All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
Publication: May 6, 2014, by Scribner
Genre: Adult Fiction, Historical
Pages: 531
Format: Paperback
Source: Gifted
Rating: 

Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When Marie-Laure is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great-uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.

I can say that I finally understand why this book is so raved about. With its captivating message, and a romance that is unlike any other, Doerr has written about that everyone will remember for ages. All the Light We Cannot See was utterly fabulous, and it was definitely one of the best war-stories I've read to this date, taken place from the point-of-view of both a blind young woman trying to find her place in the world and a dashing young soldier who's trying to save everyone from the flaws in their world.

Last year in 2014, everyone was talking about this. THERE WERE 5 STAR REVIEWS EVERYWHERE, and I felt so lost as I barely even knew what the book was about. Then for Christmas, I asked for this on my wish-list, and I thankfully got it and brought it with me on vacation. Little did I know that it would be this depressing and beautiful. What do you expect from a story taken place in World War II?

"Don't you want to be alive before you die?"

 Here we have quiet but mysterious Marie-Laure, who feels that all she has is her father, who works hard and tries his best to help her out, as she's blind and misses the sight of seeing the beauty in her city of Paris. When she is twelve, her and her father have to leave their city and walk for weeks to a small-town where her great-uncle lives. He's the sweetest person and would love to begin to care for Marie-Laure and the friendship that they have is unlike any other. At the same time, we learn about Werner's story, who lives with his younger sister in an orphanage. As he grows older, he becomes an expert at all things electrical and building, and then gets an opportunity to use his talent for the war. Together, somehow, their stories eventually connect and readers are left shocked.

When we started off, I expected for us to see Werner and Marie-Laure together in a few chapters. I thought that this would be an everlasting love story that continues on and off until the war ends and they finally end up together. This isn't the case. Doerr gets this to be a very slow (but beautiful) story where we zoom in and out of their pasts and into the present, jumping in between years. We find about Werner's tough childhood, and Marie-Laure's jump into blindness and the struggles that she had to go through in order to be understood by those around her. Of course, they do get together, but my, does it take a while, and then they're left apart again, unable to stop thinking about each other and each other's beauty.

This does absolutely show how a catastrophic situation can bring something good in the end. You may feel like you're forced to be in a situation, but in the end your whole opinion changes because of something that happened or because of a person that you met and whom inspired you. I can tell you that some things have happened like that, but definitely nothing that special. And I believe it—there had to have been many stories like this one that changed people's lives.

After this, I have to admit that I was thoroughly depressed. My heart started pumping less and less, and I felt that I've just gone through a loss. No, I didn't go into a reading-slump, but it was absolutely close. The impact that a book like this can have on you is so absurd but cool at the same time. The characters weren't like any other, and they left me shedding tears at times. Every time that I hear a love song about losing one another, I keep thinking about Werner and Marie-Laure. *throws hearts into the air*

You'll need peace and quiet to go through this, as it is very addicting and you won't be able to stop reading. You need to catch all of the special details that the author added in to totally understand the love story that is about to come. *grins* Though it was a little slow at times, especially in the beginning, I will remember the adult novel that warmed my heart to its fullest extent.

Imagine this like an older version of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Here's Liesel and Rudy, Marie-Laure and Werner, though they sadly didn't have too much time to spend together, but I can tell you that they connected instantly and the way that they described each other was better than gold. They had hearts of gold. 

“When I lost my sight, Werner, people said I was brave. When my father left, people said I was brave. But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don't you do the same?” 

Next off, this really shows how someone can have an impact on you. Both Marie-Laure's father and great-uncle had such influences on her and helped her to learn so much. I loved their characters so much that when something happened to them I would shed a tear and feel it completely, and feel the loss for Marie-Laure. But Marie-Laure herself was a character who needed to still learn more at her age. She's very monotone and I didn't see much emotion coming from her side. I guess she was always frustrated that she couldn't see people... and I felt her, but wished that she was more confident?

Yes, the ending of this one was heartbreaking and mind-shattering. I loved how Doerr added in an epilogue, where we found out what happened in the future to the characters. (*twitches* Won't spoil book...) Overall, this was an inspiring to many, and I totally see why. The concept was gorgeous, and so was the romance, although it left my heart aching in the end. Yes, the plot was a little weak at times, and Marie-Laure's character needed some work. but this is surely a read that I will remember for a long time, and it gave me a view that we all cannot always see.

TMI by Patty Blount Review

TMI, by Patty Blount
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire on August 6, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback Edition
Source: Bought
My Rating: 

Best friends don’t lie. Best friends don’t ditch you for a guy. Best friends don’t post your deepest, darkest secrets online.
Bailey’s falling head-over-high-heels for Ryder West, a mysterious gamer she met online. A guy she’s never met in person. Her best friend, Meg, doesn’t trust smooth-talking Ryder. He’s just a picture-less profile.
When Bailey starts blowing Meg off to spend more virtual quality time with her new crush, Meg decides it’s time to prove Ryder’s a phony.
But one stupid little secret posted online turns into a friendship-destroying feud to answer the question: Who is Ryder West?

   TMI was one of those books that you feel like you'll instantly want to read when you spot it in the bookstore. Even by looking at its cover, you'll be able to tell what it's about, but even by looking at that, it automatically pops into your head that this is a unique story.

     I'm really proud of this book for impressing me. But before you start thinking, "Why is she saying that it impressed her if she only gave it three stars?" let me tell you that it was a good book, not to get you thinking twice or doubting me, or anything like that.

     If you read between the lines, you'll find that this is a book about friendship, but it's absolutely more broken down and messed up, compared to something like Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson, let's say. And these two friends? They're imperfect as well and they try to create so much drama—it was overly exaggerated.

       TMI got to the point, quickly. This all began when Simon broke up with Bailey, and she got pissed. Meg, her best friend, was there for her and Bailey went on to going online and trying to get ideas for her video game idea. Through her blog, she meets someone named Ryder West, and they click instantly. Bailey seems to find that Ryder's the only one who can understand her fully, and they both love the same hobbies. But what happens when things go too fast and you start spilling secrets and they end up all over the place? You don't have time for everyone in the world, right? What if your best friend needs you the most but you push them away too fast?

       

    Shit happens in life. What do you honestly expect? I believe that fate is the ruler of everything,a and that everything happens for a reason, cheesy or not. But really, how far can things go? These characters were so annoying, I was about to let this book go to a DNF by page 100. But instead, I kept on going because I wanted to know what was going to happen. Without that mystery in between, I'd probably be giving this book a 1 star rating.

       Fights happen there and there, but this was awfully to much for anyone to handle. One minute, the situation's simple, and the next, everything's messed up and the apologizing begins but soon after, everything goes back to the way it originally was. 

       I saw this mystery forming in my head before I began the novel. I made some assumptions and predictions on what would happen when I passed the midway point through the book. I actually had no idea what was happening, and what was going to happen for that matter.

       As I finished reading, I realized that this story is so possible. Many stories like this and thousands of times worse than this happen daily and all over the world. Patty Blount made Meg's story so believable and wonderful at the same time—I felt like I was living it and watching it from a bird's eye view.

    I must say other than the horrible characters, this book had the potential to become a hit and impress the whole world. The romance was simply gracious and everything I wanted to become. It fit in with the story, and at the same time, it didn't take over the concept, either. Either give this a shot or not, you'll either be missing out on the works of a good story or you'll go on with your life.

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez Review

Kiss Kill Vanish, by Jessica Martinez
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books on October 7, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller, Romance
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover Edition
Source: Borrowed
My Rating:  

Valentina Cruz no longer exists.
One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.
She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.
She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth.

I honestly don't know what she's doing here, but it fits. 

           For a long time, I've been waiting for the right mystery novel. They come and go, and they go and they come, I guess. Sometimes I find that mystery-novel heroines are such tryhard Nancy Drews, and then there are the authors who totally have a head on their shoulders and choose to write about people who are part of their own mystery, in a way. That was who Valentina Cruz was.

            Her story was unbelievable. Jessica Martinez wrote something that definitely sounds like it came out of the mind of James Patterson or Sherlock Holmes or someone mysteriously magnificent.   Kiss Kill Vanish gave me so many holy-shit moments when I couldn't believe that I was reading such a heart-stopping book. And then came the negative things by the end. And in a way, I was truthfully and strongly disappointed with the outcome. But I guess that's the way mysteries come and go, right?

           Mystery-murder novels for me are like historical-fiction, they're either hits, or misses. You never know what to expect because when you do expect something, it usually ends up going in the total opposite direction.

Another Jack the Ripper incident? Hah, yeah right.

               This is like the movie Taken with Liam Neeson. Man, do I love his acting. He's like the total badass dad who's willing to do just about anything to save his daughter. Except in this case, Valentina's father is the strangest man on the universe who still is willing to protect his daughter in weird ways, and turning her on a different side and making her do stupid things. What father would make his loving daughter *goody two shoe act* to unwanted things?

                Valentina thought she loved Emilio. What do you honestly expect to do when you're in love and it seems like the person that you're in love with is in love with you? Nothing, because you're too dazed to figure out right from wrong, and truth from lies. Now, she's scarred for life, and is unable to look at her past life the same way. She fled from the murder scene, the murder scene created by her father and boyfriend, and is living on selfish ways and routes. Now, he's found her, but the truth isn't really slipping out. So is it possible to change your name and act and pretend that the past never happened? Absolutely not.

               This so-called "mystery" was too good to be true. It was cliché, and not what I expected. From this moment on, I've learned to not have or receive expectations from mystery novels, because I'm usually left disappointed, or with a "meh" reaction. Why else try?
    

               Bookish atmospheres are strongly important, or at least in my eyes. This was taken place in Canada. *cheers for home country* FOR ONCE. Honestly, I'm used to one of those small-town mysteries that you'll always expect to happen. And then when you'll see what Valentina does to survive... Is horrible. Maybe even as horrible as the conditions that she had to witness prior to the current events.

               "Hours. They've passed. The shock has bled out of me, and now I feel empty and scraped raw. Gutless, guilty Valentina."

                  

        Scary and unreal to admit, we've just found ourselves an unconfident protagonist. In most cases, I would've fled the book and would've dropped it out of the highest building in the world, but it fit the story. As you read the book, you'll find yourself becoming more and more friends with Valentina, and you'll understand her troubles. She felt useless, and she didn't have a clue on what was happening half of the time. I don't blame her for running away and trying to forget about everything. But she actually wasn't able to.

       I was waiting for something deeper. This originally had the look of a great and simple mystery, but what was this contemporary story? It was lacking romance, and by the end, I didn't really see the point or strong message. Thankfully there were a few things impressing me. 

Gates of Thread & Stone, by Lori M. Lee Review—HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1), by Lori M. Lee

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: August 5, 2014, by Skyscape

Format: eARC




Goodreads Summary: In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Review:

*Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*

        I sadly expected more from this book—I wanted more. But thankfully, by the end, we received a pretty great fantasy novel that at some points knocked my socks off. That's really what mattered in the end, no? 

        NOPE. Because if the concept was the best and most important thing here, then I'd at least give this a 4 star rating. A 3 star for me is okay, or a "meh" feel to the story. In between the rating, but more good than bad. Gates of Thread and Stone could've had a lot more in store for me, but I didn't feel the power of it as it should have had.

         The Labyrinth seemed like such a cool and destructive place and concept to read about. And the main idea happening is that Kai is keeping a secret that can basically destruct everyone around her. She has an ability—she's able to manipulate time threads. Sounds crazy, but it's true and real. 

            But this all began for a reason... and her best friend Reev might have to do with it, since he found Kai on the streets when she was eight and helped her and was her caregiver ever since. But isn't there some romance in between?

           OF COURSE. And that's what partially ruined this book. Instalove? Absolutely. This dude had a crush on an eight year old at one point. Creepy much? And his love for her never left and he took care of her and gave her a home. Sure, in some perspectives that sounds cute and all, but I saw it as more "creepy" than you can ever imagine.

            So, there's instalove. There's a bad plot at times. There's a lot of craziness going on at the same time. The characters had their problems, but by the end, their personalities fairly impressed me and I had a few ships, if you must ask and I must admit.

            A lot of people I know really disliked this, but I ended up having to keep my hopes up. But at the same time, there were an average of mixed reviews, and I didn't know what to expect, so therefore I decided to forget. 

            Concept... Genre... ? I wouldn't ask me that question if I were you. What is the genre? Fantasy? Dystopia? All I know that this is a messed-up romance for sure. The fantasy aspect was done really well—I totally enjoyed the immortality and ways that the author went through different stages.

             This, from the looks, looked like a Victorian, something Cassandra Clare would approve. I'm sitting here, not knowing what my feelings are presenting me. A pretty boring-at-times plot, good characters, a good mystery. 

             In conclusion, this was a disappointment compared to my expectations. But I know that some will enjoy it—beware of instalove and sibling romance.

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.

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die, by April Henry

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

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: June 11, 2013, by Henry Holt and Co.

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: “Take her out back and finish her off.”

She doesn’t know who she is. She doesn’t know where she is, or why. All she knows when she comes to in a ransacked cabin is that there are two men arguing over whether or not to kill her.

And that she must run.

In her riveting style, April Henry crafts a nail-biting thriller involving murder, identity theft, and biological warfare. Follow Cady and Ty (her accidental savior turned companion), as they race against the clock to stay alive.

Review:

"Maybe it's because I'm average." I sniff back my tears. "Maybe it's because I'm like everyone else." Ty rolls his eyes. "I may not know you very well, but I'll tell you one thing: You aren't like anyone else."

  Girl, Stolen was an amazing book. I couldn't wait for more from this daring, new author that's sure to leave thousands of other readers stunned with her plot-twisting mysteries. The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die wasn't as good as April Henry's other book, but it was something that left me thinking.

    Imagine--you wake up in some cabin that you've never seen more. You don't remember your name or even have a clue who you are, and all you hear two men talking about how you don't know anything and how they're going to go and "finish you off." What would you do? This is what Cady went through. 

    Of course, this girl escapes. I'm not going to go into full detail on how she did it, but she did. She was supposed to die, but she made it out. People are saying that she "escaped from a mental hospital," which would've been super-cheesy, but she actually didn't. This book will keep you guessing until the very end and will get you thinking about these types of situations that occur all over the world.

      I'm always interested in these types of mysteries where the book is taken place from the victim's POV. I don't like the detective-police sort of stories, but this is definitely awesome for my liking. I really loved the idea of a supposed-murder. 

      The first page of this book captivated me. I just couldn't believe that the author thought of something so unthinkable and so unbelievable. You just don't want to imagine any of these things happening, but April Henry needs us to. It's her job, haha. If you liked to get a little creeped out, then this book's perfect for you. You may or may not need an escort with you at all times and will need to make sure that your parents don't own an animal-disease lab. Other than that, you're all good.

         

       And you may or may not have trouble breathing or claustrophobia because the amount of fresh air is fading away. :D

       As I went on with the book, it was pretty good. By the end, I found it to be nothing special. The idea was petrifying, but something was missing and that slanted the whole book another way in another direction. Maybe this is because it's very similar to April Henry's Girl, Stolen. I just can't seem to figure out a reason why I'm feeling like this after reading it. By the end, I was still deciding what rating to give this book. A 3 was my first choice, but then I began counting the pros and cons, and well, let's just say the positives took over.

       Cady was a very believable character. April Henry really made her voice stand out, and she was fairly realistic and understanding. You will feel sympathy for her 24/7 because of her situation, but because of her badass-ness, that sympathy kind of goes away a little.

        

         I loved Ty, seriously. It was kind of unbelievable how he took Cady into his home and treated her like a princess even though he heard all of those bad things about her and how she's kind of a criminal, but those things aside, I loved him. 

         The ending of this book was predictable, but I guess we all saw it coming from the start. This is a touching story that will get you fawning for more! I can't wait to read The Body in the Woods!   

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:

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

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.

ARC Review: Midnight Thief, by Livia Blackburne

Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1), by Livia Blackburne

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: July 8, 2014, by Disney-Hyperion

Format: Paperback Edition (Printed ARC)






Goodreads Summary: Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

Review:

*Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

  Well. Since I've been in the mood for fantasy reads lately, I decided to go with this one. And it was spectacular. I've seen mixed reviews about this book. The majority are pretty negative, but I just blocked those away from mind. The point that got me afraid the most was that there barely was any romance whatsoever. 

   I usually never read any books that don't include romance. I adore romance and the feelings that fictional men give me. *gushes* I never really get to go through a reading experience where the protagonist(s) are falling in love. This was a first, and I thoroughly enjoyed the uniqueness that Livia Blackburne created. She isn't your average author. She has formed a fantasy series that (a) has no insta-love, (b) has no love triangles, (c) is diverse. What more can we be looking for?

    WHEN READING THIS BOOK, YOU WILL GO THROUGH THE FOLLOWING FEELS:

-fear, because you are afraid for the badass protagonist, Kyra, well because, she's badass and does badass things, and risks her life for others.

-tears, because Tristam is just so heart-throbbing and caring and has the feels for Kyra. You will cry in happiness and in sadness because of the fact that Kyra almost died, a few times.

-anger at the author because she just left us wanting more, especially after a crazy large action scene. We also have QUESTIONS that weren't answered. *yells* And anger because we'll have to be waiting another whole freakin' year for the sequel. Meh.

-happiness, because every book has those moments where you just want to gush inside out and you feel like the rest of the world is crashing on top of you when you realize that everything's fictional.

       So, if you'd like to go through some, or all of those feels listed above, then you'd probably like to read this book, a bunch of times over and over again. Or not, and you'll be the friendless and sad loser who's really missing out. It's either or, but I recommend to go through the first thing. *winks*

        In this book, Kyra is such a badass character, like you can't even imagine. (One of the most, ever.) In the beginning, we quickly meet Kyra and get to know the person that she is. She grew up as an orphan, living on the streets of Forge, begging for food and money. She one day meets fourteen year old Flick, who quickly becomes like an older brother to her and teaches her how to live, how to fight, and how to survive. Today, Kyra is still struggling to pay rent, but she's thankfully okay. When the leader of the Assassins Guild offers her a cryptic fearful job, she at first regrets it, but then finds that it's for her own good, at least for a while. James is utterly attractive and mysterious at the same time, and his rules need to be played by Kyra or else there'll be consequences. Tristam, a knight in the Palace, loses his best friend through a murder taken by the Demon Riders. He vows to get back at them, and with that said, he'll do anything. Fate unexpectedly puts Kyra and Tristam together, and they're supposed to be enemies. But joining teams together is even better. And well, they soon find out a terrifying shocking secret about Kyra's past that sure will change everything for her future.

        Fantasy is my new favourite YA genre. There, I said it. Livia Blackburne has almost perfected writing a YA fantasy novel, and in fact, that's very hard to accomplish. In order to create a beautiful fantasy read, you must have a beautiful world setting that captivates readers. And bam, she did it. Although the world of this book was very mysterious and we don't really know much about it, I loved it. It's a mystery if it's dystopian, but it's fascinating. The use of fantasy creatures like Demon Riders and the cats were very well thought-out and impressive. I normally never did fall for that kind of stuff but it was mastered here.

         I very much indeed liked the plot. The beginning was striking and captivating, just like any beginning should be. I was hooked by the first page. There was ACTION on the first page. Like really, when does an author do that? Well, in Midnight Thief that did happen... :) Moving on, this book steadily kept its pace at a good level and we had many awesome action scenes, which is a must in a fantasy novel. But by the middle, right before Kyra and Tristam met, the story went a little downhill and I was very afraid to see what would happen next. That was the only flaw, but it kept me bored for at least 75 pages. These type of things usually don't bother me, but the middle part of the book really didn't get me addicted like the other parts did.

          By the end, I loved this book. The ending was just majestic and perfectly formed. It ended with unanswered questions and kept me wanting more. 

            The characters were my favourite part of the book. Kyra was so easy to relate to and even through her struggles, she was still a strong person. She had so much strength in her personality and took everything seriously. She was one of the most emotionally strong heroines that I've ever read about. Move over, Celaena Sardothien, we have another badass in town. :)

             Tristam was pretty brilliant as well. He was a very soothing character. You need a shoulder to cry on, he was there. He was one of those sympathetic characters that gave the struggling people a boost. 

              This book was a definite piece of fantasy literature brilliance. It had its labyrinth moments, but I definitely recommend it to everyone. You don't read fantasy but are looking for a good plot? Then still read this. Especially for those who are looking a change in plot. There's not much love here!