Leah's October Reads

October was a really good book month for me. If you remember, I was planning on dedicating this whole month to The Mortal Instruments series. Well, that was my intention, but if you have ever read the series, you know how long the books are and how in depth they go. I kept finding myself having to take breaks in between books (even though I LOVE THE SERIES SO FAR!) because I was just so overwhelmed with emotion and information from this killer endings. I am currently about halfway through book three and taking a break because I am SO mad with everything that is happening to poor Simon. In the meantime, I've read lots of really awesome books. Seriously, some of my favorite books of the year was read this month. Here is my list, and I'll put my absolute favorites at the very end:

-City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
-City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
-Losing It by Cora Carmack
-Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
-I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
-These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman
-The Jewel by Amy Ewing
-Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
-All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
-Pivot Point by Kasie West
-The Young Elites by Marie Lu
-Don't You Forget About Me by Kate K. Quinn
-Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout
-Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

October Favorite! 

 This is really, REALLY hard for me. Like I said above, some of my top books this where read this month. If I HAVE to choose, my top picks are Stone Cold Touch and All Our Yesterdays. Stone Cold Touch was highly anticipated for us because of how much we love Jennifer L. Armentrout and how awesome White Hot Kiss was. Roth made the Holy Grail of Book Boyfriends list because he is hot hot hot and so swoon worthy. Demon or not, he is such an awesome character that JLA developed. You want to hate him in this book, but it's only because the pieces of your heart are laying all over the floor. And the ending of the book..... OMG the ending. I may or may not freak out because I have to wait until July for book three. Alas, this book comes in second place (though it is very close) because my actual top favorite made me feel so many feels that I have no choice but to name it my top.

All Our Yesterdays is probably in my top five books that I have read all year, which should say a lot. I was kind of skeptical when I first read the synopsis because it sounded super action packed and intense but I didn't know where all it could go. I picked up the book and couldn't put it down. I was so invested in the characters, and every time I thought I had things figured out everything fell apart. It was so intense. I felt all the feels in this book, and again, this ending is what made it... The ending. I can't even talk about it without wanting to tear up. I don't know why I reacted so strongly towards the end except maybe it was just so unexpected for me. I had tears pouring out and was literally yelling at my book at the same time. But, you know, it wasn't just the ending of this book.. The whole thing was just nerve wracking and heart wrenching that it takes the cake hands down as my favorite for this month. I just can't explain it. You just need to go buy it.

Say Her Name: James Dawson

Say Her Name: James Dawson

Bobbie Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts or urban legends. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute boy Caine agree to join in on the fun. They are dared to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear. When nothing happens the kids think they are in the clear... or are they?
The following morning Bobbie finds a message written on the bathroom mirror. "Five days" is all it says. Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie, Naya, and Caine as they soon realize that Mary is coming to get them and she's no Casper. They are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them. 

Say Her Name is definitely a top Halloween pick, even without being overly scary. SHN will more than likely appeal to a younger audience but will work for anyone who is looking a good quick thriller as well. I also think it would fit really well for book clubs as well. I enjoyed that Dawson did a thriller that was also very comical. This new spin on an old classic really was a nice break from the mundane. It’s really brilliant to read a story about a childhood game that I used to participate in myself. The fact that Dawson had it written so that Bobbie actually felt some compassion for the ghost and investigates who Mary was and the events that trapped her in the mirrors. Speaking of mirrors this book will probably keep you from looking to hard at one for a few days. As far as the setting goes Piper's Hall being a boarding school in my opinion is the perfect setting for a YA horror novel. This novel keeps a nice and fast pace through out the whole book. The end of the book was also fantastic. The whole plot came together in a really clever way

No doubt this book will be compared to The grudge and The Ring. It didn't scare me to the point where I couldn't sleep but it had more than its fair share of eerie. 

Unwind: Neal Shusterman

Unwind:  Neal Shusterman  

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.
The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can sign their children up to be "unwound," where all of the child's organs (arms, legs, feet, brain... you name it they'll take it) are transplanted into different donors. Connor is a bad apple and is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa is a ward of the state and has been studying music most her life, but is not enough to be kept alive. Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound.

If you have read or follow me on anything then you know I have a terrible fear of having my organs harvested... THIS BOOK IS WHY!!! It has taken me a very long time to build up the nerve to talk about this book. It really freaked me out that much. The concept of Unwinding is truly terrifying. It's not like you went to the dmv and checked the organ donor box thinking "yeah Ill give my organs up, I'll be dead what do I care what happens to them"... No, this is about having them taken while you're still awake, alive, and having no say in it.

Unwind, or as I like to call it "Why I'm not an organ donor" is just so different. I don't think there's any other way or word to use to describe it. I love controversial books or books with controversial topics and this is one. This book is about the battle between two groups the Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. The two groups reach a compromise called "The Bill of Life" that states that nothing about a child can be decided until they reach the age of thirteen, and at which the child's parents can put the child up to be "unwound". People don't consider it dying because the child will still be "alive" just in divided state. (yeah you heard me right... DIVIDED STATE!!!) 

This book follows three kids. Two who decide they don't want to be sold in pieces and one who was raised to think that being a sacrificial lamb is okay. Their parents/state just decided they weren't worth the trouble or weren't good enough and they sign them up to go to a harvest camp.... (yes again you heard what I said, A HARVEST CAMP!) Connor and Risa decide to continue the plan of escaping and basically have to underground railroad themselves to find safety. Lev has plans of his own; aka wanting to return to the camp and fulfill the tasks he's been brought up to face. Their journey is neither predictable or easy. 

Connor’s situation was probably the hardest for me to read and had me so uncomfortable. He's parents basically just gave up on him. Instead of trying to help him out and do what parents are suppose to do they figure they'll cut their loses and just get rid of the problem. I could never do what they choose to do to him, and his story had my heartbreaking. Risa is so musically talented but since she's not top of the class the state has decided not to "waste" anymore time on her. Since she doesn't have any parents she has even less say in what happens to her. Lev was born to be unwound. His parents are basically obsessed with their imagine. He is one of several children in his family. Some of his brothers and sisters aren't even blood related they were just storked to the family. (I'll get to the whole stork thing in a minute.) As part of their image they have him just to "give back to the world". They even throw him a big, lets just call it a going away party, to say their goodbyes. 


Now to the stroking thing. You know how people can leave their babies at police and fire station and its not against the law, well in this world it is... What's not legally is leaving your baby on someone porch. Once you've been storked you have to keep that child. That just adds to the twisted and sickening plot of this book..The reason I didn't give this book a higher review despite the description I've given so far is because at some point in the middle the book the plot gets a little mucky. The characters tend to spend a good amount of time just talking, and not about anything relevant just things. Also the introduction of like a million characters wasn't to thrilling to me either. Then it like dips to this bizzaro kind of murder mystery thing.... Yeah I don't really know what to say about the thrown together mid-plot, BUT it does pick back up closer to the end. Once you get past the WTH did I just read section the story will have you returning to the edge of your seat.  


There are two scenes in this book that stand out above the rest. One is a scene were the kids write letters to their parents while in hiding. It had me a little teary. The other scene is what I've seen other people describe as the "WTF scene" or "that one scene"... It's the scene that will give you nightmares for months (speaking from personal experience). It's not only the craziest scene in the book it's also the hardest to explain. There was nothing explicit, nothing overly descriptive, but by the way it is narrated it's, it's just …horrifying. It made my skin crawl and my jaw drop. Just to give a little tease, someone in the story get unwound and the scene describes what happens to them and what their brain goings through while the procedure is happening. I will flat out say I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HORRIFIED. I still can't even wrap my brain around how well the author used so little words and made such an impact.  It's those few chapters right there that hit you in the gut and turn this book from something was was so/so to something unbelievable. I had to release the breath I didn't realize I was holding after reading it (only ya fans will get that one).

This book had me thinking about so many things I really do just push into the back of my mind. Was this book my favorite, no, it wasn't. But it did leave a lasting impression. Unwind is unforgettable, and thrilling. I don't know where Neal Shusterman came up with the idea for this book, and I'm not sure I want to. Even with it not being one of my favs it will definitely always be a book on my recommend list. 

6.5/10 Stars  

-Angela  


(Btw You could probably make this review a drinking game. Every time I say horrified/terrifying feel free to take a shot.)

Awake At Dawn by C.C. Hunter

You know, for a series that I didn't even know existed until a few weeks ago, I'm really digging it. In book two, Kylie is still on her journey at Shadow Falls to figuring out what she is. We still don't get any answers in this book, but we find out a lot more info about what she is capable of. By the end, I was pretty frustrated that what Kylie is doesn't have a definite name yet. I mean, she is showing traits of all the supernaturals but CAN WE JUST FIND OUT WHAT SHE IS! So frustrating.

Also in this book, the love triangle continues between Kylie, Lucas, and Derek. Most of the book is spent with Kylie and Derek. I feel really bad for Derek because he really digs Kylie. Like really, really digs her, but he knows that she has feelings for Lucas. She doesn't know exactly what her feelings for Lucas are, but they are definitely there. So after dicking him around for the majority of the book, poor Derek finally gets mad about it. Lucas isn't in the book for the most part until the very end where he really steps up his game and does some B.A. stuff. I know there are still three more books to go, but I am definitely still team Lucas. Who knows what can happen in three books though. 

Miranda and Della grow even closer with Kylie. All three of them have to step out of their comfort zones to help the friendship grow and it's pretty awesome (minus what happens to poor wittle Socks). I am also really enjoying the sister-like relationship Kylie has with Holiday. I really don't think Kylie would be able to figure out her journey without Holiday. Sara also pops back up and some really deep stuff happens. It gets really scary and sad for a little bit. I was practically screaming at the book for Kylie to take her head out of her behind and realize what was going on. I think I figured it out a few chapters before she did. 

This review is short and to the point because there isn't a whole lot to say since it is one of those books that you know is a stepping stone to some big stuff that's going to happen in the next few. Just know I am really loving this series and am super excited to read what happens next! As a matter of fact, the third/fourth combo book just came out today so go grab your copy. I just picked mine up from the bookstore and cannot wait to jump into it! Warning, if we don't find out what Kylie is in the next book I may or may not freak the eff out.

4/5 stars

Unremembered: by Jessica Brody

Unremembered: Jessica Brody

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage alive and completely unharmed is making news. She has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories what so ever. No one knows who she is, and DNA populated no answers as well. Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. With every clue only comes more questions. Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to of known her before the crash and says that they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?


ugh... WHY WHY!!! WHY!!! was this book so utterly predictable!!!

This girl (Seraphina) woke up from a plane crash and can't remember anything... I find that odd because it only took me to page 23 to figure everything out; why couldn't she!! I wanted to love this book but my eyes nearly fell out from rolling them so hard. First off I'll start with the "romance" part of this book... The two star-crossed lovers have absolutely no sparks between them. Their romance is more than unbelievable and weak. You want me to believe that this guy loves this girl even though they barely know each other and most of their time spent together is in brief flashbacks....

NO.

The story relies to much on the romance that doesn't live up to what it could have been.

Now to the "plot" part of this book... This book is suppose to be SCI-FI as well, yet nothing scientific is explained. The first half of this book is alright. The second half of this book is a delivery from the hot mess express. The characters in this book are boring as Hell. I can't even remember the love interest name I think it was like Zen or Sen or something lame, and I only remember the girl's because it was so dumb. If I had to read one more time about how this girl had a face sent from the heavens or eyes like oh my god again I was going to run out in traffic. This story also tries to work in time traveling and FAILS times ten on doing so. Then, as the truth started coming to light, I found myself more and more disappointed by the revelations. I want an author to have things come together and make sense or at least trick me into thinking that they do. Oh and considering the second half of the book is where the action is, that doesn't exactly speak well for it. Nothing about this book comes together. The plot, characters, and world building all fall short. By fall short I really mean there's really nothing at all to any of them.

This books title is Oh so fitting.

2/10 Un-Stars 

-Angela

Stone Cold Touch by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Stone Cold Touch: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Layla Shaw is trying to get things back to "normal"... But for a seventeen year old half demon half warden that doesn't seem like an easy task. Layla still has feelings for her hot warden best friend who is still off limits due to the fact that her kiss can suck out his soul. She definitely hasn't forgotten about Roth, the hot Prince of hell who sacrificed himself so Zayne the warden could survive. The boy drama is the least of Layla's problems. As her powers start to evolve and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden. Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever.When things finally look like things might actually end up in her favor hell will literally be breaking open, and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay


(Angela)--
Is there anything Jla can’t do!??? Stone Cold Touch is my new jam! I’ll start off by saying this book is even better than the first. I don’t know how I'm going to make it till June to read the third
one. Also I feel like I should warn you that this review is going to be a mess because I am currently frantically fangirling all over the place. SCT picks up right where book one left off. Roth is still kicking it in the underworld, Layla is still super depressed about it, and Zayne is still be all stony. Jla is the only writer whose love triangles NEVER bother me, and since this book is heavily weighed down with one it's a good thing she's mastered it. SCT does focus more on the relationship between Layla and Zayne, unlike book one where it was all Layla and Roth. I thought this was going to bother me but all it did was tear my heart to pieces by trying to decide whose “side” I wanted to be on. I was seriously texting Leah every ten minutes saying “ok Team Roth… No Team Zayne… Team Roth… No Team Zayne.” After sleeping on it… I know who I choose BUT I won’t let anyone know till book three.... Okay who am I kidding... IT'S ROTH! You’re probably at this point in time thinking the same thing I was thinking “No Roth IDK man”… NO! DON’T LET THAT CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT READING THIS because Zayne steps up his stony sexy game, and there is plenty of hot Roth to go around as well. But enough with the boys we can come back to them later… On to Layla. She starts becoming real B-A in this book. She’s slapping guys in the face with bibles, she's shifting, she’s fighting night crawlers, she's smashing hamburgers… oh and she is starting to figure out “what she is”. Her friendship with Sam and Stacey also has a lot more light on it in this book and I really enjoyed that as well. They're not the only ones friends that come more into play as the book went on as well. Dez and Nic start really shining towards the end. (Rumor is the sub characters like Zayne, Roth, and Layla's friends will play bigger parts in book three, fingers-crossed.) Of course like all of Jennifer’s books there are a lot of steamy scenes, and I'm not mad about it. Here's a tiny list of things Jla's writing has me looking at in a whole new-sexy-mood-light setting: Aliens, cookies, cheese puffs, kittens, glow sticks, Las Vegas, gargoyles, pure bloods, and pens... Whoosh someone bring me some ice tea while I swoon over some flashbacks.
There isn't a lot of world building in this book, which would normally make me rate it lower. However I'm still giving it all the stars because the plot had me pulling my hair out, the characters are amazing, and because of the two twist that come at the end of the book... THAT YOU WILL IN NO WAY SEE COMING!!!! OMG THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, it's that good!

I know this isn't my longest review, but with Leah's following mine I'll leave it at this... If the gates of hell opening up mean the world could be filled with sexy Roth and his friends; then I would personally go down there and rip through those fiery bad boys.

10/10 Steamy Stars

(Leah)--
The first part of this book made me want to throat punch Roth across the freaking universe and back down into the underworld. Well, I pretty much felt that about him the whole book but of course his hotness and steamy demon charm had me hating myself for loving him. Zayne definitely steps up his game and he had my heart aching at the end. THE ENDING. OMG THE ENDING. WHATEVER YOU THINK YOU MAY KNOW ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN JUST GO AHEAD AND THROW IT ON THE FLOOR AND SET IT ON FIRE BECAUSE YOU ARE WRONG. I was blowing up Angela's phone as I was reading the last chapters because my head was about to explode. I'm not even ashamed to say tears were shed towards the end. Pretty much all the feels that are capable of being felt were felt at some point during this book. FREAKING AMAZING. Like Angela, I really loved how Stacey and Sam's friendship were included more in this book. Stacey is an awesome friend and I love her! I also really grew to love some of the other Wardens. Dez and Nicholai will always hold a special place in my heart forever now. I even hated Danika a little less in this book but I still didn't like her (NO I'M NOT JEALOUS OVER A FICTIONAL CHARACTER. WHATEVER). You also get a taste of more of the demon world which is pretty cool. Cayman also makes my list of favorite characters because he sounds awesome and is frequently the bomb during the book.

I'm still Team Roth FOREVER, but I wasn't mad about Zayne stepping up to side chick status in this book. I'm sure what happens between him and Layla will win over a lot of people and make them Team Zayne fans. I wavered a little during the middle, but my heart almost always belongs to the dark-side so I knew all along despite everything that happened and probably will happen next book that I love Roth. Roth officially enters the world of book boyfriends that is known as the Holy Grail of Book Boyfriends. It is an elite club featuring Daemon Black (Lux), Aaron Warner (Shatter Me), Noah Shaw (Mara Dyer), Edward Cullen (Twilight..haters gonna hate), Four aka Tobias (Divergent.. really it's just Theo James. I'm not ashamed to say that I worship at the alter of Theo James), and now Crown Prince Roth. This list reigns high above all the other book boyfriends and is sacred to us as fangirls. These dues have changed cookies and cheese puffs and all sorts of seeming innocent things into things you cannot think about without blushing. These dudes are the ones that just the thought of them makes you want to rip your clothes off and go running straight into the nearest icy lake or ocean.

I also cannot believe the ending of the next book will be decided on by a reader poll. IF ALL YOU PEOPLE OUT THERE IN THE INTERWEBZ DID NOT VOTE FOR ROTH THEN YOU'RE DEAD TO ME. Ok, not really dead to me but seriously if Layla doesn't end up with Roth at the end of the next book I may pull an Upper Level Demon move myself and rain fire and brimstone down on the earth.

Can I give this more than five stars? (According to Angela, YA books should be based out of ten stars, but what can I say I'm traditional) I'd give this 100 stars if I could. Seriously. Go buy now and lock yourself in a room because you're not going to come out until you're done with all 440 something pages.

5/5 stars

Don't You Forget About Me by Kate Karyus Quinn

This book was published recently and after seeing a ton of 5 star reviews on Goodreads, I deemed this to be my Halloween spooky read. The plot seems original and the cover was cool, so why not?

The story Skylar who lives in the town of Gardenville where no one gets sick or is unhappy... except every fourth year. Every fourth year the teenagers in town go nuts and something bad happens. Four years ago from when the story is being told, Skylar's older sister Piper basically murders 16 of her fellow classmates by making them play chicken with a train and then jump off a bridge. I think it's pretty obvious to say there is some sort of mind control thing going on with Piper. Oh, and 16 year old Piper is having some sort of illicit relationship with her 21-ish year old high school teacher Elton who happens to show up the night of the incident.

Anyway, so Piper ends up disappearing after the incident. There is a reformatory in the town where the crazy teenagers go, but it has never been confirmed if Piper is actually there or she is dead or missing or what. Skylar has spent the past four years pretty much trying to forget everything about her life because she is mourning Piper. She turns into a druggie off of these pills Elton (after the whole Piper disappearing thing he makes it his goal to reform the town and drug everyone into submission so no one goes nuts) and some wonder quints develop out of forget-me-not flowers (oh what a coincidence) that make you forget. They druggies that are hooked on them are referred to as notters. There's also some dude named Foote who I think eventually will turn into a love interest but he is constantly described as wearing a fedora, so that would be a NOmance in my book. There's also Jonathan who's sister LuAnn ended up in the reformatory but now she's out and talking about Piper or something... I don't know. I really don't.

This book falls onto the did-not-finish shelf for me after I got a little over 100pg in and pretty much had no idea what I was reading. I didn't even know what Skylar looked like. It just didn't jive with me, so DNF it is. Other reviewers rave about it and it's unique paranormal plot that supposedly happens, so maybe someone out there will like it more than me. It just reminds me too much of Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea which was an absolute WTF/hate read for me. No, just no.

1/5 stars

Nil: Lynne Matson

Nil: Lynne Matson

On the island of Nil, there's only one real rule... You have exactly 365 days to escape or you die. Seventeen-year-old Charley was sucked out the Target parking lot and woke up naked and on Nil. Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the hot leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she would have thought and falling in love isn't helping. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly.

Ok so let me start off by saying that I'm pretty torn about this book. I both liked it and hated it. Mainly I just hated it. First off the insta love in this book was taken to a whole new level...It's overwhelming and takes up a majority of the story. There's less cheese in the diary section of Publix than there was in this book. To prove my point I give you:

Exhibit A: "Thanks for the company. And for this." I touched the delicate lei. "It's beautiful" "Not to sound totally lame, but it doesn't compare with the girl who's wearing it." Then he kind of groaned and laughed both at once. "man, that did sound lame, but it's true" "very lame," I agreed. "And I hate to break it to you, but I think your visions going." "my visions just fine... like I said, it's perfect..."

BARF right... and I bet you had a hard time telling which one was Charley and which one was Thad. If it wasn't for the titles on each chapter I probably wouldn't have known myself. There was NO difference between how Thad and Charley thought. Since we're talking about Charley and Thad let me tell you about them... Charley is a six foot tall super model look alike that has that Oh-what-me-pretty-noooo attitude that is beyond annoying! She does WAY too much swooning EVEN FOR MY TASTE. Then there's Thad the tall buff snow boarder who also happens to be an over six feet tall super model who has jelly beans for brains. And yes they fall instantly in love... That's only the first problem with this book. 

They are constantly talking about all the danger that's on the island. There's lions and tigers and bears oh my! Yet none of these things ever mess with them. You think a bunch of animals would eventually roll up to their camp and try to jack their food... NOPE, for the most part all the animals keep to themselves. (Except this one random cat thing that seemed like it held some kind of importance, but actually was as random as the rest of this story.) There also seems to be a pretty endless supply of food just lying around, along with clothes. Half the time everyone's crying about what's on the menu... BOOHOO and to think people out there in the real world are paying 10 dollars a roll for sushi and you just have it there for free. Hard life. Not to mention that the plants around them are edible... yeah you heard me, THE LEAVES AROUND THEIR CAMP ARE EDIBLE TOO. YET EVERYONE IS HUNGRY... HMMM HERE'S AN IDEA, GRAB THE CLOSET SHRUB AND EAT YA IDIOT. Something else I failed to mention was that they are fighting SO hard for their lives... no time for fun and games... Wait I spoke to soon, there's plenty of time. They play volleyball, go surfing, work out, they even have gliders (Another thing that was mentioned like once but was never brought up again). 

The island is also dripping with nosy mother f-ers. Everyone is all up in everyone's business, oh wait nope they only seem to notice Thad and Charley's drama EVEN THOUGH THERE'S LIKE FIFTY OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND! But back to what I know we are all dying to hear about... The love. It's awful! It's so over the top and annoying. They seriously fall in love in seconds. A new Ya book record. They are even dropping L bombs all over the place after just a few short weeks. Plus they are always using these "inside jokes" with each other OVER AND OVER AND OVER... Then Thad gives Charley this awful little nick name thing and I thought if I had to hear "Charley with an e-y" one more time I was going to set myself on fire! 

He pulled out his pineapple slicer, and with slow, deliberate stokes, Thad carved the first five letters of my name. Then he paused. "tell me how to finish... i-e or e-y?" "e-y" I answered. He chuckled "so right." "what's that suppose to mean?" Thad finished etching the y and blew on my name. Without turning he said, "because for your name to end in Lie doesn't fit. You're the most real girl I've met on or off Nil." 

If I was Charley I would have taken that knife right out his hands and slit my wrist because there's no way I'm going to make it another 300 days with this guy. As far as the plot goes, if you've seen the show Lost you already know whats going to happen. Just throw in some shimmering liquid light things that you'll need to be eaten by to be sent home, and you have Nil. I'm not kidding the comparison between the two is uncanny. Purgatory, parallel universes, weird animals, random people everywhere, and there's a strange maze looking symbol written on rocks all around. HMMM why does that last one sound so familiar... I just can't put my finger on it.

There are also so many plot holes in this story. Everything is just so convenient. Kids appear who know all these crazy traits... one is a baker who makes awesome bread... where the hell did the yeast come from? There's a carpenter who just happens to know how to build using wooden nails. LIKE COME ON GIVE US A BREAK! The kids on this tropical vacation don't even have to be smelly because they have some girl who knows how to make fancy soap! With no real world building involved in this story, besides a list of things that are on this island, Which include a sweet snowy mountain, volcanoes, and a wild flower field. The sub character in this book for the most part are pointless. None of the characters really care if they stay on the island or get off as long as they have their gf/bf with them. 

Guess I should say something nice about this book... The first like 40 pages of this book are cool, and the last 40 pages are cool too. I liked the ending mainly because it was the end, but I guess it was sweet too. Probably the best part of the whole novel. Over all this was a cluster-F of a book that could of made a cool trilogy or even a better standalone, if some of the fifty things listed above were fixed. I had high hopes for this book, and had heard a lot of good things about it... Sadly I was let down.

4.5/10 Stars

-Angela

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Adelina caught the Blood Fever when she was a young child. The fever swelled so much inside of her that a doctor had to remove her left eye. After she healed, she also developed markings that many children were cursed with after the Fever. Her hair and eye lashes turned silver and now she has a huge scar across her face where her eye should be. Her mother died from the Fever and her sister survived but did not become marked. She grew up with her sister who has developed into a beautiful young girl and her awful father who hates her for what she has become. Her dad sucks. Like really really sucks. After he makes a deal to sell her away to some old guy as his mistress, she tries to run away but he ends up hunting her down. She conquers up some dark powers and accidentally kills him.

Adelina doesn't discover that her powers are like the other Young Elites (a group of young folks that are marked from the Fever and developed supernatural type powers) until she is rescued by them at her execution for the murder of her father. Enzo, Raffaele, Lucent, Gemma, Michel, and Dante are the Young Elites who take her in and help train her and show her how to use her powers. Their main goal is to overthrow the king and take over the kingdom and like marked people like them live normal lives and not be outcast and executed.

First things first, this isn't a happy book. You're not going to come away from it feeling all the happy feels or find yourself laughing at funny dialogue. Marie Lu made this book super dark. Personally, I felt like I was reading a story from the villain's point of view instead of the heroines. Adelina isn't a heroine. She is dark and has dark things living inside her. She gains her power from how the darkness feels inside her and she thrives off of fear and anger. This isn't a story where she learns to harness her bitterness and turns good and hearts and happy endings. Nope, she gets darker and more powerful as the book goes on. I mean, you can't really blame her because she has pretty much been shat on her entire life. Her father sucks, society treats her like a freak, the kingdom wants her dead, and even her new Young Elite friends are kind of using her for what they can for their mission. She's a pretty bitter person and probably would do better with a round of therapy for her daddy issues instead of trying to conquer demons from the underworld. I just didn't like her as a leading lady because her choices and the things she does pretty much hurts everyone around her in someway. I just feel like she didn't develop as a character as the story went along. She just kind of spends most of the book feeling sorry for herself, talking about how she doesn't know how much time has passed, and being followed around by her father's ghost who tells her much she sucks.

The story was pretty much a NOmance for me. The relationship Adelina develops with Enzo was weird, especially since they are both so volatile. They are pretty much doomed even though nothing really even develops. I was kind of hoping she would start something up with Raffaele (who BTW kind of reminds me of a zen version of Magnus Bane).

Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It just wasn't for me. I didn't feel attached to any of the characters and when deaths happened, I just kind of felt "meh." The writing was very descriptive and the world developed nicely. I didn't really feel like I was even getting into it until 100pg in, and even after that I didn't feel attached. I could have easily put this book down and not came back to it. There is a good cliffhanger and twist at the end, but I feel like it kind if sets it up for the next book.. Especially with what happens in the epilogue. I don't know. I know most people really loved this book, but it just wasn't for me. I probably won't bother reading the sequels because I just don't really care what happens to the characters.

3/5 stars

Pivot Point: Kasie West

Pivot Point: Kasie West

What would you do if you knew the outcome of your life... If you could see the outcome of both paths and what would happen to you in each one... This is Addison Coleman's life.

Addie has the ability as a searcher to look into the future and see both of the outcomes. When Addie's parents announce they're getting divorced you think she would have seen it coming, but that is the least her worries. She is faced with having to pick between living with her mom in the para world; or moving out of the compound in the norm world with her father. When her best friend Leila convinces her to just take a little dip into the future pond Addie searches six weeks into the future to see what both worlds would hold. 

In one of the potential futures Addie is trying to adjust to the "norm" life at a new high school with a made up background story and being the predictable loner new girl. That is until she meets Trevor. The ex football star who seems to understand her better than most. In the other future Addie is being pursued by the hottest and most popular guy in school Duke who also just happens to be the football teams star quarterback. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound in both futures, she’s drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she knows and loves. With the risk of loss and love in both lives, she'll have to decide which future she can live with and what she's willing to live without.

Let me start off by saying Wow just wow. I didn't see this read coming. I have never read anything by Kasie West until now, but I will be buying books by her in the future. Her writing style is flawless! Seriously I need to go take a Tylenol after reading this book... because my mind was that blown.

I am very good at predicting most book ending, and when I thought I had it figured out West

would shock my socks off with twist that I think anyone whose read it can agree, we didn't see coming. I have always find myself disliking books that have dramatic changes in time and even places and flip back and forth... Never once did I feel that way about this book. West's writing keeps you from needing to stop and ask for directions.

Not only is the plot super strong so are the characters. Addie is so strongly written she feels like an extension of yourself. Duke was so disgustingly loveable and you'll hate how much you like him because he is the epitome of "dude". Trevor, whoosh never thought I'd be swooning over a boy who wears cowboy boots, but there's a first time for everything. Then there Addie's best friend Leila WHO I LOVE!!!! She is all sass and brass.

This book has so much going for it and probably turned out to be one of the biggest surprise reads Ive came across this year... Since I fear I can't go to into detail because of spoils I'll leave it at this.

If you walk into the book store and you have the choice between two futures; one being another book from your TBR list and the other being Pivot Point take the path that leads to this book. You wont be disappointed in the outcome or end up with "what ifs". 

9.5 Stars 

-Angela

**I just finished this book and I want to add to Angela's review by saying OMG WOW. This book really blew me away. I kept texting Angela saying I felt like I was in inception because it was like a thing within a thing within a thing. Killer book that took me all of 12 hours to read (that's including being at work for 8 of those hours so that should say how quick this read was). I'm really looking forward to reading book 2 just to see how the story continues. The ending was amazing even though it wasn't exactly how I had hoped (#teamtrevor). I just loved this book!! 5/5 stars from Leah!

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

How has this series been out for almost four years and I've never heard of it? I randomly came across it on Goodreads (per usual) and it sounded right up my alley. It sounded vaguely reminiscent of Hex Hall WHICH I LOVE  so I figured I would give it a shot.

This book may be almost 400pg but it is such a fast read! It is so much fun. If you love vampires, witches, shape shifters, werewolves, and fae then you'll love all of this. Kyle is a teenager who gets sent off to this camp for juvies when she gets caught at a party with alcohol. She's a good girl but her mom is a hard ass and her parents are going through a divorce so it's like the perfect excuse to ship her off. Except when she gets to the camp, she finds out this isn't your normal summer camp where you'll be kayaking and making s'mores. The camp is for juvies all right, but it is for juvie supernaturals. Kylie is completely freaked out because other than night terrors and seeing the occasional ghost (which she thinks is her being legit crazy), there is no way she is like any of the freaks at the camp. They all say that in books, don't they? Everyone at camp quickly figures out she isn't like them either because they all do this weird eyebrow wiggle that reads other supernaturals (I found myself doing it every time they mentioned it in the book).

You can guess before even reading the book that Kylie is gifted, but we don't find out what she is in this book. We learn about her gifts and her ghosts (literally) but there are no definite answers on what she is. There is a big twist towards the end that left me in tears because a lot of things come together and make sense once it happens. It is so bittersweet that you honestly don't know how to feel. The ending is really what pushes this from a four star book to a five star. I had some feelings about the twist, but I didn't come close to guessing correctly. I love being surprised with books and I love even more when they grab my emotions like this one did.

There is a love triangle in this, but it is more of a love square. Kylie has her exboyfriend that JUST WON'T GO AWAY named Trey, this super hot half fae named Derek, and this even super hotter mysterious werewolf named Lucas that all have her interest. The thing that I really like about Kylie though is that even though she is a normal teenage girl with hormones flowing everywhere, she doesn't put romance at the top of her list. In fact, she actually tries to push all of the romance aside to deal with all of the other bigger issues going on. I think that's huge because despite the love triangle (that I know some people hate... personally, I love them!) she isn't a giggly little girl about it. That earns her points in my book.

There is also good friendships in this one with her roomies, Della the vamp and Miranda the witch. The book is light hearted at times but it also touches on some heavy stuff. I think the way it flows through the heavy stuff makes it easy to relate to because it is things that most people have gone through at some point. The fact that it is happening to supernaturals just makes it cooler.

So, definite 5/5 stars for me! I've already picked up book #2 in this series and cannot wait to dive in. The series is five books in all so I really can't wait to see where it goes.

5/5
-Leah

If Hex Hall, The Sixth sense, and Twilight had a baby that baby would be Born at Midnight.

I'm actually pretty mad at all my goodreads friends right now... WHY HAS NO ONE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!??

I want to Hulk smash my keyboard because I'm so high off fangirl fumes right now that I want to rant and rave about this book! I both love and hate a love triangles and this story has a little one. When it started to happen, I'll be honest, I was nervous and didn't think I was going to like it. Wrong, I really liked it. The reason why?! Because the love didn't over take the plot of this story. I didn't shadow that Kylie is there to figure out who and what she is. Kylie is also really relate-able. She thinks and talks like shes 16. The guys in this book are HOT and mysterious. Which means I fell hard for them. I know this book is going to be either a hit or miss for people. You'll either love it or hate it I don't think they'll be any in between. The reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because I wish we would have figured out what Kylie is. But more than that I just need answers in general... I NEED MORE LUCAS!!!!

I can't wait to read the rest of this series

9/10 Stars 


<3 Angela  

Snow Like Ashes: Sara Raasch

Snow Like Ashes: Sara Raasch

"Fear is a seed that, once planted, never stops growing."

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Eight survivors who managed to escape have been waiting and planning for the right time to take back their kingdom. Meira has lived her whole life as an orphaned refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior while be head over heels for her best friend Mather will be anything but easy, especially since Mather is set to be future king. So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Meira soon finds herself thrown into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics and is starting to realize her destiny may be anything but what she thought.

OK, OK SO SNOW LIKE ASHES!!!!Leah and I have been WAITING for this book since we saw it on the coming soon list. The cover alone pulls you in, but whats inside does so much more. (Side-note: the man who did the cover actually reached out and said sup to Leah and I on our instagram so that was pretty cool.)

Basically in SLA all hell has broken lose and the people of Spring are dead set on making sure all the Winterians are gone from the world. We're talking straight up genocide. The few remaining Winterians are set on resurrecting the kingdom of Winter and ensuring safety for the last of the Winter bloodline aka King Mather of the Winterians.

When I first picked up and started reading I was a little overwhelmed (I wont lie I tend to feel that way at the start of most fantasy books). I feel like SLA is the love child of Throne of Glass, Xena, and Game of Thrones (maybe that's just me idk). Much like GOT there are a lot of Kingdoms. There are the Eight Kingdoms of Primoria. Then there's the whole Spring, Autumn, Winter thing. Sounds like a lot already right?! However the world building in this book is amazing! Once all the loose ends come together your mind will be blown by all the little details and how much Sara writing give us.

As far as the characters go MERIA IS BADASS!!!! I have this girls back 110%. Meria isn't about taking the easy way out, she can fight her own battles, she can stand her own ground, and can even fall in love while doing it. Oh and ya girl demands respect. Boys pop back because Meria don't want no scrubs. 

Not just that though Sara does an amazing job at making both the male(s) and female characters equals. It was amazing to have a male showing weakness and wanting the girl to think he is worthy of her! LET ME TELL YOU IT GETS CUTE!

The two leading men in this book are King Mather the childhood bff who Meria has always had heart eyes for and Prince Theron whose has both brains and brass. I think some will think this as a love triangle, but I don't really feel like it is. IF HOWEVER it does turn out to be one then I already know whose side I'm picking. If you know me you wont need to ask...

To compare this book a little more, much like Throne of Glass this book is about war, fighting, and having power, with a very strong leading lady. The only downfall and the  reason the rating isn't high is because at some points there was a lot being thrown at you and it was so descriptive it felt like an information overload. There is however a twist toward the end of this book that has set up this series, at least the next book, to be amazing.

That being said go out and get some banners made because Meria is a feisty and strong fem lead that you will be cheering for.
Snow Like Ashes lived up to all it's hype.  






8.5/10 Stars 



-Angela 

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays is a story of time travel. It follows two girls, Marina and Em, and two boys, Finn and James, on a very complicated journey from the future back four years into the past. I can't give much away about the plot without giving away spoilers because believe me when I tell you it's really freaking complicated. 

Em and Finn are trying to go back in time to change the actions of a future doctor who grows up to change the world. While his intentions were good, the power got intense and crazy world war changing stuff started happening. Em and Finn know how to fix things because they've gone back in time fourteen times before and have failed every time. This is their last shot to get it right because they'll probably end up dead in the process of trying.

Marina and James are best friends and have been since they were kids. Marina is madly in love with James, but he has no idea. He's the boy genius type and at 17 is studying at Johns Hopkins for his PhD. Tragedy strikes James and he and his friends and Marina are now caught up in all the mess that Em and Finn are trying to change...... Like I said, It's really freaking complicated.

Really all you need to know is this is one of the best books I've read this year. I'd never even heard of it until I was messing around on Goodreads looking for recommendations. (Pro tip- if you go to Goodreads and organize all of your absolute favorites into their own folder/category and them get recommendations based off of those books only, you'll get some really amazing suggestions). The synopsis sounded cool enough and they had it in stock at my local Barnes and Noble, so why not? Once I started, I couldn't put this book down. I had my hand over my mouth almost the entire time because the book is constantly going from INTENSELY INTENSE to intensely sad. It's very fast paced and action packed. There are very few things that are mentioned that aren't for a reason. You are confused for a lot of it but things start making since pretty early on. From there you just have to put the pieces together. I had absolutely no idea how this book was going to end. No idea. There were SO many different possibilities. I won't give any spoilers because reading it on your own is worth it, but the ending was a nail biter and made me shed a few tears. It blew me away with all the feels it made me feel. I was so SO sad, but happy at the same time. If I could give this book more than five stars I would. Go pick it up and you won't regret it. It will be one of the best standalone books you will read this year.

5/5

The Beginning of Everything: by Robyn Schneider

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider is a book about a boy named Ezra Faulkner. He's the definition of a parents wet dream; that is until his world comes crashing down on him... Well its not the world it's more like a car. Ezra use to be a star tennis player, the most popular guy in school, had the most popular girl in school as his girlfriend, and makes pretty good grades. He's living the high school dream until he walks in on his girl friend cheating on him at a party; where he gets in his car to leave and then immediately gets into a car accident. The crash shatters both his knee and dreams. His friends don't seem to get that he can't be the person he use to be. He can't play tennis, can't keep up with the wild pranks, and parties they go too... Oh and on top of all that his now ex girlfriend is dating the his replacement and friend... Sounds like the end of the world right? Well then you should know it's just the start of it. Ezra meets the mysterious riddle talking new girl Cassidy. Ezra is thrown into a world where he no longer knows who he is. He throws himself into school work, a debate team, and an old friendship. Thankful to have Cassidy to distract him from the accident and life in general by dragging him around on her endless adventures he soon realizes she might just be what he needed to get out of his accident funk. He'll soon learn that life isn't always about living up to others expectations it's about living up to your own. 

 I would like to thank the book gods for this book, because after reading so many fails in the contemporary ya field finally one has stepped up and won my heart... 

First off the cover of this book is beyond perfectly witty (Once you read it you'll know why). Second, again, I can't believe I liked a contemporary read. Third this book was like eating a handful of Valentine's Day candy; it was so sweet. TBoE will have your sides splitting and you hooked within the first few pages... Don't believe me? Well feast your eyes on this snippet from page four:

  “What the news reports didn't say was how the kid's head sailed backward in its mouse-ear hat like some sort of grotesque helicopter, and how Toby Ellicott, on his twelfth birthday, caught the severed head and held onto it in shock for the duration of the ride.
     There's no graceful way to recover from something like that, no magic response to the "getting head" jokes that everyone threw in Toby's direction in the hallways of Westlake Middle School.”

Think I made my point. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE...
The characters in this book felt way more realistic than I could have imagined. Ezra's character development is off the charts along with his amazing level of sarcasm. I almost felt like a proud mama bear watching Ezra become a man over the course of this book. TBoE is full of razor sharp wit and took me by surprise with how compassionate it is. I imagine it's hard for a writer to really make a character develop so much in one book but Robyn Schneider makes it look effortless. Her writing style mirrors that of John Green's and definitely has the same tear jerker effect on people. Character development isn't the only thing that is strong in this book... The overall writing style and silver tongue that Robyn uses throughout this story is insane. The debate scenes and childhood flashbacks will have you dying of laughter. Oh and if you like vampires, witty  comebacks, and Harry Potter you'll enjoy this story as well.  

 The only downside(s) of this book was a rather predictable ending. I figured it out about half way through, but it still didn't stop me from getting teary eyed or enjoying the story till the

end. The only other thing was Cassidy... She wasn't my favorite female character. I did like her and Ezra's relationship; it was truly loving and sweet...but I found myself being annoyed with her. She keeps telling Ezra to be himself, to learn who he is, to tell her who he wants to be, but then gives nothing back in return. I guess I was just hoping she'd have as much development as he did. Basically by the end of the book I wanted to throat punch this B. As far as the sub characters in this book, they are as amazing as Ezra especially Toby. (Oh Toby you cutie you! I just wanted to pinch and kiss his cheeks!)

This book has a great pace, and is a nice new spin on a coming of age novel. I wont give away what happens at the end, even with its predictability, I was still happy with how she left the characters and the stories. TBoE is a perfect rainy day-cuddle in a snuggie-drinking hot coco book.  This was a light and fun read, and something that if you haven't had the chance to pick up you should definitely set aside and afternoon to do so. 

8/10 Stars  

-Angela

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

When I saw a bunch of my favorite authors and bloggers on IG reading The Jewel before it came out, I got super excited for it. There are a lot of mixed reviews for this book, but I think it's because people are trying to compare it to The Selection and other similiar books. It does have a Selection-y vibe to it but it's mostly due to the royalty and the world they live in. I also was vaguely reminded of The Hunger Games because of the auction that takes place and the lady in waiting who helps Violet (reminiscent of Senna and Katniss). 

But despite what other people thought, I really liked this book. Violet is a likeable character because she is beautiful, but she doesn't care about her beauty. She is smart and deeply cares about those close to her. You really feel sorry for her because she is snatched away from her family at such a young age and she never gets to see them again (minus one instance before her auction). She really grows as a character in the book. She goes from a scared young girl to a confident, brave young woman in 300pages. Some of the decisions she made in the later parts of the book, I didn't necessary agree with but I was really impressed that she stepped up and made them. 

The book has some twists that you're going to see coming, but there are going to be a few that catch you off guard. The biggest thing about the book that I like is that you really don't know who is good and who isn't. Every time you start to trust someone, something happens and you don't know what to think. The Electress, the Duchess of Lake, Lucien, pretty much all the royals, and I even questioned little ole Annabelle by the end! The cliffhanger ending is the biggest example of this! I'm not going to give any spoilers, but I'll say that I didn't really know where the book was going to end especially with the events leading up to it, but the ending has a HUGE cliffhanger that is pretty awesome. Basically you don't know WTF is going on and who is working with who and what's going to happen and just... AHHHH I'm VERY excited for the second book.

Unfortunately for me, there was no love triangle in this book. I was kind of hoping that Violet would develop a love triangle for Ash (her super hot forbidden companion dude that is mentioned in the synopsis of the book) and Garnet (the even hotter son of the Duchess). What can I say, I love a good love triangle! But Violet stays consistent with her with her boo Ash which has bad idea written all over it given their circumstances... but you can't blame ya girl just cuz

So if you enjoyed the atmosphere of The Selection and want a little more darker drama involving girls getting auctioned off and then used for surrogates for royalty, then this is for you! There are some darker moments where things happen you don't really expect but there are some also classic YA moments (insta-love for example). Hopefully in the rest of the series, the background of some of the main characters are revealed, more on how/why the poor girls get that weird gene, and we get some updates on some of the characters that were mentioned in the beginning that don't play as big of a role (Lily, Raven, Hazel). I'm going to give 4/5 stars only because I was a little disappointed in the lack of love triangle (ITS NOT MY FAULT GARNET IS SO HOT) and how things drug on a little bit when they got buried in details.

4/5 stars