Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave
(The 5th Wave #1)

Author: Rick Yancey

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Publisher: G.P. Putnuam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction

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Synopsis:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother--or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My Thoughts: I read this one for my monthly book club.  Well, I listened to the whole thing on audiobook rather than physically read it but same difference to me.

At first, I wasn't sure how I would like this book.  I usually tend to stay away from Science Fiction novels and especially alien-type SciFi books - they just aren't my shtick.  I must say that The 5th Wave left me with a pleasant surprise.

I instantly liked Cassie.  She comes of as a paranoid hard-ass most times but I was like: "Yeah, I would be like that too, given the circumstances!"  The book shows her descent from a regular, high school teenager to one of the few survivors of the human race after the "Others" decide that the human race was something that was unnecessary to Earth (to say the least).

Personally though, as a mother, this book really hits you hard and in the heart and gut (the movie too - if you haven't seen it, you should!).  A sister who is willing to do anything to get to her little brother and save him from his fate, the "others" planned use for the human children and everything else in this book is just terrifying and terribly, terribly sad.

The author, Rick Yancey, certainly knows how to weave a tale.  This book was enough to have me paranoid of every character in the book (and I still am, a little bit).  The thought of an alien race making it so that humanity couldn't even trust another human really freaks me out.

All in all, this was a pretty amazing book (even if I hate aliens in general).  I definitely enjoyed the whole story and it had me on the edge of my seat.  I would most definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to sink my teeth into the sequels!

Review: Lightpoints by Peter Kassan

Lightpoints

Author: Peter Kassan

Publication Date: March 25th, 2013

Publisher: Melange Books

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Romance

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Synopsis:

When Amanda Lindner Nichols, a 24-year-old graphic artist living with her husband in Queens, New York, is revived from a near-death experience, she discovers she perceives everyone around her as points of light—but not with her eyes. She soon learns she can not only perceive the life energy of others, but she can give and take it. With the help of others like her, she brings her husband Chris to the brink of death and back to bestow on him the same remarkable faculty, and they’re the happiest they’ve been. But not for long. All over the world, people who’ve been revived from their own near-death experience at just the right moment discover themselves with these same unusual powers. They find ways to use them—some for good and some for evil. When Amanda and Chris encounter a ruthless group of gangsters with the same faculty, tragedy follows—and Amanda faces the greatest challenge of her life

My Thoughts:  Lightpoints was an interesting read for sure! I definitely enjoyed it, especially since it was so unique. I  liked the idea behind the story, this ability that I want to call super natural but it isn't really, I guess. But I don't think it's an ability  I would ever want to have myself, it sounds overwhelming and like it would take over your life.

Amanda faces death and lives to tell the tale, but she definitely does not come back the same woman. She comes back with the ability to sense all other people as these points of light in her head. Although it gets a little confusing there and it's kind of hard to imagine what the author is describing. They are always referred to as points of light but we are also told they aren't literally points of light and they don't actually see anything. I can understand it, but I can't really envision what it would be like and I wish that had of been a little clearer. But I definitely liked the idea behind it, it was something totally new and it kept me interested  and it made for a good read watching her adapt to her new life, how her new ability grew and changed and what she did to cope with her new life.

The other thing that I really liked about this book, was the little side stories. Amanda isn't the only person who finds themselves burdened with this new faculty. Every other chapter or so we get to read about these other people and what they are doing with their abilities. It was incredibly interesting and the diversity it added to the story was fantastic. We got to see how the exact same abilities could be used for good and bad, and how the exact same thing happening to lots of people can bring about so many different results. I think those little side stories made the book, I really do. I often found myself enjoying them more than Amanda's chapters. It got even better when the stories started to intertwine and Amanda finds herself dealing with someone who feels the need to make the most of their ability in a really bad way.

I would recommend this book, it was an light easy read that was very interesting and unique. I did find it a little repetitive at times and maybe sometimes it was a little slow getting to the point, but overall it was a very decent read and I think you should give it a go.

Review: Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Phoenix
Black City #2

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Genre: Dystopian

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Synopsis:

Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth. 

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well. 

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others. 

This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.

My Thoughts:  I can't believe I waited so long to read this series.  I love the cover of Black City and just kept going back to it, but it was always side-tracked by something else.  I am so glad that I finally decided to pick this series up and give it a go.

First off, I want to really just thank the author for making such a fantastic world.  I haven't been more involved with a dystopian universe since I read The Hunger Games.  I was appalled at the state and conditions of Black City and the blatant discrimination, disregard for life and attempted genocide that these books really portray.  It sucked me in and left my emotions in turmoil for both Black City and Phoenix.

I also want to applaud Elizabeth Richards for not making either book predictable.  With all of the dystopian novels released (especially in the YA genre) nowadays it is hard to keep them fresh and full of surprises. Both Black City and Phoenix caught me off guard on multiple occasions and I could never figure out where we were going to end up - but boy, was it a fun ride.

At first, I wasn't sure what to make of both Ash and Natalie as characters.  It took me a chapter or two to warm up to them.  Now, I couldn't picture my fan-girl couplings without a dose of Natalie and Ash.  They are both fearless and fiercely protective of their friends, family and especially each other. I can't sing either of their praises more - they are perfectly imperfect and developed.

I absolutely love this series.  I can't wait for the third book to come out. I would follow this series through twenty books if I could convince Elizabeth Richards to write that many.  I love the characters and loathe the villains.  It is perfect.  Read it if you haven't picked it up yet - you will not be disappointed!

Review: The Secret Eater by Ros Jackson

The Secret Eater

Author: Ros Jackson

Publication Date: July 15th, 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: YA/Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Kenssie is a demon who feeds from secrets. Lately pickings have been slim, and she has grown so weak that her shield of invisibility is slipping. As the servant of a demon who eats embarrassment she already feels like she's the laughing stock of the demonic world. But the scorn of someone who thinks that Hawaiian shirts are the height of cool is the least of her worries. A powerful fear demon is dead set on making her his slave, a position that carries seriously short life expectancy. She has no friends. No powers. No clue. Her only hope of escaping a life of terror lies in stealing a grimoire she's never seen from the clutches of a vindictive group of master demons.

My Thoughts: I always feel quite terrible when I read through a review book and don't enjoy it. But I have to do my part as a book reviewer and be honest, since that is what an Author expects when sending out copies of their books. It definitely wasn't a terrible or completely un-enjoyable book, and I'm sure there are readers out there who will enjoy it. But it wasn't for me and don't worry I will explain why.

The entire book felt to me as if it had been pretty hastily thrown together. There was quite a bit happening, so it wasn't boring or anything like that. I enjoy a fast paced book  but this one was a little bit too fast for me. Just as I was starting to get used to a certain scenario or grasping what was going on, things were changing and moving on to something else. It wasn't necessarily hard to follow, but it was hard to get into the story or attached to the characters when everything was flying by so quickly.

Nothing was explained too clearly during the story. We can grasp the main idea which you get from the synopsis above, but we  pretty much hit the ground running in this story with no time for catch up or back story or even just more information about how these characters work. The plot line just seemed to be lacking in depth, and quite a few events just didn't really make sense to me. I found it to be kind of flat and stitched together with a few characters thrown in there that we don't really get the chance to know at all.

It definitely makes for a quick read with only 10 chapters, and none of them being very large. So if you're looking for a quick fantasy fix or a light read in between books, then this might work for you. Fantasy and paranormal are usually a soft spot for me and it's not hard to get me hooked on such a book, but unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. I found it to be anti-climatic with an abrupt ending that left me feeling confused. That being said I know there will be others who will like it and find all the strong points that I missed.

Waiting on Wednesday (71)

Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting.

The Dream Thieves

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Expected Publication Date: September 17th, 2013

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Synopsis:

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

My Thoughts: I'm a huge huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater and have just completely loved everything she has written thus far. So it's definitely easy to say that I cannot freaking wait for this sequel to The Raven Boys to come out!!!

Review: Awaken by Meg Cabot

Awaken
Abandon Trilogy #3

Author: Meg Cabot

Publication Date: July 2, 2013

Publisher: Point

Genre: Mythology

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Synopsis:

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die

My Thoughts: I have been following this series and eagerly anticipating this final novel for awhile. If you follow my reviews you will know that I am ga-ga for mythology and I love Persephone and Hades based books.  Most of my favourites right now are at least somewhat based on the star-crossed couple from Hell (or Hades, rather).

This novel is the last of the Abandon Trilogy from Meg Cabot.  In it, Pierce Oliviera finally accepts her role in John's life and in the underworld.  However, the Furies have something else entirely in mind.  The Fates have mysteriously disappeared and the Furies are running wild causing havoc in both the Underworld and on the surfaces on Isla Huesos. Together, John and Pierce have to figure out how they are going to save both of their worlds.

In truth, I liked the previous two books in this series a lot more in comparison to this one.  At times, this one seemed to come to a dead creep and then pick up and go a mile a minute.  The pacing was strange at times and infuriating at others.  There were a lot of moments were I just kind of stared at the novel incredulously and wondered: "Did that just happen?", and not in a good way.  There were a couple of aspects thrown in (like Thanatos) that I just thought was a little bit of an overkill and pointless to the plot other than maybe to save a character I had no interest in in the first place and to use up a chapter or two.

Other than that, I did enjoy it though.  I felt like it tied up the loose ends of the series well and I still read it in one sitting. It makes me sad that the story of John and Pierce has come to an end and that I won't have anymore books about them in the future, but it seemed like that was a good place to end the series.  If you haven't yet checked out the Abandon Trilogy, I certainly suggest that you do.  It is definitely worth your time.

Review: Rory by Ciye Cho

Rory

Author: Ciye Cho

Expected Publication Date: August 10th, 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: YA/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Far beyond heaven, earth and hell is a city known as Palladino, a place ruled by ghosts and filled with demons, magic, and all sorts of darkly beautiful things. A city where no one can ever escape. Eighteen-year-old Rory is a cake decorator who makes stunning confections. But no amount of frosting or miracles can save her when a demon kidnaps her—and carries her to Palladino. Here, Rory ends up in a deadly charm school where young women are forced to become companions for the Ghost Lords. And for her to survive, Rory must become everything that she isn’t: graceful, elegant... and perfect. But nothing is what it seems in Palladino. Not the magic. Not the ghosts. And definitely not Martin Marius, the bizarre Ghost Lord-slash-inventor who is drawn to Rory. For amid a thousand machines and a hundred cats, Martin holds a secret that could change everything. A secret that could either free Rory... or destroy her.

My Thoughts:  This is the third book I have read by Ciye Cho and I find myself falling more and more in love with his writing every time. He has an amazing talent for creating these, enchanting, alluring worlds that are also intimidating and terrifying at the same time.  Ciye Cho has the ability to use his words like a paintbrush and create the most vivid and colorful imagery. He really knows  how to set the stage and it makes the story that much more enjoyable when you can picture everything around them and it just looks incredible and or haunting depending on the situation at hand.

So in this new series Cho  has created a world that is kind of like a purgatory. It is full of ghosts who have not passed on into the afterlife. Rory manages to find herself in this world because these ghosts happen to have demon consorts who capture humans for them. They bring them to their world and feed off of their memories as most of them can't remember anything of their human life or what it was like to be human with emotions and experiences.

Despite being the main character in a seriously paranormal world Rory is the most down to earth, relate-able character I have had the pleasure to enjoy in a while.  She is literally just your average girl with faults, quirks, fear, and confidence issues. But she also carries a strong fearlessness when she feels that there is injustice being done.  She was great, and I loved watching her navigate her way through this insane, brand new world. It was obviously not the best place for a young girl to be trapped but she did mange to find a silver lining when she could and  I admired that as well.

 Rory wasn't the only character I fell in love with. All of the characters in the story were wonderfully portrayed and expertly written. Especially the adorable talking kitty, Cookie! Intimidation, fear, and awe were all very real feelings that I experienced while watching the characters play out their parts on the pages.

This is the start of a series I know that I am going to love. It was a great introductory book that absolutely sinks it's claws into you. I can't wait to read more about the world of Palladino and the adventures of Rory within. The hardest part now is to wait until the release of the next book in the series.  The pace in the story was perfect, not too fast as well as not being to slow or boring at any time. Thank you to Ciye Cho for sharing his new novel with me, I can't wait to see what comes next! This book is set to be released one month from today, so be sure to make a note of it and grab it when it comes out, you want want to miss this new inventive and unique series from Ciye Cho!

Review: A Castle of Sand by Bella Forrest

A Castle of Sand
A Shade of Vampire #3

Author: Bella Forrest

Publication Date: June 26, 2013

Thank You Bella Forrest for the review copy!

Genre: Paranormal

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Synopsis:

What Sofia has with Derek feels like a sandcastle; temporary and something that the waves of life and time will soon ruin...

Since the return of Gregor Novak, the island has turned several shades darker. His hatred toward Sofia and thirst for fresh blood lead to a brutal war igniting between father and son.

Meanwhile, the hunters are gaining formidable strength and resources by the day; they know that the safety of The Shade hangs entirely on its ability to remain hidden from them.

And a sinister secret lies in wait for Sofia within the bowls of an Egyptian desert ... a secret that threatens to crush her sandcastle much sooner than she could have expected.

My Thoughts: I love the Shade of Vampire series.  I think it is different and I really like how the vampires are portrayed in it - like real vampires, not some idealistic envisonment of them.  Every time that a new Shade of Vampire is being released I get super excited.  I love the world that Bella Forrest has created with the vampires and hunters and the more I read about it the more I fall in love with it.

In this novel, we start out where the last one ended - much like the previous one.  I love that I can just pick up these novels and know exactly what is going on and not even miss a beat.  The story floods back to me the moment I start the book.

I love, love, love Sofia Claremont in this book.  She really does come into her own more than either of the previous books.  She seems to find where she belongs and what she needs to do.  Her and Derek's relationship really does become a partnership, vastly evolving from the first book. Sofia stands by her beliefs and doesn't let anyone deter her - even Derek himself.

Derek is just as awesome as ever.  I totally love him.  Just as much as Sofia comes into her own in this one, so does Derek.  Despite being hundreds of years old, he really hasn't been able to grow into the person that he needs to be in order to fill the destiny set out for him.  I feel like he has come a lot closer in this novel.  In many ways, he may have grown into himself more than Sofia.

I am really looking forward to the next installment in this series.  Although this one had tragedy and triumph, I feel like the next one may indeed be the best one of the whole series (which is saying a lot if you have read my reviews on the other two as well).  I really applaud Bella Forrest for creating such a unique and awesome world for me to escape to.  I am definitely staying tuned for the next one!

Review: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Dark Triumph

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publication Date: April, 2013

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Genre: Fantasy/Historical Fiction

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Synopsis:

Sybella's duty as Death's assassin in 15th-century France forces her return home to the personal hell that she had finally escaped. Love and romance, history and magic, vengeance and salvation converge in this thrilling sequel to Grave Mercy.

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

My Thoughts: I read Grave Mercy last year and I loved it. I was pretty excited for Dark Triumph and when I received a surprise copy for review I was so happy I did a little dance in the street. Don't judge me. Well I finally got to read it and I loved it even more than Grave Mercy. Dark Triumph follows around Sybella this time and there is less politics and more personal story this time. Which I think is one of the reasons I liked this one so much more.

Sybella had run away from home and gone to the convent to escape her evil father (is he ever evil) and the convent sends her back to his household to be a spy. Who better than family? Someone who will be allowed free reign in the household. Her father doesn't really trust anyone though, he is of course D'Albert. All Sybella wants is to kill him, he's evil and deserves it, but she never sees a marque on him. She begins to lose faith in Mortain, since he is allowing such evil to live and is debating even going against her god to ger her vengeance.

Then there is Beast, the love interest. I can't help but like him. He's a warrior with a soft spot and he make a great team with Sybella when they are travelling. The two of them together are extremely deadly.

Once again, Robin LaFevers writes amazing scenes that you can get lost in, characters that you love, others you hate and takes you on a ride that keeps you wanting more. I just love her writing style so much! This is not a small book, about 400 pages, and I found myself tearing through it. I'm slightly disappointed that I have to wait so long for the next book! This is one of the best series that I've ever read and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, or even anyone looking to try something new.

*A review copy was provided from the publisher for review*

Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing
(The Testing #1)

Author: Joelle Charbonneau

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

Genre: Dystopia

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Synopsis:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

My Thoughts: So I had heard a lot of good things about The Testing. A lot of people say that if you like The Hunger Games, to definitely give this one a try. Well am I ever glad I did! I loved The Testing even more than THG. Now I know dystopians are getting old (they really are getting a bit overdone, even for me, the person who read a million of them last year) BUT The Testing was just so good!

Cia is a a great character who is obviously smart, since she's been picked to compete in the Testing for one of the 20 available University spots for the year. Cia is extremely excited because all she's ever wanted was a chance to attend the University. However, after her father, who was also in the Testing, tells her that he has no memories of his time in the Testing, just nightmares, she begins to worry. When she arrives for the Testing and her roommate commits suicide shortly after because of the stress, Cia wonders if maybe her father's mind created the nightmares to replace memories of students crumbling under the pressure. Soon enough, she learns the difference. Maybe the Testing is more dangerous than she thought.

While Cia is smart, she definitely has her faults, one being that she trusts too easily! She's in a competition here and really shouldn't be trusting anyone, but she does anyways, and more than once she almost comes to regret it. She has a bit of romance with a fellow competitor from her home, Tomas, which might possibly blind her to him. He seems okay for the most part, but I just couldn't trust him.

The Testing was a book that I had a hard time putting down. I can't wait for the next book to be released in the series. It's going to be a long wait. I really enjoyed Joelle Charbonneau's writing style, although at times the world building could have been improved a bit, I wasn't sure what had happened to the world for awhile. But, she made up for it with action and a story that kept me sucked in. Overall, it's a great read that I will for sure be recommending, especially if you're a fan of The Hunger Games.

*A Copy was provided for review from the publisher via NetGalley*

Review: The Watcher by Lisa Voisin

The Watcher

Author: Lisa Voisin

Publication Date: March 4, 2013

Publisher: InkSpell Publishing

Genre: Fantasy/Angels

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Synopsis:

Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.
Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning.

My Thoughts: Oh my God, I really loved this book.  I love angel/nephilim books and this one was out of the ballpark for me.  Angels actually acted like angels and demons like demons.  I liked that the mythology in this one stayed close the the known mythology.

This book is about Mia Crawford, a seemingly ordinary girl with an obession with wings and ancient archaelogy.  Then, Michael Fontaine comes waltzing into her school and her world is flipped upseide down.  She starts seeing things that can't be real, bad things start happening to the people around he and she keeps getting flashes and feelings from a time that she couldn't possibly remember. That is, until she finally discovers Michael's true identity.

I liked Mia.  She was actually a pretty normal teenage girl.  All of the ways that she reacted to each situation just left me cheering her on, since most of her reactions are the way that I envisioned myself reacting to her weird situations - which is rare to find for me.  I guess I am strange.  But that is okay, because Mia was strange with me.  :)

Michael was... enigmatic.  For quite a long time I wasn't sure whether I liked him or not or what his deal was.  I mean, Mia warmed up to him but it took a but for me to.  That was okay though because when I finally did warm up to him man did I ever!  Love this guy!

I loved this book and I can't wait to grab the next one in the series.  I liked the way the story flowed, I liked the plot twists and all of the villains.  At first, I didn't think that this was going to be a book that I was going to enjoy but I am SO glad I finally picked it up and once I did I did not put it down.  This series is definitely on my watch list.

Review: Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Gameboard of the Gods
(Age of X #1)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopia/Adult

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Synopsis:

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills. When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

My Thoughts: So I pretty much had to read this book because it's Richelle Mead. After reading her VA series, how could I not. But I will let you know that this isn't a YA book, it's very adult. There is sex and a lot of sexual scenes and references throughout the book, so it's not appropriate for a younger teen. So why am I reviewing it here when we normally stick to YA? Well, like I said, it's Richelle Mead.

This book is told from a couple different PoV's. Justin, who's a servitor, meaning he investigates religions and makes sure they aren't becoming too powerful. But he's been exiled and we don't know why. What we do know is that he hears voices in his head. Which really confused me for the longest time because the voices were only ever referred to as the ravens and their names, Horatio and Magnus. So for the longest time I was wondering if he just had two giant ravens that followed him around and talked to him telepathically. Regardless, the RUNA needs Justins help, so his exile ends, for the time being.

Then there is Mae, a praetorian, basically a super soldier. She gets in a fight at a funeral and beats someone up, which gets her punished and landed with Justin as his bodyguard. There is some serious sexual tension between the two of them. Tons! Sometimes it was a bit funny to see them struggle not to rip off each others clothes. Other times I was mad at Richelle for stopping things!

Lastly is Tessa, who is a provincial girl. She's a teenager who was born outside of the RUNA, who justin brings back with him on a student visa. She has a lot of adjusting to do since life is very different between the two. But she is a very likeable character with her naivety.

There is a lot going on in this book. Justin and Mae have to solve a bunch of murders that have been happening. All of the signs point to a religious cult doing the murders. But they have to figure out which cult is doing it. Not so easy when just about every god has a following and there are hundreds of gods. So they have to find a pattern before it's too late. They only have a month.

Overall this is a really good read. It was a bit slow at times for me though. I think it was because I had a lot preventing me from reading it when I first started it, but it took me about a week longer than it should have to get through it. Like I said, it is an adult novel, so it's quite a bit longer than your average YA. Plus it's almost 470 pages, so no short adult novel either. Regardless of the length, it is good. Richelle Mead does a great job with her world building and give enough of a background that you know how things came to be the way they are. It could have possibly used a bit more of a history though. I loved that the capital was in Vancouver and all of Canada seemed to be included in the RUNA. You would think that in a dystopian, the government would be bad, but they weren't all bad and I agreed with a lot of their rules. Basically there were extreme gun laws and you had to register your religion. So it was a very peaceful place to live.

Would I recommend this read? Yes, I would. Just not to younger teens ;) Richelle Mead has another series for me to follow now! I'm not sure how she can write this much, but it's a good thing!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Dare You To

Author: Katie McGarry

Publication Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: HarlequinTeen

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

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....

My Thoughts: So I think I liked this even more than Pushing the Limits, which was pretty good. Heck I know I liked it more because I loved Dare You To. For some reason I found it to feel more realistic than Pushing the Limits. I know both books cover issues that could really and do really happen in real life, but I would guess that the issues in Dare You To are a lot more common, therefore easier to imagine for me.

I really liked Beth's story and think that it's a very common one. There are a lot of kids out there who are in similar situations. I felt bad for Beth because she has had a rough go of it. She has complete trust issues because anyone she has ever trusted has left her. Isaiah is the only one that she has who she can trust. He's her best friend. Then everything changes and she ends up living with her uncle, who also abandoned her. She is bitter towards him and hates that she's been moved to a new town, her hometown, back with all the people who judged her family to begin with.

Ryan is a sweet guy. He's a jock, which makes you think he's going to be a jerk, Beth sure thinks that, but he turns out to be really nice and actually really likes Beth. He has his own issues at home, which whilre they aren't as bad as Beth's, they are still not ideal and very realistic. His dad is pushing him into going pro, his brother announced he was gay and his dad basically disowned him. Life gets pretty crappy for Ryan.

Luckily, Katie McGarry does another wonderful job with creating a story that you can get lost in. I certainly had a hard time putting it down and again the ending was somewhat heart breaking. There were some pretty tough decisions to be made but I love how it turned out in the end. I'm really looking forward to the next book which is in Isaiah's PoV. It really is a wonderful read!