ARC Review: The Bane Chronicles, by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson

The Bane Chronicles (The Bane Chronicles #1-10), by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy, Short Stories

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: November 11, 2014, by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Format: ARC



Goodreads Summary: A Collection of Ten Short Stories centred around Magnus Bane. Each short story is going to be published as an ebook followed by a Full Single Print Coming 2014

Ever wondered about the enigmatic, mysterious warlock Magnus Bane? The only character to appear in every Shadowhunter book, Magnus has a past even more shrouded in mystery than his present. I’ve teamed up with acclaimed YA writers Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan to create the Bane Chronicles, the back (and front) story of Magnus told in ten linked tales.

Look for short stories like Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale; The Rise and Fall of the Hotel Dumort; Saving Raphael Santiago and What To Buy The Shadowhunter Who Has Everything (And Who You’re Not Officially Dating Anyway). Each story will be available as an ebook on a monthly basis starting April 16 with the tale of What Happened In Peru. 

Each story will be released monthly online for the next ten months — and then for those who don’t read e-books, the full print collection will be available in bookstores and wherever else books are sold after the Chronicles have been finished.


Review:

   *Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review. No compensation was given or taken.*

    

     For my awesome review! (I know many of you are anxious to read this gorgeous set of short stories featuring the one and only warlock that began it all!)

     Magnus Bane has always shared a special place in my heart alongside many of my other favourite male (and female) characters. But something about Magnus is different than most. Magnus is the most kick-ass, hilarious, but loving warlock that you'll ever read about. Reading about him in TMI and TID was awesome, but we've always been questioning his awesomeness more than anyone else's. Here, we get to read ten full awesome stories from his POV written by some of the best YA authors living. 

      This is a collection of ten short stories that regard Magnus's past, present and future, including some of the events that we've been questioning since the start of Cassandra Clare's magnificent writing. Valentine's fall, Magnus's romance with Camille, why he was banned from Peru, everything with the French Revolution, his first date with Alec... This book has it all in one physical compartment.

       I know that you guys want me to give you some snippets of the book.. But I'm afraid I can't give you that. ;) 

       This book was racing from the start. What Happened in Peru was one of the most anticipated stories for me, and it really was fantastic. From that story on, each story built me with more anticipation for the next and so on. I never wanted this collection to end. Cassie, Maureen, and Sarah are really all talented writers, and you could see everything shine in this beauty. 

       Ew, ew Cassandra Clare releasing another--

        I'm sorry to say this, but you people who think that Cassandra Clare is a bad person for writing more Shadowhunter books are darn WRONG. Don't like what she's doing? Don't pay attention. No one's paying you for putting your anger and comments into the public. THANK YOU. *calms down* 

           :'( This book was phenomenal. It wasn't perfect, but it was great and enjoyable and kept me lost in Magnus's world for 505 pages. (Yes, 20 pages added into the hardcover because of sizing and stuff.)

Some stories were weak, and there were moments when I could've yawned, but the introduction of new characters that interacted with Magnus that we never met before in the main series is awesome, and so is seeing some action and mystery in one bundle of excellence.

            Magnus was... beautiful. Geez, I love him so much. (Wins award for #FavouriteWarlock) This guy excites me so much that I can probably pee myself. x) When I found out that I was getting an ARC of this, I literally began to cry because... it's Magnus and Cassie Clare. Getting an ARC before you mundanes the rest of the world reads it? *CANNONBALL*

              And yes, we did meet many new characters. Axel, Edmund, Lilly, Dolly, JAMES HERONDALE are just some to name a few. PLUS, WE ALSO HAD AN ENCOUNTER WITH TESSA AND WILL AND JEM.

                 OH! AND JACE, ALEC, ISABELLE, AND CLARY! WOOT WOOT!

                 I can't even tell you the number of times I ended up squealing while reading this book. I can't wait for you mundanes the rest of the world to read it! You mundanes You will love it! So maybe... get part 1? *grins sheepishly* Magnus, pretend I'm Camille and let's get married, kay?

What Would Emma Do, by Eileen Cook

What Would Emma Do?, by Eileen Cook

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: December 30, 2008, by Simon Pulse

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Thou Shalt Not Kiss Thy Best Friend’s Boyfriend...again...

There is no greater sin than kissing your best friend’s boyfriend. So when Emma breaks that golden rule, she knows she’s messed up big-time...especially since she lives in the smallest town ever, where everyone knows everything about everyone else...and especially since she maybe kinda wants to do it again. Now her best friend isn’t speaking to her, her best guy friend is making things totally weird, and Emma is running full speed toward certain social disaster. This is so not the way senior year was supposed to go.

Time to pray for a minor miracle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Emma to stop trying to please everyone around her, and figure out what she wants for herself.

Review:

  Eileen Cook is a spectacular author. Now, to this day, I've read most of her books, which were all pleasing. This one, not so much compared to the others' spectacularity. In many ways, this will be a more grown-up Margaret from Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

   This is about Emma, who sinned a lot lately. She kissed her best friend's boyfriend, and her bestie's mom saw. That basically ruined a lot, and word gets around fast in a small town that Emma can't wait to get out of. All she can't wait for is to graduate, and to finally be free from everyone, including her strict non-understandable mother, who loves the small-town life. Now, many of the popular girls in her school are getting strange seizures, and it all leads to someone that Emma has come to know pretty well.

   

      This was me for a long period of the book. I was mainly waiting for something to happen, but I found that a lot of the plot and goodness from the book was dragged away. This ended up as a sort of no-plot book, because there really was no point to it. This was a book that took place in a few weeks of a girl's life. She has problems, yes, and she's average, though. Nothing too special about her, and that made her character bland and flat. Not too much for my liking.

        The plot was very dominated with Emma's feelings. She wasn't the most likeable character, but she was fine. I found that the author sticked with making Emma be the most important element of getting this book to be amazing, and that took all of the attention away from the rest of the book. Emma was likeable and relatable.

          The romance between Emma and Colin was beautiful, so beautiful. I just wish that it stayed...

            Too bad it wasn't a movie and I wasn't able to see it. :(

           Overall, this book was okay. It had its pros and cons, and although I do recommend it, I wouldn't say to put it at the top or close to the top of your TBR list. If you get to it, great, if not, no biggie. You're not missing out on too much--just an average contemporary with a twisty plot twist in the end.

Pawn, by Aimée Carter

Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1), by Aimée Carter

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Romance

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: November 26, 2013, by Harlequin Teen

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)



Goodreads Summary: YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

Review:

  "For the rest of my life, I would have someone else's face, answer to someone else's name, live someone else's life. But at least I would be alive. I breathed in slowly, forcing myself not to panic. I was still me, wasn't I? I still felt like me. I still thought like me. They couldn't take that away no matter what the did to my body. I might have looked like Lila Hart, but I was still Kitty Doe."

    I have read Aimée's books through The Goddess Trilogy, and I have found that she's a great talented author that really has a passion for creating great characters and stories with great premises. Pawn was awesome, and so kick-ass and adventurous.

    It's been seventy one years since America has disintegrated into ashes, and the world has changed so much. Being a VII can change everything. For Kitty, if she becomes one, she can become part of the most powerful family in the country. She would be Masked, formed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who got murdered. She's basically taking her place, and she would be adored. She must stop the rebellion that Lila fostered and the one that got her killed.  

    This was mainly an action novel with sass. Kitty, the protagonist had sass and class and was all badass. I loved her.

        Here, we finally have a dystopian novel that shows many sorts of originality. We normally don't find that and get remakes of The Hunger Games, but here, Aimée Carter has come up with something awesome and that gets readers thinking. Getting your whole life planned out for you when you're seventeen doesn't seem like a reality to me.

   

        The plot was very well-formed. The book was fast paced and got to the point in a matter of chapters. It was a very quick read that got me thinking. I recommend it, absolutely. 

         Kitty was absolutely likeable, but I had a problem with the other characters. I didn't like the romance (even though it was hardly there for like 5% and the rest was action) and Benjiy (however you spell his name) was a total ass who was selfish. The bad guys were pretty awesome, and written nicely. 

         The other disadvantage in my eyes was that the world was unexplained. I didn't catch too much about the world and why everything has come to be. Hopefully, in the next two books, the author will make it more clear to us on the "why" part of things. 

          The ending of this book was very captivating, and I am truly looking forward for the sequel that's coming soon!

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, by Leslye Walton

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Historical-Fiction, Paranormal

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Publication: March 25, 2014, by Candlewick Press

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.

In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.

That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.

First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

Review:

"In one fluid motion, Viviane dropped the soapy sponge, flew down the porch stairs and around to the backyard to find me, leaving Henry on the porch, pounding his ears with his open palms. As she ran, my mother thought, This is it. This is the reason not to love. If I didn't love, then whatever I find, no matter how awful, wouldn't hurt."

  To me, this was a pretty book. It was one of those reads that make you feel like it's worth something, but the reason why is unexplainable. The concept is gorgeous, and thoroughly unique, but with some confusions in between. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender was a great read, but it kept me questioning too often.

   For a majority of 50% of the book (about) we hear about Ava's relatives's lives, including her grandmother, Emilienne, and her mother, Viviane. Many people have noted that it didn't make sense to speak about their lives for such a long length of pages (especially since the book is 301 pages itself), but I loved hearing about them. Their stories brought Ava's to life, and it brought a little more sense into "why."

   We hear about their lives, and how they fell in love and how they lost everything. Both people did, and know it's Ava's turn to. But Ava is someone unique. She is different. She is often mistaken as many things--as a monster, angel, weird creature. 

    This story is light and fluffy, but dark and messed up at the same time. Some parts of it maybe be all sugar and spice, while others just become horrifying. It's mainly dark, but there's that burst of light sitting there. Yes, the cover doesn't explain too much. It looks super chick-lity and girly for the actual taste of the novel.

  

       I enjoyed this book very much. Leslye Walton is an amazing writer, I must say, and I'm very much looking forward to read her other works in the future. Here, she has written a very captivating story with an unique premise that has to do with tragedy and the works of love. 

      I loved the idea, but some things were too unreal. Emilienne and Viviane both went through so much, too much, and I can't possibly see that happening to anyone on Planet Earth.

  

        Losing your whole family and then your husband? Then you're depressed but people still love you? Emilienne, you know you're one of my favourite characters, but come on.

         The plot was great in the beginning, then slowed down to the end. I think it's because the whole story itself is very unexplainable and I was clueless the whole second half of the book. Ava knows these things about her grandmother and mother--HOW? It's not like she had a super-close relationship with either of them that got her to know these things. And really, who was Ava? Who was she in this real world? I truly wish that the author allowed us to know these things, because that's basically the entire premise in two questions, and not knowing really set me off from everything.

        I had a love-hate relationship with Ava. I found her to be annoying and too selfish at times, but once we got into the ending, I settled with her story and she became more likeable than I'd ever imagined her to become.

       My favourite characters were Emilienne, Viviane and Jack. Emilienne was the woman who didn't give a shi* about anything or what anyone said, and I truly loved her for that. She may have been a little selfish like her granddaughter was, but I respect her and her sassiness. High five for you, woman!

        Viviane was my ultimate favourite. Everything about her was astonishing. She was truly a remarkable person who didn't deserve to suffer, and deserved to be loved by the people whom she loves for. Jack ended up upsetting me because he left the love of his life (PLOT TWIST) but he was so gorgeous and beautiful to make me hate him.

         Everyone else weren't really a show-stopper for me, but Leslye truly created a wonderful set of relatable characters for this great book.

          And yes, the romance was pretty gorgeous when it was there. ;)

         I had some issues with this book, yes, but it overall was a great, enjoyable read that I recommend for anyone looking for something with some more flavour. 

         "She worried I was just like every other teenage girl, all tender heart and fragile ego. She worried I was more myth and figment than flesh and blood. She worried about my calcium levels, my protein levels, even my reading levels. She worried she couldn't protect me from all of the things that had hurt her: loss and fear, pain and love. Most especially from love."

         Ugh, I love that quote! 

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: Meant to Be, by Lauren Morrill

Meant to Be, by Lauren Morrill

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars

Publication: January 7, 2014, by Ember

Format: Paperback Edition (borrowed)




Goodreads Summary: Funny? Romantic? Smart? Set in England? Cute guys? Yes x5! In Lauren Morrill's sweet and witty debut, it's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Review:

"I don't use airplane bathrooms. As a rule. And I really don't like breaking rules. (It's kind of one of my rules.) I mean, if I'm going to plummet to my death, it's not going to be with my pants around my ankles."

  I recently have received Being Sloane Jacobs, also by Lauren Morrill, and to get ready, I decided to read her debut novel first. Turns out, it's pretty recommendable, but only to those who adore contemporaries. Contemporaries of any sort and any drama included. 

  This was just an average, simple, cliche contemporary-romance novel. It wasn't un-expecting, it didn't give me any feels except for the rare squeals because of the romance. I didn't hate this book, and I didn't love it, either. It was simply in between, and an overall nothing-special read. I wouldn't call it mandatory for everyone to read. You'll get by.

   So basically this is about a trip to London which is pretty unrealistic. Free airfare? A free stay at the hotel? Your MTB (meant-to-be) at the same location? That's kind of stupid. And I really don't take stupidity as a good thing. Julia is basically forced to go on a school trip to London, England. She follows the rules and is always prepared for anything... except a hangover and meeting cute guys. Before things get worse, (not really, though) she is partnered up with her nemesis, Jason, and starts getting texts from a "mysterious messenger." Oh! And she falls in love.

     Can this book have been any more cheesy and predictable? I really don't think so. And that's basically what deducted two stars from the overall rating. Lauren Morrill just created your average predictable book with no plot twists whatsoever. TA DA: JULIA AND JASON END UP TOGETHER AND JASON IS "CHRIS." 

        

      *barfs* Plus, the cheesiness interfered too much with the plot and kind of made it suck too much. This was just like any other of those contemporary books that take place in England with those cute guys. ._. It's just not really for me.

      But of course, this book had its good moments. In the beginning of the book until page 100, it showed its potential. But then I saw its dark side and realized what it's really going to become. 

       The bright side-- I loved the characters. Julia was just awesome. I related to her so dearly much! Bookworm, prepared, independent, you name it. Lauren Morrill is officially the master of creating relatable characters in contemporary books. Jason was also such a sweetheart, and together, I loved them as a couple despite the cheesiness between them.

        This book is okay. There's nothing too special about it but it's a good, quick read if you're looking for a summer read. Recommended.

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.

Wild Cards, by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards (Wild Cards #1), by Simone Elkeles

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Publication: September 24, 2013, by Bloomsbury Juvenile US

Format: Hardcover Edition (borrowed)





Goodreads Summary: After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?

Review:

"I might not make it past thirty-five, the age my mom was when she died. Right now, as I look across the table at the girl who could very well be the girl of my dreams, I know I won't marry her. I'm going to let someone else be her Irving, someone who'll be able to sit across from her sixty years from now and look into her eyes as if his would have been a horrible existence if not for her."

  I've read books from Simone Elkeles before, and I wasn't left disappointed. Not even close. I always have high-expectations for a good contemporary-romance, and Simone just blasts it and makes it even better than what I wish a good book that's in that genre to be. This book was amazing, SPECTACULAR. I am left speechless because of the romance that Simone created and the beautiful characters.

   First things first: I feel so forever alone. 

     Ashtyn and Derek had such an amazing relationship. I never expected something like that to sprout out of this book, but it did and I have no regrets and no doubts that this was one of my utterly most favourite romance books, ever. Simone Elkeles just aced it and made it beautiful all throughout. It's so difficult to explain how gorgeous their romance was because I've never read about anything like that before. Can I just stand and say that Derektyn has won the Best YA Couple award for this month in my standings?

 

      Like I feel so alone when thinking about the perfect chemistry that they had. (I am not relating to Simone's other book in any way.) It was perfect because there was no insta-love. At first, the two of them loathed each other, and by the end, they found the perfect chemistry between them and ended up having such a strong hunger and would do anything for each other.

       The romance was the thing that touched me the most, so that's why I spoke about it first. Let's talk about what it was really about. Derek is expelled from his prestigious boarding school after taking part in a horrifying prank that he and his friends took part in. But Derek was the only one who took the credit, and meanwhile his friends got to stay for their senior years. His father is in the middle of the ocean somewhere in a submarine, saving lives, and all who he has left is his stepmother, Brandi, who takes him and his 5 year old half-brother, Julian, to her home in Chicago, where her dad and little sister still live. At first, Derek doesn't want to go, but he realizes that he has no other choice. There, he meets Brandi's sister, Ashtyn in front of a shed. She tries to "stab" him because she thinks that he's some thug who's trying to vandalize her house because she's a female and is the captain of the football team at school. When she finds out that Derek is not who he seems to be, she panics and everything changes. Derek is first like a protective older brother, who is hinting that her boyfriend Landon, is messing around with her and is cheating on her. She doesn't believe him at first, but then finds out that he was right the whole time. They both begin to develop feelings for each other, and they soon can't hide it. They both realize that it's too strong to hide and they need to play with wild cards--each other.

        The one thing that bothered me with this book was that the concept and plot was a little too similar to Catching Jordan, by Miranda Kenneally. I don't know which one was released first and which one can take credit to the girl-playing-football-and-falls-in-love-with-another-player idea, but it was a little too similar. But either way, I love that concept, so I'm not going to let it bicker at me too much.

       The romance was a huge part of the concept and plot here, so if you're not in for a romance read and are looking for more of a plot, then stay away from this book. I am a huge sucker for romance, so this is just perfection to me. Although there are some tweaks and spins of coming-of-age moments, the romance really overtook everything, and I loved that as well. So if you like a sappy but edgy romance, then this is for you, as long as you can handle a happily-ever-after ending.

         The plot was very well planned out and amazingly written. Simone Elkeles is an author who writes books that are so captivating and give you the feel that you cannot put it down until it's all over, and then you just want something more from her. I very much appreciate the fact that there's going to be a sequel for this book. :) There weren't any moments when I was bored or disliking something that was written. I'd give a 5 star rating for the plot and writing. 

         The cover could've had a better job on, I must say. It did relate to the story, but it's cheesy. More spunk should've been added to make it more captivating to the audience and readers.

         I loved the characters so dearly much. But in fact, I felt a dear connection to Ashtyn. She was a very real character whose traits are very much like mine and I feel her. She was getting over the fact that her ex-boyfriend was betraying her and with someone else. Her mom and sister both left her and she was all alone with her father, who didn't support the fact that she played football. He never came to watch her games. She never really fell in love, and as she watches her best friend, Monika, with her soulmate, it aches Ashtyn's heart. When she met Derek, he changed her and loved her and showed her that he's all she needs to be happy. Simone Elkeles shows us that people can make you happy, without needing anything else. Ashtyn's voice felt real, and wanting. She was calling for us to help her and read her story throughout the whole book.

         Derek was also an absolute favourite. First of all, he's hot, second of all, he's hot, and third of all, well, you get the idea. I loved him to death, and readers can definitely incorporate a relationship with his realistic qualities as well. If you're looking for an innocent but tough adorable male protagonist in a book, then pick this one up. 

          We all saw the ending coming, but it was beautiful at the same time. Having a happily-ever-after ending might be disturbing in some senses (or in some books), but it fit to have that in this one. But there's going to be a sequel, and maybe (just maybe) Simone Elkeles will put a plot twist and will change everything. 

         I love you, Wild Cards, and thank you for making my day.

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.

We Are The Goldens, by Dana Reinhardt

We Are The Goldens, by Dana Reinhardt

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 4/5 stars

Publication: May 27, 2014, by Wendy Lamb Books

Format: Hardcover Edition (Borrowed)





Goodreads Summary: Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart.

When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellayla. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

Review: 

  "I wanted to twinkle underwater like the lights of the city."

   This was one of mine and even Buzzfeed's most anticipated books of 2014. When I found it at the library a few weeks after it was published on May 27, I ran straight for it and grabbed it with my all-mighty strength. (LOL, yeah right.)

    After reading, I'm very glad that I've decided to read it. It was a novel of change, change from all of the mainstream books that are out there. This was a very well-written book. It's not the type that you'll want to re-read (at least I don't think so) but it's a pretty fun read that's sure to get you enticed in reading more from this splendid author.

     I just wanted to let you know that this isn't your average fluffy contemporary read. We Are the Goldens is more of a darker contemporary read. In some ways, it has the aspects of those that deal with abuse and rape (especially because how the characters were feeling at times, *cough*Layla*cough.* We usually never get those type of books in the stores. 

      The concept of this book was very well planned out. The author made the characters deal with very harsh problems that really affected them. A very naughty teacher, signs of depression, obsession, this book was full of everything.

       Second-person narratives aren't my favourite. I wasn't really glad that this book was written that way, Nell speaking to Layla through diary entries/letters/whatever it was, but we all have our favourite ways of books being written. With that said, the plot was kind of dull as well at times. 

        I don't know. Did some people think that this book was a roller coaster? Because for me, it wasn't. 

         For some people, I could see why they gave it a 5 star rating or a 4.5 one. This book stood out for some people because they have different tastes in drama contemporaries. For this book, it basically matters on what you like the whole time. The story was written extremely well, yes, but the plot at times didn't seem to get anywhere. There were no plot twists until the end and I found that this was dragging to much onto Nell's side when her sister is the main story here. The romance between Nell and Felix in the end just shouldn't have been added. We all know that we liked them JUST as friends! What was this, "Friends With Benefits?" 

         My utterly most favourite thing about this book was the relationships and friendships. The author absolutely made this the most BRILLIANT part of the book. She just mastered an A+ in friendship here. 

         The way Nell looked up to Layla really shows the truth behind the way most little siblings look up to the oldest ones. I'm the oldest sibling, and this book really gave us an idea from the minds of the youngsters. 

         I liked Nell, a lot. She was very independent and smart. In fact, she was more wiser and smarter than her bitch of a sister, let me tell you that. I'm not going to begin ranting on why I hate Layla, but by the end of the book, you'll realize that she was a s*ut and just went in the way of everything and messed everything up for everyone. She really showed that life isn't fair. 

       The parent-child relationships in this book was wonderful. For once, we had a wrecked-but-beautiful family over here, which rarely occurs in books. In a lot of novels, when the protagonist is going through something, the parent isn't even spoken of! 

          

         Overall, this book had its flaws and imperfections and all, but it was worth it to read without any doubts. If you liked anything by Carol Lynch Williams, then this will be a much-lighter breeze for you.

The Declaration, by Gemma Malley

The Declaration (The Declaration #1), by Gemma Malley

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopia, Sci-fi, Romance, Mystery

Rating: 2/5 stars

Publication: September 3, 2007, by Bloomsbury

Format: Hardcover Edition (Borrowed)




Summary: It's the year 2140 and Anna shouldn't be alive. Nor should any of the children she lives with at Grange Hall. The facility is full of kids like her, kids whose parents chose to recklessly abuse Mother Nature and have children despite a law forbidding them from doing so as long as they took longevity drugs. To pay back her parents' debt to Mother Nature, Anna will have to work for the rest of her life. But then Peter appears at the hall, and he tells a very different story about the world outside of the Grange. Peter begs Anna to escape Grange Hall, and to claim a life for herself outside its bleak walls. But even if they get out, they still have to make their way to London, to Anna's parents, and to an underground movement that's determined to bring back children and rid the world of longevity drugs.

Review:

"She opened the book and began to read. As she worked her way through the first few pages, her eyes widened with indignation. But she couldn't read it all now."

  Well, here's another book that was recommended to me that really ended up sucking. I really expected this book to be good--especially because it's a dystopia science-fiction romance. It definitely sounded like my type of book that I could've end up loving. And for that...

    It's the future, and in 2140 in a post-apocalyptic world, Anna realizes that she shouldn't be alive. Where she lives in Grange Hall, all of the kids are like her, and if she escapes, she will be put down like animals in the pound. Anna has to work for the rest of her life to pay debt to Mother Nature (what the heck) and when Peter, who is just like her, comes into Grange Hall, he has a lot to say about the outside world, and Anna wants to get out to meet her parents.

     I understand that this was published a long time ago. (7 years is a long time when talking about ideas of books revolving.) But the idea wasn't anything special. In fact, I kind of thought it to be immature and boring. The whole book practically was.

     In the beginning of the book and story, I was bored. I was beginning to get DNF thoughts into my head, but I kept on going because I trust recommendations and I didn't want to hate this book. Through the middle, it was great. And then it went totally downhill to the end. The ending sucked and the beginning sucked. Now that's kind of rude to do to us readers. 

     The story wasn't anything special. To classify the whole book itself, I'd say that it's just an under-classified dystopia sci-fi romance. That's all. It tried to build up the potential to become something amazing, but it just couldn't build itself to get up there. But from what it looks like, this book was just the beginning of dystopias and the revolution of the genre. If the author published this today, then that's a total different story we're talking about here.

      I thought the characters were okay. Anna was just a blob of nothingness and Peter was bearable. But I wouldn't classify them to be a good couple. They were both too plain-Jane. I don't have much to say about them because they both weren't any special, but they're the type of characters that you can read about without trying to stick your head out the window for air. 

        Surprisingly, I completed this book. But I ended up skimming through the end because I was barely interested in what would happen to the characters. So don't ask me if I plan on reading the sequel, because you already know the answer. x) But from what I found the ending to be, it was just like the rest of the book, the same old nothingness. Nevertheless, the cover of this book (at least the one I read from) wasn't beautiful for the eyes either.

          Hah, if you're looking for a boring dystopia read with a weird world-development, then this book is absolutely for you!