The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson

Name: The Bitter Kingdom

Author: Rae Carson

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Release Date: August 27, 2013

Format: E-Book
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Summary:
The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most.

Goodreads

My Review:

Recently, I've found myself afflicted by what I've come to call "Trilogy syndrome." Basically, I find a new YA trilogy and the first book is amazing; so I wait eagerly for the second one...and it's a disappointment. Disillusioned; I read the third one anyways, and find myself regretting my decision to start the series at all. But The Bitter Kingdom - the final book in Rae Carson's excellent Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy - is a huge exception. I'm not surprised, but I am extremely excited that it lived up to my expectations. 

Seriously, though, this book and this trilogy has everything I love: a smart, strong heroine who it's honestly impossible not to root for (her character development over the course of the series is insane and so realistic); a world so well-built that I actually felt like I was living in it, and a romance that had me absolutely glued to the pages. Side note: I love how Hector isn't Elisa's first love/"soulmate," but rather someone she chooses to be with because she knows what mature love is. Their relationship is somehow dynamic and dramatic without being scary or unhealthy at times. I don't know how Carson managed it, but I am not complaining.

In terms of plot stuff; I don't want to give too much away. Let's just say that Elisa learns a lot more about her supposed destiny and heritage; and the book's message of choosing your own fate and the amazing things one person can accomplish is reinforced. The conflict between the Inviernos and Elisa's realm is very well done; as is the direction Carson chooses to take it. 

Overall, I would recommend not just this book, but the entire trilogy. And not to a specific audience, either: to everyone who reads YA at all. Yeah, it's that good; and indeed my only regret about finishing so quickly is that it's over now. I can't wait to read Carson's future novels. She's an absolutely tremendous talent; and I hope she continues to create dynamic, well-drawn YA worlds and characters. 


My Rating:

The Collector (Dante Walker # 1) by Victoria Scott Review

Name: The Collector (Dante Walker # 1)

Authors: Victoria Scott

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Release Date: April 2nd, 2013

Format: E-book
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352 pages

Summary:
He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

Goodreads

My Review:

I had been hearing a lot of good things about this book, and about the main character, Dante Walker, before I started reading it, and so I decided to give it a try.  Unfortunately, I wasn't very impressed.  For starters, it was highly, highly predictable.  Bad boy meets ugly nerdy girl; boy dislikes girl but spends time with her because his mom asked him too, or because it's all a bet, or because it's the only way he can get out of hell; boy ends up falling for girl, and finds her beautiful all the same.  Obviously, being paranormal, this book had a few other interesting parts in it that caught my attention, but in the end, it was entirely predictable.

Enter bad boy: Dante Walker.  I have to admit that I did find him amusing at times.  He was funny, and once you read past his sarcastic and rude nature, he was a really sweet guy.  But, that being said, I did not find him to be anything spectacular.  He was no Daemon Black, like people had been comparing him too; I honestly just did not find him that interesting.  He was very entertaining, sure, and some of his remarks definitely had me laughing, but at the same time he just wasn't a character that I had stuck in my head for a while after finishing the book, which often happens after I read books that I love.  Enter good girl: Charlie Cooper.  She was nerdy and also quite funny, but in a different way than Dante.  She was a typical unpopular girl, and I didn't exactly love her as a character, but I didn't hate her either; she just didn't stand out.

The actual plot of the story wasn't too bad, besides the fact that it was predictable.  I actually did like the way that Victoria Scott wrote the book; even though I felt that I could predict almost every aspect of the book, I still wanted to keep reading just to find out what would happen next.  Overall, while I wasn't a huge fan of this book, I still enjoyed reading it, and if I run out of books to read I may check out the second book, just to see what happens next.

My Rating:

Catching Liam by Sophia Bleu Review

Name: Catching Liam

Author: Sophia Bleu

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: July 8th, 2013

Format: E-Book ARC
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Summary:
Twenty-one year-old Jillian Nichols only has one rule when it comes to boys: catch and release. Boy-catching isn't just a game for Jillian and her friends, it's a lifestyle. After all, boys might be good for a dance or a drink and certainly a little under-cover action of the scandalous variety, but expect much else and you're bound for heart ache.

So when her best friends and fellow boy catchers start dropping like flies junior year, Jillian is determined to keep boys in her bedroom and out of her heart. Until she meets Liam McAvoy, the kind of guy that sticks around to make waffles and who can't—or perhaps won't—take a hint. 

Study abroad student Liam doesn't want to be another notch on Jillian's bedpost. Actually he has much more interesting ideas for Jillian and her bedposts, but his student visa's set expiration date means he can't promise her forever. That doesn't mean he's going to walk away from the challenge of discovering why Jillian is hell-bent at keeping people at a distance. 

Before long, neither is sure who is catching who—or if they're playing for keeps. Jillian knows one thing though: falling in love will not only break the only rule of boy-catching, it could also break her heart.

Goodreads

My Review:
I really didn't know what to expect when I started Catching Liam, but I found myself very surprised that I loved this book as much as I did! I've had an up and down relationship with New Adult novels and this one really was a great story!

Catching Liam started off as your typical New Adult novel: boy meets girl; one of them resists the others charms, and then the rest is history. Catching Liam though was very different from your average new adult novel. First, instead of the girl chasing the guy, Liam is chasing Jillian. It was really refreshing to have the guy go after the girl instead of the other way around. I haven't really read any books where the guy was in pursuit of the girl so this was a great change. Liam and Jillian really complemented each other..I really felt that they had a certain chemistry that worked well which I really liked!

Another thing that stood out about this book was how neither character had a "troubled past." In the past few New Adult novels, one character has something in there past that makes them hesitant about his/her relationships in the future. I was happy to see nothing like this hold the characters back.

Overall, Catching Liam was a fun New Adult read and I highly recommend it if you are looking to branch out into the New Adult genre!

My Rating:

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Name: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: September 11, 2012

Format: E-Book
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370 pages

Summary:
Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Goodreads

My Review:

Binge-reading YA books like I did this summer means that, over time, I started to notice patterns in stories. Eventually, I became a caricature of myself, predicting plot twists and love interest drama with the cynical air of an old lady yelling at crazy kids to get off their lawn/start making out already. That metaphor was doomed before it began, but you see what I mean. And then, once in a while, a book comes along that knocks me out of that generic YA slump - a book that actually makes me feel something. For me, that book was Unspoken. 

I'd like to make it clear straight up that the summary of this book is a little bit misleading. From that; it's easy to glean that it's just a simple love story about a boy and a girl who can hear each others' voices in their minds. Only it's really dissecting a common paranormal YA trope of violated privacy; and I love Sarah Rees Brennan for being unafraid to show just how creepy that can be. Kami, the main character, is seen as crazy for her defense of this imaginary friend who's always talking to her in her mind; and when he's revealed to be real, things only get worse, not romantic. Imagine for a second that there was a person who could see into your mind - a person who knew all your terrible thoughts and deepest secrets. Brennan's message is effective, but simple: nobody should have that kind of power over anyone else. 

You'd think that, with such a serious overall message, this book would be heavy; but another reason I loved it so much - and was so torn up over the emotional, angsty stuff - was how funny it actually was. Kami, the narrator, is hilarious; and more than once I had to read a sassy line or a joke to whatever poor soul happened to be sitting next to me while being like "guys, this is so funny, you should totally read this book!" The cast of supporting characters is also stellar - Brennan goes to great lengths to set up a gang of friends so that even when adventures turn dark; someone can spit out a sassy one-liner that perfectly encapsulates the situation. 

Although I would highly recommend Unspoken (and the sequel comes out at the end of this month, so yay!), I would like to caution against one thing: the ending is...interesting. And by interesting I mean there isn't really any sort of resolution; and it left me kind of emotionally destroyed. Because Brennan really makes you care about her characters...and then tears your heart to shreds in the best and worst ways possible. So don't say I didn't warn you.

But yeah; overall, if you like snarky narrators, well-rounded supporting characters, a great setting, mystery and intrigue, and, of course, hot, mysterious dudes with brooding personalities, go read Unspoken. 

My Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday 102: Never Fade (The Darkest Minds # 2) by Alexandra Bracken

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Name: Never Fade (The Darkest Minds # 2)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: October 15th, 2013

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Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVED the first book in this series, The Darkest Minds, and I cannot wait for this one, especially after the cliffhanger at the end of the last book.   If you haven't read the first book, you should definitely check it out, and pick up a copy of this sequel when it comes out on October 15th--I know I will!

What are your thoughts? What are you waiting for this week? Let us know in the comments!

KEEPING HER RELEASE DAY!!!!

Hi everyone! Today's the day of the release of Keeping Her by Cora Carmack! 

ABOUT KEEPING HER:

Garrick Taylor and Bliss Edwards managed to find their happily-ever-after despite a rather . . . ahem . complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?

But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.

As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

ABOUT CORA CARMACK:

Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Cora Carmack is planning to donate 20% of all her royalties from this book to the charity Planting Peace for the life of the book. You can find out more about Planting Peace here: http://www.plantingpeace.org/. Planting Peace is a progressive nonprofit organization founded for the purpose of spreading peace in a hurting world. Although the organization operates on a global level, they emphasize the power of one; the ability that each person possesses to make a difference in the world.

GIVEAWAY TIME!!! 

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Preview Package: Cora Carmack's KEEPING HER by AvonBooks

INTERESTED? BUY LINKS:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Keeping-Her-LOSING-Novella-ebook/dp/B00CD36FHE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376267729&sr=8-1&keywords=keeping+her+cora+carmack

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keeping-her-cora-carmack/1115290735?ean=9780062299260&itm=1&usri=keeping+her+cora+carmack

LINKS:

http://coracarmack.blogspot.com

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The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Name: The Assassin's Curse

Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke

Publisher: Strange Chemistry

Release Date: October 2, 2012

Format: E-Book 
Buy the book on Amazon

298 pages

Summary:
Ananna of the Tanarau abandons ship when her parents try to marry her off to another pirate clan. But that only prompts the scorned clan to send an assassin after her. When Ananna faces him down one night, armed with magic she doesn't really know how to use, she accidentally activates a curse binding them together.

To break the spell, Ananna and the assassin must complete three impossible tasks--all while grappling with evil wizards, floating islands, haughty manticores, runaway nobility, strange magic...and the growing romantic tension between them.

Goodreads

My Review:

I liked this book and its sequel so much that I recommended it to my sister when I was done. She enjoyed it, too; and she made a comment about it that fit so perfectly, I couldn't resist using it in my review: she called the story swashbuckling. Gah. A more perfect adjective to describe this book has never been used. The truth is; I've read YA with more complex plots than The Assassin's Curse, but this novel has something a lot of those books don't: it's fun. Like, giggle to yourself while you're reading it and get weird looks fun. Like, wish you were the main character fun; because come on, who doesn't want to be a badass pirate chick fighting her way across the high seas with a ninja companion?

 The plot is relatively straightforward (and lest you complain of spoilers, it's all in the summary!): girl flees arranged marriage, girl accidentally saves assassin's life, they try to break the curse she put on him, and hilarity/adventures ensue. Also, romantic tension; and let me tell you it is beyond well written. The sequel's already out; so there's no nail biting to see how it all ends - and believe me, if you read this book, you will want the sequel immediately. 

The world of this story is also really intriguing. The way the author slowly fleshes out the setting and the rules of magic is fascinating; and there's some great action sequences that show it off. Both boy and girl save each others' lives multiple times in different ways; and instead of the weird, kind of unhealthy dynamic that can develop when two characters are literally stuck together the way Ananna and Naji are, it actually brings them closer together in an organic way. 

Overall, if you like pirates, ninjas, really well-drawn characters, cool world-building, and sassy manticores with a heart of gold (although those are in book 2, whoops - call it a preview? IT'S IN THE SUMMARY), definitely check this one out. It's a great end-of-summer read.

My Rating:

Fae by C.J. Abedi Review

Name: Fae

Author: C.J. Abedi

Publisher: Diversion Books

Release Date: July 30th, 2013

Format: E-Book ARC
Buy the book on Amazon

471 pages

Summary:
The battle between Light and Dark is about to begin. 

Caroline Ellis sixteenth birthday sets into motion a series of events that have been fated for centuries. A descendant of Virginia Dare, the first child born in the lost colony of Roanoke, and unaware of her birthright as the heir to the throne of the Light Fae, it isn’t until she begins a tumultuous relationship with Devilyn Reilly that the truth is revealed. 

Devilyn is the only one of the Fae who is both of the Light and of the Dark, and struggles to maintain that precarious balance to avoid succumbing to the power of the Dark within him. He is the only one who can save Caroline from those who would destroy her and destroy all hope for unity among the Fae. He promises Caroline that he will protect her at all costs, even when it means protecting her from himself. 

Told from the alternating perspectives of Caroline and Devilyn, FAE draws on mysteries, myths and legends to create a world, and a romance, dangerously poised between Light and Dark.

Goodreads

My Review:
Having heard mixed reviews about Fae, I decided to still give it a try because it sounded so intriguing from the summary. I am so glad that I did!! Overall, I really enjoyed Fae; it had suspense, romance, and some AWESOME mythology!

I really loved how the authors were able to use the legend of the Roanoke colony into this book. I thought it was really interesting to see how that tied in with the story as a whole and I really liked it. I did think though, however, the writing was a little bit shaky and confusing at times. It was a little hard to follow with the alternating perspectives between Caroline and Devilyn, but I did really like how we were able to see things from both of their perspectives.

I really felt that this book was more of a "background" book in the series if that makes any sense. We got a lot of information about the characters and their lives, but the action didn't pick up till the end of the novel. I hope that the next book in the series has more action in it! I also really enjoyed the relationship between Caroline and Devilyn. You could really see how much he cared for her and I liked seeing the various scenes in which they interact. Caroline was also a really great female heroine...she definitely wasn't weak whatsoever and thought she was headstrong and not afraid to take risks.

Overall, Fae was a great headstart to an interesting series! I can't wait to see what happens next and how the story progresses..and hopefully their will be more action scenes!
 
My Rating:

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits # 2) by Katie McGarry Review

Name: Dare You To (Pushing the Limits # 2)
Author: Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 28th, 2013
Format: Harcover
Buy the book on Amazon
456 pages

Summary:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all....

Goodreads

My Review:

What another thrilling book by Katie McGarry: excellent writing, engaging plot, and wonderfully constructed characters.  After first reading Pushing the Limits, I was a little hesitant about starting this sequel; after all, I had absolutely loved the first book and did not expect to enjoy this one as much, not to mention the fact that I had loved Isaiah and Beth as a couple, and was thus not too thrilled to be reading about Beth with a different boy.  However, I was blown away by this sequel, and found myself loving it even more than the first.

Beth has a very messed up, and very sad, home life; that being said, she is, understandably, quite wary of trusting the people around her.  Enter Ryan, who, from the outside, seems entirely perfect: he's a gorgeous and polite baseball star who is friends with everyone and wildly known and respected around town.  However, he is quite different on the inside, struggling with who he is and what he wants from his future, all while dealing with major family issues.  Both characters were complex and wonderfully developed, making the book much more interesting.

I also loved Beth and Ryan's relationship.  They each see each other as superficial in the beginning of the book, neither of them realizing what the other is going through, and I loved seeing how they progressed throughout the novel.  They started off constantly butting heads, and finally working their way towards a point where they began to understand each other.  Their relationship had its ups and downs (with someone as volatile Beth and as obsessed with winning as Ryan, the two were bound to butt heads often) and I loved reading about both parts.

Overall, I loved this book!  There was a great mix of action, romance, and regular high school drama, which created an amazing YA read that I won't be likely to forget soon (and one that I will definitely read again!).  I would highly recommend this book, and its predecessor, Pushing the Limits, to YA romance fans who are looking for a well written and somewhat intense read.

My Rating: