Dark Companion by Marta Acosta Review

Name: Dark Companion
Author: Marta Acosta
Publisher: Tor/Macmillan
Release Date: July 3rd, 2012
Format: E-book ARC
Pre-Order the book on Amazon


Thank you Netgalley and Tor/Macmillian for sending me a copy of this book for review!!

When foster teen Jane Williams is invited to attend elite Birch Grove Academy for Girls and escape her violent urban neighborhood, she thinks the offer is too good to be true. She's even offered her own living quarters, the groundskeeper's cottage in the center of the birch grove. Something's not quite right about the school -- or is it Jane? She thinks she sees things in the birch grove at night. She's also beginning to suspect that the elegant headmistress and her sons are hiding secrets. Lucky is the gorgeous, golden son who is especially attentive to Jane, and Jack is the sardonic puzzling brother. The school with its talented teachers and bright students is a dream for a science and math geek like Jane. She also loves her new friends, including hilarious poetry-spouting rich girl, Mary Violet. But the longer Jane stays at Birch Grove, the more questions she has about the disappearance of another scholarship girl and a missing faculty member. 
Jane discovers one secret about Birch Grove, which only leads to more mysteries. What is she willing to sacrifice in order to stay at this school...and be bound to Birch Grove forever?-Goodreads

My Review:
When I first started Dark Companion, I really had no clue what to expect. After a slow start, I found myself really enjoying this book and liking everything it had to offer!!

I was really intrigued by the plot of Dark Companion. I really liked how this book always kept me guessing..I would think that one thing would happen and instead something else would happen that I totally didn't see coming! I also really liked that I didn't really know what genre this book was because it made me more interested in reading and finding out what was going to happen. I liked learning things as Jane learned them, instead of already knowing ahead of time. The pace of this book works well..I did think that the beginning was a little slow..but once Jane gets accustomed to Grove Academy, things really started to pick up and I found it so hard to put this book down. The amount of romance in this book was perfect..not too little and not too much which was right for this book.

I will say, that I really liked the main character Jane! At first, I wasn't sure what to make of her, but as the book moved forward I really saw how caring she is, and how she is such a good friend. I also LOVED Jack! He is so funny and he and Jane compliment each other so well. The scenes that they were in always were great and I loved how he teased her in such a cute way by calling her different pixie names! The only character I wasn't a huge fan of was Lucky. Mary Violet (otherwise known as MV) was great! She was so funny with all of her french sayings and I loved when she would quote random poetry! She really is a great friend for Jane! I really thought that he needed to grow up and I thought he was too focused on himself and not anyone else.

Overall, I really enjoyed Dark Companion and I was really happy with how the book ended! I highly recommend checking this book out when it is published in July.

My Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Waiting on Wednesday 48: Ashes of Twilight

Hi everyone!! Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine.

Name: Ashes of Twilight
Author: Kassy Tayler
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: November 13th, 2012

Add the book on Goodreads

Wren MacAvoy works as a coal miner for a domed city that was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century to protect the royal blood line of England when astronomers spotted a comet on a collision course with Earth. Humanity would be saved by the most groundbreaking technology of the time. But after nearly 200 years of life beneath the dome, society has become complacent and the coal is running out. Plus there are those who wonder, is there life outside the dome or is the world still consumed by fire? When one of Wren's friends escapes the confines of the dome, he is burned alive and put on display as a warning to those seeking to disrupt the dome’s way of life. But Alex’s final words are haunting. “The sky is blue.” 
What happens next is a whirlwind of adventure, romance, conspiracy and the struggle to stay alive in a world where nothing is as it seems. Wren unwittingly becomes a catalyst for a revolution that destroys the dome and the only way to survive might be to embrace what the entire society has feared their entire existence.-Goodreads

My Thoughts

I LOVE the cover of Ashes of Twilight! When I first saw this book the colors really stood out to me and I love how the bird stands out so much against the blue. The plot synopsis of this book also sounds really interesting! I really want to see how people live in this dome and how different the world has changed. I will definitely be checking this book out in the fall!!

What are you waiting for this week? Comment below and let me know :D 

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze Review

Name: The Last Princess
Author: Galaxy Craze
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Format: Library Book
Buy the book on Amazon

Happily ever after is a thing of the past.
A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless. When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape. Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess.-Goodreads

My Review:
I'm not a huge fan of dystopian books, so I was a little hesitant when I first picked this book up..but I am SO glad I did!! Overall, the Last Princess is a some-what short, but action packed read.

One of the best parts about The Last Princess was the plot! It was really interesting to see how much England had changed after "The Seventeen Days" (which is when a series of natural disasters destroyed much of the Earth) and how people were able to survive in such a desolate place. The action scenes were really great this book! The battle scenes really reminded me of older wars in the fact that most people rode on horses and fought with a sword. It really helped me visualize the scenes better and it really was a great aspect to this book. I do wish that the author went more in depth as to what went on during this catastrophic event because I felt that the beginning was rushed and I really wanted to know more about this disaster. Especially since the author briefly mentions what happens during that time, it would have made the book stand out more if she added a bit to the beginning.

I also really liked the main character Eliza. After all that she is been through after the death of her mother and the death of her father, she is still able to pull through and be strong for her siblings and her country. She doesn't want to give up and she is so strong willed that it makes me feel like she is a true leader. I also like how she is willing to do anything for her family and her country and is such a brave girl. The romance aspect of this book was nice as well! It wasn't too much and it was a nice added bonus to this book and it really added some light into Eliza's life.

In the end, I really enjoyed The Last Princess! While it was a quick read, I still found myself really enjoying this book and I'm hoping that the author writes another book (after the cliffhanger ending!!).
 
My Rating: Four out of Five Stars

Giveaway Winner!!

Hi everyone!! We have a winner for my giveaway of Silence by Michelle Sagara West!!

And the winner is..

Tiffany D.

Thanks to all that entered and be on the lookout for my epic 1 year blogoversary giveaway!!

Stacking The Shelves and Weekly Recap (6)

Hi everyone!! I hope you all are having a great week and Happy Saturday/Sunday everyone!! Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, and is a great way for fellow bloggers to share the books that they have received over the week.

Okay so first things first: whose going to BEA this week?? I will only be there on Thursday because of school and such..but if you will be there on Thursday let me know!! Also, anyone have any tips for a first timer/what I should expect?? Make sure to comment and let me know :)

Anyways this week I was able to review the following books:

Belles by Jen Calonita

The Son of Neptune (The Hero's of Olympus # 2) by Rick Riordan

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Evil Trilogy # 1) by Wendy Higgins

So here's what I received this week!!

Received for Review:

Florence by Ciye Cho (Thank you Ciye for sending me a copy!!)

Received from the library/purchased

 ****Yes I know I already have a copy of Dreamless but I couldn't resist buying the finished copy!!

Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls # 3) by C.C. Hunter

Dreamless (Starcrossed # 2) by Josephine Angelini

What do you think of what I got?? What did you get this week??  Leave me a link in the comments and let me know if your going to BEA!!

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Evil Trilogy # 1) by Wendy Higgins Review

Name: Sweet Evil (The Sweet Evil Trilogy # 1)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Format: Paperback Copy
Buy the book on Amazon

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna. Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?-Goodreads

My Review:
Oh, how I wanted to like this book so much, but Sweet Evil just fell flat for me. It was too predictable and it just had so much going on that I was so lost.

The overall premise of this book is awesome! I thought it was really interesting how the demons would have children (called nephilim) and their children would have to work for their parents which would be spreading the different sins (lust, envy, etc..) around the world. I wish the author focused more on that aspect, instead of the "insta love" romance. Yes, this book has insta love. Normally, I don't mind when characters fall in love so quickly, if the plot works, then I think it's fine. But for this book, it was just all wrong! I just could imagine Anna and Kaidan together, especially since I felt they knew nothing about each other! The worst part is that half the book Anna spends weeping over Kaidan, when they never really got together!

At first, I really liked the main character Anna. I thought it was cool that she could feel the emotions of other people, and she has to balance the angel part of her, and demon part. After falling for Kaidan, I just found it really hard for me to connect with Anna. Some of the things that she does later on in the book really bothered me and I just didn't really like her that much anymore. Now onto Kaidan. When we first meet him, I thought he would be great for Anna! I love stories that put the good girl and the bad boy together, but Kaidan just didn't work. Yes, he's British, which is a weakness of mine in books, but I just couldn't see the connection with him and Anna. I wish he would have fought for her, instead of giving up so easily.

Overall, Sweet Evil was a major disappointment for me. The overall premise was really great, but too many other details just made me not like this book. That being said, just because this book didn't work for me, it might work for you.

My Rating: Two out of Five Stars