Into every generation a book slayer is born.
She alone will wield the strength and skill to read about the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the BOOK SLAYER.
[Goodreads] When it comes to books, I’m an instant sucker for pretty covers and/or mentions of an “academy”. Therefore, the decision to read The Last Academy, was pretty much inevitable. The minute I saw the blog tour sign-up – I applied. Although, The Last Academy didn’t end up making my all-time favorites list, the ending was nothing short of spectacular.
Okay, let's break this one down...
PROS Ballsy main character. There’s a lot of spooky incidents and sketchy people running about Lethe Academy. If I was at this academy and like Camden, begun witnessing the extra-creepy that goes down, I’d probably be permanently attached to the underside of my mattress. Even though she practically faints at the sight of her crush, Camden always managed to keep it together when it counted the most. When she felt like her friends were in danger, she fearlessly ran towards and stood-up to whatever or whomever was the cause.
Amazing supernatural twist. So I’m kind of spoiling the fact that there is a supernatural aspect… but I won’t divulge any exacts. I will say however, that the ending was totally mind-boggling!!! I’m pretty good at guessing the big reveal, but not when it came to The Last Academy. My theories were not even close! Major props to Applegate for adding some new spice to the YA mix. She proves that there is still new material out there to work with.
CONS A dragging storyline. Like I said, there was a lot of spooky bits to The Last Academy. Being personally freaked out a time or two, I was constantly begging for the big reveal – or heck even a tiny one – while reading. The ending was outstanding, but the beginning and middle included nothing near-as stellar. This book could have easily been cut in half and still have been a decent story.
Instant love. Nuff’ said.
Overall, The Last Academy was an enjoyable couple hours. Sure, a lot of aspects frustrated me, but the ending left me with more positive than negative feelings which means I definitely look into future Applegate books.
[Goodreads] Dante Walker is cocky and vain. He struts around with his tight-physique, wealth, and schmooze - like it's nobody's business. In the real world, a guy like Dante would have me turning the other cheek. But in The Collector... phew! I couldn't get enough. Told from Dante's perspective, The Collector has a good mix of romance, humor, emotion and action. Even when Dante was at his ass-y-ess he still exerted heat and appeal that kept me wanting more.
Novels narrated by male-perspectives normally turn me off. Off the top of my head I can't even think of a single book I've recently read that featured the sole-perspective of a male. When I first saw The Collector sprouting up on blogs, I ignored it. As a severely selective reader, it's like I've got firewalls in place. It takes a lot of buzz and praise for a book out of my norm to become a book I "have" to read. Sometimes less thought and more action is the key. Giving The Collector a shot - I was delighted when I ended up enjoying Dante's POV - just as much as any females'.
Dante does a lot of questionable things and makes a lot of bad decisions in The Collector. In the beginning he felt like the villain, a near-nonredeemable character. Without Dante's personal history accounts, thoughts and feelings, I'm not sure I'd have ever fell for him, let alone liked him. I definitely would never have 100% understood him. He recounts his life bit by bit to others such as Charlie, but it's completely different when the person in question, personally shares with you who they are and why they do the things they do.
The relationship between Dante and Charlie was endearing, yet not completely suspenseful. Smoldering bad boy who slowly becomes smitten with sweet, innocent, and socially non-existent girl, isn't really a twist these days. Regardless, this part didn't deter me from loving their courtship which involved a lot of sweet, yet sorrow-filled drama.
I felt like the characters in The Collector were raw and real. Their growths and relationships were so strong and complete that merely riding on the strengths of the characters, I could have easily enjoyed this novel - without supernatural bits.
If you're looking for a book with a lot of emotion, a dab of supernatural and a hot lead, I'd definitely recommend picking up The Collector.
In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.
Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.
To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.
Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.
She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.
Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.
Why I'm waiting
Pretty cover? CHECK. Magic. CHECK. Romance. CHECK. Badass Heroine. CHECK. Honestly, there's nothing about this book that doesn't sound awesome.
[Goodreads] Who knew trying to crack the case of a murdered teen could be so enjoyable? Pleasantly shocking, The Dead Girls Detective Agency was chock-full of laughs and morbid fun. Besides a lack of romantic steam (I'll get to that later) this book was amazing. Truly one of a kind. The mystery of "who dun' it" was well thought out and planned which lead to a super suspenseful and exciting read. I had trouble putting this one down! Dead Girls starts out on a seriously sullen note due to the untimely death of our main character, Charlotte. One minute she's standing on the train platform getting ready to board, and the next, splat. All Charlotte remembers is a slight shove followed by blinding hot pain. FADE OUT. When Charlotte finally awakens she finds herself in an unfamiliar hotel lobby surrounded by three strange girls: Lorna, Nancy and Tess, the official heads of The Dead Girls Detective Agency. For one reason or another, these three have remained in a sort of limbo, using their afterlife as service to solving teenage murders. It's explained that all New York City murdered teens wind up in Hotel Attesa, a pit-stop on the way to heaven, or at least whatever "hereafter" that exists. When you reach this point you have two choices. One: stick around as your half-barely-there-self, able to oversee those you left, but never really being able to be with them, or Two: works towards getting your murder case solved and receive the key that lets you move on. Charlotte, opting for the ladder, begins working towards solving her murder with the help of bookworm Nancy, fashionista Lorna, shrew-like Tess and mysterious, Edison. I really liked this book. With a storyline weighed down by macabre, Cox does a great job of keeping things light and fun. A great deal of the dialogue is humorous and had me laughing out loud. Even though the main characters were murdered, the majority of the story was upbeat. When Charlotte's mystery murderer was revealed I was pleasantly surprised. It definitely was a "didn't see that one coming" sort of deal. Cox does a great job of writing a true murder mystery that keeps you guessing by leading you down multiple false paths. Here's where I talk about the not-so-great parts of Dead Girls. I like my YAs balanced with all the essentials: including decent steam AND or OR romance. I felt like Dead Girls seriously lacked in this department. Granted, Charlotte had a lot on her plate but still I felt like there were some missed opportunities. In the beginning Charlotte was still reeling from the loss of her living boyfriend, David. Although heartbroken, David seemed to move on pretty quickly... Then there was Edison. We're led to believe that he has a special connection with Charlotte by way of his slightly less-snarky attitude towards her. It felt like Cox was trying to build something between the two but I never really saw anything emerging. He was very hot and cold with an emphasis on cold. Don't get me wrong, I definitely liked Edison. He was the more-favorable male character in this book for sure. Basically I just didn't "feel it" when it came to him or any potential anything with Charlotte. Regardless! I really liked this book. Fans of lighthearted paranormal reads such as Helen Keeble's Fang Girl will definitely enjoy this one!
Sometimes you just have to be in
the right mood to read a certain book. Angelfall for instance, I bought ages
ago, and have now just finally read. When it first arrived, I started reading
and got about 5 pages before I stuck Angelfall on the shelf to collect dust.
Whether it be a writing style or your current mood, it isn't always easy to
jump right into a new book. More than a year later after purchasing it, I find
myself so glad that I finally took another chance on Angelfall because I loved
every moment of it. Dark and cutthroat, Angelfall is a twisty and nail biting
apocalyptic dystopian that leaves an impression – days after you finish it.
From the official book description: “It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.”
Pen is a very strong and smart character. She's
clever and resourceful and independent. With a (legit) crazy mother, father who
is MIA, and a sister who is physically disabled, Pen's got a lot of
responsibility on her shoulders. The angels that descended earth have destroyed
the majority of cities and have possibly killed “billions” of people. The few
survivors, like Pen and her family, have had to scrounge for food, hop from
place to place, fend-off other humans who will attack you just to survive, and
of course, avoid the malevolent angels. Pen has grown up fast. She's the strong
one in her little broken family. When Pen's little sister is taken by an angel Pen
makes a hard decision to put her trust in a looks to be dying Angel. She nurses
him back to health. The relationship between Pen and Raffe is slow
building. Pen rightfully doesn't trust him which is smart considering the world
is in ruins, millions maybe billions of people dead because the angels descended. Raffe and Pen trade witty banter a lot. It's so funny
and cute. We don't know much about the angels and their plans.
And it turns out neither do they. They don't know why they attacked the earth
and there's huge power plays being made. I couldn't put this book down. Pen is an amazing MC.
She's so vibrant and full of life. She could give Katniss a run for her
money. Ee's use of grotesque imagery also makes this book
even more high-stake and chilling.
When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.
Only he doesn’t come. No one does.
Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?
Why I'm waiting
One of my many missions in life is to read every Kasie West book possible O_O Though I loved some of her contemporaries more than others, West has never let me down!
There's a fist-clenching feeling in my stomach, tear pools in my eyes. In the past, select stories have stirred some emotion out of me, mainly mentally with a few shedded tears here and there. This is the first time that a story has moved me to such a degree of physical response. I feel like my emotions are revolting against the floodgate I've constructed. It's hard to describe my feelings towards Flawed without bursting into tears. I sit here wrecked, having had my emotions thrown through the wringer, and now left with a firm belief that Flawed is one of the most remarkable books I've ever read. Devastating and dark doesn't even begin describe this story, but it's a good place to start. Sarah O'Brien's life is abysmal. Her father's a monster, a once famed boxer who delegates his time between work at the paper mill, chugging beers and beating his children and wife. His presence was like a dark shadow that Sarah couldn't escape from, a nightmare replayed over and over again. Sarah's mother, always high off of this or that medication was useless, unable to help anyone let alone herself. Then there's James. The constant, shining star in Sarah's life. All their life, Sarah and James have clung to each other for comfort, support and protection. The bond between these two were nigh impenetrable. That is, until Jame's instability really came to light, and Sarah found a sense of freedom in Sam's promises. Flawed is gut-wrenching and heart-breaking. It was an emotional roller-coaster that kept plummeting down into a dark, dreary tunnel. In a way I'm glad that my job prevented me from reading this whole book in one sitting. If I hadn't read, breaked, than read some more, I don't know what state I'd be in. I'm already in an emotional-overload as it is. Every cruel, revolting and downright horrific thing Sarah went through had me clutching tissues and sobbing. There were those cute, hope-filled moments here and there, especially when Sam was involved, but they weren't enough to lift the sorrow-filled haze clouding my mind. The moment I saw Flawed I knew I needed to read it, a decision I'll forever be glad I made. It was an experience never before experienced, and never to be forgotten. Avelynn weaves a story so disturbing yet real that had me rapidly flipping the pages. I was so hooked on Sarah's story. Every physical and emotional obstacle Sarah went through, just made my hope for her brighter future, that much higher. Flawed is an easy 5 stakes. The story although, dark and highly controversial, is raw and beautiful. Strip away the abuse, the drug use and tinged hints of incest, and you have a girl just trying to discover who she is and what she wants out of life, and most importantly, realizing that she does deserve a happy ending. "I have no idea what he sees in me. Strength he says. Beauty. A big heart. I see none of these things. I see fear, flaws, and a heart so full of blackness I can't give up on my own selfish wants to set him or my brother free." Flawed is being marketed as a Young Adult book, however I'd argue that it definitely belongs in the New Adult domain. There are a lot of mature scenes and concepts that are most definitely not suited for tweens or younger teens. I'd say 17+ for mature language, scenes including yet not limited to violence, sex, and drugs.
Juliet Young always writes letters to her mother, a world-traveling photojournalist. Even after her mother's death, she leaves letters at her grave. It's the only way Juliet can cope. Declan Murphy isn't the sort of guy you want to cross. In the midst of his court-ordered community service at the local cemetery, he's trying to escape the demons of his past. When Declan reads a haunting letter left beside a grave, he can't resist writing back. Soon, he's opening up to a perfect stranger, and their connection is immediate. But neither Declan nor Juliet knows that they're not actually strangers. When life at school interferes with their secret life of letters, sparks will fly as Juliet and Declan discover truths that might tear them apart.
Why I'm waiting
I've read and loved all of Kemmerer's Elemental (series) books so I'm confident that Letters to the Lost will be great. She really knows how to make characters that tug at your heartstrings.
I don't always read novellas, especially when they are for secondary characters. However, after Violet noticed Raven getting increasingly thin and confused, I needed to find out what was going on.
I thought that Violet was being treated terrible, but her treatment is nothing compared to Raven's. The Countess of the Stone is evil. Plain and Simple. Raven isn't just property; she's "It". It sleeps on the stone floor in a cage. It gets tiny meals consisting of a red apple slice, three peas and a half of an onion roll. It gets led around with a muzzle and blindfold.
I'm glad I read this novella. It's short of course but really enlightening. The Lady of the Lake told Violet that there are others out there much crueler than her and now we know who is and how much.
I don't really know what to say about this book that hasn't already been said because HOLY MOLY is it good. It's got the whole package: memorable characters, twisty story lines and of course, a rich and creative world for the setting.
I think one of the reasons I loved this book so much is because of a certain sharp-tongued, funny and bad ass assassin named Celaena. I see why others have compared her to Katniss Everdeen. Celaena is strong. She takes hits but keeps rising back up to take more. She pretends that she can control her emotions but deep down she cares far too much and at times it influences her decisions. However unlike Katniss, Celaena's got a more vibrant personality. She's a flirt and likes to push buttons, sometimes for nefarious reasons and other times, just to be a pest. She's got a hilarious sense of humor. Nothing against Katniss, but I totally love Celaena more. She seems more well rounded and well, more interesting in general.
There's two potential love interests but don't let that deter you. It's a side story line that is weaved into the main plot but doesn't draw away from what is truly important, like the demonic presence stalking the castle Celeana resides in.
So yeah, this book rocks and I'm totally P.O.'d that I waited so long to read it when everybody else I know has been praising their love of it for years.
Totally getting book 2 asap! Next book on my tbr list be damned!
Sometimes love is right under your nose. As one of only two aromateurs left on the planet, sixteen-year-old Mimosa knows what her future holds: a lifetime of weeding, mixing love elixirs, and matchmaking—all while remaining incurably alone. For Mim, the rules are clear: falling in love would render her nose useless, taking away her one great talent. Still, Mimosa doesn’t want to spend her life elbow-deep in soil and begonias. She dreams of a normal high school experience with friends, sports practices, debate club, and even a boyfriend. But when she accidentally gives an elixir to the wrong woman and has to rely on the lovesick woman’s son, the school soccer star, to help fix the situation, Mim quickly begins to realize that falling in love isn’t always a choice you can make.
Why I'm waiting
This book sounds weirdly awesome. Have you ever heard of an aromateur? I haven't! I don't really know what else to say, this book just came out of left field and I want to read it STAT.
[Goodreads] The Heir takes place 20 years after America Singer won the Selection and in doing so, became Maxon Schreave's queen. Our main character is Eadlyn Schreave, daughter, princess and future queen. She's the oldest child, with four younger brothers, including her twin who was born 7 minutes later than her. The Heir follows Eadlyn as she navigates the first ever Selection where the competitors are boys.
Eadlyn is an ice queen, which I understand and accept to a certain extent. She was never given the choice to not become queen. She feels like she needs to guard herself and stay distant to be the best queen she can be. However, Eadlyn is also extremely self-absorbed, selfish and at times, cruel. She doesn't acknowledge that those around her have problems and believes that she is the only one that suffers. I was extremely surprised that Eadlyn was such a horrible person given that her parents are so kind, caring and generous. Don't get me wrong, Eadlyn loves her family, but she still tends to place her needs first.
I liked the different dynamic that took place - boys instead of girls competing to wed a royal. Eadlyn felt like their were a lot of double-standers which was kind of true, but it's also clear to see that it's Eadlyn's icy ways that are causing undesirable results for the Selection. This particular Selection was created to fix a problem, but I'm not going to spoil what problem... ;)
The Heir was an okay read. I loved book one in this series, The Selection, but I never cared much for the two that followed. I read The Heir in hopes that my excitement from the first book would return, but it didn't. I'll read the last book that follows The Heir, but I'm not expecting it to be a slam-dunk.
I tend to start drafting reviews in my head while I'm reading a book. Obviously the final outcome changes because a story can get better, or in some cases worse. For instance, a few chapters in and I was already planning on giving P.S. I Like You a 2-3 stake rating - the lowest ever for a West book! Why you ask? Well...
This story revolves around my new #spiritanimal Lily. Every word out of her mouth is hilariously sarcastic and so well timed. Most of the time her family, peers and even best friend Isobel, have no idea what Lily's talking about. She truly lives in her own little indie-rock world.
One day Lily scribbles music lyrics on her desk in Chemistry class, and then the next day some mysterious person (who we quickly find out is a boy) writes the next verse. Eventually these two start passing notes back and forth, first discussing how awesome indie-rock is, and then sharing personal items about their life. Isobel may be Lily's best friend, but there's parts of Lily that she doesn't share with anyone, that is, until her mystery pen pal comes along. Both Lily and "he" are able to say in writing to a complete stranger, more than they've ever been able to share with anyone else.
West tries to trick us by throwing in three different guys who could be Lily's mystery pen pal, but the moment "he" was introduced I knew immediately it was him. I became angry because I was loving P.S. I Like You so much and I felt like West had let me down by making it incredibly too obvious.
So how did I end up giving this book 4 stakes? Because the story became even juicer once "he" was revealed! When Lily finds out whom her letters have been going to, she freaks out. She's afraid that once this individual realizes its her, he will be disappointed. For someone who wears whatever she wants and says whatever she wants, Lily has low self-confidence in herself and how the world perceives her.
This story was cute. Not the best West book in my opinion but maybe the best character building in terms of Lily? Not sure. I think West needs to write many more books so I can get a larger sample to compare. ;) 4 Stakes!
Here's the book summary. It's surprisingly spoiler-free considering it's the third and potential last book in the series.
In the third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, Mare is forced to play a psychological cat-and-mouse game with an old and deadly enemy, where the stakes are not only the future of the Red Rebellion but the sanctity of her own mind.
Why I'm waiting
I've read, raved and reviewed both book one (here) and two (here). This series is X-men meets Game of Thrones meets The Selection - three of my favorite things!
Publisher: HarperTeen Pages: 358 Release Date: September 2, 2014 [Goodreads]
The Jewel takes place in a world where poverty is detained into four sectors; the Marsh, the Farm, the Smoke and the Bank. In the center of these circular sectors you have the Jewel where all the royalty and nobility live. The Jewel lost the ability to birth non-deformed children a long time ago. Eventually a doctor came along and discovered that certain girls who were born into poverty have the right genetic makeup to become surrogate mothers to the members of the Jewel.
Violet Lasting was born in the poorest of the four sectors, the Marsh. When Violet's doctor discovers that she can be a surrogate she’s ripped away from her home and sent to Southgate, a type of housing facility for others who will become surrogates. These girls remain at the facility for X amount years before they are sent to an auction. Oh, and I forgot to mention, these surrogates also possess special powers skills called Augries. There are three types of Augries; color change, shape change and growth.
Unfortunately, Violet is extremely adept at these skills and ends up being sold for an extremely high price. She gets bought by the Duchess of the Lake. Once again Violet is whisked away after briefly seeing her family for the last time. She gets a large room, a maid, and dozens of beautiful gowns and jewelry. This all sounds wonderful except for the fact that she’s basically a slave who at times is led by a leash.
The Jewel kept surprising me at every turn. These surrogates were treated like dogs. They walked, talked and did only the activities that their owners allowed. For example, at times Violet could only eat as much as the Duchess did otherwise there would be consequences. She was also not allowed to speak to other surrogates, such as her best friend who was also recently sold. In some ways the Duchess seemed kinder than other Jewel ladies but still, she was pretty horrible. Even though it caused Violet physical pain, the Duchess forced her to continually use the Augries for nefarious reasons.
For the longest time this book just revolved around the cruelty Violet and other surrogates received. Then slowly the bigger story lines emerged which included Violet’s potential rescue along with the promised "forbidden" romance.
I feel like this first book was missing some physical action but I’m hopeful that book two makes up for it. There's a few characters who are disgusted by surrogacy and want to abolish it. However, they’ve got a long way to go. This surrogate system is so in place that as of now I don’t see how ending it would even be plausible.
This book’s pace was up and down but I still powered through. There’s a great twist at the end that guaranteed my continual interest.
