Review: SCARLET

TITLE: SCARLET
BY: MARISSA MEYER
SYNOPSIS:
Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

REVIEW:



I was worried that, with Scarlet and Wolf coming into the the picture that I wouldn't get enough of Cinder and Iko, and that it would maybe be less enjoyable than the first. Again, apparently as ever, I was wrong. Scar's and Wolf's addition only enhanced my reading experience. Turns out I should trust Meyer to know what she's doing, because their parts are pretty integral to the story.

Once again, Meyer weaves a splendiferous tale of trial and tribulation, intrigue and action, romance and drama! And just like the characters in the first book, the new additions are a delight! Honestly, you could just read the story for the characters. I want to hang out with all of them (the good guys that is)!

Character Breakdown:
Cinder: Part robot, full snarky mechanic.
Iko: Sassy R2-D2 wants to be pretty.
Kai: Prince charming in every sense. Looks good in a hoodie *swoon*.
Scarlet: Hot-tempered redhead with licenses to carry & fly spaceships.
Wolf: Teen Wolf does street fighting.
Grandma: Retired military pilot does Bristol Farms,
Thorne: Space Captain Jack Sparrow minus the rum.
Queen Levana: The Predator in Hot Girl disguise.


And if that doesn't pull you in, I don't know what will.

SCARLET may be even better than its predecessor, CINDER...and if that's any indication of how CRESS will turn out, I can't wait to see what the next book has in store!

Review: CINDER

TITLE: CINDER
BY: MARISSA MEYER
SYNOPSIS:
"Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future."

RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5 STARS

REVIEW:
How am I the last person on Earth to read this book?

(Obviously this is a false statement, but I’m sure you understand what I mean).

Oh yeah, because I’m a moron.

Sure it has stellar reviews, but I’m always wary. Just because more people love it than not, doesn’t mean I’ll fall in the majority. This book’s synopsis was pretty much the epitome of all things that make me wary. When I read the back of this book eons ago, I gave it one of those suspicions I-don’t-trust-you-squints, then set it back down on the shelf and backed away slowly.

First, Cinderella is one my least favorite fairy tales (second only to Sleeping Beauty). I know, *gasp* BLASPHEMER! THEY’RE CLASSICS!. Well, to each their own because, personally, I just always found it a bit boring.

Second, I’m not the biggest fan of retellings (unless it happens to be Ever After. Sigh.), so I definitely wasn’t too keen on a retelling of a fable I already could care less about.

Third, Cinderella is a cyborg. So many red flags went up in my mind. That could have easily gone wrong on so many levels. Plus, it sounded so gimmicky. Every time I saw the book cover or read “Cinder” and “cyborg” in a sentence, that movie trailer guy’s voice would pop into me head and say: IT’S THE CINDER-MINATOR!



But then it was on sale on kindle, and I caved. I figured it couldn’t hurt to check it out, especially for $2.99, and I am SO STOKED I did because, let me tell you guys, this is storybook magic right huuurr! No joke! And all the things I thought I would hate most about it (I’m also wary of stories with princes, by the way), turned out to be the same things that made me fall in love with this story and the characters.

All the characters that are meant to be extremely likable and endearing are exactly that. Then, there are the one’s who aren’t—those people are on the completely opposite side of the spectrum, and there is a special place in fictional hell for them. Also, the dialogue, so snarky and clever! The interactions between Cinder and Kai made me so giddy, I felt like Peony. Then there is Iko, the best android-bff a girl could ever ask for. Think sassy R2-D2 with a love for shoes and a need to feel human, thanks to her “faulty” personality chip. I’ve been trying to form ideas for ways I might make Siri my own little Iko. So. Freaking. Adorable!

Anyways, what I’m basically getting at is that, YES! I would most definitely recommend! Check it out :)

Review: THE HERE AND NOW

TITLE: THE HERE AND NOW
BY: ANN BRASHARES
SYNOPSIS:
Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.
This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time—a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.
Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.
But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

RATING:3 OUT OF 5 STARS

REVIEW:
I received this ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares was an exciting and fast read. While it probably isn’t one of those books that will change your life, it is an entertaining way to pass an afternoon. I read it in one sitting, which is pretty impressive considering my ADD. TH&N is a fast paced story of mystery and conspiracy that makes it a page turner. Plus, who doesn't like time travel and forbidden love?

I admit I wasn’t in love with this book, but I was intrigued and there were many aspects that I did really enjoy. The promise of “an unforgettable epic romantic thriller about a girl from the future” drew me in immediately. However, it didn’t exactly live up to my Mt Everest high expectations. For one, it wasn’t wholly thrilling. Most of the storytelling consisted of lines like, “We did this…and then we did that…and then we brainstormed what it would take to save the world in 24 hours over a game of cards”. Obviously, that’s not a direct quote, but hopefully you get the idea. I just felt that most of the book wasn’t in-the-moment as much as it should have been to create that air of tension. Not to say there wasn’t any action, because there was quite a fair amount. And, as always, Brashares' writing enchants.

Although some might criticize the seeming insta-love, I was a fan of the romance. In their fictional defense, I’d like to point out they were school friends for a couple years, undoubtedly lusting after one another in that ever expected hormonal, teenage way. So while their relationship may have seemed to evolve rather quickly, I do recall a friend in high school who fell for a boy after one supposed remarkable conversation. Brashares knows her romance, that’s for sure. I loved the dynamic between Prenna and Ethan, and the conversations they shared. In fact, I would have liked a lot more dialogue between the pair. I couldn't get enough.

I do wish a couple things would have been different. First, that the “Bad Guys” had more depth. I mean, at least they managed to be irrevocably infuriating, but some sort of relatable or human quality (aside from controlling and abusive) could have made them more believable. As for the time travel itself and the future from which Prenna had left behind, there were wholes and questions that were never addressed. And one thing that particularly grated on me (and I don’t know why specifically, as it’s practically insignificant), was this: Prenna is from the year 2090. That’s not even a century from now, hardly 3 or 4 generations. You are telling me that that my grandchild isn’t going to tell her children what Christmas is? Even if by her generation, the celebration is obsolete (because she’s living in a dying, apocalyptic world), how would stories of such a tradition not be passed down? Two centuries into the furture, sure, I could believe that, but eight-something years? It's not a big deal, but when I read that, I did the math in my head and was like


But I digress.

Aside from those very minor transgressions, Ann Brashares is a talented writer and storyteller. It’s definitely no Sisterhood… or My Name is Memory, but if you’re a fan of Brashares' writing, time travel or dystopian YA, I think you should give The Here and Now a shot. You’ve got nothing to lose…although you just might discover a new-found phobia of mosquitoes.

Review: ANGELFALL

TITLE: ANGELFALL (Penryn & The End of Days 1)
BY: SUSAN EE
SYNOPSIS:
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel. Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl. Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS

REVIEW:
I think I just read magic.



Total bookgasm.

So.many.feelings...



My brain has been reduced to liquid disbelief due to extreme epicocity.

Okay, so I’ve read quite a few “angel” books in my day. ANGELFALL is by far the best of them. In fact, it is so superior to its brethren that it shouldn’t even be classified among them. This book exists in its own special galaxy. Not just the top of the “sub-subgenre” but, I daresay, one of the best in all of YA fantasy.

Susan Ee took the angel lore of old, and resurrected them with creative purpose…Her own Frakenstein’s monster: Angels as you’ve never seen them before (except kind-of-maybe in “Supernatural”).



I thought the bit about their swords was especially clever. All of it was just completely brilliant! I humbly bow before Ee’s innovative genius.

The plot, the writing, the characters—it all seemed so flawless. Penryn, the main character, was likeable from the start. She was just how I prefer my female MC’s, strong, resilient, brave. Penryn’s a survivor. Even her batshit crazy (and I mean that in the most endearing way) mother pulled at my heartstrings. More than that, she might even be one of my favorite characters. It’s hard to tell though, because I love them all. And that’s a sign of a great book. Ee put a lot of thought and heart into this book, and it’s palpable.

Gosh, and those last few chapters? It broke my heart in a thousand ways. I empathized with each and every character, in all the ways they suffered. It’s been a year since I last read ANGELFALL, and I’m still reeling. I both look forward to and dread reading WORLD AFTER. As for you, reader, if you haven’t read ANGELFALL yet, WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?? HAVE YOU BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS? You need to get on it! ;)

Review: HOW TO LEAD A LIFE OF CRIME

TITLE: HOW TO LEAD A LIFE OF CRIME
BY: KRISTEN MILLER
SYNOPSIS:
A meth dealer. A prostitute. A serial killer.
Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.
Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

REVIEW:
Hogwarts for Hustlers meets the Hunger Games (sort of).
To the outside world, the Mandel Academy is an upstanding, prestigious school producing many of New York's elite. Bankers, lawyers, and even politicians have emerged from this renowned (but mysterious) academy in Manhattan. Bottom line, anybody who’s anybody graduates from the Mandel Academy. Or, they don’t graduate at all.
That’s right. A school where failing just may be the death of you.
Flick, our hero, knows everything has a price. And, as Mandel’s most recent initiate (and first volunteer), he’s quickly learning the bargain he’s made may not worth it.
I enjoyed this book! It’s dark, gritty, and mysterious. Plus, I loved both Flick’s sarcasm and his strength. There were a ton of twists—-some mind-blowing, and some not so much. A fast paced story, with a creative plot, and a three dimensional MC. I certainly recommend you put this on your to-read list.

Review: SANCTUM

TITLE: SANCTUM
BY: SARAH FINE
SYNOPSIS:
“My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple.”
A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos’s best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance—hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures. But Lela isn’t just anyone—she’s determined to save her best friend’s soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife.
As Lela struggles to find Nadia, she’s captured by the Guards, enormous, not-quite-human creatures that patrol the dark city’s endless streets. Their all-too-human leader, Malachi, is unlike them in every way except one: his deadly efficiency. When he meets Lela, Malachi forms his own plan: get her out of the city, even if it means she must leave Nadia behind. Malachi knows something Lela doesn’t—the dark city isn’t the worst place Lela could end up, and he will stop at nothing to keep her from that fate.

RATING:4.5 out of 5 Stars

REVIEW:
There was so much to love about this. The characters, the storyline, the world-building! Errmerrgerd, this underworld was so well-developed and creepy, I loved it!

And I adored Lela (most of the time) for her badassery and snark. Granted there were a couple instances where her actions made me want to facepalm. Looking back on many of the books I've read, though (especially in the teen genre), that's nothing unusual.

The romance was a big part of the story, which I was okay with, even the cheesy bits. I'm a girl that likes a little bit o' fromage between characters. Personally, I didn't think it was overdone, but maybe that's because Malachi is glorious and could pretty much do no wrong. Not to say he's perfect--he has depth, and he's made mistakes--but he's got flaws in all the right places.

Granted, this story still had a few bumps for me. I really wish some of the grating clichés would have been cut back a bit. For instances, over hearing just the right snippets of a conversation to twist the context and misconstrue the true meaning and making it sound almost diabolical. Or the near insta-love factor, and certain characters' attempts at martyrdom. I mean, I get it, I'd gladly die to save the people I love...but I felt it was a little over-used. There's one particular scene I'm thinking of that took me out of the story a little. I remember thinking, " But, of-freaking-course...".

Honestly though, they're such tiny transgressions when you look at the big picture, this beautiful masterpiece of a novel. It's dark, it's twisted, and be prepared for mature content (suicide, drug abuse, sexual assault). SANCTUM is unique and hauntingly beautiful, and I recommend it to anyone who has a thing for paranormal romance/urban fantasy. Although I haven't read all the teen novels in this genre, I think it's safe to say this is one of the better ones out there. I really, really enjoyed it!

Review: DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT

TITLE: DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT
BY: LAINI TAYLOR
SYNOPSIS:
Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo...
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

REVIEW:
Since finishing this book, I've been wanting to write a review for it. Only, every time I thought about doing so, I would become overwhelmed and blow it off. The problem was, I wanted my review to do this book justice.

Phffft! Like that'll ever happen. Taylor's prose are woven from interstellar diamond dust, and I'm pretty sure her plot is the offspring of a unicorn and the feeling of hearing the first fairytale ever told.

So, here's the gist of it. After DoSaB, I went into DoBaS with certain...expectations and ideas of how the story would further unfold. What occurred was not what I had anticipated, and nowhere near what I had hoped for. I don't mean this in a bad way. Sure, at first I was like...



But, as the story progressed, the clouds parted and reason descended upon me. I came to realize that I'd been poisoned by the majority of books out there that sprinkle in just enough conflict to keep things interesting, meanwhile satisfying the readers with an onslaught of moments they've hoped for and envisioned. It's not that these previously mentioned books are "predictable", per say, but rather, instead of the readers correctly anticipating what will happen, the author has predicted what it is their readers want. And boom, just like that, the story is all cupcakes and happiness.

Laini Taylor does not give us what we want, for the sake of keeping us content. She doesn't want us to be comfortable. She wants us to feel every horror, every loss, every doubt...every single shattered hope as her characters. Because that's what makes a story real. So, bring on the feels, Laini Taylor!

So, if you're going into this story, thinking there's going to be some of this...



You should know right now, it's actually more of this...



While there are things I wish could be different, I can appreciate Taylor's creative prerogative. I wouldn't change a thing. And, by gawd, did I love it. Just sheer brilliance.

Review: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE

TITLE: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE
BY: LAINI TAYLOR
SYNOPSIS:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.
When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

REVIEW:
I'll be honest...
I've seen this book around in my local bookstores for a while. I remember when I first saw it years ago. The cover stood out to me. It's all dark and mysterious and elegant...and I thought, "No doubt another insipid teen paranormal romance wrapped in pretty packaging", because I'm totally one of those people who judges a book by its cover. I'd be lying if I said I didn't. And with internal diabolical laughter, I thought, "They won't fool me this time!".



When this book popped up on my Goodreads recommendations list, and I saw the ratings and rave reviews from fellow GR members, I caved. And alas, I was not led astray. Laini Taylor and DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is truly as genius as everyone claims. No question, DOSAB is one of my all-time favorite books EVER.

This exquisitely dark and entrancing fairytale seems to have been forged right out of Heaven and Hell. It's stars, and diamonds, and blood. It tastes like rich, thick heartache with an aftertaste of hope and epic love. It feels like the beginning of the Universe and the end of Everything. It is gold spun into the written word. It is my nightmare and my happy place. It is a MUST READ!

Review: DIVERGENT

TITLE: DIVERGENT
BY: VERONICA ROTH
SYNOPSIS: In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

REVIEW This book blew me away. There is something so beautiful about the writing, and the story telling, even the questions of morality—what is brave versus what is self-serving, and what’s going too far in the name of peace and for the better good of mankind. Then, of course, is the mind-blowing, heart-racing action. Probably more than a handful of times, I forgot to breathe, and didn’t even notice until the conflict was resolved and I had to gulp in air, or let out a slow, shaky breath. No joke, the things Tris goes through to pass/survive initiation—and everything after and outside of that—get’s uber intense, y’all.



So hardcore, in fact, I had a nightmare last night after I finished this book where I dreamt I had to face MY Fear Landscape(s). It was NOT pretty. Yet, despite the nightmare, and my frustration with certain events (Roth, how could you?!), when I think back to the book I get all giddy and excited, like a teen girl in love. When your adrenaline isn’t pumping, and you’re not questioning people’s motives and capability of unimaginable acts of evil, there are plenty of light-hearted, funny, swoon-worthy moments that manage to balance out the heavier parts.

DIVERGENT is most definitely deserving of all the hype that follows in the majority of its readers’ wake. It’s a fabulous read, and I will be impatiently waiting for the release of the next installment, INSURGENT.