ARC Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how. 

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

Title: The Promise of Amazing
Author: Robin Constantine
Series: None
Publisher: Balzer + Bray 
Publication Date: December 31st 2013

Rating: 2.5 or 3 stars (I'm not really sure)

Thoughts: 

The NHS made [being quiet] sound like a character flaw. Something I could improve. That's just not how it worked.

Since I know everyone's going to make some sort of joke with the title, I'll spare you that. When I first saw this awesomely cute and fluffy cover, I knew I had to read it. Sometimes I just really want something fluffy and light and funny. Ultimately, though, I was sort of... disappointed. The Promise of Amazing didn't live up to my expectations.

The Promise of Amazing mainly around the romance and Grayson's past. The romance was the thign that disappointed me most, to be honest. It's not exactly instant love, but it all goes a bit fast and I just didn't feel it. Wren and Grayson were cute, sure, and Grayson's admiration for Wren shines through. However, from the moment Wren saves Grayson's life they both feel this 'connection'. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that connection at all. Honestly, I thought it was a bit insta-lovey. From the moment they meet, pretty much all they do is think about the other. And even though they spend a lot of time together, I didn't feel like they really knew each other. So when they exchange their 'I love you's, I just didn't believe it. It was too much, too fast, and as a result I felt really disconnected from it. Because of that, I couldn't really ship them. I mean, they fit each other fine, but when they kissed my reaction was more towards the 'meh' side of things.

Another point that made me a little angry: Grayson's hotness excuses everything. The things he does (sort of but not really stalking, lying, etc.) were not right. If he had been ugly, Wren and her friends would've thought he was a creep. Now, everything he does is 'kinda hot'. Why? Because of his apparently flawless appearance. Now, I'm not saying that he was Edward Cullen-creepy, but let's just say that was no angel.  And I really wish his hotness didn't 'make up' for that.

Otherwise, Grayson's past was pretty interesting. The things he did were definitely not good, but interesting to read about. Throughout the book, he cares less and less about his old 'business' and his old friends (who are total jerks, by the way. Seriously.). This gradual change in him was executed well: things didn't go too fast, he makes a couple of mistakes and he learns from them. Although Wren sort of inspired this change in him, I did feel like he did it for himself and not for her.

I don't really have much to say about Wren. She was a nice girl, and I thought the change in her was well done. She starts off as silent and shy, but throughout the novel she dares to say more and is a bit more impulsive. Although she didn't necessarily good decisions, she was likeable enough. So were her friends: although they were the outgoing boy-crazy friend and the serious, studious one, they weren't stereotypical. They had a twist to their character that made them believable and different.

In all, this was a bit of a disappointment. Hardly the fluffy novel I was looking for, The Promise of Amazing deals with accepting your past mistakes and moving on. The characters were all likeable (except for Grayson's friends) and well developed. The romance, I felt, was underdeveloped and Wren and Grayson needed to know more about each other before thinking about love. Would I still recommend? Yes, because it wasn't bad at all. I had just expected it to be more.

Waiting On Wednesday #13

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, which showcases books we're eagerly anticipating.
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It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. 

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. 

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Publication Date: December 10th 2013

Why am I waiting:

This book looks friggin' fantastic! Bloggers I trust have all given this 5 stars and I basically cannot wait. I need this SOONER! Unfortunately, I wasn't approved to read it on Netgalley... So I'll just wait impatiently until December. Hmmm. Maybe I can ask this for Christmas, but it would mean that I can't read it until 25 December.. Ahhh! Book nerd problems! Anyway, I was saying that I'm really REALLY excited for this one!

What are you waiting on?

Early ARC Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Title: Panic
Author: Lauren Oliver
Series: None
Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: March 4th 2014

Rating: 4.5 stars

Thoughts:

There was no joy left in the game - no lightness or humor at all.

It seems that many people look at Panic's blurb and think that it's a Hunger Games rip-off. It's not. Although the blurb does seem to have similarities to HG, Panic is a completely different sort of game: everyone participates willingly; you can drop out any time you want; you don't fight to the death. Panic is a book of facing and fighting your fear, of becoming stronger than you already are, of finding yourself in a world as big as ours.

Each and every of the characters in Panic has their own problems and motivations and thoughts. Everyone participates in Panic for a reason: for money, for revenge, for showing others what you're made of. I really loved how Oliver displayed that all their motivations were miles apart, yet that they were all, in a way,  fighting for the same thing: survival. Alliances are made, friendships bloom and romances emerge.

The characters were strong and well developed. Although I did not like all of the characters, they were real and true to their characterization. I might not have liked certain actions or decisions, but they were what that charater would have done. Every character we're introduced to has their own problems: Oliver shows us that life is hard for all of us. Although Heather and Dodge's problems were the ones that we saw most of, we get glimpses of the problems of the side characters as well. They were very real problems, too. My only complaint with this style is that we never see if and how the problems of the side characters are resolved. For example, I was quite interested in Nat's 'problem storyline', but we don't see very much of it. It frustrated me a little, but on the other hand: the only way we could have known how it ended was through cheating at narration, which I'm not a fan of either...

There are two romances in this book: one I shipped hard and one I didn't care much for. The first one was between Heather and *someone* (not sure if it's a spoiler, so I won't tell you who), and it was so incredibly sweet! I really shipped it hard and every tiny moment between them made my heart melt a little.
The other romance is between Nat and *someone* (again, not sure if spoiler). This one was mostly 'meh' for me. *Someone* was pretty sweet and his crush on Nat was very clear, but I couldn't care for it much. It could be that I just didn't like Nat all that much, though. Although she was a very fleshed out and real character, I just disliked her. Frankly, I thought she was a bit bitchy and the way she used certain people didn't make me sympathise with her either. Although she made it right later (or tried to), I still was a bit disappointed in her and it saddens me a little that people in real life behave like this too. Basically, what I'm saying is that Oliver shows us life and all its ugly sides. It's sad, but real.

The mystery element of the book surprised me: I thought that it would just be about two teens trying to win a game, but it's much more. Although the book revolves around the game, we see a lot of the lives of the characters and the things people are willing to do in order to win Panic. It was quite suspenseful at times. We're trying to figure out who the judges are (I had one down quite quickly, but I only realized the other was a judge at the exact moment Oliver wants her readers to), there's death, there are tigers and betrayal and gasps. My heart was almost beating out of my chest during the car scene at the end of the book! It was really scary and surprising.

The only element that disappointed me a little was the prose. When I hear the name Lauren Oliver, I basically go "pretty prose!". Because in Before I Fall and the Delirium series, her prose really stood out with its beauty. In Panic, we get glimpses of this beautiful writing, but most of the time the writing is pretty straight to the point. Althought that really disappointed me, it did fit the novel and it still flowed easily. It was still nice to read. I just wanted that 'whoa that was amazing'-writing and I feel like I didn't get that.

The best thing about this novel was, hands down, the portrayal of people and life. It's really crazy what people are willing to do for money and Oliver captured this madness perfectly in Panic. The problems that the characters had were real and serious. Life is hard and crazy. Oliver showed us that perfectly. But she did not only show that: she also showed us how you can learn from those hard times, how they can make you stronger and happier. She showed us that it's not impossible to overcome your fear. She showed us that you can rise above yourself. She showed us that there's always somthing worth fighting for and that there are always persons who love you no matter what you do. She showed us life in all its imperfect perfectness.

Panic is not a novel about a game. Panic is about life and all its facets, about solving your own problems, about overcoming fear. If you are looking for a book with true-to-life characters, suspense and tension, and a deeper message from which we can all learn, Panic is a must-read.

Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful – the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King’s contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: August 15th 2013

Rating: 5 unquestionable stars

Thoughts:

If they wanted Adarlan's assassin, they'd get her. And Wyrd help them when she arrived.

I really wish I didn't have to review this book, because how can I put the utter brilliance and masterful plotting into words? If you haven't read this yet, fix that now. Seriously. You shall not be disappointed.

Because I can't put everything into elaborate words, I'm just going to give you a list of all the things I loved:

The characters. They were so tangible and real, so complex and flawed: it was fantastic. I couldn't help but love Celaena in all her arrogance and adore Chaol - oh, Chaol- in all his sweetness. I've always preferred Chaol over Dorian, but YOU GUYS. He was made of awesome in this book. And I actually kind of liked Dorian as well. I don't know why, but I just disliked him in Throne of Glass. His character really comes into power in this book, and of course, there were plot twists and surprises and losses that made him a much stronger character - actually, it made every character much stronger.

The plotting. Magnificent. Maas really went crazy with the plot and I love it. The twists were well placed and had me gasping. I guess I should have seen some of them coming, but I never did. I always figured out what was going on at the exact same time Celaena did, so props for that! And oh, guys, there was a certain twist that I did NOT see coming at all and I was gasping and going omg, omg, nonono. You'll recognize it when you get there. Pure brilliance, and Maas has guts. The plot was absolutely insane and big and awesome.

The writing. Maas' writing fits the book incredibly well. It has a certain regal flare to it, which is extremely appropiate as the book revolves around the events that take place in the castle. I gobbled it up.

The romance. The romance had the exact right pace: not too slow, not too quick. It was completely believable. And whenever they had an argument or anything, it wasn't just to fill the book with angst (in fact, you'll find very little of that, if not none at all), but for a real, plausible reason.

The plot. Just because it was so good that I had to mention it again.

The eerie feel to the book. Okay, it's not all that eerie, but I read a certain scene that takes place in a certain tomb on my own in the dark and I was immensely creeped out. I do not recommend doing that, as you'll probably have trouble sleeping afterward.

In all, this book was just perfection. Per-fect. Absolutely and utterly perfect. The plot was insanely good and the twists had me guessing and gasping over and over again. The characters were very real in their thoughts, flaws, and actions, and I really just want to eat this book. It was so good.

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

ARC Review: Waterfell by Amalie Howard

THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE QUEEN

Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright—the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon—until her father's betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa's upcoming birthday—the day she comes of age. 

Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa's mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away;if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

Review: Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations. 

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

Title: Dangerous Girls
Author: Abigail Haas
Series: None
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: August 1th 2013

Rating: 5 stars!

Thoughts:

Wouldn't we all look guilty, if someone searched hard enough?

Oh. My. God. This book, guys, this book. After I saw Melanie (YA Midnight Reads) raving over this, I knew I had to buy this... And boy, am I glad I did! After that ending, I had a complete breakdown, let me tell you!'

Dangerous Girls tells its story in an unique way: the narrative flips from 'before' to 'after' to 'the trial' to... you get the idea. We see little pieces of the story in one big build-up to the final verdict... and a  little piece after it. Haas handled this style masterfully: I was never confused what had happened when, and although the scenes are generally short, they provide plenty of information. It also is really pleasing to read when you have a hard time focussing on a book or are in a hurry but want to read for a bit. I was afraid it would be too short and jumpy for me, but I found myself really enjoying the style and marvelling at Haas' talent!

The characters are those characters you love to hate... I disliked every single one of them, except Elise (more on that later) and Anna (half of the time). I thought the dynamics in this group of friends resembled reality quite well. And Mel! I totally recognized one of my former 'friends' in her. (Although I must say that we get along fine now that we're no longer in the same circles!) Her clingy behaviour was EXACTLY like how it was then... So props, Haas, for making it realistic! And then there's Elise... Everyone I know who has read Dangerous Girls hated her, and I'm quite sure that everyone who is going to read it will hate her as well. Of course, I am the odd one out! I really liked her character, even though she was a complete and utter bitch. She's that stereotyped slutty girlfriend, but there was something different about her, so I didn't mind at all (maybe it was that she was dead, haha). She was... fascinating, really. I really liked her!

This book also does something unique with its romance: instead of seeing a girl fall in love, we see her falling out of love. Although the story is mostly focused on Elise's murder and Anna's trial, we got to see quite a bit of the romance between Tate and Anna. Throughout the novel, Anna's feelings for Tate seem to ebb away, and it's done in a believable way. Although I disliked Tate from the start, I could feel myself falling out of love with him right along with Anna. Does that make sense? Probably not.

Another thing handled really well: the way you suspect everyone. Like, literally everyone. At first, I was like: Yeah, it's totally them. No wait, it's them. No wait! It's THEM, I'm sure. And then the ending happened. THE FREAKING ENDING. Oh my God, it was totally awesome! I actually had a little breakdown (I kept yelling on the internet in all caps and saying "Oh my God. Oh my God."!). Hehe. Yeah, that ending is so confusing and you just want to laugh like a maniac and maybe cry and keep saying "Oh my God". Trust me. Just read this and you'll know what I'm talking about!

In all, this was a wonderfully crafted novel with characters you're going to love to hate, a reverse romance, the feeling that everyone's guilty, and THAT ENDING. Read this, I swear you won't regret it!

Review: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Review: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. 

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, 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.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Review: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Warning: synopsis contains spoilers for If I Stay. Review is spoilerfree for Where She Went.

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: August 2nd 2012

Source: Purchased

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thoughts:

Libraries were full of ideas - perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.

Throne of Glass stole my heart on the first page. We are introduced to Celaena Sardothien, a young assassin. She's arrogant - very arrogant - but has the skill to back it up. She has just endured a year of slavery in the mines when she's offered a way out: a competition to become the King's Champion. 

I had expected this to be High Fantasy (which it is - partly), but I didn't expect the paranormal part of the book. After the initial shock, though, I really enjoyed it and immersed myself in it. 

One of the best parts of this novel is Celaena. I immensely enjoyed her fun character. She's very arrogant - and I can see why some people would dislike her - and I loved it. She's just one of those characters that almost need their arrogance to make them real. Sure, she was a bit full of herself, but she was such an ass-kicking and awesome character that it can easily be overlooked. I mean, how can you not love someone who says stuff like this:

"Here's a lesson for you, Weaopns Master," she said, stalking past him. "Give me real men to fight. Then maybe I'll bother trying."

Go, Celaena!

The only slight issue I had with her is that she was that good at seventeen. How does one become the world's greatest assassin at seventeen? And pretty much unbeatable, too. However, it's something I can forgive because I was enjoying the novel and Celaena's character so much.

The writing was overall pretty good, but there's one trend of Maas' I noticed:

Oh, how wrong he was!

Oh, how she adored candy!

You see what I'm getting at? There were just a bit too much of these little hiccups in the writing for my taste. The phrase "Oh, how..." just feels a bit fake to me. Besides, would the world's greatest assassin really say that? It's a minor issue, though, and the rest of the writing is solid and flows easily. 

The other characters were well developed too - especially Nehemia. Nehemia, Nehemia, Nehemia! She's a black woman from an under-appreciated part of the country, and she was above each and every character in teh whole novel. She's kind, but fierce. She was a good friend to Celaena: she had her back and even trained a bit with Celaena. And damn if that girl isn't powerful and deadly. She's just awesome, and I love Maas for creating a character that consist of two (or maybe three) minority groups and making her the best of all. 

The love interests - Dorian and Chaol - were pretty well developed too, and their relationships with Celaena were build up slowly. I even think they speak of 'love', which is a huge plus in my eyes. Dorian seemed to be the main love interest with the story, but I just didn't like him that much. I don't know why, but he was working on my nerves. I preferred Chaol, and I hear he plays a bigger part in Crown of Midnight. I was also very pleased with the ending: (spoilery, so I'll make the text white) Celaena dumps Dorian. Not only was I cheering because I didn't like Dorian that much, but also because she dumps him, not the other way around. And she didn't spend any time moping around, so major props for that!

The biggest flaw of the novel, for me, was the villain. It was painfully obvious from the start who it was. It was even so obvious that I thought Maas was just leading us on a wrong path to make someone very unexpected the villain. Unfortunately, this didn't happen. I was sorely disappointed by that, but that fight on the end at least made up for it a little.

Overall, Throne of Glass is an engrossing novel that features a solid plot, strong characters, and a slowly build-up relationship. It left me craving for Crown of Midnight, which I will read very soon. 

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.