Every Day (Every Day #1) - David Levithan

Review: Every Day
Series: Every Day
Author: David Levithan
Rating: 3/5
Genre: fantasy, romance
Recommend To: fans of the Fault in Our Stars

I heard amazing things about this book. All heartfelt and emotional. But honestly, I was a little disappointed. There were major things that were absolutely wonderful, but a lot of the book was very flat and I wasn't able to become totally invested in the story.

A is a "soul" that wakes up in someone else's body every day. He has never been able to form family bonds, permanent friendships and find love. He simply floats through other lives attempting not to damage their lives as he lives them for one day. Until he wakes up in a body and falls in love with Rhiannon. It sounds very beautiful, full of impossible odds and love, but for me the romance fell through very flat. I liked A a lot, but I never connected with Rhiannon. She was whiny for me, took too long to understand and then there was Justin, her dumb boyfriend. Quite honestly, she was nice, but I couldn't see what A saw in her. A was wonderful and kind, he was understanding and tried to help the people he became for a day. He was pertty interesting. But then there was also the whole Nathan/Reverend Poole storyline, and that was almost pointless and confusing. I though A would learn more about what he was, but it never happened which was unsatisfactory. 

So although the plot and the romance wasn't really my style, the stories of the different people A inhabited were fascinating and inspirational. A gay couple, a depressed girl, a drug addict, these were all the different people we encounter. We see their struggle and understand their problems through A. It was really motivating and eye-opening. Waking up in different person's body, disoriented and having to understand their life...it was definitely the most interesting part of the book.

The ending was lamentable, it was too easy and boring, but still sad and tragic. I didn't feel heartbroken because I never really liked Rhiannon, but I thought it was sort of pointless and disheartening. Why go through all this trouble and just end like that? But overall, the messages the book teaches make it worthwhile and it is a very impassioned story.

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.

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. 

The Elite (The Selection #2) - Kiera Cass

Review: The Elite

Author: Kiera Cass

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Dystopia, romance

Recommend To: fans of Throne of Glass

This is so frustrating, I think I have more questions that after the first book! Not that it's an awful thing, honestly it's just insanely complicated unraveling my own feelings next to America! Normally (and this is probably just me) after the love triangle gets introduced, I figure it out quickly. It's easy to predict who she will end up with, and it's also very simple for me to figure out whether I'm on board with it or not. Take one of the most debated (and lamest) love triangles in YA literature, Jacob or Edward. Yeah it was obvious she would end up with Edward, and the majority of people were either Team Edward or Team Jacob. It was one or the other. 

The Selection and the Elite are MUCH more complicated, love-trianglewise. The books themselves do focus a large amount on the love triangle, so even if there are all sorts of political shenanigans and rebellions going on, it's mainly about the romance. Maxon is in the spotlight for the majority of the Selection, which is why it seems like he could be America's choice, but she also is having difficulty reconciling her feelings about becoming Queen, as well as him dating 5 other girls (yeah talk about weird). Although he has promised he loves her, she can't be sure he isn't telling every girl the same thing. But Maxon is sweet, kind, knows exactly what he needs, and he can make her laugh and feel comfortable. Then there's Aspen, he is basically her history. He knows America inside and out, and is a compass with his love for her. (So who? Who is it? Total speculation here so it doesn't count as spoilers (right?) but just because of the large amount of Maxon we've been seeing, I think it might be him. Aspen's a cutie pie though.)

Other than those relationships, there are the relationships between the other girls and America which at times were downright sweet. I loved Marlee and was even liking Kriss. The others.....were fun to hate ;) Her family remains incredibly supportive, and it's easy to see where America get's her lively, vivacious nature. I loved how she made mistakes too and did stupid things, she's not a perfect person, but she always stands up for what's right. 

Finally, the action stuff. The rebellions are worsening, and there are some secrets revealed from the past. There is increasing amounts of political intrigue, but a lot of the novel is again still focused on the romance aspect. I still loved it overall, and the characters especially are really pulling me in, but avoid it if you don't like a lot of indecisive romance. IF YOU DO (and you want to be just as indecisive) I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. Just saying.

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. 

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.

Becoming (Daughters of Saraqael #1) - Raine Thomas

Review: Becoming
Author: Raine Thomas
Rating: 3/5
Genre: fantasy, romance
Recommend To: fans of Splintered

Oooh yay. Entertaining stuff. Plus really light and fun, no heavy, awful, gripping emotions. Unless you are emotional at the slightest bit because there is action, and romance, and fights, and typical awesome stuff that bookish people thrive on. By Raine Thomas.

Plot: Amber “explodes” every three years. And whenever she does it always leaves a huge mess and ends in her moving out of her current foster home to another. Until she reaches Mrs. B’s foster home. There she meets a kid her age named Gabriel and when her inevitable episode happens, he doesn’t tell anyone. They become close best friends (who knows where this is leading?). Anyway, so now three years after that Incident she’s due for another one and it’s stronger this time. They go through it together and what do you know? Love. They go on a trip to Alaska and then meet some people(Amber’s sisters, duh, daughters as in plural) who tell them Amber and Gabriel are both not human, they are Estilorians, and don’t belong on this plane. They were sent to be kept safe and in Gabriel’s case to learn about emotions. More stuff happens, plus there are bad guys out to get them. Who doesn’t love this perfect mix of awesomeness?



Characters: 
Protagonist: Amber. Okay she’s pretty cool. Tough. Hardened by the foster system. She’s also pretty funny. She’s intelligent and doesn’t dither all over the place.

The Best-Friend-turned-Boyfriend: Yes. Omg yes, yes. While Amber was okay, Gabriel was much better ;) Funny, caring, protective not to mention hot, yep this boy has it all. Finding out he wasn’t human either was a bit of a surprise but I guess it makes sense because humans don’t transfer planes right?

The Sisters: They both, Olivia and Skye, seem like pretty remarkable characters. I think the next books are going to be focused on them, but it wasn’t like we didn’t get switched to their perspectives in this one, so I’m not too upset about the different protagonist thing which is weird. Usually I hate that stuff, I like my series to just pick a character and stick with it, but I think I’ll survive with this one.

The Romance: OMG. Pick a place in private to read this because you will giggle, smile, and laugh out loud at Amber and Gabriel when they are together. I mean Amber was pretty stupid; of course Gabriel’s in love with you! But it was okay because she figured it out. I was so happy there was no insta-love! Gabriel and Amber have been best-friends for years until they fall in love. Happiness from me. It was sweet but at the same time heated and so oh yes’s to love!

The Villains: Now this is where it gets confusing. There is the Estilorian plane and then on it there are different branches like Gloresti, Mercesti, and more. It was hard to keep track who was who I guess. There was lots going on with snippets of conversations between the bad guys or the good guys who know what’s happening. Argh, you’ll know what I mean if you read it I think. It wasn’t impossible to keep track, it was just harder. But the mythology itself was pretty unique and original.

Overall: Great romance, pretty awesome characters, fast-moving plot, needed more details but nevertheless very fun to read. I bet the next books will answer the questions we have at the end of this book. 

Article 5 (Article 5 #1) - Kristen Simmons

Review: Article 5

Author: Kristen Simmons

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Dystopian, romance

Recommend To: fans of Legend

WOW. I have to say I knew when I read the summary that I would like this book, but I really had no idea how much. I lovelovelove this book! I was fascinated by the way the United States had just crumbled and become something so terrible. It was super interesting to read a dystopian novel that was unique and yet had characteristics that make this genre what it is. 

The United States has morphed into a country governed by the moral statutes:
1. An official religion everyone must follow 
2. Literature and other media deemed unacceptable are banned (This is the one I'd be carried away for.) 
3. Families are a man a woman and children
4. Traditional male and female roles are being reinstated (I'd be in violation of this too.)
5. People are only legal citizens if they've been conceived by a married couple.

Can you imagine a world like this? Forced to become compliant to each of these rules? Change your religion because it's not allowed anymore? Throw out all your precious books and magazines? Women back in skirts and in the kitchen? No freedom, no expression, no creativity. I'd implode. It's incredibly totalitarian and literally makes me fear people with power. 

Article 5 is what starts Ember's life to become completely changed. She ends up at a horrible reformatory school, separated from her mother who she'll do anything to save. Aided by Chase Jennings, her childhood love, she travels across the country to be rescue her mother and escape the system. 

There is a lot of action and romance in this book, but that's not what the book is truly about. There is also a terrifying glimpse of a future with no rights and no boundaries. It's actually frightening to think about the government having that kind of power, and the abandoned roads and towns were creepy and way too familiar. Ember herself goes from being timid and obedient, and also very ignorant to a girl who can handle herself and kick some butt, even if she still feels uncomfortable doing it. She still remains Ember, and keeps the same values, but she isn't naive or reliant anymore. She grows into an independent, intelligent and courageous person, but one who still feels fear and desperation in this new world. She's a character who is easy to root for.

However, the action and romance is highly enjoyable. When I mean enjoyable, I mean I LOVED IT. The fights and the tension of being on the run was very realistic. It was so action-packed and the pace never slows down, but it's not boring or repetitive, it just makes you hang on to every single word.

And oh my god Chase made me positively swoon. I loved the snippets of his history with Ember and his bad boy, tortured self is impossible not to love. The desperation and love he felt for Ember were almost palpable. And then you just end up holding your breath and going, "KISS HER FOR GOD'S SAKE, DO SOMETHING. " The romantic tension was really painful, as it was so evident how much they loved each other...and just...glurgle...

Okay, moving on from Chase and his muscles, the book was really intense. It was vivid and glued me to my chair. It's still one of the best dystopians I've read, and I can't wait for the second one.

Hourglass (Hourglass #1) - Myra McEntire

Review: Hourglass

Author: Myra McEntire

Rating: 5/5

Genre: sci-fi, paranormal, romance

Recommend To: fans of the Unbecoming of Mara Dyer and Red Ruby

Well, well, well...what a surprise! (*snorts at herself* I sound like someone's ridiculous grandmother.) Anyway.... in all honesty, I wasn't expecting much. Maybe an overly hot guy and a naive little girl. I wasn't really expecting all the good things that came with those. 

The Plot: There was actually a pretty complicated plot and the McEntire did actually do some research on time travel. The Novikov Principle is an actual theorized proposal, but who knows if it's true. Other than the previously mentioned overly hot guy meets naive girl, there was a lot of space time continuum and creepy dead people stuff happening too. Secret societies and betrayals abounded. Overall, it wasn't as one dimensional as I'd expected (which probably wasn't a fair judgement in the first place, but hey, after reading too many paranormal romances you stop expecting too much). 

The Characters: Overly hot guy's name is actually Michael, and Emerson is the naive girl. But...what makes Emerson more interesting is her deep, dark past. It wasn't sloppily thrown together to create a wounded, depressed character. Nope, this girl actually had some issues. So I guess there was some self-discovery in here too. Michael was alright, he was heroic and handsome. I get the whole "perfect for each other" thing. But after Emerson, all the secondary characters became my favorites. Thomas and Dru were completely perfect. My heart froze at thought of them in danger. Contrary to other books, they prove that poor orphan girls can have people (other than their boyfriends) who care about them. Also, Kaleb. Maybe he was drinking and flirting way too much, but he was still more interesting than Michael. Lily, Ava, Cat and Jack round out the rest of the group with some awesome, nefarious things happening behind walls. There were some pretty marvelous characters in Hourglass.

The Romance: Maybe it was supposed to sizzle, but it didn't...at least not until the middle to the end. Up until then, I wasn't feeling too much intellectual connection between Michael and Em, just physical (and I'm not a huge fan of love at first sight). I like better dialogue between two lovers, forbidden I might add. But after Kaleb and Ava entered the picture, it actually got much more interesting. I like jealousy, but not confusion. This may have had a minor love triangle, but it was an engaging plot point. And the relationship began to feel a little more realistic, even if Michael's speeches were slightly too dramatic.

Overall: Like aforementioned, this book wasn't sloppily put together (something I hate) and it had some twists that I really didn't see coming. The dialogue wasn't amazing between the two main characters (Michael just kept feeling too good to be true) but it pulled together in the end while leaving some unsolved riddles to lead into the next book.

The Essence (The Pledge #2) - Kimberly Derting

Review: The Essence

Author: Kimberly Derting

Rating: 5/5

Genre: dystopia, sci-fi, romance, fantasy

Recommend To: fans of the Seven Realms series

I definitely liked this one much more than the first, and I liked the first pretty dang a lot. I think this one was just more in depth. 

The Plot: For one, the plot was more developed rather than simple revolution and finding your true identity. This time, Charlie, Charlaina, has to deal with the pressures of being Queen while still having the last Queen in her head. It mainly rotates about Chalie's growing concern with rebellions around the city against her rule and abolishment of the class system, while also preparing for a meeting between Queens at the annual summit. I like that the world-building was more developed and explained, and we got to see beyond the walls of Ludania.

The Characters: Charlie on a whole was progressing well into her role as Queen even if having trouble with the horses. She made some great changes in the city while facing opposition and was mature, but then again, she is still having trouble with Sabara. I love Sabara. It's weird but I loved her even more in this book, especially after getting more insight into her life as a child and well...stuff. She is just so ancient, twisted and evil, but then under that is just this little girl who went to the beach. And then of course there is Max, who is absent for a major part of the book, but is still adorable. Finally, the supporting characters are all absolutely wonderful and you love them and just want to keep them safe although you cant always. Brooklyn, Aron, Zafir, Angelina, Xander, and Eden along with Avonlea, Florence and Neva are all so precious.

The Romance: I guess it's getting a little more complicated here. And very interesting. Seems like Sabara's got an old beau. Haha but that's her old love life. I'm not saying anything more on that matter. Charlie and Max are happy enough, if a little stressed about the events in the kingdom. 

The Style: Ludania was greatly expanded by Derting and she made sure that all the political shenanigans are far from over. Plus all the different perspectives are great and keep the story moving in all directions. Furthermore, the Queens powers and the supernatural aspect of the story are also being explored. 

Overall: Nothing is dull and everything is intense. Sabara's threats are far from over and Charlie has to deal with heaps of responsibility. It was a continuing struggle to mesh the newfound identity and the old identity of  Charlie and her fights against dresses and "Your Majesty"ing, with the ancient, evil of Sabara mixed in. I could see that things were not going to be easy for Charlie, but with the support of such wonderful characters, I know she'll be fine and I cannot wait for the third book. 

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) - Beth Revis

Review: Shades of Earth

Author: Beth Revis

Rating: 5/5

Genre: sci-fi, dystopia

Recommend To: fans of Incarnate, fans of spacey books

A little spoilery but nothing horrible. Although don't risk it if your reading it soon. And not until you've read the first two. Because come on people, you don't want to ruin these books for yourselves. 

This is one of my favorite science-fiction dystopia series ever. Absolutely. I can think of a million hyped up novels (not naming any) and this trumps them all in everything. In fact, it's so real, its terrifying.

The Plot: There is just so much tension. I can't even try to explain the intricacies of the plot without giving away all the plot-twists. The obvious ones, yeah you could see them coming, the non-obvious ones....."what the heck just happened?!" is the reaction. It's also such a satisfying ending. The story really didn't smush together and end. It wasn't a quick last minute wrap up. It was well-thought out and all the pieces finally fit together. The mysteries of phydus and the monsters are finally solved. It is really truly incredible and never loses momentum. I could go into depth about all the birds, the flowers, trees and *gasp* the betrayals! But really, it was just so brilliant. 

The Characters: These characters just have so much more depth than before. Honestly, I felt as if I understood Amy and Elder even better as they started to grow into their real roles. Elder was making leaps and strides as a leader, and Amy really grew out of her naive Sol-Earth persona. Of course I missed others, and Beth Revis was completely unafraid to kill off her characters, but it all served a purpose. The new characters (yes the Frozens), angered me at times but they too became lovable, if a little confused about how life on the Godspeed really was. It's all right though. Conflict between characters is better than everyone being too happy. That would just be boring.

The Romance: We all know that Amy and Elder are totally soul mates right? The only question was does Amy love him because he's the only guy available, or because he's Elder? What do you think? I don't know, gosh, let's see what happens when we add a love triangle!.....No, but seriously that part was good too. Amy and Elder begin to realize what they really mean to each other on this planet full of new dangers, not all of them expected. And I hate love triangles. But when they work...they work.

The Style: Can I just say, this book had me under the covers quivering? Not because its a horror book, but because trying to predict what's horrible thing will happen to the beloved characters is a horror. The last two books I missed Sol-Earth so badly...and I live here. Amy's pain was so real. I really didn't think anything could be worse, but my god, the mysterious monsters, and gen mod material, and the *shhh* abandoned colony. It was all doubling the creepy planet factor with every description. 

Overall: One of the most satisfying series I have ever had the fortune to read. Nothing was rushed or badly written. Everything had a place and a time. Every betrayal, death, sacrifice, reveal and kiss was perfectly placed. And it completely drew me in and refused to let me go until the last word, and it will do the same to you. 

Let the Sky Fall (Let the Sky Fall #1) - Shannon Messenger

Review: Let the Sky Fall

Author: Shannon Messenger

Rating: 5/5

Genre: modern mythology, romance

Recommended To: fans of Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Yay  read this the day it came out! I had to put Girl of Nightmares on hold for this but it was worth it.

The Plot: Vane is a regular human guy who dreams of a mysterious girl every night. He doesn't know who she is, but he does know that she is connected to the fact that his entire family died in a tornado with him the sole survivor. Audra, the girl, then runs into problems, boom, they meet, and now Audra and Vane must team up so he can learn how to control the winds in time before the evil Stormers come. Pretty straightforward right? And yeah it is. But of course there are complications along the way. It's what makes a novel good.

Characters: It's told in dual POV, which is my favorite thing. I love books where you can get both sides to the story and see the people mature and learn,( and fall in love - just saying...). Both Vane and Audra are pretty different people. Vane is flippant and pretty cocky. Although he at times irritated me with his constant descriptions of his desire to see Audra in a tiny dress, I will attribute that to the crazy hormones of a 17 year old guy. He quickly develops a desire to learn the language of the wind though, and beneath it all he was really sweet. Audra is a completely different story. She is tough and bitter, constantly punishing herself to redeem herself from past actions. At some points it goes almost beyond crazy, and she never lets herself enjoy anything, even the wind . She at times seems overly obsessed with herself (you know, "me, myself, I, oh I'm so tragic, pity me") and she seems to complain almost too much, but she is easily willing to put it all away for the sake of her people and Vane. And she did have a really tough life, I will give her that. She's a good person, if a bit deluded about redemption. 

The Romance: Did I mention how much of a sucker I am for forbidden romance? Cause there is nothing better. Especially when there are betrothals, and true love/bonding mixed in. It's good stuff. At times I was worried that Audra and Vane might not really fit together, but opposites attract. They are kinda like thunder and lightning, powerful going against each other , but even stronger as one force. (Best analogy ever, I can't believe I came up with that.)

They Style: It was gorgeous. I could almost feel the dry, oppressive heat and the breeze drifting though. Sigh. Everything was well detailed, especially the settings. The wind whispering was so real I could nearly hear it myself. The sylph mythology was really interesting, detailed, and new too. All the lore about the 4 winds, and the languages was amazing. However, I would really like to know more about Raiden's force, Arella, and the Windslicer. 

Overall: It had absolutely everything. An interesting plot, deep characters, great conflict and action, emotions running high, and an awesome setting. What more could a book give? What else could a reader want?

 PS. There is a cliffhanger at the end and it does stink, but its not desperate (thank god). 

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) - Marissa Meyer

Review: Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Rating: 5/5

Genre: dystopia, sci-fi

Recommended To: fans of Grave Mercy, Shadow and Bone

The Plot: I finally finished! I'll try for no spoilers. In the second installment of the Lunar Chronicles, the main character isn't Cinder, which was disappointing at first, but it's all good because the third person POV switched to her pretty often. The plot basically centers on Cinder's struggle to come to terms with her true identity and how Scarlet and her grandmother have a part in Cinder's whole cyborg with no memory situation. It's all quite easy to jump back into actually after reading Cinder. It's very well connected, even if it is really obvious at times. What I thought was new, was the very interesting, completely psychotic take on the Wolf and about Levana's army. That was very twisted, even for a fairy tale retelling. I didn't say it wasn't completely welcome, and awesome though.

The Characters: Cinder we all know is a mechanical version of Cinderella who can pretty much control people with her mind. Prince Kai is an adorable version of Prince Charming. One can only hope they actually ever get a chance to talk with each other. Not the main characters though. Basically, the titular character, Scarlet, is a really feisty version of Little Red Riding Hood with a gun, and a grandmother who was in the military and knows secrets. Secrets that pertain to Cinder, hmm hmm....Anyway, Wolf too is a really mysterious and strange character. I don't want to give any spoilers but honestly, his name is a spoiler. Think about that. Finally, my personal favorite was definitely Thorne. I don't know how Cinder managed to  pick him up, but he made the whole book three times better with his ridiculous shenanigans. 

The Romance: Cinder and Kai are a nonexistent couple right now although their caring for each other over seas was very adorable. The focus was on Scarlet and Wolf as a couple. The most upsetting fact for me about their falling in love (we all know it happens, quit complaining) was that it occurs in nearly 24 hours. How can two people fall in love in one day? Other than that, it was all very touching. Wolf afraid he'll hurt her, by being so big and bad, and poor little Scarlet completely oblivious to her very seductive advances. Seriously, she was no shy girl when it came to romance.

The Style: I love the entire concept of the series. It's just so original. I can't fathom how she came up with a dystopian society, with not-so-princesslike princesses (one who is half metal and one who totes around a gun while looking for her grandmother), and an evil moon queen. The writing is also excellent and the descriptions of the world are amazingly vivid. One could almost be tricked into seeing Lunars left and right. 

Overall: If you haven't given Cinder a try, please do. Especially if you like dystopian, science-fiction , romance. It's very fun. And if you have read Cinder, Scarlet is a great follow up and continues the story at a great pace. I loved discovering all sorts of secrets and juicy stuff about Queen Levana's plan, all set against a backdrop of a world we know so well, yet so different. 

Dead Beautiful (Dead Beautiful #1) - Yvonne Woon

Review: Dead Beautiful

Author: Yvonne Woon

Rating: 3/5

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Recommend To: fans of boarding school fantasies

The Plot: Strangely, I had higher expectations of this book. I'm as much of a fan as anyone for the girl who goes off to the elite boarding school, meets handsome guy, learns new secrets. But, only as long as it also puts something new and original onto the table. This was pretty typical I must say. Half of the plot twists I had completely figured out by the halfway point. So many pointers were given, plus the title...Dead Beautiful? At first I thought it was haunting, but the book truly was the opposite.

The Characters: Also very unoriginal, plain characters. Renee? Eh. Dante? He is supposed to be this absolute Adonis (oh wait that's Greek not Roman, oh well) but he was just kind of weird and trying to hard to be mysterious. I really dislike that stuff. Guy with big secret that is worried he'll hurt you if he tells you and whiny girl struggling through the most obvious plot details possible. Boring. The other characters? Practically nonexistant. The introduce Brett for a second and I thought, uh oh, love triangle? Nope, Brett just disappears. Renee's roommate disappears for 2 days before Renee finally gets the brains to tell someone. Yeahhhh. 

The Romance:  I love dynamic character relationships with actual tangible friendship before true love. Or, even better, if you are going to make them argue before said love, make it a good fight, with lots of feistiness and whatnot. And please above all, do not make them literal soul mates. That is all.

The Style: What is to be said here? Nothing original but no gaping holes either. Just average.

Overall: Now you are asking me, I just read a terrible review on this book? But why 3 whole stars. Well the book fit together well, it was and easy-cheesy read and lastly the mythology was the best part. All that stuff about why we bury the dead, Romulus and Remus, Latin, and the 7th Meditation was actually fascinating. That was the one aspect of the book that wasn't stamped word for word from another book. Other than that, if you want to read about mysterious deaths and hot guys saving wimp girls on the beach, be my guest and read it.