ARC Review: Body Parts by Jessica Kapp

Body Parts by Jessica Kapp
Published: August 15, 2017
Publisher: Diversion Books
Pages: 300 (ebook)
Series: N/A
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

People would kill for her body.

Raised in an elite foster center off the California coast, sixteen-year-old Tabitha’s been sculpted into a world-class athlete. Her trainers have told her she’ll need to be in top physical condition to be matched with a loving family, even though personal health has taken a backseat outside the training facility. While Tabitha swims laps and shaves seconds off her mile time, hoping to find a permanent home, the rest of the community takes pills produced by pharmaceutical giant PharmPerfect to erase their wrinkles, grow hair, and develop superhuman strength.

When Tabitha’s finally paired, instead of being taken to meet her new parents, she wakes up immobile on a hospital bed. Moments before she’s sliced open, a group of renegade teenagers rescues her, and she learns the real reason for her perfect health: PharmPerfect is using her foster program as a replacement factory for their pill-addicted clients’ failing organs. And her friends from the center, the only family she’s ever known, are next in line to be harvested.

Determined to save them, Tabitha joins forces with her rescuers, led by moody and mysterious Gavin Stiles. As they race to infiltrate the hospital and uncover the rest of PharmPerfect’s secrets, though, Tabitha finds herself with more questions than answers. Will trusting the enigmatic group of rebels lead her back to the slaughterhouse?

Review: Reboot by Amy Tintera

Reboot by Amy Tintera
Published: May 7, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 365 (Paperback)
Series: Reboot #1
Source: Bought
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, but also less emotional. The longer Reboots are under, the less human they are when they return- making Wren 178 the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, her favorite part of her job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she's ever seen.

 As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically still human. His reflexes are too slow, he's always asking pesky questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking Wren out. And yet... he's still her newbie. When Callum falls short of Reboot standards, Wren is told to eliminate him. 

But the perfect soldier is done taking orders. 

Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Published: February 10, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 383 (Hardcover)
Series: Red Queen #1
Source: Bought
My Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own—an ability she didn't know she had. Except...her blood is Red.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—the leaders of a Red rebellion. Her actions put into motion a deadly and violent dance, pitting prince against prince—and mare against her own heart. 

ARC Review: The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon
Published: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 501 (Paperback)
Series: The Bone Season #2
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner. Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. But where is Warden? Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

Review: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey
Published: September 16, 2013
Publisher: Putnam
Pages: 320 (Hardcover)
Series: The Fifth Wave #2
Source: Bought
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
Published: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 480 (Paperback)
Series: The Bone Season #1
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others' minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city - Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly - as soldiers in their army.

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine - a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces and extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

Review: Pawn by Aimée Carter

Pawn by Aimée Carter
Published: November 26, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 343 (Hardcover)
Series: The Blackcoat Rebellion #1
Source: Harelquin Teen Panel
My Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

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: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
Published: April 15, 2014
Publisher: Harelquin Teen
Pages: 416 (Hardcover)
Series: Blood of Eden #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Review: Champion by Marie Lu

Champion by Marie Lu
Published:  November 5, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 369 (Hardcover)
Series: Legend #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

He is a Legend.

She is a Prodigy.

Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic-and each other0 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 defense. 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.

It seems like so many series have been coming to an end recently. And those endings have so far been heartbreaking. If you thought the ending of Prodigy was sad, wait until you read Champion.

I will never get tired of reading about protagonists like June. She's fierce and able to hold her own in a world ravaged by a tyrannical government and war. Yet, she isn't completely fearless and that's what makes her human. Without some weakness it would be impossible to connect with her. June still fears Commander Jameson no matter how much she tries to convince herself that she doesn't and she isn't a coldblooded killer. Day is another example of a character that I love. He's strong, but he isn't invincible. In the first book, it seemed that he could do almost anything, but since Prodigy that has changed. His character development was very well done. He went from a boy that would do anything to see the Republic fall to a someone that wanted to protect the Republic.

June and Day's relationship in this book is strained after the end of Prodigy. It's clear that both of them love each other, but it took them awhile for them to get past the eight months of separation that they put themselves through. It was a little frustrating, but it wouldn't have been realistic if everything went back to the way it was before. It's also very clear that Anden is in love with June, but their relationship isn't annoying, probably because I knew exactly how June and Day feel.

The beginning of the book isn't slow, but it isn't as exciting as the rest of the book. Once the story got going, it is basically nonstop action. It was interesting to get to learn more about how the Republic's political system works and a little about the rest of the world.

Champion is for anyone looking for a thrilling conclusion to an action packed series. It's always sad to see characters go, especially after such a heartbreaking ending, but at the same time the ending was pretty satisfying.

Review: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Published:  October 22, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 526 (Hardcover)
Series: Divergent #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars 

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered--fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature--and of herself--while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

Initially, I was disappointed by Allegiant. It didn't have the same feel that the other books had and I ended up having to put it down for awhile because I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out how it ends. If you're feeling the same way, then keep reading because the ending was by far the best part of the book.

The beginning to about midway through the book was basically Tris and Tobias kissing at the end of every chapter. Normally I wouldn't have a problem with that, but after awhile it just got old and I wanted something more exciting to happen. I was glad that they worked out most of their problems, but the whole thing with Nita was a tad annoying. Tobias was completely convinced that Tris was jealous of him spending time with Nita because she was pretty. While Tris wanted to convince him that there was something going on. To be honest, the way both of them went about solving that problem was wrong. Tris should not expect Tobias to blindly follow whatever she says. That's just ridiculous. And Tobias shouldn't automatically think that Tris is jealous of Nita just because he would probably be jealous if the positions were reversed. Thankfully they got past that problem, otherwise it would be like the lying in Insurgent all over again.

The dual point of view took awhile to get used to and I understand now that the ending probably wouldn't have been as good if the book hadn't started with Tobias and Tris's point of views. It was hard to tell the difference between the perspectives and I found myself flipping back to the beginning of the chapter to see which point of view it was. They both sounded like Tris to me. There were a few clues that told me that it was Tobias, but his chapters didn't stand out from Tris's and I think that's the first thing that disappointed me.

The ending was heartbreaking and powerful. I realized a little more than halfway through the book what the ending would be, but it still hit me hard. I was fighting back tears as I read so that I could see the pages. Allegiant was weaker than the first two books in the beginning, but it definitely has the best ending.

Review: All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Published:  September 3, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 368 (Hardcover)
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

What would you change?

Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.

This is the book I've been waiting for. Time travel is such an interesting thing and I love reading about how different people imagine it working. The reason I was so excited about this book was because I knew it had time travel, but it was also the reason I was a bit worried about it. Time travel can be a bit confusing even if there is an explanation for it.

The book switched between Em and Marina's POV. Em's world is a future destroyed by the invention of the time machine aka Cassandra and Marina is from the present. It was obvious to me from the beginning how the two characters were connected, especially when Em refused to say the doctor's name and the name of Marina's friend was revealed, but I'm not going to say any more about that. At some points it was difficult to tell the difference between Em and Marina's POV especially at the end, mostly because there were so many characters from the future and the past mixing together. Aside from that, I really enjoyed both of the girl's stories. Em's was a bit more intriguing because her story contains more action than Marina's and in the beginning Marina is very shallow and kind of boring. All Marina ever thinks about in the beginning is how much she loves James, but as the story progressed I warmed up to her because there was more to her than I originally thought.

There is a very complicated love story woven into this book and I'm tempted to call it a love triangle, but that's not exactly correct (and if I tried to explain the love triangle I would end up spoiling some parts so I'm going to stay away from calling it that). The story starts out with Marina already in love with James (her best friend). Normally this would make their relationship less appealing, but the flashbacks to times Marina was with James and the obvious fact that she knew him better than most people allowed me to go along with their relationship. Em and Finn's relationship seemed like that at first, but its clear after awhile that they don't suffer from insta love and that their relationship developed over time. I ended up preferring Em and Finn over Marina and James mainly because Finn is so adorable and sometimes James seemed to be toying with Marina's emotions.

The explanation for time travel was quick so it didn't feel like the author was info dumping and it wasn't overly complicated. The explanation was reminiscent of the one given in the TV show Doctor Who and I don't want to ruin the explanation for anyone because I think it was brilliantly executed so I'm not going to say any more about it.

All Our Yesterdays is definitely one of my favorite books now and I'm going to be looking for more books by this author in the future.

ARC Review: Countdown by Michelle Rowen

Countdown by Michelle Rowen
Published: September 24, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 336 (Paperback)
Series: N/A
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

3 seconds left to live.

Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped.

2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game.

Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis.

1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it.

Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove ever more deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape.

GAME 0VER

It's been awhile since a book kept me glued to my seat with constant action and suspense. Going into this book, I thought it would be too similar to other dystopian books that I've read. Some parts of the book felt very familiar, but for the most part Countdown was fairly unique.

The biggest problem I had with the book were the main characters. Kira was all over the place. One moment she's this tough girl on the streets that trusts no one, and then the next she's a gullible girl that flees more than she fights. Almost all of the characters in the book lied to her, but she still ended up trusting them in the end because deep down she believes they're a good person. She also decides to trust a convicted murderer because she believes he's not all that bad even though he admitted to killing people. Kira's entire family was murdered so you would think she would never trust someone that confessed to being a murderer but no she ended up befriending him. Her reason for trusting Rogan later in the book once his secrets are mostly revealed makes more sense but before that I thought that she needed some serious help.

I also had a love-hate relationship with Rogan. There was no reason for him to tell Kira that he murdered someone but not give her all the details. It was clear from the very beginning that he was hiding something and that Kira wasn't getting the full story.

I really enjoyed the fast paced and action packed game that Kira and Rogan were in, but after awhile, almost dying every level and saving themselves at the last second got old. It wasn't as intense when the countdown was almost over, but for some reason I couldn't stop reading. The levels were very interesting and I really liked the use of technology, like the implants.

Kira and Rogan's relationship seemed rushed and they almost instantly started to like each other. Kira kept saying how handsome he was for a murderer and . Once I got past insta love and Rogan's past I tolerated their relationship. They made a good team and in the end I ended up really liking them as a couple.

The ending was a little out there, but I think it worked. Garet's talk about the future was actually pretty terrifying because it got me thinking about the cybermen from Doctor Who. Countdown was never boring but it almost felt like there was too much going on at once for it to be anything more than a quick, fun read.

*I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Review: Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay
Published:  July 23, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 400 (Hardcover)
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Beauty & the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies and I love fairytale retellings so when I heard about this book I knew I had to read it.

Going into this book I was interested how having a blind main character would work out. I thought it would be hard to picture Isra's surroundings and what was happening, but it was surprisingly easy and worked out very well. I was also happily surprised by how much I liked Isra and that she didn't rely on other people all the time. It was pretty amazing how she was able to jump from her tower and land on the rooftops of lower buildings without being able to see them. I admired her determination to change Yuan once she discovered the truth too. 

Some of the book was told from Gem's point of view and at first I wasn't quite sure what to make of him. But in the end, I enjoyed the chapters from his point of view as much as Isra's. It was very easy to become emotionally attached to both Isra and Gem because they both struggle and have had to live difficult or different lives.

A few chapter were from Bo's point of view and I couldn't stand those chapters after more of Bo's personality came out. At first I liked him because it seemed like he genuinely cared for Isra but I found his planning for the future a bit creepy. Bo and Isra don't really know each other but during one of the first chapters from his POV he thinks about her having his child and how caring for their child would be then caring about Gem. That just didn't sit right with me.

I enjoyed the romance in the book, but I felt like there wasn't enough build up to Isra and Gem's relationship. They start out hating each other and then it some how morphs into love while Gem is Isra's prisoner. I understand that they spent a long time together working in the fields but it just felt too fast for me. Once I got past that it was fine until it started to get a bit cheesy. But it wasn't intolerable cheesiness.
 
My expectations were high for this book and while Of Beast and Beauty was very good, but it wasn't flawless.

ARC Review: The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Published: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 446
Series: Blood of Eden #2
Source: Netgalley and Harlequin Teen Panel
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike.

My Review: Absolutely brilliant. The Eternity Cure was one of my most anticipated books of 2013 and it was better than I thought it would be even with my very high expectations.

I tend to shy away from most vampire books these days mainly because all of them are so similar. Whenever I pick up a new vampire book I feel like I've already read it. Blood of Eden is my all time favorite vampire series because it's so unique.

Once I started this book it was almost impossible to put down. Not only is Kanin's life on the line, but now the entire human and vampire population are at stake. Sarren is still as psychotic as ever. Julie Kagawa knows how to write a villain. Sarren is insane with just the right amount of brilliance that makes him deadly and pretty creepy. The only thing creepier than Sarren were the bleeders. Even thinking about the bleeders is creeping me out.

This book wasn't very fast paced but it really seemed to work for it. It allowed for the world to become more real. Information about the vampires that live in New Covington and how the Red Lung virus came to be is revealed. Kanin even talks about some of his past.

What really makes this book amazing are the characters. Allison is still a badass vampire but in this book she really seems to struggle with what she wants to become. Should she give into the Hunger or try to hold on to her humanity? Jackal is probably one of my favorite characters now. Sure sometimes I wanted to stab him with a wooden stake but other times I was grateful for his sense of humor. The Eternity Cure would have been much darker without it.

Another thing I loved was Allie and Zeke's relationship. Zeke is still as sweet as ever. Even though Allie kept pushing him away because she thought she was a danger to him, Zeke never gave up. When Allie left Zeke in Eden I thought that he wouldn't play a big part in this book but thankfully I was wrong.

The ending of this was torture. I still can't believe what happened even though I kind of guessed what would happen while Sarren was talking. I'm surprised I caught on to what was happening because it was only one word that caused me to guess the end. The next book can't come soon enough.

*I received this book via Netgalley and the Harlequin Teen Panel in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman
Published: April 16, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 360
Series: Taken #1
Source: Bought
My Rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

My Review: Taken had so much potential to be another great dystopian book, but instead it was just average.

The beginning was probably the best part. Gray's brother, Blaine is Heisted and Gray uncovers secrets that his mother and Blaine kept from him. But then Gray went over the wall and everything seemed to slow down. Gray and Emma tried to find out the truth while they are staying with the Order. Eventually Gray leaves to find the Rebels and the story picks up again.

The concept of the Heist was something that I really enjoyed. It was unique but the mystery about it wasn't much of a mystery. It was fairly obvious who was responsible for the Wall and it wasn't that hard to guess why 18 year old boys were being taken. The society that Bowman created was very similar to many other dystopian books. There's a war between AmEast and AmWest, resources are scarce, and there is a Rebellion. There isn't much explanation for why AmEast and AmWest separated and this is something I would like an explanation for. I really don't like when dystopian books don't explain how the society came to be.

The main character Gray wasn't too bad. He thinks before he acts, which gets him into trouble, but I didn't find that irritating. The only thing that really bugged me about Gray was that he didn't seem to be able to put the puzzle together. When people told him the truth or when he uncovered information he still couldn't seem to accept that he had been lied to. His brother Blaine is an entirely different story. Blaine is the perfect older brother that everyone compares Gray to. I was not a fan of Blaine. He was just too perfect for my taste.

Taken also contains a love triangle and the dreaded insta love. In the beginning Gray is in love with Emma, but she makes it clear that she doesn't love him back. Once they spend one day together, Emma's feelings abruptly change and she likes him. Emma isn't much of a fighter and she seems to change her opinion on things in a matter of pages without much convincing. One moment she's loyal to Frank the next she's trying to convince Gray that the Order aren't the good guys. Later in the book, Emma thinks that Gray is dead and betrays him, which made me hate her even more. The other love interest doesn't show up until half way through the book. Bree is the opposite of Emma. She's an amazing fighter and one of the only characters that I actually liked. I thought that Bree's relationship with Gray was developed more than Emma and Gray's, which is probably why I like Bree and Gray's relationship more.

Taken was enjoyable but it had a few flaws and it was like many dystopian books that are already out there. It didn't bring many new ideas to the table and it felt like I had already read something very similar to it. Taken would probably be a good book for people just starting to get into the dystopian genre.

Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Published: March 5, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 391
Series: Delirium #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

My Review: I was so nervous about starting Requiem because of all the mixed reviews I've seen for it. So many people were disappointed by it and I didn't want to be disappointed by it so I put off reading it for as long as I could. When I finally picked it up I finished it in a day. It definitely wasn't my favorite out of the series but I still really enjoyed it.

There will be a few spoilers for the first two books in the series so proceed with caution.

I forgot how easy it is to get lost in Lauren Oliver's writing. It's so beautiful that I almost finished the book in one sitting. I thought the alternating points of view would be kind of annoying since I was only interested in Lena at first but after reading a few chapters from Hana's POV I started to really enjoy it. I know that many readers really don't like Hana (and there's a good reason for that) but I actually really liked how she grew as a character.

My main problem with the book was Lena. I liked how she was no longer afraid of the disease and that she actually fought for freedom, but I couldn't stand her relationship with Julian. To me, Julian never had a chance once Alex came back at the very end of Pandemonium. But every single time something went wrong with Alex, Lena would go to Julian for comfort which isn't really fair to him since she was upset that she was no longer in a relationship with Alex.

I liked all of the other characters and I especially enjoyed the second half of the book. The first half of the book was mostly Lena and the group planning what they are going to do. The second half was them actually fighting for what they believe in so of course it's going to be more exciting.

There's a twist in this book, but if you've read the novella Hana then it isn't a twist. I haven't read the novella but someone told me what happened so I wasn't surprised by the twist, but that didn't bother me too much. The ending was left pretty open, but I actually liked that. I know many people were upset about the ending, but I like imagining what happens with Lena, Alex, Julian, and the others.

ARC Review: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
Published: March 1, 2013
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine
Pages: 304
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

A heart-stopping story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil.

The lush city of Palmares Tres shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Tres will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Pulsing with the beat of futuristic Brazil, burning with the passions of its characters, and overflowing with ideas, this fiery novel will leave you eager for more from Alaya Dawn Johnson.

My Review: I really wanted to love this book. A books set in a futuristic Brazil? Sounds awesome. Sadly I was not impressed by The Summer Prince.

The beginning was extremely confusing.Words like waka and grande were used and I had no idea what they meant. It isn't until later that I find out that wakas are mostly people younger than 30 and grandes are people older than 30. It took awhile to get used to the words that June used but after awhile I think I understood what they meant. There are still a few that I have no idea what they mean, but honestly I wasn't invested in the story enough to look them up (if they are real words).

The whole society and traditions were confusing to me too. Basically the government is run by mostly grande women that are called Aunties there are a few Uncles but they are only mentioned and play no part in the actual book. The reason the government is run by women is because "men destroyed the world" and according to the Aunties they never let go of power once they have it. A bit hypocritical since most of the Aunties have been in power for over fifty years and they are doing a pretty terrible job running their little government.

 I still don't understand why the summer king has to die. This is never explained, even at the end of the book. My best guess is that the Aunties and Queen don't want the King to gain too much power. I find it very hard to believe that a futuristic city that has some technology would sacrifice people, but that's probably because my English teacher likes to go on and on about how the world becomes less violent with each advancement. 

The characters were rather bland. I felt nothing for Enki, June, and Gil. If I'm told that Enki will die enough times then eventually I'll come to expect it and when it happens it won't be a shock or very emotional. All June seemed to care about was causing trouble and calling it "art". I'm not a fan of Enki or Gil and it probably didn't help that they fell in love with each other the first time they saw each other. June was the same way except she didn't act on it like Gil did. The love triangle was actually a triangle in this book so it didn't bother me too much, but I just couldn't get past the insta love.

There were a few parts in italics when Enki narrates the book, but it didn't really add much to the story and it came out of nowhere. At first I had no idea what was going on, I just knew that June wasn't narrating anymore. The transitions between scenes were very quick and most of the time unexpected. A month would pass in a page and June would suddenly be working on an art project with Enki. The next page she would be talking to Gil. I did not feel June's relationship with Enki develop in a natural way because of this and that really took away from the story.

The writing was very poetic at some parts and I could vividly imagine the scene. I loved the idea of a book set in a futuristic Brazil, but this book just didn't deliver for me.

*I received this book via Netgalley. Thank you!