Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is. 
An invisible girl is the perfect weapon.

Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years. After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough.  

The main reason I wanted to read Transparent was because it is advertised as "The God Father meets X-men", right away I knew I had too have it. I'm a HUGE X-Men fan and thought maybe it would even be a sister book to Shatter Me... I think this advertisement is a little off.

Transparent follows the story of a girl named Fiona who was born invisible. She, is like many others in the world, were born with powers. This is my first problem with this book. It's never explained how people mutated too get this powers... was it evolution, radiation, something else??? We might never know. Fiona's father is the head of a Mob that sells a drug that is made to enhance your powers. And of course like any crime boss he uses both Fiona's powers and the rest of his family to his advantage. He has Fiona doing everything from spying on his competitors to doing simple pick pocketing. So when the story started out with her sneaking in to listen to a conversation and then going all mission impossible on people I was pretty excited to keep reading... But that experience was short lived.

Fiona and her mother run away to escape the life of crime and to start over again. They move too a small town where her fathers competitor actually lives. I figured that as the story went on Whipple would have it so that Fiona's back story was revealed here and there. It sadly never really happens. She mentions she's done a lot of bad things, but I wanted more of what she had done in the past. The story continues as Fiona and her mother hang out in this town. Her mom slightly works she slightlly goes to school. While at school she is picked on of course for being invisible (lets be real kids would think this was so bad-ass). She becomes friends with other outcast: Seth, Brady, and Bea. All who also have powers of their own. As far as Fiona's personality goes, it is terrible. She was SO annoying. And for a girl whose never seen what she looks like she is so full of herself. She's constantly saying she knows she has a good figure and that she knows she has nice cleavage, etc.... She also brings nothing else to the table. She has no personality, very little intelligence, and can't even offer us a sense of humor.

This brings me to my next issues, the sub characters. Brady is suppose to be a super hottie, but to me doesn't sound hot at all. He does seem sweet but that's it, her bff Bea is LAME! Then there's Seth. Seth the convenient character love interest. It is clear from the get go what Seth's purpose will be... And you might think I'm about to drop a spoiler on you but I'm not, it's obvious the second he is introduced that his power will be able to see her. TRUST ME IT WAS FAR TOO CONVENIENT!!! At first I thought maybe it would be like Adam in Shatter Me and that we would think he was just so convenient then he'd turned out to be something completely else. When it's "revealed" I rolled my eyes so hard they almost fell out my head. The worst part however is when she finds out he can see her she ask him what he looks like and he tells her AND SHE COMPLAINS ABOUT IT!!! The boy gives her sweet compliments and just like the average super B would do she turns them all to negatives!! This is both a real life pet peeve of mine and a book one as well.  JUST TAKE THE COMPLIMENT!!! LIKE SERIOUSLY!!!!!??? WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!!!

(Pretty much how my face actually looked too.) I think that Fiona's over all attitude was just really what turned me off too this story. I would love to go into details about her brothers, because they are a "big part" of the story but I felt they were pointless. Hated them as much as the rest of the family. I would also love to talk about the plot, but I don't feel like there was much of one. The discription of this story had me thinking that this would be a non stop action packed book but nothing happens the entire time. I was never once WOW or shocked by anything that happened.

The concept of Transparent is amazing, original, and a book I was really looking forward too. Sadly it just didn't live up to the hype I built for it in my head. I wish this was a case of "it's not you it's me" but sadly I don't think it was.

3/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(Transparent BookDepo) 

Angela's Favorite Covers of 2015

The phrase "don't judge a book by it's cover" is one of the best... but it can be so much fun! So, I went through my 2015 reading list and chose my favorite covers. Most of these were published this year, but there are a few that are from other years. I only based this list off what I read during the year not off what year they were published. This is the first year I've done this, but I liked it so much that I'll probably make it a tradition. Also keep an eye out for our complete 2015 choices.

 

  

I have reviews posted on almost all these books on our site. For any title

A-L click here and for titles M-Z click here.

-Angela

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six dangerous outcasts and one impossible heist. Kaz is offered a chance at a heist that could make him rich beyond belief. To pull it off he'll need an incredible crew.


Side effects of reading Six of Crows are, but not limited to: Shortness of breath. Heart palpitations. Nausea. Weak knees. Dehydration. Dizziness. Headache. Heartache. Constant sweating. High blood-pressure. Congestive heart failure.

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”   

Six of Crows is 185th book I've read this year. Yes, that means this is the book that put me at my goodreads reading goal this year. I am so happy that this is the book that made me hit my mark. It was the perfect book to reach my goal with. The world has been shouting, praying, and calling for diverse reads... Leigh Bardugo has answered. I liked but didn't love the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but it has nothing on this novel. With how much hype is surrounding this book I was oh so worried about reading it. However if Six of Crows isn't my top pick for the year, it will without a doubt at least be in the top five. It was amazing.

SoC is a novel with six main characters, depending on how you look at it five plus perspectives, breath-taking flashbacks, seamless world building, and twists that will make your tits drop. 

"A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who has become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse."

A direct quote and the most perfect sum up of the characters. Each one is so different from the other. Each one is a different race, different background, and has so many layers. Each one has a handful of amazing different aspects, and things about them that will constantly surprise you. I can't believe I'm about to say this but... Squad goals! We have Nina this wild-loud-in your face-curvy firecracker who will have you in stitches. Matthias who is this perfectly wounded warrior who will surprise the crap out of you. Wylan who is this lovable nerdy cutie-pie that had me blushing for days. Jesper the comic relief. And then there are my two favorites... Kaz and Inej. Ahh just loved these two so much. These two gave me everything I wanted in characters and more. Inej background story is lovey, her physical appearance sounds both breathtaking and unique, and her set of skills are completely bad-ass. She is basically a freaking ninja. Oh God, and the stories and quotes from her father!!! Break my heart why dontcha.

“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns you heart.” 

Kaz though. Oh Kaz! He was my favorite of favorites. His thought, his flashbacks, his story, his composure, his street smarts, his everything. I have none-zero-zip-nada complaints about him. How did Leigh managed to give us such a naughty character, make him have a limp, "force" him to wear gloves all the time, and still managed to have me swoon over him was beyond me. I want to have his babies. His bad-ass babies. I really have no complaints character wise. All these characters and their personal stories will shock and then steal your heart. Each will give you a taste of who they are and what they have become and it is truly stunning. I need to shut up about them before I spill all their secrets (which I really want to do right about now). I do really want to comment on my favorite part of this book. This is something that others might have over looked, but it is something that meant a lot to me. That's Inej and Nina's friendship. They aren't two girls that hate each other then become friends. They aren't two women who see each other as fierce competition or having to fight over a man. These two women see each other as equals AND THAT is how all women should see each other. Real women pick each other up not tear each other down. I don't think people realize how important that truly is. This needs to be highlighted in more books.

Even if the characters would have faltered (they don't) it wouldn't have mattered because the plot and world building are so solid. I heard a few people/reviews say the "middle of the book is kind of slow"... WHAT THE F ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?!?? Every part of this book is flawless and demands your respect. There wasn't a moment I wasn't on the edge on my seat. Leigh gives you all these twist and turns without leaving you guessing on what your surrounding look like. She's built a world with so many stunning features. SoC is go go go, nonstop action novel that wont let you up for air. It is a roller-coaster ride of emotions and Wtf just happened moments. The first three parts of this book set the bait out, parts four and five has you snapping for the treat, and part six hooks and pulls you in. My jaw was on the floor for 99% of this book.

You might think you know what coming, BUT YOU WILL BE WRONG! So many well planned out plot  twist. So many ground shaking moments. So many heart crushing scenes. And that ending!!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO PEOPLE!!! You can't leave us hanging like this!!!! OMG and I didn't even get to mention the romance!!!! I want to talk about it. Oh goodness do I want to talk about it! But I wont, and if you've ever read any of my review you know this is unheard of. I love love and not wanting to talk about it must only mean one thing... That it's really really good! Even with the massive amount to sexual tense and stolen glances it still doesn't even overshadow the plot. I'm not just talking about the romance with a certain pair, I'm talking romance among several. Like I can't even believe how much gooey lovey dovey moments she gives us and yet didn't drown us in it. Perfect just perfect. 

This book was EVERYTHING it was hyped up to be. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love, and I have been left a mess.   

This review was a lot longer than I ever imagine it would be. It is filled with cut off and run on sentences... I don't care either. I just had to get my jumbled thoughts down. This book is epic and everything. I already want to re-read it and I could quote it all day long. If Arrow wasn't coming on in a few I would just keep going on about it. If you read Six of Crows and didn't like it then there's only one thing to say about you... You have bad taste. 

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Lev: Shot Callers by Belle Aurora

"From the moment Lev Leokov spots the young woman hiding behind her hair in the middle of the gentleman's club, he can't take his eyes off of her.
For the very first time in his life, he is affected. Having been told his entire life that he can't process or understand emotion, he considers it a big deal.

When Mina Harris gets caught red-handed with a wallet that isn't hers, she falls apart. She's tired, lonely and hasn't eaten in days.

Lev offers her an ultimatum... A nice warm bed, a hot meal and a job, or the cops.

Mina takes her chances with Lev.
After all, a person with nothing has nothing left to lose." -Goodread synopsis


Belle was gracious enough to send me an arc of her new book. This however didn't change the way I felt about it...  How did I feel about it??? I freaking loved it. Belle is just a horse of a different color. She is a writer that is so unique and fun.  

We follow two main characters. Mina and Lev. Mina is a runaway who became homeless just hoping to make it to the next day. Starving, living on the streets, and starting to turn desperate. I loved her character. She is a charismatic character with a slow start. When I say slow start what I mean is that at first she is this innocent lovable character and then throughout the novel she starts revealing all this little piece of herself. As Mina grows we really get to grow with her. I liked sweet Mina but I loved Sassy Mina. Sassy Mina was so on point. Speaking of on point characters, lets talk about my favorite... Lev. He was what made this novel so unique. I have never read a character like him before. Especially not a leading male. Loved everything about him. He has this whole Beautiful Mind-GoodWill Hunting thing going on. So perfect!

The way he reacted to both people and situations kept me hooked. It really didn't hurt that he sounded like a Nick Bateman look alike. Swoon! I even found myself liking his thoughts and view better than Mina's. There were so many layers to his character that it will constantly keep you guessing. These two have the most adorable relationship as well. It was refreshing to read a guy who was so sweet, without even knowing he was doing it. Sometimes I got a little annoyed by one or two things they did, but then one of them would do something that would recover the situation, and I would fall for them all over again. I knew I was sold when Lev pulled a total If I stay moment.

So so sold. The smutty moments between the two will also have you reaching for a fan and a glass of ice water... The ice water is to pour over your head, yeah they're that good. When it came to side characters there are only two I really want to touch base on. Those are Nas and Sasha, Lev's brother and sister. Nas is probably one of the best secondaries I've read in the longest. Everything she said had me in stitches. She suffers from HBIC syndrome and I loved it! Pretty sure we'll be getting a spin off from her POV in the future and I can't freaking wait! Sasha another character that I was really surprised I liked. He was suppose to be like the token dick, but after getting a small snippet of his POV I realized how much I liked him... and of course he has layers that we "didn't see coming". My first thought when we randomly got his point of view was "wow this is random and I don't think I like how it feels slipped in there (that's what she said)"... then after marinating on it for a bit I realized I actually liked the that it was placed in. This leads me into the plot.

Like I said, there were a few moments when other people's POVs were thrown in. This was a turn-off, but only at first. Some of the POVs, even though I understood their value, at first just didn't rub me the right way... Some later on I came to like more but some still sit in that "I don't know how I feel about this" unknown zone. The actual pace of this book mirrors that of a roller-coaster ride. It's up, down, left, right, and looping all over the place. My emotions and thoughts were ping ponging  back and forth. Action packed with tons of light hearted scenes. I like when authors can give a steady flow of predictable moments that are perfectly balanced with wtf events. I like when they can mash the unrealistic with realistic. And I like when an author can take characters that might not seem the most likable and then makes you fall in love with them, and that's what Belle does.  

Lev is a fun, wild, new adult book, and for sure drop kicked me out of my reading slump. If you want a good time read Lev is it. 

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines

Two years ago, Maggie Carleton’s world shattered when her father murdered her mother. And after she told the police what happened, she stopped speaking and hasn’t spoken since. She remains silent even after moving in with her Aunt and Uncle. West Ashby has secrets of his own. When they become to much he decides he needs to talk to someone, and who better to talk to than someone who wont reveal it. 

Until Friday Night is Abbi Glines newest release, so this makes like what her 50th book or something insane like that?? It's also the first Ya book I've ever read by her. I didn't even know she wrote Ya. Anyways, when I read what this book was about all I could think of was how sweet it sounded. Then the reviews started pouring in on Goodreads and all of them were either one star/listed as DNF or five stars/listed as a favorite. This is ultimately why I decided to pick this up. I wanted to read for myself why so many people were torn about this one and I totally get it too.

UFN follows high school student Maggie Carleton, who after having a traumatic experience has decided not to talk. Our other main character is West Ashby, (whose name is completely adorable btw). He is Mr. jock-popular-high school-man slut (of course right). Maggie is shy, timid, and polite. While West is the complete opposite. Maggie between the two is the character I liked right away. Her thoughts are strong and she's intelligent. West however wasn't as enjoyable. It took me a long time to like him. He would think these strong sweet thoughts, but then would do these horrible nasty gross actions. Without a doubt him and his friends are the reasons people were putting this book down (Ill get to that in a minute). These two of course start falling for each other. With Maggie's cousin Brady being on the same football team as West automatically says that she is off limits for any of his friends. This doesn't stop the two from constantly being drawn to one another. 

As far as the plot goes on, it heads exactly where you think it will. There's no wicked plot twist or event that you wont see comings and to me this was completely okay. However this story flaws lie with a lot of events that played out in the first half of this book. I'll just kind of rattle off why I know people couldn't push through this, but why they should. People kept bringing up "sexual harassment", I think that's a really strong word to use, but at the same time I get it. The guys in this book are huge DICKS! I also think it gives jocks a terrible name. I don't know if since I wasn't cool in high-school and didn't really hang out with "jocks" that I might not get this, but I don't remember anyone ever saying they were anything like this. I could be wrong though, like I said I didn't really have any sporty friends in school. The things these guys would say and do... Vomit straight vomit. The way they treated people, especially Maggie, was awful. West would just continued to fuel my hate fire for him as well. He would say what one of the guys did was "being too cold" towards someone but then would do something worse! In one scene he hears his mother crying and he's like "this is why I can't be nice to girls"... Let me be clear it has nothing to do with his mom being a nasty person or in a nasty relationship... So when this happened I seriously screamed "WTF WEST THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!!!!! HER CRYING IS THE REASON YOU SHOULD BE SWEET TOO GIRLS AND TREAT THEM LIKE THE PRINCESSES THEY ARE!!!!! YA DICK!"... Plus things with his Ex girlfriend were annoying and the way he turned into a stage 5 clinger wasn't helping his case either... Seriously though don't even get me started on his ex girlfriend... laksfl;aksj;lfkas;kldjf SO ANNOYING AND OVER THE TOP!!!!

These events along with a lot of others ones had me considering not finishing this either... But I really hate not finishing books so I pushed forth. Thank God I did too. Once West actually starts hanging out Maggie things take a very dramatic turn. He turns from a sour grape to a ripe peach. He starts treating himself and others the way they should be treated. Starts realizing that he was being a creepy jerk turd and starts to change his act. This was the West I was waiting for the whole time! Once he changes to, he goes from zero dark crazy too a total swoon worthy book boyfriend. He's not the only one who has a ton of development either, Maggie herself takes on new life. Once she starts standing up for herself and not taking crap you'll start falling more into the story as well. All these changes really jump start the plot and gets this love story going. 

I wish the first half of this book was as strong as the last half. I consider the first half a one star/dnf but the second half a 5 star/favorite read. If you pick up UFN, get into it, and then think about putting it down, please reconsider. It does get better. By the end I was completely sold and was thankful for pushing through. Until Friday Night might not be the strongest book ever written, but it was a quick fun read that I think some are being a little hard on. I also easily think this could be made into a cute movie.


8/10 Stars 
-Angela 
 

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

Madeline is suffer from a rare disease. Forced to stay indoors everyday she has come to terms with how her life will be. Until one day she hears a moving truck next door and see a boy and his family moving in. 

"Maybe we can't predict everything, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly... It's almost certainly going to be a disaster."

Can we first just talk about this cover??? Amazing right?! Stunning. It fits the story so well.

Everything Everything is a novel about a girl named Madeline who is suffering from SCID... or as I knew it "bubble boy syndrome". Madeline has spent the last 18 years trapped inside her house. The only people she comes in contact with are her nurse Carla and her mother. That is until Olly moves in next door. Madeline is a very sweet lead. Also loved how diverse she is. She is a combination of Asian and African American, this set her apart from other YA characters right off the bat and was a huge plus for me. The other thing is her kind heart. I've read characters before who are caring, kind, and sweet but something about how Yoon presents Maddy's traits made it something special. She is a lead that you will easily be able to fall for. She was a lead that I thought I would mainly just sympathy for, but Yoon has this way of just making you more hopefully for her than anything else.

Then we have Olly the adorable boy next door. He is another character that you will have no trouble liking. I did want a little more out of him, but overall happy with what he gives us. My favorite part of the whole book is with him and his mother bundt cake... So cute I found myself blushing the whole scene. Olly is charming, funny, and I think he seems his age. You might be a little confused about what I just said so I'll sum it up real quick... You know how in other "sick lit" such a TFIOS a lot of people's issues with Hazel and Gus is that they speak so mature for their age and it's off putting for a few. Some get that it's because they are dealing with a more adult issue of realizing that they are going to die way before their time but some still think they seem a little too mature... So if you didn't like TFIOS for that reason Everything Everything might be more up your alley. Both Olly and Maddy feel, talk, and act more their age. Their relationship can be summed up in one word: Sweet. It's so so sweet. The fact that neither of them is put of by the others life situations is so endearing. You will be cheering for these two and without a doubt you'll want to see them end up together with a happy ever after.

Everything Everything's plot is pretty steady through out. But not gonna lie, the plot was actually my "biggest" issue with this novel. The story is predictable. There was never a time when I didn't know what was going to happen next. As soon as Olly is introduced I was like "well... I know exactly where this story is headed". Sure enough I was waiting around for some kind of big surprise twist that I never ended up getting. So why the higher rating? Well because all of the adorable and perfectly placed extras. Yoon gives of these cute little sidenotes, little letters, poems and more. They're just wonderful and wiped away any "errors" I might have felt the plot had. And even with me saying that the book was predictable I really did enough the story.

"Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything."

I am not a contemporary fan... in fact it is my least favorite genre so liking this book was kind of a big deal for me. Everything Everything is the prefect quick sweet summer read. Very happy to see this become a movie.

7.5/10 Stars 
-Angela 

The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson

The Heart of Betrayal is the second book in The Remnant Chronicles and it picks up right where The Kiss of Deception left off. If you haven't read book one then first off I feel bad for you and second you should stop reading this review and go pick it up because this series is so good. The Heart of Betrayal was one of my most anticipated reads this year and I'm so happy that it didn't disappoint.

The Heart of Betrayal is structured so differently than a lot of other books and though it has nothing in common with Rick Yancey's 5th Wave Mary's writing style reminds me so much of his. They have this way of flawlessly switching POVs at all the right times. It's never feels jumbled or forced.

Mary gives us a strong plot with strong characters. I loved Lia in book one and so glad to say that I continued to like her in book two. She is still one of the strongest leading females I've read recently. She is still cheeky, calculating, strong willed, all while being caring. Kaden has the most character development in this book. We find out so much of his back story. I for one fell harder for him in this book then I did in KOD. I know how torn people are between him and Rafe, but Kaden is my choice. Speaking of Rafe, at first we didn't get a lot of time with him but thankfully as the book went on we got to see more and more of him. Both him and Kaden are such strongly written males I could easily see why people would want to pick his "side". I know that you'll see a lot of reviews saying that in HOB it's very clear Lia has made her choice between the two, but I disagree. I don't think she has.... At least not 100%. There is still one she favors other the other, there's not denying that, but I still think that there's a small part of her that still leans towards the other. This without a doubt is one of the reasons you'll be powering through this book. It was fun getting more assassin and prince angst. However as far as the romance goes I'm still questioning it. I feel like the relationship (sorry no names trying not to spoil things if people have read KOD) was hanging on too a lot of feelings and actions that happened in the first, and not so much on anything that happened in this one. This is what lead to me to give this book a little bit of a lower rating. I do think it's setting up the next book to be filled with a lot love and hopefully a lot of actual start really forming a solid romantic relationship. There are a lot of secondary characters introduced in this book as well, and far too many to mention.

One of the things I loved most about HOB was the new setting. Sometimes it's hard to ease back into a story when the entire novel is relocated. Wasn't an issue in this case. The entire book takes place in Venda. Venda is hella bad-ass. Mary perfectly world builds and doesn't leave us questioning how life is in this tough country. Two thumbs up on the setting. Now for the plot... Not gonna lie guys, the first half of this book is Slowwww. If you follow me on Goodreads then you'll know I'm a pretty speedy reader and it took me more than two days to ease my way through the first half of this book. The last half however was AWESOME! It picks up it paces and start kicking into high gear. There were a few twist that you're gonna be like "ehh I saw that coming", but they will be followed by smaller sub-twist that took me by surprise (idk if sub-twist are a real thing or if I  just invented it, either way I love it). All these events do lead up to a very surprising and very worth it ending. The last four/five chapters gave me an ulcer. I was so panicked. Because that ending! OH sweet, baby Jesus that ending crushed it!!!! Hits you right in the gut.

The ending made up for the one POV that I found a little pointless, and the slower first half. This ending will have me day dreaming about book three.

9/10 Stars 
-Angela

Sidenote: at first look I didn't like the cover... but after seeing it a few times I now love it. 
 

HIDE: Omnibus by Jax Spenser

When Keegan finally gets away from his brutal mother on his sixteenth birthday/ Things should get better but turn bizarre when his father picks up a hitchhiker in the desert. 

When I was contacted by Jax to read this novel I was really excited because... well obviously, Aliens. I was also really interested in it because I liked that it was a bind-up of a five part series. When this book arrived I was so happy with the way it looked (if you're an avid reader than you'll get what I'm saying). It's that shiny, thick spine, glossy style a lot of indie authors use, and it's personally one of my favorite styles. Also loved the cover art on both the bind-up and of the individuals. That aside, on to the actual review.

Omnibus is a bind-up of: Untethered, Singularity, Coherence, Freefall, and Redshift. All following sixteen-year-old Keegan Roe. Keegan suffers from blackouts and from a rough up bringing. After a turn of events he ends up with his father on a trip that ends up somewhere they didn't plan. 

This could be your last memory...

I love reading stories from a males point of view so again this added on too the reasons I was happy to read this. I wont lie however, I did have a little bit of a love hate relationship with Keegan. When I read the first two parts he got a little on my nerves. By part five I did end up liking him. I think I was just waiting for that moment when he finally grew a pair and just did something kick ass... Really wanted him to take control of his destiny. He does have a great deal of character development, but never exactly hit the mark I was hoping for. Hoping that when we get more into the story and when we get a part 6-whatever number that we can get a more grown up, tougher Keegan. At first his memory loss was something that I feared wouldn't grow on me either, but it did and I was real thankful for it. By the end it really turned into such a unique player in the story. The only side character I really think you need to know about is Lizzy Bruce. She was my favorite part/character in this series. She's had a lot of the characteristics I was hoping that Keegan would show. She was interesting while still maintaining to have such mystery surrounding her. She's probably who I'm most looking forward to seeing in the future.

As far as world building and plot I think this is Jax's real strength. He paints the perfect picture of a creep town, with vivid, and odd characters filling it. The pace of this story does start out slow but by the end you'll find yourself thankful that it took a cooler speed. The first two books Untethered and Singularity are all about introductions and world building, Freefall and Coherence are all about getting you hooked and placing Easter eggs, and Redshift really brings it all home. Redshift really sold me on this series. I loved the way all the memories, flashbacks, and little details finally get revealed. I thought I had a lot of things figured out, and was happy with the little twist that came into play. Hide takes a new spin on an old topic and gives it something extra. With how the story is left off I was left with a few remaining questions and wanting more... Not a bad problem as I see it.Seriosuly though that ending killed me I really nee to know what is going to happen next. By the end I was left thinking...

The Hide Series is a fun, light, brain twisting read that will have you craving more.

8/10 Stars 
-Angela  

The Devil's Intern by Donna Hosie

"How did you die?" It's the most popular question in Hell, and Mitchell Johnson has been answering it ever since he was hit by a bus and ended up in the Underworld.

"I  just love books about guy's who are working in the accounting department of Hell as the Devil's intern and then over hears about a way to get out and get their life back by using time travel..." said no one ever! However, that is only because nothing like this has ever been written. The Devil's Intern was a really great surprise. 

When I first heard about this book I only knew that it was full of dry humor (my fave) and about a boy who was working as, yes you guessed it, the Devil's intern. I had no idea about all the other little nuggets that would be thrown into it.

First the characters were amazing. Each one so different than the next. First we have our main man Mitchell Johnson. The witty, nerdy, funny, hungry, guy who got hit by a greyhound and is now interning in Hell. Then you get the side characters: Medusa, Mitchell's best friend. Alfarin the surprisingly sweet Viking Prince. Then the 17th Century peasant Elinor. The banter between these characters is so much snarky goodness. Their relationship is so bizarre that it makes it work in the most perfect way. This is all before you throw in the element of the Devil himself... who happens to be a total drama queen who doodles black hearts around evil plans and hates Vegans. 

“Can we go back and sit down? Dancing is for girls.”

“I am a girl, Mitchell,” replies Medusa, “and try telling The Devil that.” We both look over at the master of Hell, who has cleared the dance floor with his moshing.”

Reading the four of these characters together would be reason enough to pick up this book, but I haven't even mentioned the plot. 

The plot falls just below "fast paced" and hit a new level that I don't even know if there's a word invented for it... I'll just say perfect for now. The pace is perfect. From the moment we are introduced too not only Mitchell's character, but to the world itself, is just non-stop. There is always something happening. The fact that she has it so Hell is kind of like the real world will have you cracking up. Hell sounds a lot like living in the south. It's insanely hot, traffic jams are never ending, and everyone's just working for the weekend. The big thing I need to mention is the clear elephant in the room.. The time traveling aspect. When I was reading and this started coming into play, I will not lie I became super nervous. Thank the dark lords that I kept reading. It was the biggest and best surprise. It starts happening and I was still so/so about it, then the closer it came to the end of the story the more impressed I became with it. The more time travel we got the more all these hidden treasures come out. It didn't hurt that with a lot of these scenes the author managed to nail her comic timing. There's one scene when they go to like a KFC and send Alfari the Viking to order their food and he pulls a total Thor and it had me in stitches.
 

Even when the plot calls for things too get a little heavier and more serious, Hoise makes the story flow and work. At one point in time I was getting teary eyed and was floored by the emotional turn the book took.  From start to finish The Devil's Intern was one surprise after another. A genius idea for a book, a well played out story line, characters you will fall in love with, and twist you wont see coming. All in all when I picked this book up I wasn't excepting anything more than a quick quirky read, but what I got was a well thought out, warm, hilarious, and fun read. The Devil's Intern had me laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.... Yeah another surprise right? Sounds like a total standalone, it's not! And lets just say with how it ends I can't wait to see where she takes this story.


10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

If you follow pretty much anything regarding YA books, you have heard about the release of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. It's definitely one of the biggest book releases this year and has already been opted for a movie deal. Whenever a book has that much hype around it before it even releases, I get super skeptical. I don't want to get my hopes up and then be disappointed. I can honestly say that all the hype surrounding Ember is absolutely true.

The world building in Ember is amazing and is one of the things that makes this book so special. You have so many different types of people that live in this alternate world, though only three are really talked about. The first ~100 pages or so is a bit slow because Tahir is setting the scene and really makes sure you have a clear vision of the world and the people. I was absolutely lost in the fantasy and couldn't get enough. I love the alternating POVs, I loved the action, I love the betrayals, I love the secrets... I just love all of it. I especially love that I didn't know where the story was going to go at any point. There was so many different paths it could have taken, so I was constantly guessing and then second guessing myself.

I went back and forth pretty much this entire book on which POV I liked more. Elias gave a lot of action and adventure, whereas Laia gave a more emotional approach to the story. The way the story is told really paints a full picture of the world that Tahir built. It was easy to develop an emotional connection to each character during their POV, and it was also easy to see the hate and intolerance that each character has for the other. Laia grew up in fear of The Masks, and the more that Elias comes around her the more uneasy she feels. She doesn't know what Elias could possible want from her other than to rape or hurt her. Elias has never viewed a slave as he has Laia, which is probably because she is the first slave that he has really paid attention to. Now that he noticed her and has become invested in her, he can't just turn his head when things start happening.

One thing I really loved about this book is that their is no clear romance. From the beginning, you kind of assume that at some point Elias and Laia are going to get together seeing as they are the two main characters. However, Laia and Elias each have someone else that they have feelings for, so it complicates their situations even more. The story doesn't focus on the romances, though it does play big parts in the decision making process of each person. I know some people felt like Ember lacked romance, but I think the little bit that was featured was just perfect. I feel like in the sequel (which has just been announced as moving forward!!!!!) there will be more romance. I personally just feel like the book didn't lack anything because it didn't have a lot of romantic moments. With all the crossover between YA and NA these days, it was really refreshing to read a book that wasn't weighted down by this big love story and steamy scenes (and y'all know I love a good scandy scene.).

Ember reminded me a lot of Red Rising. When Laia is telling about her life growing up a Scholar and then her life as a slave, it made me think of Darrow when he was a Red. When Elias was describing his time at BlackCliff as well as the trials he faces, it reminded me of when Darrow became a Gold. Also, the differences in the names in Ember is similar to the differences in names between Reds and Golds in Red Rising (i.e- Laia is just Laia, whereas Elias is Elias Veturius of Gens Veturia). The story itself is nothing like Red Rising, and I would actually compare it a lot to Legend by Marie Lu. If you have read Legend, you'll remember that Thomas and his unwavering servitude to his government and his duties. This was reminded me so much of Helene's character in Ember and is probably what reminds me of Legend the most. Forbidden love, government resistance, revenge for a fallen family member, yes yes yes! All of the things I love!

For me, this book lived up to all of its hype and more. I was completely blown away and found myself trying to read slowly (as oppose to just blowing through it) because I wanted to savor all of my time in this amazing world and with the characters. If you are a fan of true YA writing (not YA that leans towards NA regarding romance), then you will enjoy this book. It is definitely one of the best ones that I have read this year.

5/5 stars

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

When 19-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. She is forced to go live with the beast, but he is more that what meets the eye.
 
SARAH J MASS DOES IT AGAIN!!!! KNOCKED MY FREAKING SOCKS OFF AND WITH A STORY RE-TELLING?!!!!

I hate story re-tellings!!! I hate them but this, this master piece is no Beauty and the Beast. I'm just gonna jump right into everything and just a little warning: I'm so sorry if this seems like I'm frantically flapping around on my keyboard, but I'm just that excited.

I was so worried that this book would have a plot too close to Throne of Glass and that the characters would also bare that same fate... But thank the literary gods above that didn't happen. Yes, Maas still gives us swoon worthy gents and a strong leading fem, but they are not at all like the cast of ToG. Our leading lass is Feyre, and man oh man did I love her. I loved that though she is strong she isn't doing it for herself or because that's who she is, she's doing to because it's what needs to be done. This is what made her character for me. She does everything for everyone and expects nothing in return. Her character starts as a strong huntress and turns into something more. She has the head strong will of a warrior and the heart of an artist. I loved that Maas gave her so much depth and let us get so deep into her brain that her feelings become your feelings. As for Feyre's love interested she gives us the heart twist-swoon worthy-deep-thoughtful-man candy that is Tamlin. Oh Tamlin will have you weak in the knees and have your loins aflame (seriously blushed so much during this book). He literately has so much weight on his shoulders and still stands tall. He is willing to give up everything to make sure shes okay. I kid y'all not I never ever use the word "ship" for couples, but as they say there's a first for everything and.... I SHIP THEM!!! I SHIP THEM SO HARD! YOU SEE THAT SPOT OVER THERE IN THE DISTANCE THAT IS THEIR SHIP AND IT IS SAILING!!!  

Can't stress enough how much I loved their relationship. I love that this book is based around it and its growth. They have such a push and pull. I love that one has everything and one is holding on to anything. How they play off each other is so well written. Also had my brain rocked by how Maas stepped up her sexy game in this book... Because its like a sauna in there! Whoosh so good! *Round of applause* .The sub characters like the rest of the story are so well done. Lucien, Tam's best friend, has got to be one of my favorites in this book. His loyalty won me over. Plus he isn't so bad on the eyes if ya get what I mean... At one point I even remember saying "I don't know who I like more Teen Wolf or the Sexy Fox with one eye"... Yeah, Maas makes having one eye even sound hot! The evil Queen in this book was the perfect amount of mystery and you will hate her. And then there's Rhysand... There's not much I'll say about him, but what I will say is that even when Maas gives you characters you're suppose to hate you still end up falling in love with them.

“Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don’t feel anything at all.”

The plot and world building in this book are so beyond what a lot of other authors would have given us. There are so many vivid details, so many beautifully painted scenes, and so many perfectly peeled layers. I was never once left to question what the world looked like (or characters), and I was thankful for this. Sometimes I do like to fill in the holes with my own ideas but not when it comes to high fantasy reads like this one. The plot is action packed. We have this heavy start to the book, a world building middle, and a jam slammed action packed ending. Because let me tell you when everything comes together and everything is slowly shown you will tossing your book in the air or punching your kindles in their faces... You will freak out! It's like the end scene to Inception where that heavy DOM DOM music starts playing and the dream is collapsing and everything just falls together for this epic ending! Even the things you know are coming will still rock you to your bones. Maas gives you this heart filled, gut wrenching, wtf ending that I myself couldn't of been happier about. I ate this story up!!!! The plot is just as strong as the characters, and I'm so glad this wasn't a let down. Maas perfectly blends both the YA and NA worlds into this one book. This is a book that will make your heart race and make you want to lose those precise few hours of sleep just to snag a few more chapters... And it'll be worth it too!
 A Court of Thorns and Roses was the tits.

 10/10 Stars
-Angela 

Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert

"Braden has always measured himself through baseball. He is the star pitcher in his small town of Ornette, and his ninety-four-mile-per-hour pitch already has minor league scouts buzzing in his junior year. Now the rules of the sport that has always been Braden’s saving grace are blurred in ways he never realized, and the prospect of playing against Alex Reyes, the nephew of the police officer his father is accused of killing, is haunting his every pitch. Braden faces an impossible choice, one that will define him for the rest of his life, in this brutally honest debut novel about family, faith, and the ultimate test of conviction." -goodreads synopsis

I wanted to write my own synopsis and even do a few quotes but I was very fortunate to have received an early copy of Conviction from Hyperion and it happens to be an uncorrected arc. SO when it came down to it I decided to leave this review unquoted and to just use some of the synopsis posted on Goodreads. The release date as of right now is May 19th, 2015.

Conviction was actually a surprise to me. I have a hard time relating too a male's POV. This wasn't at all an issue for me when it came to reading this. With the book starting out earlier in his life and sliding into what his situation became it made it a lot easier for me to get into his story. By the end of the book my heart was broken repeatedly for Braden. Braden lives a pretty simple life with his radio host father. His life takes a dramatic turn when his father is charged with the crime of killing a cop. That would throw anyone's life for a loop but being the key witness to the crime takes his situation to a new level. 

Braden is stuck in the position that puts both his fate and his fathers in his hands. What he says on the stand could change both of their worlds. If that isn't enough Braden's brother Trey comes back into the picture to take custody of Braden, and picks up emotionally right where their father left off. Braden is a male protagonist that puts other male protagonist to shame. He is what I wanted out of a leading male character in so many other books. It was crazy amazing to see a character both become so isolated and yet break out of his shell. There are some sub/back characters but hands down Braden over shadows them all.

The plot was perfectly laid out all leading up to what actually happened that night. The way things unfolded one after another will leave you breathless. I thought the title of this book was just about the court case in itself, but it's not. It turned out to be a witty turn of phrase that embodied so much more. It's a word that you forget can mean so many more things. It captured the case, his family, and his religion. Yeah, I know you just heard me say religion and if you are some people you might be turned off by that. I am not a religious person, so when I do hear a story involves a lot of  religious aspects it can put me off to reading it. THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH CONVICTION! Religion never takes over the story. This is a book with lots of turns, and an extremely strong message and plot. I agree 100% with other reviewers, This book will win awards.

9/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(Conviction BookDepo) 

The Law of Moses by Amy Harmon

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news. Moses is strange, exotic, beautiful, and broken.

I'm gonna start off this review by saying straight up this will be one of the hardest reviews I've ever had to write before. The Law of Moses left me feeling every emotion humanly possible. I guess I'll just start at the beginning...

First off the prologue is probably one of the best ones I've ever read. It's only a couple of pages long, but after reading it I already had to set the book down because I knew it would be an emotional read. Even with the warning crystal clear at the start I wasn't prepared for how deep this book would hit. I didn't stay away long before crashing right back into it. Amy's writing is the thing that kept drawing me back. Her writing is like no others. She writes so that the reader isn't just reading they are actually able to see everything. It makes you have to stop and close your eyes just to take it all in before you can move on to the next page. It's remarkable. Her words had me drowning and I was in no rush to get air.

"If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it's coming, and it will hurt. It will still make your chest ache and you stomach flip with dread. But you'll know and you´ll be able to prepare . And that's my gift to you . I wasn't given that same courtesy. I wasn't prepared."

If that doesn't both pull you in and give you goosebumps I don't know what will.

As far as the characters went, they were just as stunning. Georgia is a strong willed and strong written character. I loved her love for live. I loved that she was 100%  Moses' opposite. She's the soft to his rough. I loved her boldness and the way she always kept pushing forward. Moses was my favorite character. He might actually be one of my favorite written males. Why is that? Because he is what made me so emotional. One moment I loved him, the next I wanted to punch him, and then the next he would have me in tears. This book had me crying and sometimes there was no reason other than the writing style. Moses is the definition of character development. I loved that Georgia is just a small town girl and that Moses is a mess with so much artistic talent is unreal. Georgia comes from a loving family with so much heart, and Moses was the crack baby left in a basket at a local laundry mat. Everything about how the characters clashed was flawlessly written.

The other highlight of this book was the love story. It wasn't the typical tale, and it wasn't the untypical, it was something all its own. I loved watching it grow. I loved it's highs and it's low. My favorite part of not just the story but the romance was the way Moses' art came into play. I love how it was the pretty little bow that tied everything together.

“My mom always said negative attention is better than no attention at all. She was usually talking about foster kids who acted out. But apparently it also applied to seventeen-year-old girls who were in love with boys who didn’t love them back.”

As far as the plot goes I sadly can't go too deep into it. I will say that the book is split into two halves. The first half is a lot of background and build, while the second is all the heart hitting emotional reveals. I preferred the second half to the first but with saying that I loved the first so much. The plot line surrounds the fact that Moses is able to see the dead and then paint their messages. I thought this would come off as cheesy, but it never once felt that way. Something that really brought this story to such a high level was the switch of Povs and how it was never constant. It didn't alternate between Georgia and Moses every other chapter, it only changed when needed. This might make it sound like a cluster but it was so important to how the story played out. 

That's all I can say about this book. I can't go into an events or even sub-characters. This is a book you need to go into blind. The Law of Moses wasn't at all what I thought it would be. I agree with most when they say they don't know what genre this book would fall into. Paranormal? Contemporary? Romance? I don't know and I don't really care. It's unique theme and it's thought provoking writing won me over. The writing is captivating, the story is heart breaking, and has a love story of all its own. This was the first Amy Harmon book I've ever read, but it wont be the last. This book struck a emotional cord that I can't even explain.

10/10 Stars 
-Angela 

(The Law of Moses BookDepo) 

Confess by Colleen Hoover

"I'll love you forever. Even when I can’t.”

"OMG"... THIS BOOK!

THE NOTEBOOK, UGLY LOVE, TFIOS, AND HOPELESS HAD A SECRET LOVE CHILD! AND THAT LOVE CHILD IS CONFESS.

If you know anything about me then you know Colleen Hoover is my favorite author. If you don't know anything about me than that is pretty much all you need to know. She is the only author who has never let me down. Confess didn't let me down. I think Leah and I can both agree, the main thing we heard about this book was that it would induce tears within the first chapter.. And I had my doubts. Ten pages in. I REPEAT TEN PAGES IN, I WAS A COMPLETE MESS. 

Confess follows the intertwining stories of Auburn and Owen. Both characters come from very separate yet equal backgrounds. Both facing more in the 20-something-years they've been alive than most will their entire lives. When Confess starts out right into Auburn's story you're more than likely, within the first few chapters, going to be thinking the same thing I was, "Ha I got this whole thing figured out". Please don't think that. If you've ever read a Hoover book then you know you'd be a fool to think that (yes I just called myself a fool, because God was I).

Auburn is desperate for a second job when fate shines its light on her and she get offered one by Owen. When stopping in front of a studio covered in anonymous people's confession she never thought things would turn out the way they do. Both Auburn and Owen are perfectly written characters. Always revealing the perfect amount of themselves at the perfect time, always giving banter at the right moments, and always pulling out all the romantic stops at the right time.

"I'm scared I'll never feel this again with anyone else," I whisper

He squeezes my hands. I'm scared you will."

I can't (sadly) say much more about them, because I know once I got started talking about them I wouldn't be able to stop!Then I would spill out all the wonderful things that make this book up! That being said I will tell you the spoil free things I loved about this book. There are four things that stole my heart and won me over. First, of course, the Art. When you think about pictures being included into a book you automatically think it'll be cheesy. It's not, it's a wonderful addition and takes this book to a level others wont reach. Second, the real readers confession that are sprinkled throughout this book and also fit so well with the art theme. Third, is the romance. It's Georgia peach sweet. And Four, well you'll have to wait a minute for that one... Promise I'll get to it in a second.

When it came to plot, I had a lot of fears. I feared that with so much hype to this book that it would let me down. Then once the first chapter brought me to tears all I could think of was "This book can only go down from here"... All that was laid to rest. The plot starts strong, stays steady, and just when you're winding up on the end of the book and you're thinking "ok that was great and all but what am I missing?"; Colleen hits you right in the face with one of her famous big reveals.... That brings you to my number four love. The ending. I never ever thought the story would end the way it did. Didn't think the story would come together and collide how she had it. The closer it got to the end the more I had to know what the ending was going to be. What the big secret was. I couldn't have been more happy with the ending! With everything perfect laid out, and the expression "somethings are better left unsaid" taking a whole new meaning, Confess will leave you wanting more. It was perfect, amazing, and I don't think I took a single breath the whole last chapter. I constantly wonder if Colleen woke up one random morning and said "you know what I'm going to be a writer" or if she has always planned on becoming one... And I don't care, I thank the literary Gods every time she puts out a piece of work. Not only does she give us something of her own, but the way she constantly finds ways to shed light on others art as well... It's just astounding.

1.. 2.. 3... 10/10 OMG STARS  
-Angela  

(Confess BookDepo)