Review: Crewel by Gennifer Albin

Incapable. Awkward. Artless. That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: She wants to fail. Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen to work the looms is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to manipulate the very fabric of reality. But if controlling what people eat, where they live, and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested. Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and used her hidden talent for a moment. Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her dad’s jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape. Because tonight, they’ll come for her.

Review: The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

Seventeen-year-old Caymen Meyers studies the rich like her own personal science experiment, and after years of observation she’s pretty sure they’re only good for one thing—spending money on useless stuff, like the porcelain dolls in her mother’s shop. So when Xander Spence walks into the store to pick up a doll for his grandmother, it only takes one glance for Caymen to figure out he’s oozing rich. Despite his charming ways and that he’s one of the first people who actually gets her, she’s smart enough to know his interest won’t last. Because if there’s one thing she’s learned from her mother’s warnings, it’s that the rich have a short attention span. But Xander keeps coming around, despite her best efforts to scare him off. And much to her dismay, she's beginning to enjoy his company. She knows her mom can’t find out—she wouldn’t approve. She’d much rather Caymen hang out with the local rocker who hasn’t been raised by money. But just when Xander’s attention and loyalty are about to convince Caymen that being rich isn’t a character flaw, she finds out that money is a much bigger part of their relationship than she’d ever realized. And that Xander’s not the only one she should’ve been worried about.

ARC Review: All Our Yesterdays by Christin Terrill

Em is locked in a bare, cold cell with no comforts. Finn is in the cell next door. The Doctor is keeping them there until they tell him what he wants to know. Trouble is, what he wants to know hasn't happened yet. Em and Finn have a shared past, but no future unless they can find a way out. The present is torture - being kept apart, overhearing each other's anguish as the Doctor relentlessly seeks answers. There's no way back from here, to what they used to be, the world they used to know. Then Em finds a note in her cell which changes everything. It's from her future self and contains some simple but very clear instructions. Em must travel back in time to avert a tragedy that's about to unfold. Worse, she has to pursue and kill the boy she loves to change the future.

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance. Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury. Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Title: Pivot Point

Author: Kasie West

Series: Pivot Point, #1

Publisher: Harper Teen

Publication Date: February 12th 2013

Source: Bought

Description: Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Title: Poison Study

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Series: Study #1

Publisher: Mira

Publication Date: March 1st 2007

Format: ebook

Description:

Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

ARC Review: Secret For A Song by S.K. Falls

Title: Secret For A Song

Author: S.K. Falls

Series: None

Publisher: S. K. Falls

Publication Date: May 31st, 2013

Source: S. K. Falls

Description:

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives. 

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thoughts:

I ate my first needle when I was seven.

Secret For A Song is a book about Saylor, who has Munchausen Syndrome. I'd never heard of it, but apparently it basically means that you make yourself sick. Her family is a bit screwed up, with a father that's almost never home (and when he is, he shows no interest in his daughter) and a mother that doesn't seem to care about anything Saylor does. So Saylor makes herself sick to get attention. 

Then she ends up in a local support group for terminal diseases by accident. She says she has MS -not entirely a lie, but interpret in the wrong way- and makes friends with kids with terminal diseases.

So, I didn't know Munchausen Syndrome existed until I read this book. It's very interesting to see how someone would willingly make herself sick in order to get attention. I really can't imagine doing such a thing to myself (I really hate being sick), but Saylor does and has quite imaginative ways of doing it as well. The scenes where she injects her own saliva into her veins and the abcesses that form were, unfortunately, described very good and detailed, so I was often grossed out. (I think in pictures, so it was all too easy to see it all happening - ew)

The writing was a pleasant surprise - way better than I was expecting. The prose was strong and steady, with good descriptions, but not too flowery. An example:

I believed in my mother's ability to reverse-transubstantiate, to change from one substance to another; her flesh and blood to smoke and shadows when I was near.

I also really loved the secondary characters. Drew was sweet and soft, Zoe so happy and brightening. It was interesting to see how they handled their sicknesses, how they grew weaker in body but stronger in mind. The relationship between Saylor and Drew wasn't overdone: they weren't immediately declaring their love for one another, but build it up slowly, with lots of sweet moments.

But (there's always a but), I didn't really like Saylor. She was very whiny and passive (except when it came to her making herself sick). I also really can't get over how she lied to her friends about having MS. MS is a very serious disease and I think it's a bit improper to use it as a cover for someone whodeliberately makes herself sick. A bit disrespectful, too. Especially if that someone thinks is so awesome to have a serious disease without having to work for it.

At times, I really felt the need to scream at her to stop bloody lying to her friends! If you keep lying, the truth will always backstab you in the end - but the sooner you admit the lie, the softer the stab will be. But Saylor never had the guts to tell her friends the truth, and of course, she paid for it. It was very annoying every time she could have told and didn't. 

This was a very interesting read about Munchausen Syndrome and what it did to a girl. The prose flows easily and most of the characters were very nice. I'd definitely recommend it if you're interested in Munchausen, or if you - like me - had never heard of it before.

Thank you, S.K. Falls, for giving me a galley of this book. No money or favours were exchanged to alter this review.

All Our Pretty Songs

All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Actual rating: 3,5 stars.

Thank you St. Martins Griffin for providing me an ARC of this book! No money or favours were exchanged to affect this review.

All Our Pretty Songs, what a strange animal you are. I can see why a lot of people rated it 2 stars, but I quite liked it.

So, this is about the narrator, who doesn't have a name, apparently. She's best friends with Aurora. They've bot got pretty fucked up families, but they genuinely love each other. Then Jack comes into play. His music is hauntingly beautiful, and he and the narrator fall in love. It's this way for most of the novel, until in the end some really weird stuff happens.

It's hard for me to say what genre this is. This novel does have a very Contemporary feel, but that stuff in the end definitely wasn't contemporary, but rather Paranormal or Greek myth stuff. So I'll say this is a contemporary with a sprinkle of paranormal greek. Sounds legit, right?

So, there are quite some issues with this book, but let's start with the positive. The prose was absolutely stunning. Not Laini Taylor-stunning, but I put this on my 'gorgeous-prose' shelf without hesitation. The prose drew me in right from the start and kept me reading. But (there's always a but) as the lovely Ashleigh Paige from Birth of a New Witch so accurately states: The prose is so determined to take over the novel that it practically drains the life from everything else.

This is very true: the prose is so lush and there's so much of it, that you get distracted by it. It buries the story. This was one of the rare cases where I didn't mind, but I can definitely see why it would annoy others or even make them give up on this book.

Maybe my quite positive opinion of this book is (almost) all thanks to the prose. Because the prose is the main thing in this book instead of the story, there were a lot of things I just looked over. In this book there's insta-love. Normally I hate books with insta-love with a burning passion and they'll get nothing short of a snarky review from me. But really, I could overlook it here. I was just reading, thought: "hey, that's insta-love,", shrugged and kept on reading.

Another possible problem with this book is that it can be extremely boring. Once again, I didn't mind, but normally I get distracted easily if nothing's happening. Because really, for a great part of the book, there is nothing happening. I actually have no idea why I wasn't bored, but I guess it was the prose again. However, if you have a short attention span, I wouldn't recommend this. You're likely to get very bored.

But, as I mentioned, there is a lot of stuff happening in the end. Shit's going down quickly. But because in the rest of the novel there's not really all that much happening, it felt rushed to me. I wish there was more of this in the book and less of the rest. Although rushed, the ending was, in my opinion, very good.

So, all in all the biggest downside of this book was the prose, because it buried the story. The thing that saved this book was also the prose.

Think about that.

Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X, #1)

Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When I first saw this on Goodreads, I cheered. A new novel from one of my favourite authors!



Then, I saw I could request an ARC of it. I went crazy.



Then, I got approved to read it.



I cozied up and started reading.

And oh, I wanted to love this. I really, really did. But sadly, this just wasn't for me. But, on the bright side, it did inspire me to create a shelf named 'it's not you, it's me'. Because that's how I feel about this. Because there are going to be lots of people who will devour this, cry because it's over, give it five stars and gush about Mastermind Mead.

I am just not one of those people.

So, Gameboard of the Gods is this sci-fi/urban fantasy/dystopian about Justin March, who was exiled but now called back to the RUNA, a futuristic American country. He's supposed to solve a murder mystery, gets a gorgeous guardian named Mae Koskinen and gets involved with gods. Sounds good, no?

Unfortunately, it was boring. And like, really boring. I only kept reading because I was hoping that it would be less boring, that there would be a major surprise, or a mindblowing ending that would earn the book five stars no matter what. I try to always finish a book, but damn, I was close to DNF'ing this.

That doesn't mean there was no action. Oh no, there were plenty of fighting scenes. But still, it was really hard to keep my attention to it. I'd be reading it and then go...
"... Ooh, nice song on the radio!" *starts humming*
"... God, my dog is so cute."
"... Is there food anywhere? I'm getting hungry."
"... Why did it suddenly start raining?"

... Yeah. I had to say to myself "You ARE going to finish it, and NOW at that!" to finish this. And even then, I read it reluctantly. *sigh* I'm just so disappointed, because this should have been my new favourite book of 2013.

One thing that didn't help was the worldbuilding - or rather the lack thereof. At first, I had no idea what was what, which country did what, etc. Don't get me wrong - I like it when an author has guts and throws you into a world with no hand-holding, but I would have liked more information there. I finished this and I still don't know how everything happened.

This doesn't mean that this was an awful book, though. Like I said, many people are going to love this. One thing I really love is how Mead creates real, flawed characters in every book she writes. Justin and Mae were both very readable and and very flawed. That's good, because really, who isn't flawed?

NOBODY.

And while at times Mae reminded me of Rose with her mad fighting skills and battlelust, and Justin reminded me of Adrian, with his drinking and women-addiction, they were also very distinct of the Vampire Academy cast. This shows Mead's skills, because it can be very hard to create a character that is a little like some other character, but is a whole other person (if that makes sense).

Also, Mead's prose is as always steady and very loveable.

Basically, I can some this review up in four words:

Unfortunately, not for me.

Under The Never Sky (Under The Never Sky, #1)

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, I have to admit, I read this book solely because of that title. I saw it and was like "Whoa, that is pretty interesting! Under The Never Sky.. Hmm... Wonder what that means?"
I didn't even read the synopsis until right before I started it.

But the book with the interesting title didn't disappoint! This is basically about Aria, who lives in a virtual world and gets kicked out, and Peregrine (Perry), who is a Savage living in the Death Shop (a.k.a. the outside world). They meet, go on a search together, adventure et cetera, et cetera.

Okay, so first I have to say, pretty prose! Rossi really has a nicely flowing writing style. The prose is pretty and poetic, but not in a heavy way. Instead, it is light and very readable.

Then, the overall concept. Although I loved the idea of a virtual world in which humans live with their bodies somewhere safe, the novel lacked some world building. It's never really clear how everything has come to be the way it is. I'm not someone who needs a lot of world building to get into a book, so I didn't really mind, but I can definitely see why it would annoy others. There was one thing that did annoy me: the freakin' Aether storms! It was never explained and we were apparently just supposed to go with it. Now, I now what Aether is in general concept, but it didn't seem to be like that, what with flards in the air and such. The Dutch edition of "Under The Never Sky" says they are electricity storms. I guess that's all the explanation we're going to get.

What I really liked is the way Rossi handles the senses. In Under The Never Sky, Savages sometimes have extraordinary senses, like hear good, see good, etc. But it was extremely awkward when (view spoiler)[Perry could smell Aria was on her period. That's so awkward that I can't even. (hide spoiler)].

The characters were well done, too. I never disliked Aria. I didn't love her, but she was certainly enjoyable to read and she shows iniative! Perry was nice too, never controlling and always sweet. And Roar. Oh, Roar. He was the lighter tone, flirting and joking and very, very loveable.

So, for some reason this sounds quite negative, but I did love this book. I mean, it's not like I give out four star ratings for free!

What's Left Of Me (Hybrid Chronicles, #1)

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang


Oh, I loved this book!

All the things I loved:

- That cover. It's freaking gorgeous. I have the paperback and I don't think this picture really does the cover justice. It's way too blue here! Still, I love it and it really captures Eva and Addie. To me, the person who's eye is visible is Eva and the other Addie. Don't ask why, it just is that way for me.

- The originality. I really loved the idea of two souls in one body, with the recessive soul fading away and all that. One thing I didn't get was why the government was afraid of hybrids, but maybe this will be explained in the next book.

- The characters. Zhang did such a good job with giving Eva and Addie distinct voices and personalities. I was never confused, never got the feeling they were too alike. The other characters in the book were displayed very well too. When Eva said one of the hybrids 'shifted', I really noticed a change. Very well done!

- The writing. It was lush and lovely and great. For some reason, it felt really calm to me. There are books that always make me a bit nervous, like I can't sit still and concentrate. This book did the opposite. I felt really calm, even during the action scenes. That doesn't mean I didn't feel them, I did, but I still felt really calm. It was really nice and relaxing, and I read the book in one sitting.

- The plot. It was good and at times pretty action-packed. If you expect this to be a book with a lot of action, though, don't. It isn't.

The romance fell a little short on me, but I didn't dislike it at all. It was there, but only barely. Recently, YA books (not all of them of course) are pretty much turned toward romance. Girl meets guy, they fall in insta-love, yada yada yada. I'm used to books with a lot of romance, so What's Left Of Me surprised me. I actually think it's good to have a book where the plot comes first. Learn from this, other YA books!

One other thing I slightly - but only slightly- disliked (or not even that, I just raised my eyebrows, y'know) was Eva's sudden progress. In teh beginning, she can't take over Addie's-her-their-whatever body, and later on she can only just move her fingers. But later, SPOILER, she suddenly takes over the whole body, is able to walk and talk and all that? I get that she was in danger - or thought she was-, but I would have liked to see Eva taking small steps, like first moving an arm, one leg, her head... But this was my only, minor issue with this book.
END OF SPOILER

On the whole, I loved it. What's Left Of Me takes great characters, lovely writing and an original concept, pushes it into one book, and tops it with a cover to die for.

Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1)

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I've had Stormdancer sitting on my shelf for quite a while. I glanced at it once in a while, but I always chose some other book to read. Why? I have no idea, because I loved Stormdancer.

The beginning of the book was the hardest part for me, because it felt a bit slow. You're thrown into this world with little explanation. There is a glossary, but I noticed that after I finished, because I have an e-version of the book. So that wasn't really helpul for me, but I'm sure it has helped others a lot. I only wish I'd noticed it right away... But oh, well.

After this first part the action begins. And boy, did I like it! Buruu the griffin was without a doubt the best part of this book. I loved him. I loved him SO HARD. When he and Yukiko first meet, he thinks like a beast, really. He hardly understands human emotions and is all bloodlust. (And did I love it. Especially the STAND ASIDE, I WILL GUT HIM.) HILARIOUS. But as the book progresses, he thinks more coherently and understands humans better.

I did love Yukiko too. She is just pretty badass. What more can I say?

I loved the writing *most* of the time. It usually was very pretty, but at times the book felt a little slow because of all the descriptions. But when there weren't too much descriptions, I loved it. A few quotes I really like:

To be a servant can be a noble thing, but only as noble as the master served.

This is how the rain becomes a flood. One drop at a time.

And that ending! It was so sad and so powerful and so WHOA. Don't you stomp on my heart again, Kristoff! Please do. It makes the book that much more powerful.

In short, where kan I get an ARC of Kinslayer?

Teeth

Teeth by Hannah Moskowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have never read a novel by Hannah Moskowitz before (I know, shame on me). I kept seeing five-star ratings and glowing reviews for her books, especially Gone, Gone, Gone. I wanted to read her books, but I was hesitant buying one of them. I wanted to read an excerpt or something first, because what if I wouldn't like it? Then I'd have bought a book I hated, spent money on something I don't want. But after seeing like billions of reviews gushing over Hannah Moskowitz, I knew I had to do it. I had to buy a book written by her.

Well, it didn't disappoint. I absolutely loved Teeth. Why? Well, let me tell you...

The writing

Oh God, how I loved her writing. There's something about it that makes the story real, even if it's about magic fish. It's raw and has a way doing some sort of surprise attack. You let your attention falter for a moment.. and BAM there it is, her writing has slammed into your heart and now it's lying on the floor in little pieces.

The characters

This is were Teeth really shined for me. Her characters are so complex and flawed, so real and heartbreaking. Two lonely and broken boys, so different and so the same. I loved all of them. Teeth, oh Teeth. He's really slap-worthy at times, but I loved him. I absolutely loved him. It's a shame he isn't real. *cries*

I would like to talk about the description of the book.

Be careful what you believe in.

Rudy’s life is flipped upside-down when his family moves to a remote island in a last attempt to save his sick younger brother. With nothing to do but worry, Rudy sinks deeper and deeper into loneliness and lies awake at night listening to the screams of the ocean beneath his family’s rickety house.

Okay, so far, this is all right. But then:

Then he meets Diana, who makes him wonder what he even knows about love, and Teeth, who makes him question what he knows about anything.

I might be the only one, but I don't think this is true. He does hook up with Diana, but I didn't have the idea he was wondering about love. At all. Instead, he admits he doesn't really feel anything for her. So, in my opinion, that's not correct.

In short, I loved this. I really loved this. And yes, I am going to buy her other books too. Like soon.

Eona (Eon, #2)

Eona by Alison Goodman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow.

Eona was everything I expected and more.

This book is freaking amazing, like, really. Honestly, I don't even know what to say about it because it's so awesome. Halfway through the book I'd already decided that this was a 5 star book, and then that ending happened. Every doubt I may have had was instantly gone.

I love the character growth! This story is about Eona, but also about what power does to you. It was very crafty. When Eona said she didn't lie much, or that it was for someone else's sake, I agreed with her. I thought, people, give this girl a break, yeah? She's right. And then someone would accuse her of lying or not telling something, I started to think and I realised they were right. But I could never hate her, or even dislike her.

What also adds to the strength of this book is the fact that no-one can really be trusted. It influences everything, including the romance. Speaking of the romance, I LIKE. It was not the main theme of the story, thank God. Lately every Young Adult book is all about twu luurve. But not Eona, and I was very grateful for that.

Also kind of major spoiler:
(view spoiler)[ I really liked the sort of love triangle. I really really hated Ido in the first book, but I loved the dark attraction between him and Eona. And that one scene was HAWT. Really, I wanted it to happen again. But Kygo is also very sweet, and in the end, I am definitely team Kygo. But still.. damn. (hide spoiler)]

This book is over 600 pages, but every page is worth it. I read it so fast, I just couldn't lay it down. And every of those pages was needed. There was never too much, and I can't think of a single page that needn't be there.

In short, I loved Eona and I recommend. Highly.

Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

While it didn't steal my heart, it will probably haunt my dreams.. or nightmares.

Because Born at Midnight has the whole package: slut shaming, insta-attraction, more slut shaming and a plot that spends its time mostly elsewhere.

I'll start with this book greatest issue: the slut shaming. God, it was horrible.

                      "Beside him-or she should say plastered against him-sashayed
                        his new slutty girlfriend."

This 'new slutty girlfriend' is someone Kylie, the main character, has never spoken to. Yet the poor girl is called a slut, bang toy and screw toy. Oh, and:

                 "In less than five minutes, Trey would be trying to get in
                  her panties. And from the too-low-cut blouse and too-short
                  skirt the girl wore, it appeared he wouldn't have to try hard."


What has this girl done? Nothing but getting in a relationship with Kylies ex-jerkboyfriend. Such a crime!

Not only is wearing short skirts or shorts slutty and so wrong, having sex is also very eeeeeeevil! Just look at Kylies "best friend" (who is promptly forgotten after Kylie arrives at the camp) Sara! Have sex and you'll end up like her. Or at least, that's what Born at Midnight likes you to think!

                 "More as in Kylie had a sneaking suspicion that Sara longed
                  to rush Kylie to join the partying-non-virgin ranks."

                  "Then she recalled how Sara had given in to Brad's "needs"
                   -Brad, who was the love of Sara's life-yet, within two weeks
                    of giving in, the love of Sara's life had dumped her. What
                    was so special about that?

                   Since then, Sara had dated four other guys, and she'd slept
                   two of them. Now, Sara had stopped talking about sex being
                   special."

Isn't this just a lovely message? Boys are only after sex and if you 'give in', you'll end up like that.

Oh and by the way, pregnancy..

        "It happened to everyone an anyone having unprotected sex. Or
         sex with a faulty condom."



And the preaching and slut-shaming isn't all. Kylie's a bitch. Sorry folks, she is. I mean:

         "Somebody really needed to subscribe to a fashion magazine
           or two."

         "Lordie, can you say freaks? One girl had her hair dyed three
        different colors-pink, lime green, and jet black. Another
        girl wore nothing but black-black lipstipck, black eye
        shadow, black pants, and a black long-sleeve shirt. Hadn't
        the goth look gone out of style? Where was this girl getting
        her fashion tips? Hadn't she read that colors were in? That
        blue was the new black?"

It's not like wearing black can be a fashion choice. Nope, according to Kylie you haven't read the magazines, or you're rebellous! Isn't she lovely?

Then, of course, there is the love square. Yes, square. Unfortunately, you read that right. Because all the boyyzz are fawning over her. There's Trey, the ex and jerk first class, and there's Derek, who can manipulate her emotions, and Lucas, who killed her cat, but not really. I choose....

freakin' no-one!

The curse words in this book are annoying as hell. They say 'bat-shit' but also 'crappers'. They say 'Jesus', but 'Lordie'. And they replace hell with Hades. Oh hell no! Hades isn't the same as hell. He's a god. Not. The. Same.

Oh, and did you know that shapeshifters sparkle when they shift? Hey Twilight, I didn't see you there!

But I did like Miranda and Della. Really, I loved Della. She was great and interesting! I liked Miranda too - and then she lets her friend almost die because she's having a bitchfight with Fredericka, a character with no depth who is only there so everyone can hate her.

It was a really fast read, so it's got that going for it.

All in all...

No.

If I Should Die (Die For Me, #3)

If I Should Die by Amy Plum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SPOILER ALERT!


There it is, at last, the last book of the Revenants series. I've read and loved the first two books in the series and now I've read and loved the last one. Since the first book I've thought Plum's ideas about bardia and numa are very original, and I still think so.

I definitely thought this was the strongest book in the series because Kate really grows a pair in this one. She kicks ass.

The first chapter in this book was very sweet. If you're an emotional reader (which I am not), keep tissues at hand.

I think the whole thing with Vincent being allowed to stay three days with the bardia was a bit too convenient. I just can't believe any villain would allow that.

The two plot twists involving Kate (her being the Champion and her becoming a revenant) were really obvious, but well done.

I thought it was very realistic how Kate reacted to being a revenant. She didn't go all

1: Bella, "YES I am finally a monster! Life is so much better now! Yay me!"
or
2: Skye, "Oh boy, I am so special and two hot boys fawn over me, fuck my life!"

Instead, her reaction is very realistic: she's disgusted. She can't think of herself being undead, because she's disgusted. Yes! Now this is the appropiate reaction to finding out you're undead! God, I'm really glad Plum pulled it off that well.

I also feel like Plum's prose has developed over the course of the series. It doesn't make it to my "gorgeous prose" shelf, but I definitely see improvement, and that's a good thing. I really liked this passage, for example (spoiler for those who haven't read book 2!):

But I am suddenly unafraid, knowing I will face Violette with a powerful weapon: love. The complete and unconditional love of another being. That is something Violette does not have. It won't win me the battle against her. But it has already made me the victor over my fear.

I really loved that passage, and I do think Plum has talent.

The way redemption was woven into the story surprised me and made me happy. It's good to see the message that all hope is never lost, and you can be good and true if you really want to.

The ending - the epic battle- was a bit unsatisfying for me, but I can't name what exactly I missed in it.

I disliked how Jules was written out of the story. I get that friendship doesn't always last forever, but it was a bit too sudden for me. I wish the book took more time slowly buiding to his department.

All in all, I really liked this book. I think this is definitely the strongest book of the three, and it is a nicely woven tale of friendship, redemption and ass-kicking!

The Pledge (The Pledge, #1)

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Pff, I have no idea what to say about this one. It's just one of those books that's.. just a book. I don't really have an opinion on this. I didn't take any notes, which means I didn't hate it but also didn't think it was amazing. So, middle of the road three stars.

I liked the concept of the different languages for different ranks and a girl who understands them all. I don't really know what to think of Charlaina (a.k.a. Charlie). She seems nice, but I can't really see growth in her. I couldn't tell you what the changes in her are, except that she now knows a couple of (pretty big) secrets.

The reason why Charlaina could understand all languages was very obvious, but there were also a few plot twists that I didn't see coming.

The writing is nice. Not oh-my-freaking-god-this-is-so-beautiful nice, but also not awful. It makes the story flow easily and can be pretty at times, so bonus points there.

One thing I feel a little torn about is the romance. The romance isn't the lead of the story, which I liked. All to often there are novels hinting at a plot, but said plot is suddenly gone when the love interest appears. But there are also quotes like this one in the book:

He frightened me just as much as he intrigued me.

This isn't a good sign. if someone frightens you, get the heel away. If someone frightens you, you do not love him. This is NOT a good message to send out to all the teenagers who read this. Dear everyone who reads this, if someone frightens you, stay away from him/her. It's not love. Seriously.


I liked the ending. It was predictable what would happen, of course, but still nicely done. The novel could be a stand-alone, but there is also hinted at a series (which it is). But I really like novels that are stand-alones within a series, instead of three blubbery no-plot books because the author or the publisher or whoever demanded a trilogy, resulting in crappy books.

So, not sure what to think about this one, but it's a nice read.

A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark, #1)

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

A Beautiful Dark had an interesting premise, some great ideas, and is extremely disappointing.

Even though it's not very original, the idea of an agent of good and one of evil trying to win over a girl is good. With some slow burning romance, ass-kicking and an awesome heroine, it would be pretty perfect.

What we get is an unlikeable herione, way too much clichés, insta-love and a cheap Twilight-ripoff.

There is a checklist for crappy YA novels these days. Let's see if A Beautiful Dark can get all the checks!

- Unlikable herione

Check, check, double check. Skye is a whiny teenager. She's so very special, but instead of going all "Hell yeah! Let's go kick some ass!" she's just "Fuck my life. Fuck my miserable life. I have powers, ewh! I have a very crappy life. I have two hot boys who want me. Ewh. My parents died, fuck my life!"

Sigh.

She's also Bella Swan the Second. Look at these quotes:

"My skin looked even paler than usual."

Why do they all have to be so pale?

" "Okay, wait, I know you also said no presents," Cassie shouted above the music as we worked our way through the throng, "but I have no self-control." "You better not have spent-" "

Guess who also loathes presents, especially when people paid money for it? You guessed right, Bella Swan!

Also, she gets some kind of iPod adapter thing so she can listen to it in her car. Bella got a new radio for her car. Hmm. Must be a coincidence, no?


- Herione doesn't want her powers

Check. So, Skye's got some pretty awesome powers. I mean, control over the elements? Healing? Pretty badass. But instead she's just:
"I have powers! But fuck my life. It's so very different now that I know I have powers. I wish I'd get my old life back. But I have powers. Oh no!"

- Slutty best friend, not relevant to the plot

Check again!

"I never reacted this way to guys I'd just met. It was Cassie who was boy crazy."

Of course, Cassie's only there to make Skye look good. Also, without Cassie, Skye doesn't have a life.

- Love triangle with two guys, one the 'bad' guy, the other brooding and serious

Guess what? Check. So there's Asher, who's the bad guy and basically a fucking jerk. Why do they always have to think making the MC jealous is the perfect way to get her? Why? I'd be more like, "fuck off now, you've made your point clear." But of course it works. Sigh.

Then there's Devin. He's so very serious and brooding and in luurve with Skye.

- Stalking equals love

Of course, how could I forget? If someone stalks you, it means they are so very in love with you.

"You watch me sleep?" "Once or twice." He smiled.

So very creepy romantic. (Also, guess what Edward does? He watches Bella sleep too! Yay!)

"I know a lot more about you than you know."

Flattering, isn't he?

- 'Parent' who's always conviently away

Check. Aunt Jo is always going out to hike. So very convenient!

- (only add in case of wanting to rip off Twilight) The human boy who's hopelessly in love with our protagonist

There's Ian. He's so in love with Skye, because of course it'd be weird if only two guys fell for her! He's a lot like Matt (or what was his name again?) from Twilight. They're both in love with the main character.

So, A Beautiful Dark's got every single thing! Hurray!

Also:

I didn't feel any older on the day after my birthday than I had on the day before it.

You don't say?

Since he'd arrived, I was having a difficult time concentrating in all of my classes, but for some reason, history, with its rote memorization, had been the hardest.

Because when you're attracted to a guy you're supposed to fail all your classes! please note that this girl wants to go to Columbia.

[the teacher] actually blushed and patted her mousy brown hair that frizzed out in a crown around her face.

Why are teachers always displayed as ugly? Sure, at my school there are some who aren't exactly attractive, but also young teachers, and good-looking ones. So I don't understand why teachers (who are very important, by the way) are always displayed as old, ugly and naïve creatures.

So.. this wasn't really my cup of tea. Too much clichés, way too much. But since I already have the sequel, I'll read it sometime.

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hmmm... Not really sure what to think about this one.

From the description of this book you probably got that this is an awesome book about assassin nuns. I mean, assassin nuns. How cool is that?

I expected this to be quite bloody and full of murder. Unfortunately, that's not really what this is about. This book is mostly about political games and treason, not about murder. Sure, Ismae does kill sometimes, but for me, those times were too few and far between.

I did like Ismae, however. She knows how to use her brain, something most YA heriones don't. She held a lot of prejudices against men, but due to her story, this is understandable. And her attitude changes (in other words: character growth! Yay!).

I liked most of the characters, now that I think of it. Duval was nice, and no insta-love! I really appreciated that.

The ending was a little bit rushed, but good. I liked how (view spoiler)[ Mortain appeared to Ismae, and how she stands up to the convent (hide spoiler)]. However, I did not like how (view spoiler)[ Ismae had to have sex with Duval to get all the poison out of his system. I wish LaFevers had done that differently. (hide spoiler)]

So.. I don't really have to say much about this book. For me it is 2.5/3 stars.

I'll read the sequels, but I'm not exactly in a hurry to get my hands on them.

The Elite (The Selection, #2)

The Elite by Kiera Cass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I really loved The Selection, and I really loved The Elite.

I don't think they are high-quality books like Daughter of Smoke & Bone. This is due to worldbuilding, prose and just the general concept. I don't think they are lacking, but I also don't think they're outstanding.

But you know what? I really don't care. I read these books because they are light and fluffy and enjoyable. They make me happy, I like to read them. And that is what counts in the end. The The Selection series are just plain old fun to read. (Because, c'mon, who didn't or doesn't dream about being a princess? I bet you did.)

I would like to see a little more worldbuilding and information about the rebels. I thought the scene with the rebel girl was a nice touch, but also made me curious for more!

I also thought the plot twist involcing Maxon and his father was surprising and good. I'm curious to see if, and how, this evolves in The One.

Speaking of Maxon, he was incredibly sweet, as always. I really hope America chooses him, because he is just so sweet and giving toward her.
I was in fact a little shocked when there was a little revelation about (view spoiler)[ how he'd never recieved any gift (hide spoiler)] and I hope America will change that.

I did not like Aspen. Yes, he was at times sweet, but he mostly annoyed me. And I still haven't forgiven him for being such a jerk in book one.

All in all, a fun, quick and light read!
And the next book, called The One will be published in 2014. Yes. 2014. How will I survive? I need to know what's going to happen!

View all my reviews