Ender's Shadow, by Orson Scott Card

Ender's Shadow (Ender's Shadow #1), by Orson Scott Card

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian

Rating: 1.5 stars










Goodreads Summary: "If Julian Delphiki, known as “Bean,” has learned anything from living on the streets, it’s how to survive. And not with fists—he is too small for that—but with brains.

Bean is a genius with a magician’s ability to zero in on his enemy and exploit his weakness. What could be a better quality in a future general to lead Earth in a final climactic battle against a hostile alien race?

Recruited for Battle School, a military installation designed to select and train children as future officers in the International Fleet, Bean meets Ender Wiggin: soon to become his best friend, and his greatest rival….

Readers can revisit the events of Ender’s Game through the eyes of Bean in this companion or parallel novel. Readers who have not read Ender’s Game will want to read it as soon as they finish Ender’s Shadow. As Orson Scott Card says, “these two books complement and fulfill each other.”

Review:

• Umm.. do I have to review this? I'm sorry if my opinion is different than others.
• Eww. I'm sorry, but I hated this book. It was boring and really nothing like Ender's Game. I wanted it to be amazing, but it wasn't even close. :/

Arise, by Tara Hudson

Arise (Hereafter #2), by Tara Hudson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Ghosts

Rating: 3.5/5 stars











Goodreads Summary: "Every second he spent with me, every instant he touched me was like a slow-working poison... I had to end this, now.

When dark spirits threaten to hurt the people Amelia cares for most, she will do whatever it takes to protect the. 

Joshua has his own reasons for meeting Amelia at the New Orleans St Louis Number One cemetery at midnight.

Together they will join in a powerful ritual - both knowing that once Amelia steps inside the Voodoo Circle, everything will change, forever."

Review:

• ... Why wasn't this as good as the first? I really wanted it to be...
• The characters weren't as strong in this one as in the first. The story was good, but I didn't feel the goodness as I thought I would. What happened?

Love Reborn, by Yvonne Woon

Love Reborn (Dead Beautiful #3), by Yvonne Woon

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal Romance

Rating: 3/5 stars









Goodreads Summary: "Renée and Dante are dying. The soul they share cannot sustain them both, and they're quickly running out of time. 

But Renée has in her possession a legendary chest said to contain the secret to eternal life-if only they could solve the clues that lie within it. With both the Liberum, a Brotherhood of the Undead, and a team of Monitors, led by Renée's own grandfather, in hot pursuit, Renée and Dante must keep the chest safe or risk having it fall into the wrong hands. 

With the help of a mysterious letter-writer called only Monsieur, Renée and Dante follow a series of clues that lead them on a treacherous journey across Europe. They seek the Netherworld, a legendary chasm where souls go to be cleansed. It's their only chance at a fresh start, but with it comes a terrible choice, one they never imagined they would be forced to make. 

The third novel in the acclaimed Dead Beautiful series is a haunting story of sacrifice, loyalty, and a love that can never die."

Review:

• I wanted the ENDING TO BE BETTER, WHY? WHY? 
• I was waiting for that big BOOM, for that excitement to happen, but it never did happen. Where was this goodiness? :/
• The ending was predictable and I needed something bigger and better. :( Why did the trilogy have to be ruined?

Life Eternal, by Yvonne Woon

Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2), by Yvonne Woon

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal Romance

Other Dead Beautiful Books

Rating: 3/5 stars








Goodreads Summary: "Renée Winters has changed. When she looks in the mirror, a beautiful girl with an older, sadder face stares back. Her condition has doctors mystified, but Renée can never reveal the truth: she died last May, and was brought back to life by the kiss of her Undead soul mate, Dante Berlin. 

Now, her separation from Dante becomes almost unbearable. His second life is close to an end, and each passing day means one less that she will spend with the boy who shares her soul.

Just when Renée has almost given up hope, she learns of the Nine Sisters-brilliant scholars who, according to legend, found a way to cheat death. She can't shake the feeling that they are somehow connected to her dreams, strange visions that hint at a discovery so powerful, and so dangerous, that some will stop at nothing to protect it. 

Renée thought she knew the truth about life and death. But there is a secret woven through history that holds the only hope for Dante and Renée. Unless they find answers soon, their time together is doomed to be cut short."

Review:

• I'm getting sick and tired of the same concepts over and over again. The series should've stayed as one book. For me, a three-star rating really isn't too good, but that's what I really thought of this novel, what could I do?
• The story was too over-exaggerated. The characters were too "macho," and I didn't "feel" for them as much as I thought I would have like I did in the first book.
• The romance wasn't that strong either, and I wanted better.

Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake

Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1), by Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Paranormal Romance

Other Anna Books

Rating: 4.5/5 stars









Goodreads Summary: "Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life."

Review:

• I never expected for this one to be that good. 'Anna Dressed in Blood' was bloody good. I need more, as soon as possible.
• It was so exotic and eerie. I normally don't enjoy ghost stories, but this one took place in a unpopular setting- Canada, and the whole story behind Anna was magnificent. The author did a great job creeping between the lines and captivating the readers. I was definitely surprised, but in a good way.
• Cas was a strong character, I normally don't read books coming from a male's perspective because there aren't many out there, and my wish got granted.
• I was hooked in from beginning to end and still need more.

Just Like Fate, by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

Just Like Fate,  by Suzanne Young and Cat Patrick

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars











Goodreads Summary: "Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending..."

Review:

• I was really happy with what this book turned out to be. The plot definitely had a twist, and it was captivating and moving. It was kind of a pick-and-choose your direction type of book, except it was the character's decision on which path to take. Both Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young tricked us on that, and they're amazing authors, so they've done it brilliantly.
• This was definitely moving and beautiful, I can't wait for more from these two amazing authors.

The Originals, by Cat Patrick

The Originals, by Cat Patrick

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Science-fiction

Other Cat Patrick Books

Rating: 4/5 stars








Goodreads Summary: "Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up believing they were identical triplets.

Then they learned the truth...

and no one else can know.

Now, to the outside world, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one seventeen-year-old daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, pursuing extracurriculars, and even dating.

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, the one person who can help her realize she's not a carbon copy of the others - she's an individual with unique dreams and desires. Digging deeper into her background and her mother's role in her life, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created."

Review:

• Cat Patrick always pleases me. She figures out the most interesting story concepts, and it just makes me squeal inside when I get to read another one of her books. Clones are a concept that I normally don't get to read a lot about, so I'm very happy that I am getting to.
• This story just sucked me in from the start. The characters were so... yummy, I never wanted the story to end. I was absolutely hooked in and happy with the outcome of this book, and I can't wait to see what else Cat Patrick will come up with. :)

Champion, by Marie Lu

Champion (Legend #3), by Marie Lu

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian

Other Legend Books

Rating: 4/5 stars









Goodreads Summary: "June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. 

But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defence. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 

With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."

Review:

• This was the perfect ending to the Legend trilogy. All throughout the trilogy, there were a lot of fights and gorgeous romance. In one way, I do want more, but it's the perfect ending and I almost couldn't ask for a better romance. I was so proud of the outcome and am looking forward to more Marie Lu.
• Day and June have gone through a lot together, and by the end, you could tell that they love each other so much. BEAUTIFUL.

Once We Were, by Kat Zhang

Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2), by Kat Zhang

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian

Other Hybrid Chronicles Books

Rating: 4/5 stars









Goodreads Summary: "I'm lucky just to be alive."

Eva was never supposed to have survived this long. As the recessive soul, she should have faded away years ago. Instead, she lingers in the body she shares with her sister soul, Addie. When the government discovered the truth, they tried to “cure” the girls, but Eva and Addie escaped before the doctors could strip Eva’s soul away.

Now fugitives, Eva and Addie find shelter with a group of hybrids who run an underground resistance. Surrounded by others like them, the girls learn how to temporarily disappear to give each soul some much-needed privacy. Eva is thrilled at the chance to be alone with Ryan, the boy she’s falling for, but troubled by the growing chasm between her and Addie. Despite clashes over their shared body, both girls are eager to join the rebellion.

Yet as they are drawn deeper into the escalating violence, they start to wonder: How far are they willing to go to fight for hybrid freedom? Faced with uncertainty and incredible danger, their answers may tear them apart forever."

Review:

• The first book in the series was phonomenal. The concept was gorgeous and I've never read anything similar before. I want more series to be as good as this one, and I think that more people should read this, ASAP. 
• This one wasn't as strong as the first novel, but I did like it. I wanted more.. drama. I wish that Eva and Addie learned to be more independent, I found that they relied on each other too much. I really liked this, and am looking forward for the next novel.

Kiss of Death, by Lauren Henderson

Kiss of Death (Scarlett Wakefield #4), by Lauren Henderson

Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery

Other Scarlett Wakefield Books

Rating: 4/5 stars








Goodreads Summary: "Scarlett thought Dan McAndrew's murder was long behind her, but when she and her classmates arrive in Edinburgh for a weeklong field trip, she's startled to be joined by her old St. Tabby's cohorts--and enemies--who are visiting the area on a field trip as well. Even more startling, Callum, Dan's surviving twin, is in the area--and his cold treatment leaves Scarlett wondering what's changed, especially when a series of attacks makes her believe that someone's out to get her for her past mistakes. Would Callum ever hurt her, though? And what's Scarlett to make of her conflicting feelings for Callum, now that Jase isn't around? Even more upsetting, why is her most trusted confidante, Taylor, acting distant and dismissive?'



Review:

• Having the be the finale is a good thing, it's the perfect length with the absolute perfect ending. I'm so proud of what this series came to be. Scarlett became a much independent young women who has gone through a lot, including love and death. I'm so proud of this beautiful masterpiece. <3