars

This is the cutest chick-lit romance I have read in a long forever. With a name like Anna and the French Kiss, I was a little hesitant, but I have to say this book will blow your mind away with the adorable romantic tension. It isn't deep, or emotional. There isn't much other than pure, lovable romance. If you want a light read, this is your book. It went by very quickly because I was so engaged in the tale.

Anna is a cute protagonist. (Everything about this book was cute if you haven't noticed). She's big into movies, and like any normal teen, she has trouble adjusting to her new life. She becomes friends with the gorgeous Etienne and like any normal girl, falls head over heels. Obviously, (to the reader at least), he falls right back. It seems like the story should just wrap up, but there are a ridiculous amount of misunderstandings and romantic stress that follows as the two try to figure out that the other is indeed reciprocating their love. And the reader gets very swept up in it as well.

Etienne stressed me out the entire time. At parts I hated him for not just dumping his stupid girlfriend and getting with Anna. It was the classic "does he love me? or not? why doesn't he let me know?" It was heaps of tension and confusion. 

But the thing I admired most was, even though Anna knew she had feelings for Etienne, she was his friend first. The moments between them were touching and perfect and occasionally hilarious. She cared so much for him and he in return cared for her; they both got to know each other as friends. The side characters were also easy to like, although they still took a heavy backseat at times. Etienne's girlfriend was so much fun to hate, even though we barely knew her. 

It was definitely one of the sweetest stories and I envision a fantastic future for Anna and Etienne. It was impossible not to fall madly in love with Anna and Etienne in Paris. It was sweet and captivating and it goes down as one of my favorites.

The Darkest Minds (The Darkest Minds #1) - Alexandra Bracken

Review: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Rating: 5/5
Genre: dystopia
Recommend To: fans of Partials 

This was a fantastic example of how much dystopia has to offer. It was action, fear, and chaos personified. It's about Ruby, a girl who survives the worst plague ever and emerges with new supernatural abilities. Her parents, instead of hiding her, call the authorities and have her dragged away to a horrible rehabilitation camp. She suffers there for 6 years, before finally breaking out and being tossed into the changed world. 

This book was really character based; Ruby, Liam, Chubs, Zu, and the Slip Kid were all really major players and you either fell in total love or complete hate. It was hard not to. Ruby was a good main character, she had a lot to learn about the outside world and had some haunting experiences, but I admired her will to push on. She had a lot of secrets and rarely gave away everything at once, you learn her story in frightening pieces. Liam wasn't as interesting to me as the Slip Kid, he was the golden boy and he was sweet and kind. However, my favorite characters were the side characters, Chubs and Zu. Zu because she's the most adorable little girl you'll meet, and Chubs because he was so determined but broken. The Slip Kid....no comment....you decide. 

The most terrifying thing was definitely the degree of horror the United States had descended into. Ruby's "rehabilitation camp" was horrible enough to give anyone nightmares. It was like a concentration camp except packed with children. The worst thing was how the adults were so absent or completely evil. There was no one to turn to, the kids had to learn how to protect themselves or die. In a world where even your parents can abandon you....there isn't much hope. It was grim and full of suffering. (Also, the ending was far from okay. I was howling in pain, it is a terrible cliff-hangery, suspenseful ending.)

Okay, so want to hear something weird? As scary as the setting was....the dialogue was hilarious. Chubs and Liam's bickering made me laugh out loud at points. There were some light-hearted parts and some deep, emotional parts. It was all balanced. The action was intense, the setting was frightening, the characters were intricate, the emotions were rampant. The dystopia factor was turned way up. I care a lot about what happened to these people. And so I wait, for the next book.

Enclave (Razorland #1) - Ann Aguirre

Review: Enclave
Author: Ann Aguirre
Rating: 4/5
Genre: horror, dystopia
Recommend To: fans of Partials & Blood Red Road

Enclave is the story of Deuce, a girl who lives underground after a plague/apocalypse/thing happened aboveground and destroyed the world years ago. She lives in the Enclave, a place where people are sorted into Breeders, Builders, and Hunters. She aspires to become a Huntress and protect her people from the Freaks, former people or zombie things that eat other people. It was all very intense and action packed.

The biggest issue I came up with this book was the pace at which it happened. Action-packed is good....things happening in choppy instants is bad. I wasn't able to absorb some aspects. Example: Deuce was supposed to love Stone and Thimble, she was supposed to care about her Enclave so intensely she wanted to be a Huntress...but I didn't really feel much of that. The only time Deuce met someone worth protecting was Girl26. Deuce became a Huntress, fought Freaks, got kicked out, and messed about Topside. That's about it. It just flashed by too quickly. It could have been better paced, and less sporadic. It was too choppy. 

However, Deuce was one of the physically strongest female protagonists that has narrated. She can fight like nobody's business. Mentally, she isn't independent yet, she depends too much on the Enclave, but eventually she begins to form her own mind, and fights the haze of ignorance. That's one thing I liked about the book, Deuce wasn't too knowledgable, she can barely read, but it focused on a lot on her personal growth. Fade too was pretty cute, but I didn't really feel like I got to know him, mostly because the book went by too quickly. He's a good fighter, mysterious, but sensitive; that's about all I know. 

The relationship between Deuce and Fade was too quick. I realized that they were partners for weeks and became accustomed to each other. They learned about each other, and then fell in love. But it felt like only a few pages later that Deuce was falling for him. And then Stalker came in the picture. It was too fast and yet nearly nothing happened. I'm contradicting myself, but I can't express it. It felt like a wave; coming slowly but visibly, then crashing on shore, then receding. Deuce meets Fade....begins to fall in love....BAM Stalker comes in and Fade pulls out. And Stalker....*shudders.*

But anyway, the romance wasn't even supposed to be the pure focus. It's meant to be Deuce's personal journey as she realizes the false lies she's lived her whole life. The action was incredible and they ran into Freaks tons of times, and yes the Freaks are creepy, but no they didn't terrify me (sorry). Most of the book is well done, and hopefully the second book will continue with Deuce's growing understanding and will also slow down a bit.