YA Review: Enders by Lissa Price

Title: Enders (Starters & Enders #2)

Author: Lissa Price

# of Pages: 288

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: January 7th 2014

Source: ARC 

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

With the Prime Destinations body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save Callie's life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too ...and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body? This is the thrilling sequel to "Starters".

My Verdict

Since it had been over a year since I read the first book in this set, Starters, I decided to do a re-read before jumping into Enders so I wouldn't have any problems connecting all the little pieces. However, the author did a good amount of recapping at the beginning so I probably would have been fine without the re-read but it got me back into the world and mindset so I'm still glad I did.

Callie, Tyler, and Michael are finally free from Prime Destination and are living like normal claimed Starters. That is until Callie starts hearing the voice of the Old Man in her head, proving to her that she will never be completely free. This book went in a lot of different directions than I was expecting, it's full of twists and turns that will keep you on your toes!

We get a few new characters this time around, some joining Callie's side, others fighting to bring her down. There's a certain new character I'd like to gush about but you're just going to have to read it for yourselves *que evil laughter* ;)

I think fans of the first book will be happy with where things go in Enders. For those who haven't read the first book yet, what are you waiting for?! While there is only supposed to be two books in the set the ending seemed like the perfect setup for a third. Hey, a girl can dream right? =) 

YA Review: Broken by C.J. Lyons

Title: Broken

Author: C.J. Lyons

# of Pages: 336 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: November 5th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons makes her YA debut with a fast-paced thriller sure to keep readers guessing to the very last page

The only thing fifteen-year-old Scarlet Killian has ever wanted is a chance at a normal life. Diagnosed with a rare and untreatable heart condition, she has never taken the school bus. Or giggled with friends during lunch. Or spied on a crush out of the corner of her eye. So when her parents offer her three days to prove she can survive high school, Scarlet knows her time is now... or never. Scarlet can feel her heart beating out of control with every slammed locker and every sideways glance in the hallway. But this high school is far from normal. And finding out the truth might just kill Scarlet before her heart does.

My Verdict

I think it's going to be hard to judge this book for what it is rather than how it was marketed. The back of the book calls Broken a "riveting suspense and taut drama" a lot of reviews I read previously also talked about it as if it were a fast-paced thriller. This is not the case at all. It was basically your average contemporary romance with a slight mystery that doesn't turn suspenseful until the last few chapters. Had I just been expecting a contemproary romance going into it, I may have enjoyed it more than I did. Unfortunely, I was expecting an edge of your seat medical thriller that wasn't there.

The main character, Scarlet, has been diagnosed with Long QT disease, which means her heart beats irregularly and could kill her at any moment. After spending most of her life in the hospital, Scarlet decides she wants to take the time she does have left and go to high school like a normal kid. Her parents are dead set against it, but they decide to let her go on a trial basis.

Scarlet immedietly makes friends with Jordan, Nessa, Celina and Tony. The "wrong" crowd according to Scarlets mother. Ugh, her mother drove me nuts! She made all of Scarlet's decisions for her and did things like feed her vitamins in front of all her friends in the middle of the school cafeteria. Seriously?! I can't think of any teenager that would put up with that.

The book is divided into five sections set over the course of one school week (Monday - Friday). A lot of the time I was bored with the little details of Scarlet's school day, but I guess we were supposed to be overwhelmed by the experience as much as she was.

I was appaled by the bullying that went on at the school and that the students so easily got away with it. I was home schooled, so thankfully I never had to deal with bullying first hand or see it happening to those around me, but I know it's a big issue that is overlooked all too much!


With the ending came a big twist and a few fast-paced pages, but it was pretty short lived for a so-called "riveting suspense." If you're a contemporary lover looking for a romance with a little something different I'd check this one out. If you're looking for a fast paced medical thriller, keep looking. 

YA Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief

Author: Markus Zusak

# of Pages: 552

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: March 14th 2006

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement. 

In superbly crafted writing that burns with intensity, award-winning author Markus Zusak, author of I Am the Messenger, has given us one of the most enduring stories of our time.

My Verdict

As I write this post, there are only seventeen days to go until the movie comes out, and to my mothers delight (it's one of her favorite books) I decided it was finally time I read this! At the start I couldn't imagine it possibly living up to all my expectations, but it didn't just live up to them, it exceeded them. 

There's really nothing about this book I could say that would do it justice so I've decided to do something a bit different and let the book speak for itself. 

Wow right?! I hope that even if this book isn't your normal style you'll give it a go anyway. It is beautiful, it is heartbreaking, and it will touch a part of each and every one of you. 

Mini Reviews: After Math, Crash, & The Elite

Title: After Math (Off the Subject #1)

Author: Denise Grover Swank

# of Pages: 250

Publisher: Createspace

Publication Date: March 12th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: New Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

My Verdict

I’m normally not a fan of the New Adult genre. I am one of those people who feels it is just an excuse to throw in some explicit content to what would normally be YA. As I read this book, I was beginning to think maybe I had misjudged the genre but than it took a turn for the predictable (a.k.a. explicit content.)

I loved the slow build of Scarlett and Tucker’s romance. It started out as a tutoring job, grew into a friendship, and then exploaded into a romance. I loved watching their relationship grow, the way they looked into one another's eyes and could see each others deepest secrets, the tutoring sessions, and gym workouts. Sadly, this all disappeared once they became a couple and the only thing they did was have sex.

Title: Crash (Visions #1)

Author: Lisa McMann

# of Pages: 233

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publication Date: January 8th 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 3 Hearts

My Verdict

Interesting concept but slow paced, fairly predictable, with average characters. Your typical Romeo & Juliet style romance with Jules and Sawyer being forbidden to see each other because their families run waring restaurants. As for the visions, one day all of a sudden Jules sees a vision and it just keeps playing over and over on every billboard, TV screen, window. Not only was the cause of Jules visions never explained, but it also got extremely monotonous to have her describe the same vision over and over for 200 pages. While the second book is on my TBR, I'm in no rush to read it. 

Title: The Elite (The Selection #2)

Author: Kiera Cass

# of Pages: 323

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: April 23rd 2013

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

My Verdict

Ugh, America Singer you may just be the death of me! Your inability to choose who it is your in love with makes me SO angry. I thought a decision would finally be made in this book but no, America continues to bounce between Aspen and Prince Maxon like a ping pong ball. At this point, I'm going to feel bad for whatever guy gets kicked to the curb because they've both been lead on for so long. The one good thing about this infuriating love triangle is that I do like both guys, which pretty much never happens, so either way I'm happy. 

Cass continues to do a great job of drawing the reader into the world she has created and leaving us emotionally invested. After all that's what it's all about right? Getting lost in another world, caring about the characters as if they are real, feeling all the different emotions when things go bad or things work out. Even though it drives me crazy most of the time,  I still love it. 

Hope you enjoyed these mini reviews! I'll probably  be doing a few more before the year ends to help me catch up. 

YA Review: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Origin (Lux #4)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

# of Pages: 400

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: August 27th 2013

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive. 

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?

My Verdict
(CONTAINS MINOR SPOILERS)

Ahhhhhhh! I can't even tell you how hard it was to wait for this book to come out, but if you've read the rest of the series I'm sure you know exactly what it was like. I literally woke up on the 27th, got on my computer and downloaded this Kindle book. I would have devoured it in one sitting if it wasn't for the fact that I had to go to work =P so it took me longer to get through than I would have liked.

Unlike the rest of the books which were told from Katys perspective, this one was told using dual points-of-view since Daemon and Katy are separated for a decent chunk of it. I really loved getting both POVs; it made me love Daemon just that much more. 

We are introduced to some new characters, Archer, being the main addition. I'm curious to hear how others felt about him?? I liked him from the first moment he and Katy met. I just knew he was gonna end up helping them out. Even though Daemon & Katy still don't trust him, I really think he's one of the good guys. At least I hope he is! I want him and Dee to get together =)

The pacing of this one was SO much  better than the last, it starts right in the thick of things and there was never a dull moment. The 400 pages flew by because it was one thing after another right until the very end.

After that horrible cliffhanger that was book three, I kept waiting for things to go bad in the last few chapters, dread in my stomach waiting for it to come, but I'm happy no I'm THRILLED to report the ending this time around was not a cliffhanger. I repeat NOT A CLIFFHANGER. I don't feel the need to hunt Jennifer down and force her to tell me what happens next like I did last time around. No, this time, I am content in waiting. 

YA Review: Displacement by Thalia Chaltas

Title: Displacement

Author: Thalia Chaltas

# of Pages: 364

Publisher: Viking Juvenille

Publication Date: June 9th 2011

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 3 Hearts

Synopsis

Home is supposed to be a place you belong. It's supposed to be parents who are there and siblings who bug you and a life that feels comfortable. It's not supposed to be an absentee mother or a drowned sister. But that's Vera's reality, and she can't stand it anymore. So she runs. She ends up in an old mining town in the middle of the California desert. It's hot, it's dusty, and it's as isolated as Vera feels. As she goes about setting up her life, she also unwittingly starts the process of healing and-eventually- figuring out what home might really mean for her.

My Verdict

Having read Chalta's first book, Because I Am Furniture, I was a little worried this would be another heavy-subject story, beautifully written but upsetting. While Displacement does tackle the heavy subject of losing ones sibling it was not as emotionally upsetting as I was expecting. 

How often do you meet a main character who's a seventeen year old girl, studying geology, who runs away from home to the desert because she's excited about the geological possibilities? Vera was such a refreshing MC, super smart, honest, hot-headed at times but usually for good cause. 

Along with the dessert setting came some very unique characters; Milo, Pearl, Dempsey, and Tilly. Only one of them was a main-ish character so while the others weren't fully developed, they played their role of odd small town characters. The way Tilly talked was SUPER annoying, here's a short example of what I mean.

          "Thet down, hawney. I'll gitchyou thome tea." 

           OR

          "What kind of job you think we got in thith plate?" 

I really can't tolerate slang, dialect, and accents in books. I just can't, but luckily Tilly doesn't appear often.

Overall, this was refreshingly unique and totally unpredictable. The verse format lent itself perfectly to Vera's story of loss, family, friends, and ultimately how to move on after the death of a loved one. I look forward to whatever subject Chaltas decides to tackle in her next book!

YA Review: The Outside by Laura Bickle

Title: The Outside (The Hallowed Ones #2)

Author: Laura Bickle

# of Pages: 325

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

One girl. One road. One chance to save what remains…
After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?

My Verdict

I was afraid the book might skip a large period of time and pick up somewhere in the future, but thankfully things picked up right where they ended in The Hallowed Ones. Katie, Alex, Ginger, and their trusty horse named Horace are now stuck outside of the Amish settlement, battling the vampires each night to survive another day.  

With all the background information out of the way, and Katie no longer living at home, I loved that we were able to focus more on just Katie, Alex, Ginger and their relationships.

• Katie- is such a strong character it's impossible not to love her. She doesn't let anyone tell her what to do and always makes decisions based on her heart. 

• Alex- is smart, incredibly brave, and so protective of Katie. I love how he always calls her Bonnett, so cute.

• Katie & Alex- For a couple that was never supposed to be together they sure are perfect for one another. Even though they share vastly different beliefs, I love that Alex respected Katie's ways and though he didn't agree with them, he never tried to change her. 

• Ginger- I really enjoyed getting to know more about Ginger and how she loved Katie as her own daughter. 

Thankfully, this book wasn't as bloody and gory as the first one. There were still a few gruesome scenes but they were farther and fewer between, as well as a lot easier to skim over than last time. 

While the ending does well to wrap things up in a satisfying way overall, I still feel there was more to be learned about this world, a few questions unanswered. Let's just say I was more than a little disapointed to find out there will not be a book three ="( 

YA Review: Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Time After Time (Time Between Us #2)

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone

# of Pages: 368

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publication Date: October 8th 2013

Source: NetGalley

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 5 Hearts

Synopsis

Calling Anna and Bennett’s romance long distance is an understatement: she’s from 1995 Chicago and he’s a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco. The two of them never should have met, but they did. They fell in love, even though they knew they shouldn't. And they found a way to stay together, against all odds. 

It’s not a perfect arrangement, though, with Bennett unable to stay in the past for more than brief visits, skipping out on big chunks of his present in order to be with Anna in hers. They each are confident that they’ll find a way to make things work...until Bennett witnesses a single event he never should have seen (and certainly never expected to). Will the decisions he makes from that point on cement a future he doesn't want?

Told from Bennett’s point of view, Time After Time will satisfy readers looking for a fresh, exciting, and beautifully-written love story, both those who are eager to find out what’s next for Time Between Us's Anna and Bennett and those discovering their story for the first time.

My Verdict    

TIME BETWEEN US was one of my favorite books of 2012, at the time I wasn't sure if it was a standalone or if there would be another. The story ended nicely and could easily stand on its own but I just wasn't ready to let go of Anna & Bennett. I crossed my fingers and hoped for more!! Thankfully Tamara soon announced that there would be a book two, TIME AFTER TIME, and I was beyond ecstatic. Even more so when I learned it was going to be told from Bennett's point-of-view. I LOVE Bennett, he is one of the greatest guys in contemporary fiction.

The story transitioned to Bennett's point-of-view so seamlessly I forgot the first book had been told by Anna. The best part about this book was getting to see more of the details about when Bennett travels. From Anna's perspective, POOF, he's just gone, but this way we got to see more of what exactly Bennett has to go through each time he travels.

One of the many things I love about these books is that there is nothing objectionable; no swears, no sex, no drugs. The characters are sweet, the romance is sweeter and family is a big part of the story. I love that Anna has a healthy relationship with her parents and while Bennett's family relationships might be a little more strained, they still love each other so much, which is refreshing to see in YA.

Overall, an amazing sequel to an amazing series. Seriously if you haven't read these yet, I'm not sure we can be friends. . . okay I guess we can ;)  but you should still go read them! Two of the BEST contemporary books I've ever read!

YA Review: Find Me by Romily Bernard

Title: Find Me

Author: Romily Bernard

# of Pages: 307

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: September 24th 2013

Source: ARC from Goodreads

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

“Find Me.”

These are the words written on Tessa Waye’s diary. The diary that ends up with Wick Tate. But Tessa’s just been found . . . dead.

Wick has the right computer-hacking skills for the job, but little interest in this perverse game of hide-and-seek. Until her sister Lily is the next target.

Then Griff, trailer-park boy next door and fellow hacker, shows up, intent on helping Wick. Is a happy ending possible with the threat of Wick’s deadbeat dad returning, the detective hunting him sniffing around Wick instead, and a killer taunting her at every step?

Foster child. Daughter of a felon. Loner hacker girl. Wick has a bad attitude and sarcasm to spare.

But she’s going to find this killer no matter what.

Because it just got personal.

My Verdict

I picked this up with the intention of just reading a few chapters before bed but once I started I couldn't put it down!! The story hooks you right away with a tension filled opening scene that keeps you flipping pages, honestly, until the very end.

I liked Wick, she had been through so much and was so fragile on the inside yet tough as nails on the outside. She keeps a lot of secrets thinking that she needs to deal with everything alone. That is, until Griffin. Griffin is really the only person Wick lets into her life, letting him see the good and the bad. He's also the only person Wick will ask for help. 

I thought their relationship was really cute. They have been sort of friends for awhile but Wick is always hiding who she really is. It's not until circumstances bring them together that they start falling for each other. Plus their witty banter was great. 

A lot of reviews I read beforehand said how predictable this book was and how they guessed the bad guy right from the start but I don't see how. The author did such a great job of making you doubt everyone, even those who didn't match what little evidence Wick did have. Yes, I may have guessed who it was at one point but my opinion was constantly changing.

What an intense ending! I love when books finish with a bang! I was sitting in bed at 1:45am tearing through the last few chapters. My heart started pounding out of my chest when the culprit was finally revealed and didn't stop until the book was over. 

One thing's for sure, Romily Bernard definitely left a mark on the YA suspense scene. I can't wait to see how the characters continue to develop, especially Wick & Griffins relationship in book 2, Remember Me! 

YA Review: Audacious by Gabrielle Prendergast

Title: Audacious

Author: Gabrielle Prendergast

# of Pages: 

Publisher: Orca

Publication Date: October 1st 2013

Source: Provided by author in exchange for honest review

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2.5 Hearts

Synopsis

Sixteen year old Raphaelle is that girl who says the wrong thing, who crosses the wrong person, who has the wrong hair, the wrong body, the wrong attitude, the totally wrong clothes. She can’t do anything right, except draw, but she draws the wrong pictures. When her father moves the family to a small prairie city, Raphaelle wants to leave behind the misfit rebel, the outcast, the vengeful trouble-maker she was. Reborn as “Ella,” she plans fit in at her new school, while her perfect younger sister goes to the Catholic girls’ school and her emotionally fragile mother looks for a job.

But Ella might just be a different kind of misfit. She’s drawn to a brooding boy in her art class, Samir, and expresses her confused feelings in an explicit artwork. When a classmate texts a photo of Ella’s art to a younger friend, the horrendous fallout spreads though Ella’s life like an uncontrollable disease. Ella is expelled from school and faces pornography charges, her mother is hospitalized, her sister fails all her classes, and her distant father finally notices something is wrong.

My Verdict

I don't know if you guys remember or if you followed my blog back then, but I actually interviewed author, Gabrielle Prendergast last year as part of my Novels In Verse Reading Challenge (which can be read here). Point being, I have been waiting for this book to come out for a long time! I'm so grateful to Gabrielle for providing me with an ARC for review purposes.

Being an artist myself, I thought it would be easy for me to connect with and understand Ella. Unfortunately, this didn't happen. I just couldn't see where she was coming from at all. Including a naked picture of herself in a school art show and frankly, not caring what happened in response. The thing is, it seemed like this wasn't the first time Ella had done something like that. I got the impression that her artwork had caused problems before. I feel like she just wanted the attention, whether good or bad and didn't really think of how her decisions affected others.

Her love interest, Samir, is also an artist but again, I just wasn't able to connect with him either. For a main character, he felt really distant to me throughout the whole book.

Religion is also a large topic in this story. Ella's family is Catholic, while  Samir's family is Muslim. Both characters are struggling with their faith, what they believe, who they believe in, or if they even believe anything at all. Personally, I didn't like the way religion was portrayed as this burden that both characters were trying to escape from. However, I respected the fact that the author didn't shy away from religion like most YA books do.

While this book wasn't a good match for me, I do think a lot of others will enjoy it. Especially fans of Ellen Hopkins and other books with heavier, more controversial subject matter.

YA Review: Once We Were by Kat Zhang

Title: Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2)

Author: Kat Zhang

# of Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: September 17th 2013

Source: BEA

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

"I'm lucky just to be alive"

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever.

My Verdict  

I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this book at BEA back in June. I hadn't even left Kat Zhangs autograph line yet and I was cracking this puppy open! For the rest of the day, whenever I was waiting in line for something I was reading this book. 

A lot of the time with series, I don't like the sequel, but in this case I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't like it as much as the first but it's still a great continuation of the story and characters we grew attached to in book one. 

In the first book, Eva was fighting for her voice and slowly learning how to take control of their body. Now Addie & Eva slip in and out of control on a regular basis. Their body is just as much Eva's as it is Addies. Now living as part of the Hybrid resistance, Addie & Eva are starting to learn more about their kind. One of the biggest things they learn is how one of them can "sleep" to give the other privacy. This comes in handy for the romantic aspect of things, allowing Eva and Ryan's relationship to grow. However, it also brings about a whole new set of problems when the girls start keeping secrets from each other about how they're using that time. 

In the first book, I liked Eva a lot more than Addie. This time things completely flip-flopped. Eva was driving me nuts and Addie was the one I agreed with (most of the time). There were a few new characters that joined the picture: Sabine, Christoph, and Cordelia, all of which were well written; I just didn't like them. 

Overall this was a very enjoyable sequel that you don't want to miss!! If you haven't read the first book, WHAT'S LEFT OF ME,  go grab a copy, you'll breeze right through it and be back for this one. 

YA Review: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

Title: If He Had Been With Me

Author: Laura Nowlin

# of Pages: 330

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: April 1st 2013

Source: Library

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 2 Hearts

Synopsis

If he had been with me, he wouldn't have died.

Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...

The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

My Verdict

It's funny how we have certain expectations for a book when we've done nothing but see the cover and read the back cover. I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting from this book, but I can say it ended up being nothing like how I imagined. 

The story focuses on best friends, Finny & Autumn, who have known each other since before birth. Seriously, their moms are also best friends and would sit with their pregnant bellies together so the babys could kick each other. Now in highschool, we get to watch as Autumn and Finny's relationship changes, they drift apart and back together again. 

The timeline of this book was very strange. It spans all four years of highschool and also contains many memories of middle school and earlier. So much so that I felt I had know Autumn & Finny their whole lives. 

While the story is about both Finny & Autumn, the focus is more on Autumn and is told from her point of view. She was extremely frustrating, always doing thing's she didn't want to do or saying things she didn't mean. I really disliked her! Finny on the other hand, I loved! I mean how awesome is the name Phineas? Okay I may be biased because of my love for Phineas & Ferb but it just really stood out to me. 

Even though you know how it's going to end from the very first page, it still hits hard when it happens. 

While I didn't care much for the book overall,  I will say that it was very emotional, and quite powerful. I found myself thinking about it for a few nights after I finished, tortured by what had happened and how easily it could have been different had the characters just communicated with one another! 

YA Review: Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Shadows (Lux #0.5)

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

# of Pages: 180

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Publication Date: February 21st 2012

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

My Verdict

Normally the novellas released as in-between parts of a series are really short, so I was pleasantly surprised by how long this was! I seriously paid $3.99 for a "novella" once that was literally 20 pages, so when this one kept going on and on I felt like I had won the lottery.

I was so excited to get to know more about Dawson, Bethany, and their relationship before all the crap hit the fan. Dawson was so sweet and adorable, the complete polar opposite of his twin brother Daemon. It also made it so much sadder seeing how he was before and knowing how he is after, when he's an empty shell haunted by all he's been through. Bethany was actually totally different than expected. Now I don't know if it was just me being stupid but I thought Bethany was a blonde?? At least that's how I always pictured her, with pin straight blonde hair and kind of mousy. I never felt like I knew Bethany from reading the other books. Dawson was so in love with her but she just seemed so blah.  I enjoyed getting her POV and seeing that she was just as much in love with Dawson as he was with her. 

Overall, this was a great addition to the Lux Series and I'm hoping there are some more novellas to come!! Maybe one about the Thompson siblings? 

YA Review: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

Title: The Hallowed Ones

Author: Laura Bickle

# of Pages: 320 

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: September 25th 2012

Source: Purchased

Level: Young Adult

Rating: 4 Hearts

Synopsis

If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in? 

In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror…

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?

My Verdict

I have so many feelings raging inside me on this one! It was suspenseful, it was terrifying, it was gruesome, it was hopeful, it was... truly unique! I knew little about the plot going in except it was about an Amish girl and possibly the end of the world.

The story is about Katie, an Amish girl with a large heart, and strong opinions both of which lead her into a lot of trouble throughout the book. I really loved Katie. She was so genuine; I loved that unlike others in her community who followed the words of the Elders so blindly, Katie actually thought about things. She always had good intentions in mind, and did what she believed to be right in her heart.

I always find it fascinating to read about the Amish culture. While there is so much outside influence in this story, we still get to learn a lot about traditional Amish practices and beliefs. In other books about the Amish that I've read, the language they use really grated on my nerves, but besides the use of "ja" the author didn't make it seem like gibberish.

Major violence warning on this one!! Honestly I would say 18+ the gore is so bad. I had seen it called suspense, not horror, so I wasn't expecting the amount of blood and guts that I got but Make. No. Mistake. this is horror! There was A LOT of blood and gore and let me tell you the author sparred no details. Literally, the most disgusting things I've ever read. Even when I tried to skim over passages, there was so much detail and it went on for so long, I ended up reading things I wish I hadn't. This was definitely the biggest downfall of the book in my eyes. I just don't see why the author had to be so graphic.

Overall, I loved the mystery, suspense, and romance that The Hallowed Ones provided. But the bloody violence is not easily ignored. Let's just say I'm both excited and terrified of reading the next book in the series.