Joe by H.D. Gordon Review

Joe by H.D. Gordon
Published On: June 30, 2012
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: Xpresso Book Tours
Rating: 

From the author of the Alexa Montgomery Saga, comes a book that will take you into the mind of a genuine psychopath, the lives of six ordinary people, and the world of a very special girl named Joe. Joe is seemingly an ordinary college student. She works, studies and reads. But in between these activities Joe has a gift that promises to add a dose of color to her life at any given moment. Joe sees things before they happen. Bad things, and the worst thing she has ever faced is just around the corner. Someone is planning a massacre at the college university that Joe attends, and the only person with a hope of stopping the psychopath is her. Oh, the beauty of foresight. More like a curse. Joe has four days to figure out the mystery, make plans to take down the psycho, and save the lives of people. People like you and me. Ordinary people.

    *Review copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!*

     As I began reading Joe, I expected an indie thriller that I've heard millions of great things about. Isn't there always a book that you tend to not like as much as the rest of the general public and you always seem to wonder why? Is it a reading slump? Probably not. But it could be the general idea itself, or even its clichéness. (Too bad that's not a word either.)

"First, I should tell you I am no hero. At some point I feel you may come to the conclusion that I am, but this would be a misconception, and though I am not heroic, I am not a liar, either."

       Joe was your ordinary thriller story that could eventually end up being a low-paid movie that sadly wouldn't make it to the theatres because everyone's already seen something like it forty times. It's low-budget—it's a misconception read for me. I'm sitting here, simply thinking, "meh" since that's basically the only proper way to describe my enjoyment.

        The idea started off like something magical. It had the potential and the ability to captivate me and maybe, just maybe would I given it a 5 star rating. Maybe. Too bad we didn't get too much suspense and plot twists, because this book seemed like it needed to have those. Really, I'm sitting here wondering, "What was the main idea of the story?" although nothing really seemed to pop out at me.

         Joe is a girl, by the way. Haha, not to be sexist or anything, but I just expected this to be in some sort of killer's point of view who was named Joe, that's all. Nope—this was all about Joe and her life's craziness. You'll honestly end up feeling sorrow and guilty for the misconception you may have had on her character's personality in the beginning of the book. I know that I do, after all.

          As stories usually begin, we start off by meeting an ordinary character, who will soon grow up to be our main protagonist. Obviously, in this situation, this was Joe. But by the way, there were many points-of-views in this book, as I ended up finding out. And Joe was simply one of them—one of which took place in the life of an ordinary college schoolgirl who accidentally found out something she wasn't supposed to, which changed her life forever.

           How would you react if you came upon a mastermind plan of a psychopath? This is the junk that Joe got herself into by not minding her own business. Sucks for her, you may say. But as you add Joe's thoughts together with the psychopath's mind, this book did create an action-packed adventure, minus the real-captivation and realism.

          I guess that since everyone feels different things when reading, people tend to fall into two categories with minor thrillers: the bored-out-of-their-minds stage, or the omg-I-love-this stage, as things usually flow for most books. But this book only would have this, since there's the good and the negative reviews. Thankfully, I decided to stick with a 3 star rating, and I made it through, finishing the book quick and span.

           My honest-to-dear reaction was happiness with the ending. The characters did suck and I found that I didn't really feel anything with them whatsoever, but I did enjoy the plot and thankfully, I had better positive thoughts than bad.

 

     

      Joe can be your best friend or your enemy, that's all I'm going to say here. I, personally, enjoyed it less than most, but it's definitely recommendable when thinking about the aspect of indie, since those don't get much attention—but we all wish that they do. This didn't have a unique concept or set of characters, but I wasn't as bored I was planned on being, thankfully. Take the shot.

The Prince of Venice Beach, by Blake Nelson Review

The Prince of Venice Beach, by Blake Nelson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: June 3, 2014, by Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Robert "'Cali" Callahan is a teen runaway, living on the streets of Venice Beach, California. He's got a pretty sweet life: a treehouse to sleep in, a gang of surf bros, a regular basketball game...even a girl who's maybe-sorta interested in him.What he doesn't have is a plan. All that changes when a local cop refers Cali to a private investigator who is looking for a missing teenager. After all, Cali knows everyone in Venice. But the streets are filled with people who don't want to be found, and when he's hired to find the beautiful Reese Abernathy, who would do anything to stay hidden, Cali must decide where his loyalties truly lie.

Review:

         This book honestly was so much fun to read. It was the perfect summer read, and it was definitely the type to make you giggle and squeal and soak up the sun. *says in a cheesy matter* I absolutely regret reading this in the dawn of fall. -.-

         As you probably can recognize from the title, this book is about summer. Robert Callahan is a runaway, and he's homeless, living in sunny California. At the same time, this a mystery where "Cali" is referred to a private investigator where he'll be searching for a missing teenage girl. This is a summer where he'll be introduced to a whole new different perspective of life and living it.

         

          I KNOW. BUT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS AND BECAME. Surprisingly, this wasn't as good as I expected it to be. It was simply a "meh" read that left me hanging and upset. A mystery? Yes, but it wasn't one that left us in suspense mode and wondering what will happen next. The way it went was the way we followed, no feelings after.

          As this story unfolded into a bigger story from behind, we got to know more about the characters and their pasts. For once, we learned about some rough pasts, which rarely occurs in contemporary novels. Sure, some of the dark hot guys in paranormal books have some secrets behind their backs, but almost never in contemporaries. *thinks of stereotypes* This time around, Blake Nelson gave contemporary a little twist and made the story not exactly what it seemed to be like from the perspective of a reader before beginning.

         Cali wasn't your average protagonist. First of all, he was MALE! *squeals* Yay, for once! Add that to uniqueness. 

           He was totally adorable, I must say. *sighs and fans self* The way he portrayed the mystery and mixed it in with real life was total beauty. I mean, it felt real, and this can totally happen on the street any day, anytime, believe it or not.

            To describe this book in a quick few words, this was a literal quick read. It was fun, quick, but nothing special at the same time. I wasn't really captivated, and this was just a quick read that you can complete in a night without making a big deal over. The was all about a boy detective trying to make it in the big world and dealing with things that he's never dealt with ever before. Eh, go for it.

Blog Tour: Hidden Intentions, by Stacy Claflin

 Hidden Intentions by Stacy Claflin 

(The Transformed) 

Publication date: Summer 2014

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars 

Format: ebook

   Fun-loving Clara is keeping a dark and deadly secret from William, the love of her life.

Not because she wants to hide things from him, but because her story is so unbelievable he will probably think she’s crazy.

 If she tells him, she could lose him. If she doesn’t tell him, she will.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22081161-hidden-intentions

Purchase: 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Intentions-Transformed-Standalone-Novel-ebook/dp/B00LDQB0OU/ref=la_B008AXCK1Q_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406561558&sr=1-7

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hidden-intentions-stacy-claflin/1119882881?ean=9781498947145

☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟☟

    This is a book about vampires. If you didn't know that and hate vampires, then I'd recommend that you should stay away from this book. I personally am sick and tired of vampire books, and if I knew it, then I'd stay away from this book.

         I overall thought that this one was okay. What kept it good was the fact that the romance and characters were pretty adorable. There were many boring moments that made me roll my eyes and the whole vampire concept is very lacking of awesomeness. Some authors can really create a gorgeous vampire world, but I found this one to be confusing and dull. Other than that, the book was pretty well-written.

  

       This is about Clara, who's secretly a vampire. She's been one for over two hundred years, and went through many phases of relationships. When she meets William, it brings back memories of her love for his ancestor, Liam. They fall in love and head back to their hometown, and when William finds a photo of his ancestors, he finds a photo with a girl who looks exactly like Clara. (And it is.) He then proposes, and Clara figures out that she needs to tell William the truth, or else their whole relationship would be ruined.

        I read this book fairly quickly. It took me about an hour and a half, and although it was fast-paced, I was bored at many times. The plot went by quickly, but the main problem was the concept which didn't interest me. There really was no point of this standalone. Vampires? Yuck.

  

            But it was fast-paced... So that's a pro, right?

        I adored the characters. Clara was just the most kick-ass chick I've read about in an adult novel. She was easy to relate to, and totally independent and perfect, just like William says. William was absolutely hot, steamy, and adorable. I kept fanning myself whenever his POV came up. ;) You'll adore him.

         By the time the ending came, I realized that this book was more of a meh read for me. It had its flaws and good ideas, but the (bad) ending really stuck with me. It was predictably bad, but the romance made it a whole 'lot better because you'll decide that it was worth it.      

-------

About the Author:

    I love writing, reading, and watching most anything paranormal. My favorite shows include Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Fringe, Pretty Little Liars, and Once Upon a Time.

   I’ve been writing and telling stories for as long as I can remember. As a kid, my story telling would get me into trouble when I would try to convince others that my stories were real.

   When I’m not busy writing, I spend time with my family. I also run a home preschool and educate my kids from home.

You can learn more about my current and upcoming books at StacyClaflin.com.    I’d love to hear from you!

Author Links:

http://stacyclaflin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/stacy.claflin.author

https://twitter.com/growwithstacy

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591338.Stacy_Claflin

    I'm also hosting a giveaway for 1 ebook copy of Hidden Intentions! Comment below and let me know your favourite vampire read for an entry!

Confessions of a Teen Nanny, by Victoria Ashton

Confessions of a Teen Nanny (Confessions of a Teen Nanny #1), by Victoria Ashton

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: February 21, 2006, by HarperTeen

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)

Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Adrienne Lewis is in charge of eight-year-old Emma Warner, the youngest member of the snooty Warner family. Emma is an evil genius who has gotten all five previous nannies fired -- and she's the good news. Because then there's Emma's half brother, Graydon, who goes to college -- yet always seems to be lurking around waiting to hit on Adrienne. But worst of all is Emma's beautiful seventeen-year-old half sister, Cameron, whose reputation as a wild girl, a liar, and a user is known to everyone . . . everyone, that is, except Adrienne.

Review:

  I've been spying this book for a long time. I once wanted to order it but it was never in stock. Coming from an older book, I'm not really surprised. I forgot about it over the years, and when I went to the library and found it, I was thrilled.

   I think that if you enjoyed Mean Girls or any chick-lit movie, then you're sure to adore this book. I've read many chick-lits in my life, and this was probably one that was very below-average comparing to the high-class awesome ones like Beach Lane by Melissa de la Cruz. If you don't have anything to read, then this might be your quick summer pick, but other than that, I don't say reading this is mandatory or convincing.

    This incorporates Adrienne Lewis, who is looking for a job. Her friend Liz immediately recommends nannying for the Warners' daughter, Emma, who is a prodigy. Emma's gotten all five previous nannies fired. Emma has a half brother named Graydon who likes to hit on Adrienne, and another half sister named Cameron who's a total wild chick. They immediately turn into friends, but there's still secrets that Adrienne hasn't figured out yet that can ruin everything.

   

      Thankfully this book was short. Other than that, I would've let this go. The characters in this book were very whiny and bitchy. They were the main flaw and are why I'd recommend to let go of this book. It overall was okay, but they basically just ruined it. Both Cameron and Adrienne got on my nerves. (Although Adrienne was supposed to be the innocent goody-two-shoes.) Emma was a cute character, but everyone was spoiled and total drama-queens. 

      The romance? Don't get me started. It was cheesy, predictable and incorporated no sparks whatsoever. I obviously knew that Cameron would end up to do something behind Adrienne's back, and bam! It happened. ._.

       The plot was okay. That's probably the thing that kept me reading. Although this whole book was a little cheesy, I felt in the mood for a chick-lit summery read, and this was probably it. I've been reading many dystopia fantasy reads lately, so this gave me a mini-break. The book was fast-paced, but as we got to the ending, I was disappointed. It was very, very cheesy.

        Overall, I'm glad I stayed with this book. I've been wanting to read it for ages, and now that I finally did, I realized that there are better contemporary-romances out there. Many, many better ones.

Blog Tour Post: Fractured, by Erin Hayes

Fractured, by Erin Hayes

Genre: Adult, Horror

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: July 8, 2014

Format: eARC





Goodreads Summary: Blinded by a mysterious seizure when she was three years old, Bash Martin has managed to carve out a normal life for herself as an adult. Yet she still yearns for a deeper connection with her twin sister Lily, who has always been jealous of the attention their parents bestowed upon Bash due to her disability. 

A dream vacation seems like the perfect chance to heal their relationship, but Bash soon realizes there is something terribly wrong with Lily and that her sister is hiding a dark secret. And when a supernatural fire engulfs their hotel and corpses come back to life, the sisters are plunged into a nightmarish world that threatens not only their lives, but their very souls.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21865341-fractured?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Erin-Hayes/dp/1499709641/ref=la_B009W8D29W_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405692849&sr=1-5

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fractured-erin-hayes/1119915986?ean=2940149703470

Review:

*Review copy provided by Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.*

   I love horror books. The sight and reading of something so unreal but real at the same time just pleasures me and makes me excited every time. When seeing a tour opening for an adult horror read, I was in instantly.

    For the first 50%, this book was astonishing. I had it at a 4.5 star rating. Later on, as you can see, everything turned out to be a three-star rated read. And that's all because of the plot.

    This is about two twin sisters, Bash and Lily. When Bash was three years old, she got blinded and had a seizure due to an unexplainable reason. Now at twenty, she still has moments when she wishes for her sight back. Bash soon finds out that Lily is hiding a dark secret that is weird and absurd. They and their friends go for a mini-vacation skiing, and they soon find out that their hotel is haunted, and it all has to do with one particular person.

     I began this book loving the idea. The incident that occurred when the girls were three was just so awesome (but not for the characters's sake, obviously) and unique. A horror read usually doesn't feature that stuff. This book is scary, but not too much or anything at all for me that I can't handle. There's no gore or gutty stuff. Everything's just peculiar and crazy. That's the real "horror," and I loved it. That was the real masterpiece of the novel. Plus, this is a standalone!

      Like I mentioned, the plot was very delicious and devouring for the first half of the book. It was very fast-paced, and right to my liking. The author's splendid writing captivated me, and it stayed that way until past the 50% mark. After that, we were introduced to the truth and everything got a little dumb. The characters's thoughts went out of control, and weirder things were introduced to the characters's pasts. I got completely lost.

      The characters were pretty good. I loved Bash, and her craziness and independence. She suffered so much, and she still stayed positive. Lily was mainly on the opposite side and I grew to dislike her and her craziness. When she was a child, she started off as shy and strange, but grew to be someone different and stupid. Of course, I think that the author tried to make Lily become like that, since she was hiding a secret.

      Seth made my heart clench. His caring for Bash was so sweet and he actually grew to become a main character. The romance between them was there, and sweet and it was a slight sort of thing. The romance didn't overtake the whole point of the book, which I want to give a round of applause for. 

      Overall, this book was good for the halfway mark. There were more positives than negatives, but I'd say that it was okay for the most part. Nothing special, but a good read.

       About the Author:

   Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist, Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery Death is but a Dream and the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average.

You can reach her at tiptoegirl87@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.

Author links:

http://www.erinhayesbooks.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5335865.Erin_Hayes

https://www.facebook.com/erinhayesbooks

https://twitter.com/erinhayes5399

          Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


           Have you ever read an adult horror? What are some of your favourites?

Out of This Place, by Emma Cameron

Out of This Place, by Emma Cameron

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Poetry, Romance

Rating: 2/5 stars

Publication: May 14, 2013, by Candlewick Press

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)



Goodreads Summary: In verse, three teen voices sound. Beach bum Luke works shifts at the local supermarket, and avoids trouble at school. His mate Bongo gets wasted, blocks out memories of the little brother social services took away and avoids the stepdad who hits him. Casey, the girl they both love, dreams of escaping to a free new life.


Review:

      I love poetry. I really do. And poetry incorporated with YA novels are just magnificent, and utterly unique than the normal way we see literature. One of the reasons why I picked this book up was because, well, the poetry. 

      This book disappointed me. I expected something better and wiser and so touching that it could just break my delicate heart that often cracks in half when characters just make me cry. This book wasn't even close to that level. Contemporary, yes, but no intriguing.

       This is a verse novel. Three main characters/protagonists are telling the story, and each POV of theirs is split into three sections of the book, and each person gets to tell their story of how they get out of high school and survive with their problems in 1/3 of the book. Of course, there are mentions of the protagonists in the opposite characters' points-of-view. Luke is your average teenager who just wants to leave his hometown and go out into the real world, while his friend Bongo gets wasted all of the time and gets beaten by his stepdad. Casey just can't wait to start a new life. This is their journey of going into adulthood, and into the real world where there are even more challenges.

      The largest dilemma that this book gave me was the fact that there was no plot. What was the main point of this book? I didn't see it at all, and that frustrated me very much. No-plot novels just seem useless to me, and I'm usually left questioned for the rest of the book. 

       I almost DNF-ed this book. But I really liked the characters, so I decided to read it until the end since it wasn't a long-length read. But if it was 350 pages+, I'd be out of here ASAP.

       Since there was no use in the plot, a lot of the book went downhill, obviously. I really liked the issues incorporated with the book--abuse, hate, depression, all of it addicts me. The whole book was pretty slow-paced, with no much happening.

       So, yes, I did love the characters, especially my hottie new-boy Luke. 

      No other words or photos needed.

      I didn't like Bongo too much because he didn't believe in the real world, but he was acceptable at times, especially during his love moments for Casey and his love for his little brother. Casey was just awesome, though. 

      In conclusion, this book was mostly bad, but it did have some good in it. I don't recommend it, but you should give it a try if you want. Maybe your opinion will be different than mine. :)

Review: Let the Sky Fall, by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall #1), by Shannon Messenger

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Publication: December 3, 2013, by Simon Pulse

Format: Paperback Edition




Goodreads Summary: A broken past and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in this “fast-paced, fantasy-romance” (VOYA) novel.

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And as the storm bears down on them, she starts to realize the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Review:

DNF @ 90 pages.

"The tension between us evaporates. Whoever invented air conditioning should win the Nobel Prize. I bet they could bring peace to the Middle East if they gave everyone an AC unit and let them cool the freak down once in a while. I should e-mail the UN the suggestion."

  Have you ever read a book that you were anticipating so much (so freakin' much) to read but when you did, it totally sucked? *sighs* The amazeballs of fate...

    I didn't like this book. It definitely wasn't the worst book I've ever read, but it sucked pretty bad anyways. I adore fantasy, but this kind of concept mixed in with these characters didn't flow together too well. It was like when you think you're baking the perfect cake, but then it turns out burnt and not mixed well enough. You have that anticipation making you hungry to read it, but then you end up completely wrong anyways.

       

        But this book was pretty upsetting that it almost made it to an one star rating. And that's where the big guns come in. DNFs usually end up being a 1 star for most people, but I find that if there's a light somewhere during the parts that I did enjoy, it can boost up the rating utmost to a 2.5 star rating (if it suddenly got disastrous in the end).

         First negative: concept. A tornado? Yum. That's my type of read. I love those post-apocalyptic reads and when reading the summary, this did sound like one of those. Turns out, I stand corrected. I was wrong. This has to do with some form of angels called sylphs? Yeah, not my type of thing. I think I didn't like it because I've read too many books with angel-like creatures. Too many authors are deciding to deal with this subject too frequently. *walks to bookstore and finds ten angel books in ONE ROW*

        Second: stereotypes. I'm Canadian, and when reading this book, I wanted to literally barf. This author thinks so weirdly of Canadians. You think we say "eh" at the end of every sentence and say the word about like "a-boot?" Come on. *rolls eyes* It's kind of frustrating to read many stereotypes that deal with your culture, haha.

        I began this book with large expectations, like I mentioned above. When I got to page 30, I was loving it. From there on, I was bored out of my mind and didn't care about anything. The concept was really what kicked me out from wanting to read on from this book. But the storyline was very predictable and upsetting as well. I knew what was coming and in the end (90 pages) it was going at the rate that I wanted to close my eyes rather than reading it. That's the moment when I know that it's time to let it go. *NOT FROZEN'S LET IT GO* I normally never do that before 100 pages.

         I loved Vane. Shannon Messenger had the perfect idea of an awkward but cool teenage boy's POV. I really liked him and his quirkiness but my love for him didn't get me to keep on reading the book, sadly. But if you ask me about Audra, that's a different story. I hated her. I didn't relate to her at all and didn't feel nothing. She was just an overwhelmed brat who was afraid all the time. Badass? Nope. More like wimpy.

          "Our eyes met as he fell, and I chose to save him."

          

           So you can show your precious master that you're no troublemaker? Haha, you're funny.

           The romance was just under-developed, and I can barely get myself to even call this a book part of the "romance genre." Maybe there was a "passionate" kiss by the end, but it was just gross to see these two fall in love. NO.

            This book didn't interest me at all, and I had more of a hate relationship with it than a love one. More cat-fights than puppy-love. 

Arclight, by Josin L. McQuein

Arclight (Arclight #1), by Josin L. McQuein

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Science-Fiction, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Publication: April 23, 2013, by Greenwillow Books

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be. 

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Review: 

DNF @ 175 pages.

"Those who speak become prey."

  

 Haha. Never mind my insult to that pretty (and true) quote up there *points upward.* This book had a bunch of lovely quotes that were true, when you especially think about it. Want some science-fictional inspiration? Pick up this book. But if you don't really care for that and are like me--looking for a good storyline, relatable characters, and heart-pounding thrills, then please steer yourself away from this book. This had none of the following conditions that are stated above, (for the 175 pages that I did read) and it probably didn't pick up anywhere from there on. I was majorly disappointed with this book and how it ended up at 175 slow pages. 

   So in this science-fiction/dystopia world, everyone is hiding from the Fade. The world is divided into three parts, the Light, the Grey and the Dark, and each sector is strictly prohibited for specific people. The Grey is a no-man's land, and that's where a rescue team found Marina, a teenage girl with no memory of anything that happened to her in the past. She's everyone's hope. The Fade wants to get her back, and there's no way of stopping them, and Marina knows that pretty well because... The Fade is almost capable of doing anything. Throughout the novel, Marina is supposed to unlock secrets that she didn't even know existed and things about herself.

    This has been on my must-buy TBR list for a while now. I've heard so many good things about the way that Josin McQuein takes you into her moving, captivating story and is unable to let you out, even after it's all over. When us reviewers hear about that sort of thing, then of course we're intrigued. And plus, look at that pretty and mysterious cover... although it doesn't really suit the style of the book very well.

     Of course, this is a dystopia science-fiction novel. It's the first in a dualogy (with a part three in someone else's POV?) and dualogies usually really captivate me because we're all sick and tired of trilogies, right? This book had a lot of info-dumping about the world and its development, and some of the things didn't even question us before. I found myself skipping a paragraph of info and not missing out on anything. And skipping's not really a wise choice to make, but I was kind of forced to by my other conscience. (LOL)

      The concept really could've built another better novel if it was taken into a different path. Many authors could really spice this concept up and make it better in many other ways. I feel like this author tried her hardest to keep us interested, but then lost track of our entertainment on the way. It definitely had the potential to be something BIG, but it didn't end up going that way.

      When beginning this novel, I was very pleased with the amount of action that it began with. I was captivated from the start! As the whole Fade incident slowed down and the mystery began, everything turned slow-paced and stayed that way for the rest of the time I read this book. I just didn't feel a bit interested. I didn't care what would happen and the story wasn't going anywhere from there. I figured that the ending would be just the same, too, and I would've wasted my time.

      I finally stopped at 175 pages, almost halfway through. It was mainly because of the plot, but the characters and amount of romance startled me as well. Marina was a character who really tried to be tough and kick-ass, but she just couldn't be like that and she was a total try-hard. 

      I couldn't really understand who and what the Fade was. It didn't make sense. That left me wondering a lot during the book.

      The romance was really set up weirdly. One minute Marina and Tobin are kissing, the next they're completely ignoring each other.

         I don't really care about what happened in the end of this book. It started off okay, and then went totally downhill. It'll either be a hit or miss for everyone. But from my opinion? Not recommended. Science-fiction can turn out better.

Toxic, by Sara Shepard

Toxic (Pretty Little Liars #15), by Sara Shepard

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery/Murder/Thriller

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: June 3, 2014, by HarperTeen

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)





Goodreads Summary: One A has been captured…but the most dangerous A of all is still out there in the penultimate installment in Sara Shepard's #1 New York Times bestselling Pretty Little Liars series.

High school seniors Aria, Emily, Spencer, and Hanna barely survived their most recent encounter with A. And it's not over yet…. The police don't believe there's another, deadlier, A out there, but the girls know what-and who-they saw. If they don't track down this final tormentor soon, A will silence them forever.

Sara Shepard's fan base continues to grow as ABC Family's hit Pretty Little Liars TV show draws in new readers to the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Full of unexpected twists and shocking revelations, the second-to-last novel ramps up the stakes for the jaw-dropping series conclusion in Pretty Little Liars #16.

Review: 

 *This review will contain spoilers from the past books, but nothing too much from this book. Please take a precaution before reading.*

Sara Shepard...

  Just end this series, come on. You know you've taken it too far now. FIFTEEN BOOKS IN A FREAKIN' SERIES? *barfs* 

  Every PLL fan knows that this series is too long. We get the story. And now in the series, fate just hates Aria, Spencer, Emily and Hanna too much. Like it has gone over the top. How can no one find Ali and turn her in? This whole story is too unreal and that's my reason why I'm giving it a 3.5 star rating, also adding to the fact that nothing much was happening in this book and it was predictable. 

  Alright, so Ali has still not been found, but she's still leaving hints and traces of herself around for the girls to see and be afraid of. The four of them want to go and find Ali and silence her forever because they just have enough of everything going on and what has happened in the past. Suddenly, good things start coming to all of them. Spencer's blog is getting more recognized, Aria has sold a painting of Ali for a ton of money, Emily is going to see her past lover in prison, and Hanna has scored herself a movie role... In a movie about the girls' experiences. So will good things all come to an end?

   The story keeps dragging on. We have the same plot setup as the past books. A is still leaving traces of herself, and well, the girls are scared and have enough of everything. And then there's a sneak of romance in between and of course, tons of drama and mystery. This author could've ended the series after the eighth or ninth book, but she added a whole new generation to the story and created another A. I'm still so shocked that it continued to this point.

   That's what frustrates me the most, and many other readers of this series, obviously. I'm not going to complain and rant too much. But, the book was okay itself. Nothing special, but bearable to read, despite the fact that the curse of the fifteenth book is haunting me.

    Do I really have to talk about the concept? After years of knowing the same plot, nothing has changed. Thankfully, *exhales* we will find out the ending in the sixteenth book, and then it'll be all done. I really have to admit that The Lying Game was better than this. 

     The previous book didn't really leave us off at some plot twist or anything, so the beginning just began out ordinary. The whole book was really ordinary anyways. I'd say that this was just a not-needed filler for the last book. 

      

      

      The plot was just good. It was intriguing because Sara Shepard is a good writer, but the events weren't anything special.

       Every time I read a book from this series, my liking of the four liars changes every time. This time, Hanna was my favourite, followed by Aria, Spencer and then Emily. But either way, they're all good characters who have their flaws and imperfections. That's it.

        The ending of this was just a mind-blower, but not in a good way. Now they're probably going to go to prison for "killing Ali." Wowww. And watch, in the last book, they're actually going to kill Ali once and for all. That's how the whole series is going to end. TA DA. -_-

         Overall, I'm very eager to see if my prediction was correct, so I will read the final novel, and who knows? Maybe it'll be amazing.

Threatened, by Eliot Schrefer

Threatened, by Eliot Schrefer

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: February 25, 2014, by Scholastic Press

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)

Goodreads Summary: Into the jungle. Into the wild. Into harm's way.

When he was a boy, Luc's mother would warn him about the "mock men" living in the trees by their home -- chimpanzees whose cries would fill the night.

Luc is older now, his mother gone. He lives in a house of mistreated orphans, barely getting by. Then a man calling himself Prof comes to town with a mysterious mission. When Luc tries to rob him, the man isn't mad. Instead, he offers Luc a job.

Together, Luc and Prof head into the rough, dangerous jungle in order to study the elusive chimpanzees. There, Luc finally finds a new family -- and must act when that family comes under attack.

As he did in his acclaimed novel Endangered, a finalist for the National Book Award, Eliot Schrefer takes us somewhere fiction rarely goes, introducing us to characters we rarely get to meet. The unforgettable result is the story of a boy fleeing his present, a man fleeing his past, and a trio of chimpanzees who are struggling not to flee at all. 

Review:

"I shut the book, smoothed my hands over the cover, and toyed with the spirals at the edge. I wanted to live inside that book. Which is how I knew I was staying."

  When beginning and ending this book, this is how I felt and reacted:

    At first, I decided to read this book because Eliot's debut, Endangered, was pretty good. It was well-written and captivating for my liking. He always deals with a concept that is unique and fresh. I dove right into it, considerably enjoying it through the middle. But by the end, I was steering myself away from it, especially because of the boring-predictable plot. But then, the ending was fairly good, so that boosted up my happiness, just a little.

     This is about Luc, who has always been warned about the Inside. The "mock-men" have always been classified as extremely dangerous. Now, Luc is all alone, and his mother's gone. Then, a mysterious man named Prof comes into town where Luc "works," and offers Luc a job after he almost got robbed. They both head into the Inside to study the dangerous chimpanzees. Luc then realizes the truth behind everything, and that includes the chimpanzees themselves. Can you fight for creatures that you love?

       I seriously love Eliot Schrefer for his love of animals, specifically chimpanzees. I love monkeys, so dearly much. They're one of my favourite animals, and I seriously open my heart out to them. I have so much respect for people who are fighting anxiously to save endangered and beautiful species such as the chimps. Through reading this book, you can really see the love that this author has for these animals. He puts his heart and soul into it, and all of his thoughts about the surrounding world who may think differently. 

        The plot of this book wasn't the most enjoyable. I can very much see that Eliot's main idea here is to be aware and save the chimps. But he does it uniquely and that's great. It certainly had its dull moments where not much was happening and everything was all bread-and-butter like. So in that aspect, the book was a downer for me. 

        But I really opened my heart out to the characters. They were great. Luc was all rebellious and kick-ass and I liked him for that, but with the heart of his, it was even better. By the end, he had a great love for these primate relatives of ours, and that's just gorgeous to read about. I had my arms open to him and all of the monkeys. 

         My favourite character would have to be Prof. Despite everything that had happened, he was a remarkable person. Because of him, Luc got an opportunity to live his life in ways that he could never imagine of. He was a wise, unique person and believable. The feelings he showed were not fictional. 

          By the end, I was pleased with this book, but not as pleased as I was with Eliot's first book. The cover isn't attractive either. (A simplistic monkey cover, again?) It was an okay read, but nothing too special about it. The meaning is really beautiful, though.

A Really Awesome Mess, by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

A Really Awesome Mess, by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: July 23, 2013, by EgmontUSA

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)





Goodreads Summary: A hint of Recovery Road, a sample of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and a cut of Juno. A Really Awesome Mess is a laugh-out-loud, gut-wrenching/heart-warming story of two teenagers struggling to find love and themselves.

Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy.

Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom.

Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook.

Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends.

A funny, sad, and remarkable story, A Really Awesome Mess is a journey of friendship and self-discovery that teen readers will surely sign up for.

Review:

"I could swear I heard Mohammed say, "Hey baby," as he closed the door. Who the hell called their mom "baby"? Well, I guess if he didn't have issues, he wouldn't be here."

  If you're looking for a knockoff of It's Just A Funny Story, then pick up this book. But keep in mind that this is not even close to being classified as a "favourite" for me. It was good, but really nothing special. It's just a plain, predictable contemporary read.

  

    How original was this. *unpleased poker face* A good book should be original, and should be different than anything else in this world. But this was just an under-classified mental-hospital related novel. It did have its good things and its bad, but that was the thing that bothered me this most. 

     The concept was kind of boring, I must say. It was just about two teenagers's lives through time in a mental hospital. No biggie. They got in when they did something horrible, and they all think they're angels. Justin was sent because of a scandal that his dad found him in and Emmy was caught bullying a guy because he sent a compromising photo of her onto Facebook. When they meet, they find that they have a connection through their friendship and something more.

      Despite Justin (who I will get to in a second) and the concept and idea, I really enjoyed this book. It was hilarious, witty and some sorts of fun. The plot started off great from the beginning and I was very excited to see what would happen next that dealt with the romance. :) Yes, if you knew the way I judge books from before, you'll know that I'm a sucker for romance. I wasn't really bored at all. The plot was very fast-paced the whole time through and although the events weren't the most catastrophic or suspenseful, it was a good story.

       The characters were pretty great, if you ask me. But the only one who really made everything suck was Justin. He made me want to do this to the book:

          Like he was so pointless the whole time. He was so clueless and didn't know how to live a life. All he thought about was Emmy, who's romance with him wasn't anything special. Something about him just made me loathe him and made me angry and frustrated with the whole book.

           The side characters were just awesome. Muhammad and the rest of the crew were just all kick-ass and sarcastic and hilarious! I loved them all!

           This book was okay, nothing really special. It was definitely bearable to read with, and is recommended to those who want something light and fun!