Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword

Red Queen #2

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Publication Date: February 9, 2016

Publisher: Harper Teen

Genre: YA/Dystopia

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Synopsis:

If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

My Thoughts: First, I want to say that I love this series.  Neither of the books went where I expected them to and this one certainly lived up to the high expectations that the first one set!

We pick up Glass Sword where Red Queen  left off.  Mare and Cal are tired and shattered from the events at the end of Red Queen and are just trying to survive at this point.  Both seem to be looking for a purpose and neither one want to stop and take a breather, or rest.

Mare, I feel, really steps it up in this book.  She really is stuck between a rock and a hard place for most of the tough decisions she has to make.  Unlike Cal, she was never trained to be thrust into a leadership position and this is where she unexpectedly finds herself.  All of her moves, all of her decisions and non-decisions are questioned and scrutinized and I feel that in the middle of the book she just kind of loses herself.  I honestly don't blame her.

Cal feels like a lost floater sometimes.  He always had a clear path of who he was, what he was, what was expected of him and where he was headed.  Now that all of that has been ripped away from him and he is on the run with people he formerly saw as the enemy seems to have caught him up.  Luckily, he doesn't stay that way completely.

I have to say, there is a lot less romance and a lot more action in this book than the previous, which is to be expected.  In the first book, it was all about political intrigue and palace life.  How best to save people and still work within the confines of the castle.  Now, to put it blunt, all hell has broken loose.  Cal and Mare are constantly looking over their shoulders while at the same time trying to save people like Mare, regular Reds and even Silvers.

This book was fast paced and awesome.  The cliffhanger ending (much like the first book) was awe-dropping and not at all what I would have expected.  I am eagerly waiting at the edge of my seat for the next book - it can't come quick enough!

Review: The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

The Royal We

Author: Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

Publication Date: April 7, 2015

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Genre: New Adult/Contemporary Romance

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Synopsis:

"I might be Cinderella today, but I dread who they'll think I am tomorrow. I guess it depends on what I do next."

American Rebecca Porter was never one for fairy tales. Her twin sister, Lacey, has always been the romantic who fantasized about glamour and royalty, fame and fortune. Yet it's Bex who seeks adventure at Oxford and finds herself living down the hall from Prince Nicholas, Great Britain's future king. And when Bex can't resist falling for Nick, the person behind the prince, it propels her into a world she did not expect to inhabit, under a spotlight she is not prepared to face.

Dating Nick immerses Bex in ritzy society, dazzling ski trips, and dinners at Kensington Palace with him and his charming, troublesome brother, Freddie. But the relationship also comes with unimaginable baggage: hysterical tabloids, Nick's sparkling and far more suitable ex-girlfriends, and a royal family whose private life is much thornier and more tragic than anyone on the outside knows. The pressures are almost too much to bear, as Bex struggles to reconcile the man she loves with the monarch he's fated to become.

Which is how she gets into trouble.

Now, on the eve of the wedding of the century, Bex is faced with whether everything she's sacrificed for love-her career, her home, her family, maybe even herself-will have been for nothing.

My Thoughts: I enjoyed this book a lot more than I initially thought I would.  Some have toted it as a glorified fan-fiction of Kate and Will, but I honestly don't care.  There were a lot of similarities between Bex and Nick and Prince William and Duchess Catherine's stories - that's for sure.  However, I thoroughly enjoyed the book regardless.

Rebecca Porter, or Bex, was just a regular American college student on a study abroad term to Oxford.  She only wanted to go and enjoy the art, to take in the architecture and have fun in the UK.  She wasn't looking for romance, and she certainly wasn't aiming to find love with the second in line to the throne.

I love that we get to follow their eight-year romance to the alter.  We get to see the highs and the lows and friends come and go.  Sometimes, I found myself stopping and remembering how their romance started and drawing lines on how the young 20 year olds with a brand new love story became 26 or 27 with all of these new responsibilities and stresses.  In that way, I was glad we got to see the whole span, which we very rarely get in books.

Neither of the main characters is anywhere near perfect (nor the side characters) and I think that is what I loved the most about this book.  We get to see them both do very well and mess up spectacularly throughout their relationship.  This book broke my heart in more than one spot and had me almost yelling at both or either Bex and Nick on more than one occasion.

The ending did leave me wanting a little more.  I felt it ended a little abrupt and would have liked to see a nice epilogue from two years later, even if it was just a quick snapshot of their life.  But that certainly did not dissuade me from rating this 5 stars/owls.

So, whether you feel this is some sort of fan-fiction on Wills and Kate or not, this book was an excellent read for me.  I hated when I had to put the book down for something.  If you are fascinated by all things royal or you just love a good love story I would definitely recommend this one.

Review: Frostfire by Amanda Hocking

Frostfire
((Kanin Chronicles #1)

Author: Amanda Hocking

Publication Date: January 5, 2015

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Bryn Aven is an outcast among the Kanin, the most powerful of the troll tribes.

Set apart by her heritage and her past, Bryn is a tracker who's determined to become a respected part of her world. She has just one goal: become a member of the elite King’s Guard to protect the royal family. She's not going to let anything stand in her way, not even a forbidden romance with her boss Ridley Dresden.

But all her plans for the future are put on hold when Konstantin– a fallen hero she once loved – begins kidnapping changelings. Bryn is sent in to help stop him, but will she lose her heart in the process?

My Thoughts: I was so excited when I managed to get this book series from BookOutlet at a massively discounted price.  I really love Amanda Hocking and have read all of her series thus far and own most of the books from the series.

One thing I love about this book is that it is set in a universe I have already fallen in love with, the world of the Tryll.  If you haven't read the Tryll series, it is a definite must.  I absolutely adored the whole thing.

In this series, instead of following the Tryll Kingdom, we follow the Kingdom of Kanin.  They are another species of troll that live in West Canada.  So, yay for that!  Woot, Canada!  (I am from Eastern Canada).   It follows Bryn Aven, a Kanin tracker whose job it is to bring Changlings home safely.

Hocking has created another strong, independent female character.  Bryn shows that she doesn't need to rely on anyone to get the job done.  She is dedicated, strong-willed and willing to do what has to be done to get the job done.  In fact, it almost becomes a flaw on how stubborn and independent she can be.  But I like that.  I like when strong characters have obvious flaws.  No one is perfect.

The men in this book definitely take a back-seat to Bryn.  She has two "love" interests, but given that she isn't buying into the whole getting married having babies propaganda she tries really hard to just ignore it and move on in life.  Bryn is more focused on her career and advancement.

All in all, I really loved this book.  There was intrigue, mystery, a kick-ass female lead and just enough romance to give it flare.  I would recommend any Amanda Hocking book to anyone who enjoys reading Young Adult Fantasy.  I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series and delve in.

Vlog Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Sometimes I like to review books on my vlog, so here is an attempt at a review for The Martian by Andy Weir. I'm so rusty at reviewing, since I haven't done it in awhile. So if you can watch, thanks!

If you're unable to watch, the TLDR is that I love this book and if you haven't read it and decide to, I highly recommend the audiobook!

Review: The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

The Heart of Betrayal 
The Remnant Chronicles #2

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publication Date: July 7, 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance

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Synopsis:

Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save Lia's life, her erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.


Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: There's Rafe, who lied to Lia but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be savages. Now that she lives among them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.

My Thoughts: I will confess, the first book in this series (The Kiss of Deception) sat on my shelf for a whole year collecting dust before I finally picked it up.  In retrospect, I am kicking myself for this.  This book series is SO good.

SPOILER ALERT!  If you haven't read the first book (Kiss of Deception) turn back now!

Lia is now a prisoner in Venda, a country ruled by savages and a brutal Komizar.  A country that never takes prisoners.  Unless, of course, the Assassin of the country fell in love with you and he could spin it that you are a useful prisoner of war, given that you are a Princess and a First Daughter of Morrighan (something pretty important in this series).  Couple that with Rafe, who followed after Lia to save her and became a prisoner himself, and this book was filled with awesomeness.

I will say, if you haven't read the first book yet you should.  I am seriously in love with this series.  This book, The Heart of Betrayal, plays a lot into political intrigue and cunning whereas the previous book focused more on the love triangle between Lia, Kaden and Rafe a bit more with the political stuff more on the back burner.  It was definitely a shift, but I loved it.

Lia is a tough, runaway princess who knows her own mind and isn't afraid to voice her opinion.  This, usually, leads to her getting into trouble.  Regardless, I love how brave she is.  She didn't want an arranged marriage, so she fled.  When she is captured by the enemy and forced into their kingdom as a prisoner, she adapts and uses the situation.  I love Lia, seriously.  She is smart and loving and doesn't walk around the world with shutters over her eyes.

I also love both Kaden and Rafe - the two main boy characters.  Kaden and Rafe couldn't be from more different backgrounds, but each have their own charms.  Kaden, the assassin who has unwavering loyalty to his Komizar and Rafe, the Crown Prince of Dalbreck.  They are both trying to keep Lia alive and safe.  Kaden thinks that she is safest with him, in Venda and that he can protect her from everyone there looking to spill her blood.  Rafe, meanwhile, is trying his damnedest to get them out of there.

The villain in this one, the Komizar, had me torn and I both loved and hated that.  Pearson did a great job at painting a villain with multiple levels.  How, when the Komizar was young he was good-hearted and how over the years absolute power corrupts absolutely.  You could understand why people who had known him for years had pledged their loyalty to him.  You could also see how much he had changed and how some of them were blind to it.

**Spoiler Alert ended.  Safe from here on out.

I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting the next book, The Beauty of Darkness, due out on August 2016.  It is definitely on my list of books to pre-order.  The Heart of Betrayal ends with a pretty major cliffhanger that has me thirsting for more.  I can't wait to pick up the story of Lia, Kaden and Rafe again.  I love this world, I love these characters and being without them until August is going to be difficult.

Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Publication Date: May 5th 2009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

My Thoughts: This book came highly recommended to me and it did not disappoint me! This is the perfect summer (or even winter) read. It's got beaches, romance and a main character who is just coming into the age where she's no longer in that awkward stage. You know what I mean, when you're too old to be considered a child and too young to be a young adult. Suddenly everything is becoming right for you. Goodbye awkwardness. And the boys she's been around her whole life? They're noticing!

At first I was kind of confused and wondering what kind of name Belly was. A nickname, durr. I kind of felt bad for Belly, she's been the only girl at the beach house every summer (except one when her best friend showed up) and being surrounded by boys kind of sucks. I know, I have 3 brothers. Lucky for her, they weren't all her brothers, but they mostly looked at her like a little sister, for awhile anyways. But suddenly, once she has grown up, she's a bit more interesting to the boys.

This story isn't all about summer love. There are definitely some points that are going to be tear jerkers for you, there were for me. It's a really great story and I'm very glad that I finally got around to reading it. I don't regret it for a moment. I do need to get around to reading the next book though! I really do! With how things ended, I really want to know what happens next. So if you're like me and have been looking at this one but haven't read it, you should! It's worth the read It's a really great story!

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: 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: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publication Date: February 5th, 2013

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Genre: YA/Romance/ReTelling/Dystopia

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Synopsis:

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My Thoughts: Marissa Meyer has mastered the ReTelling genre! You will not find any others in the genre  that are nearly as unique, imaginative, adventurous, and creative as The Lunar Chronicles. Meyer has breathed the most fresh breath of air possible into stories that we all know so well. She has all but turned these stories on their heads and emptied their pockets and stripped down to their bare essentials. She then rebuilt them in a way only she can, with every page and character becoming something even better and more astounding than it previously was.

I'm sad that it took me so long to read this. I read Cinder last year and I absolutely loved it. You can read my review for Cindre here. It should not have taken me this long to get my hands on the sequel, and if it weren't for my great friend Jenn here passing me on  her copy I would probably still have it on my to read list. So big thanks to Jenn for being so generous and giving me the encouragement I needed to get this book read!

Scarlet is a female heroine we all can't help but love. She has a  fierce loyalty to her loved ones and a determination that never quits. I fell in love with  her just as easily as I fell for Cinder in the first book. Both are female leads you will be rooting for right from the start.

I was especially happy to find that Cinder was in this book. I had assumed that it would be a brand new re-telling with all new characters. This is because I have a habit of not reading the synopsis to sequel books because I just love being surprised too much and I don't want the slightest surprise to be given away. But yes, you can imagine my delight when Cinder was amongst the pages. This delight only intensified to the max as Cinder's and Scarlet's stories intertwined.

The way Meyer has weaved these two fairy tales together is nothing short of incredible. She obviously has a gift for this genre and I would say her books are the yardstick that all others in the genre are measured against. You don't want to miss out on these books. If you have not looked into the Lunar Chronicles yet you seriously need to hop on that train! Pick up these books and prepare to fall in love with the stories you've always known, only this time around, they are revved up, and totally kick ass!

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: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Publication Date: September 13th, 2011

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance

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Synopsis:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

My Thoughts: Oh my goodness. I have literally just finished this book and I feel like I am in a state of shock. Finishing this book was one the hardest things to do ever. This is definitely the most spell binding, magical, enchanting book I have read in a long time. I will be recommending this book to everyone one I meet from this day forth, of that much I am positive.

This book plunges us into the mystery, beauty, and wonder of magic in a way that I have only encountered once before. That was in reading Harry Potter, not that these two stories are in any way alike aside from that. But they both completely encapsulate you in their world of awe inspiring magic and fantasy and gave me that same feeling of being hopelessly lost in a fantastical world that I so desperately wanted to be a part of.

I am at a loss for the words I need to give this book the credit it deserves. I feel speechless and awe struck. The romance weaved into this story was all consuming, desperate, and so real and contained so much depth. I literally felt warm and fuzzy whenever romance was involved. And that was more than you'd think. This story seems to carry a certain romance all throughout it. Something about each page is alluring and enchanting. Making you admire it and feel the need to have more. So even when there wasn't your literal romantic happenings, it was still there in the atmosphere, teasing you and constantly reeling you in.

This is definitely a book I could see myself re-reading. I could easily have closed the last page and started over again right then and there and probably would have loved it even more the second time around. This book is a masterpiece. And as much as it about magic, I feel like Morgenstern herself had to be a magician of sorts to write a story like this one. The way it made me feel was amazing and it's something readers constantly search for in books. And when they find it, they treasure it always. I know I will treasure this story and I will attempt to share it with whoever is willing to crack it open. I'm definitely placing this among my favorites. If Erin is to put out any other book, I know I will be snapping it up immediately. She obviously has incredible talent, and a writing style that literally does cast a spell on you.

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!

Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Evolution of Mara Dyer
Mara Dyer #2

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publication Date: October 23, 2012

Publisher: Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.
She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.
They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.
She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

My Thoughts: Okay, so my fellow blogger and friend, Jenn, has been trying to get me to read this series for what seems like forever.  For whatever reason, I kept putting it off.  I even bought the first book while it was on sale a while back but it has been sitting on my bookshelf ever since, just collecting dust.  Then, my daughter ran off with my e-reader and I turned to my bookshelf and there it sat.  So, I picked up the first book and I am glad I did.  I was so impressed with the first that I continued on to this novel right after and now I am waiting in stunned anticipation for the third, set to be released in October 2013 last I checked.

This book series is definitely different.  The main character, Mara Dyer, is pretty much certifiable - even when you are in her head since it is first person. She is going through a lot of paranormal stuff, that is true, but she is also pretty insane if you ask me.  There are moments of clarity and I think, "Wow, maybe Mara isn't as crazy as I thought she was after all."  Then she sees or does something else to make me question her sanity all over again.  I know some people may argue this fact (since, really, there is a lot of weird things going on around her as well as this), but sometimes you have to face the facts.  Mara Dyer is, in fact, at least a little nutty.  Despite this (and her hallucinations that are sometimes real, sometimes not) Mara had grown on me.

Noah Shaw is delectable and a trooper, I have to say.  He sticks with Mara through it all.  He believes in her even when she starts to doubt herself.  The fact that he has a supernatural ability like hers (-ish) certainly doesn't hurt him believing in her either.  He is willing to do so much for her it is just incredible.  He is so good and sweet to her and sometimes I think (she does as well) he is the only thing keeping her from going off of the deep end.

This series was strange, but good strange.  Following a first-person narrative when the narrator doesn't always know what is real and what is not and is constantly seeing things to make you question it is something that I am not entirely used to.  Of course, Mara is a little more sane than what I seem to be portraying in this review (although, not much more).

I am really looking forward to the third book in this series (The Retribution of Mara Dyer, due out in October 2013) and I am glad I finally picked it up.  I enjoyed The Evolution of Mara Dyer a little more than The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer so I can only imagine what number three has in store for me.  Loved this book and love this series!