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: Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
Published: January 17, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 468 (Hardcover)
Series: Carve the Mark  #1
Source: Library
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power — something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is the son of a farmer and an oracle from the frozen nation-planet of Thuvhe. Protected by his unusual currentgift, Akos is generous in spirit, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get this brother out alive — no matter what the cost.
The Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, and the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. Will they help each other to survive, or will they destroy one another?

Carve the Mark is Veronica Roth's stunning portrayal of the power of friendship — and love — in a galaxy filled with unexpected gifts.

Review: Mister Monday by Garth Nix

Mister Monday by Garth Nix
Published: July 1, 2003
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 361 (Paperback)
Series: The Keys to the Kingdom #1  
Source: Library
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

On the first day , there was mystery.

Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is, in fact, supposed to die an early death. But then his life is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. 

Arthur is safe - but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with bloodstained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back - even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him.

Desperate, Arthur ventures into a mysterious house - a house that only he can see. It is in this house that Arthur must unravel the secrets of the key - and discover his true fate.

Review: Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Published: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 352 (Hardcover)
Series: N/A
Source: Harlequin Teen Panel
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. 

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. 

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love. 

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way. 

Review: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Published: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 422 (Hardcover)
Series: The Grisha #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Hooked by Liz Fichera
Published: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 347
Series: Hooked #1
Source: Harlequin Teen Panel
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.

But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.

But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...

GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED.

My Review: This book was definitely not my type. It's not that it was completely horrible, but I don't seem to like books like this very often. Some people will love this book, but I just couldn't get into it.

For the most part the main character was alright, but her name was a bit annoying. Her Native American heritage and being really good at golf were basically the only things interesting about her. A few times she tried to make jokes but they just sounded forced. I didn't really feel anything for her even though I know that I should have felt sorry for her and proud that she could play golf better than the guys at her school.

I was not a fan of the other main character. He's the typical popular star athlete with the beautiful girlfriend. All Ryan does for a good part of the book is complain about how horrible his life is. He's friends with a guy that seems to always be angry and likes to hurt other people but of course Ryan doesn't realize this until more than halfway through the book. His angry friend, Seth put bricks in Fred's golf bag for one of the tournaments and Ryan knew about it but he didn't do anything about it until the last hole. He didn't even know Fred but he hated her just because she took Seth's spot on the golf team and she was the only girl on the golf team. How in the world did Fred fall in love with a guy like that?

It was very hard to tell when Ryan and Fred stopped hating each other. It just happened. I knew it was coming but I thought there would be a reason for the change. Ryan tried to be nicer to her after the incident with the bricks but that doesn't mean that should automatically fall in love. Ryan was still dating another girl when he asked Fred out. Even if his girlfriend was rude to Fred, he should have broken up with her before dating Fred.

Almost all the side characters had no depth to them. Especially Ryan's girlfriend Gwyneth. She was the typical bitchy girlfriend that is just there to be rude to the main character. Fred doesn't understand Gwyneth's problem with her and I don't either. Why would Gwyneth care if Seth was kicked off the golf team? Seth isn't her boyfriend. Is it because Fred is Native American? At least Seth has more of a reason to dislike Fred but that doesn't mean he should try to sabotage her chances at winning and threaten her. Ryan said that he didn't even like playing golf!

I'm sure than many other people will like this book but it just wasn't for me.

Review: AfterLife by S.P. Cloward

AfterLife by S.P. Cloward
Published:  September 11, 2012
Publisher: Self published
Pages: 179
Series: AfterLife #1
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Prior to recorded history, a small genetic mutation occurred that created a race of humans now found among every civilization in every corner of the globe. Unrecognizable to the rest of mankind but living among us and dependent upon humans for survival, this race is known as Mortui; those whose spirits do not sever from their bodies when they die. They are the source of all living dead legends.

At the time of his premature death, Wesley Lohmann discovers he belongs to this select group. Wes' transition plunges him into the center of a struggle between those who seek to coexist peacefully with humans and those who wish to use and rule them, a struggle that carries over into the treacherous world of dreams. The delicate balance human and post-human societies have maintained for millennial is threatened by a recent scientific discovery that offers Mortui the hope of returning to human life, and human sensation, but at a terrible cost. As he struggles with new and past relationships and tries to find meaning for his continued existence, Wes discovers within himself the true meaning of being alive.

AfterLife transcends the typical zombie or vampire genre and audience to present a plausible explanation of where such stories come from in an unsettling but believable way. Even those who usually shy away from this type of science fiction are falling prey to the “what if” question that makes this book so unique and is attracting readers who typically enjoy other types of fiction.

My Review: This was such a disappointment. The concept of Mortui living in the world without anyone knowing is something that I find fascinating for some reason. I'm not a fan of zombies but I'm always up for a unique twist on vampires. Sadly this book was just not for me.

The only part that I really enjoyed about the book was the unique take on vampires and zombies. The rest of the book was kind of boring. The very beginning of the book was interesting but once Wes became a Mortui the book slowed down. It felt like nothing was happening even though time passed very quickly. A good portion of the book was just info dumping and Wes being told that he was a good guy. I shouldn't have to be told repeatedly that Wes is a good guy his actions should show that.

Wes is a very average character. He is special but he is way too perfect for him to be likeable. Even when he did something wrong someone would tell him that he's a good guy and then he would move on. He would think about what he did for a little bit and then it was never brought up again. Obviously he wasn't too upset about it. Wes also didn't do very much for most the book. He went through training but the training parts were boring. Most of them consisted of everyone being impressed with Wes. The end was a little better but not by much.

I also don't understand why Wes likes Emily. Honestly I don't think I could ever see them together. To me their relationship was purely friendship. I don't remember when Wes fell in love with Emily but it felt way too sudden. Especially since he claimed that he was in love with Jez before he met Emily.

Some parts of AfterLife were also told by Seth. He was supposed to be the villain and normally I like villains but I hated him. I don't understand his reasons for doing what he did. I believe he wanted to gain power but why? Doesn't he already have power? Don't the Mortui have everything they could possibly ever want since they are immortal and powerful?

So obviously this book wasn't my cup of tea mostly because I was bored for most of it. There were many parts that I think were supposed to be meaningful but I found it annoying when Wes would point out that he was having a philosophical conversation. It was an interesting idea but if more had happened throughout the book I probably would have enjoyed it much more.

*I received this in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Published:  November 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 338
Series: Shatter Me #1
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Review: Oh this book. People seem to either love it or hate it. Unfortunately I thought that Shatter Me was ok at best mostly because of a few key things that can not be overlooked.

The writing
First the author would write something and then it would be crossed out. At first I thought it was fine but then it got extremely annoying when I was trying to figure out what Juliette really meant because most of the time the crossed out sentence or word was the opposite of what wasn't crossed out.

The other part that bothered me was that Juliette would repeat words three to five times in one sentence. I got it the first time and the repetition didn't really add anything to the story for me it was just there.
Oh and some parts of the book would not make sense. AT ALL.

"I touch the material. Decide I should probably say something. "It's very ... comfortable."
"Sexy."
I look up.
He's shaking his head. "It's sexy as hell."
He steps forward. Slips me into his arms.
"I look like a gymnast," I mumble.
"No," he whispers, hot hot hot against my lips. "You look like a superhero."

This is a joke right? Must be.

"My jaw is dangling from my shoelace."

When I read that I get this image of Juliette hanging from the ceiling by a shoelace. Not the prettiest image.

"I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder about how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.
I am a raindrop.
My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a concrete slab."

She wonders about raindrops...Why couldn't it just say It was raining?

"He leaves less than a foot of space between us and I'm 10 inches away from spontaneous combustion."

I'm not sure why I find this funny but maybe it's the fact that Juliette is describe herself ten inches away from spontaneous combustion. Those words are in no way romantic. I also find the fact that actual numbers are used instead of the actual words kind of annoying.

Predictable
I found this book so predictable. Juliette can kill someone just by touching them and then when she meets Adam she finds out that she can touch him after she falls in love with him. Wow I never saw that coming. Then she finds out that Warner can touch her too. Shocker.

Romance
I never felt anything for Adam and I never felt anything between Adam and Juliette and if Warner becomes part of this terrible love and makes it a love triangle I will throw the book across the room. I think that's all that needs to be said about the romance.

What I liked
When I first saw this book I wanted to read it. The words at the top of the cover MY TOUCH IS LETHAL MY TOUCH IS POWER caught my attention right away. Even the idea of someone who can kill just by touching something and without meaning to was different. But if the book isn't good then it can only get so many points for the idea. Oh and Kenji because he was the best character out of that book. 

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!

ARC Review: Shadowhunters and Downworlders

Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader 
by Cassandra Clare (Editor), Holly Black, Kate Milford, Diana Peterfreund, Sara Ryan, Scott Tracey, Robin Wasserman, Kendare Blake, Gwenda Bond, Sarah Rees Brennan, Rachel Caine, Sarah Cross, Kami Garcia, Michelle Hodkin, Kelly Link
Published: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Smart Pop
Pages: 256
My Rating: 2 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, epic urban fantasy set in a richly imagined world of shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and more, has captured the imaginations and loyalty of hundreds of thousands of YA readers. Originally a trilogy (City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass), the series has extended to six titles, plus a prequel trilogy, the Infernal Devices, and a planned sequel series, the Dark Artifices. A feature film is planned for 2013.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders, edited by Clare (who provides an introduction to the book and to each piece), is a collection of YA authors writing about the series and its world.


Authors Who Contributed:
Holly Black / Kendare Blake / Gwenda Bond / Sarah Rees Brennan / Rachel Caine / Sarah Cross / Kami Garcia / Michelle Hodkin / Kelly Link / Kate Milford / Diana Peterfreund / Sara Ryan / Scott Tracey / Robin Wasserman

My Review: So I think it's important to say that I am a fan of Cassandra Clare's books. No wait. I'm a just a little (ok a lot) obsessed with her books (mostly The Infernal Devices). But I didn't enjoy this at all.

Most of the essays were pretty boring. They just lacked the spark I was looking for. I'm pretty sure the only reason I got through this was because I just didn't want to study for midterms but after reading a few pages I would want to go back to studying so I guess that's not the reason.

The essays kept repeating things that were said in the essay before it. I get that there's character diversity. I get it! No need to say it in multiple essays. It was like my English class except my teacher is more interesting than these essays.

There was one essay that really didn't sit well with me and that was Kendare Blake's which is a shame since I really like her books (Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares). She tried to explain the incest part of The Mortal Instruments and how it wasn't actually that bad. Excuse me while I try to erase that from my mind.

I think that many of the essays are over analyzing the books and trying to find more meaning after they already found meaning. Out of all of the essays I think Michelle Hodkin's was the most insightful. While I was reading I never really thought about Simon being Jewish and what that could possibly mean but now I know.

Personally I wanted Cassandra Clare to explain they whys of her book. I was disappointed that The Infernal Devices were barely mentioned. I'm pretty sure Holly Black was the only author that brought it up. Out of all the authors Sarah Rees Brennan's essay was by far the best. It was funny and playful, instead of like a dull essay for school.

I'm not even sure if I would recommend this to a fan of The Mortal Instruments because I am a fan and I didn't enjoy it.

*I received this book via Netgalley. Thank you!

ARC Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
Published: January 29, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 304
My Rating:  2 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this additively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.

My Review: When I saw this book being compared to If I Stay I thought I would really like it since I loved If I Stay. This book was nothing like If I Stay. I'm not sure why it's being compared to it. I guess it's kind of like Bonnie and Clyde but a more toned down version.

I was very close to giving this book one star and I think two stars is a little generous but I think that the writing deserves some points. Alternating point of views are sometimes really confusing to read and sometimes the characters sound so similar that I can't tell which character is narrating but I think it worked pretty well in Nobody But Us. I wasn't a big fan of Will's point of view since he used words like "ain't" and "gonna" but at least I could tell when it wasn't Zoe's point of view.

That was the only thing I kind of liked about the book.

What really put me off was the romance. Will and Zoe's relationship was unhealthy. Over the course of the book Will beats up at least three people for Zoe. One of those people is her father. Now I understand that Zoe's father was abusive but if Zoe hadn't stopped him then Will probably would have killed that man. That all happened in the first or second chapter. 

At one point he beat up his friend because he didn't like what he was saying. Then later he beats up another person that was harassing Zoe but instead of asking if she was alright Will asks if she was flirting with the guy. He apologizes later for making her afraid that he might hit her because she flinched when he went to touch her. Then Zoe is sorry that she flinched when he went to touch her. 

Later in the book Zoe finally starts to have a backbone but then she hits her boyfriend that has anger issues and then she wants him to hit her. That is not a good relationship. People should not be hitting their boyfriend/girlfriend. Even though Will never hit Zoe I have no doubt that eventually he would hit her since his behavior has all kinds of red flags.

I also don't understand how Will and Zoe weren't caught while they were traveling. They acted so suspicious in restaurants and everywhere that they went. Zoe was practically clueless that the police would come after them. Their plan for when they got to Vegas had so many flaws that it was practically one giant hole.

I didn't really like the ending either since in Zoe's eyes Will is still perfect for her and she still believes her relationship with him was healthy. At one point I thought that Zoe would realize that she was just like her mother in almost every way but she kind of just avoids those kinds of thoughts.

I expected so much more form this book and it just didn't deliver. I thought I would be reduced to tears at the end because it was supposed to be "heartbreaking" but I felt relieved that it was over and that I wouldn't have to deal with Will and Zoe's messed up relationship anymore.

*I won this from a Goodreads giveaway.

ARC Review: Mystic City by Theo Lawrence

Mystic City by Theo Lawrence
Published: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 416
Series: Mystic City #1
My Rating:  2 of 5 star

Synopsis: For fans of Matched, The Hunger Games, X-Men, and Blade Runner comes a tale of a magical city divided, a political rebellion ignited, and a love that was meant to last forever. Book One of the Mystic City Novels.

Aria Rose, youngest scion of one of Mystic City's two ruling rival families, finds herself betrothed to Thomas Foster, the son of her parents' sworn enemies. The union of the two will end the generations-long political feud—and unite all those living in the Aeries, the privileged upper reaches of the city, against the banished mystics who dwell below in the Depths. But Aria doesn't remember falling in love with Thomas; in fact, she wakes one day with huge gaps in her memory. And she can't conceive why her parents would have agreed to unite with the Fosters in the first place. Only when Aria meets Hunter, a gorgeous rebel mystic from the Depths, does she start to have glimmers of recollection—and to understand that he holds the key to unlocking her past. The choices she makes can save or doom the city—including herself.

My Review: I'm getting so sick of books being compared to The Hunger Games. Especially when the only thing they have in common with The Hunger Games is that the book is dystopian. 

I have a lot of issues with this book but I think I'll start with the positives. First off I love the idea of this book. It was unique and it sounded like something I would really enjoy reading. I actually really liked Davida and I would have preferred to have the story from her point of view since she was the only character I actually cared about.

One of my main problems with this book was the main character. Aria was one of the most clueless main characters I have ever read about. She also doesn't make any sense. She's taught that mystics are evil people that can hurt her so what does she do when she meets Hunter? She feels completely safe with him and doesn't even think that it would be better if she ran screaming in the opposite direction. 

Aria's relationship with Hunter and Thomas was also strange. I know that she lost her memories but how she acted around Thomas was just plain weird. She was forcing herself to love him because her parents told her to. Even when there were clear signs that they were never in love.

The love letters that Aria found were ridiculously cheesy. Every single time she was with Hunter something cheesy happened. I can't deal with cheesy romance unless it is well done cheesy romance.

"A kiss that feels like it can change the world."
 Doesn't that sound a bit cheesy to you? 

This book was also extremely predictable. Nothing in this book surprised me at all. It took Aria almost the entire book for her to figure out something but it took me only a few chapters to figure it out. I made six predictions within the first couple chapters and at least half of them were correct. The fact that Aria can't make any connections and is so gullible was so frustrating.

I feel like this book would definitely appeal to Matched fans but since I am not a fan of that series this book just wasn't for me. It was way too predictable and no matter how much I tried I just couldn't like the characters. I will not be reading the next one even if the cover is as pretty as this one.

*I won an ARC of this from a giveaway at Written By Brittan. Thank you! 

Review: Reached by Ally Condie

Reached by Ally Condie
Published: November 13, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 384
Series: Matched #3
My Rating:  2 of 5 stars

Synopsis: All will be sorted.

Cassia's journey began with an error, a momentary glitch in the otherwise perfect facade of the Society. After crossing canyons to break free, she waits, silk and paper smuggled against her skin, ready for the final chapter.

The wait is over.

One young woman has raged against those who threaten to keep away what matters most--family, love, choice. Her quiet revolution is about to explode into full-scale rebellion.

With exquisite prose, the emotionally gripping conclusion to the international bestselling Matched trilogy returns Cassia, Ky, and Xander to the Society to save the one thing they have been denied for so long, the power to choose.

My Review: Oh this book. This took way too long to read. Want to know why? I was bored throughout most of it. Yes in the synopsis above it calls this emotionally gripping but I have failed to see what is so gripping about this book.

I think that you should know that when I read Matched about a year ago I actually enjoyed it and I don't even remember why. Then I read Crossed and I swear that book was one of the most boring books I've ever read. I don't even remember liking anything about that book except for the character who died. It seems like the interesting characters in not so good series always die or leave.

I think I'll stop there because this is a review of Reached not the entire series. This book was actually a little better than Crossed but not by much because it was still pretty boring. I actually liked one of the main characters. If Xander hadn't been there I don't know what I would have done. His story was so much more interesting than Cassia's and Ky's. I'm just done with Cassia and Ky. Completely done with them and their relationship. It seemed like every single time it was Ky's POV he was like I'm only doing this for Cassia, I don't think Cassia would like this if I do this, or I need to see Cassia. His obsession with Cassia was just plain annoying.

Then there's Cassia. I was always two steps ahead of her for everything. It was quite frustrating. It was also painfully obvious who Cassia would end up with. I figured it out in Matched.When Cassia and Ky meet up in the book it is like there's nothing between them! It was like I'm glad your ok and stuff like that. It was like they were friends.

The part about the Plague wasn't that bad until it mutated and all of the characters couldn't seem to understand that the cure had caused it. It made me want to shake them. There are also some unanswered questions that I want answers to. Who is the Enemy? Is it another country? I still don't know. At first I thought it was the Rising but it isn't. What are the Otherlands? Just somewhere else? Why is Cassia special? Seriously. Is it because she never took the green tablet? WHAT IS IT?

Also how in the world did Oker (that's his name right?) know that the cure wouldn't work and that the flower was actually the cure?

Is it bad that I'm actually happy about what happened to Indie? I thought she was just plain weird and well I can't think of the words to describe how I feel about her. I mean did anyone else find it really strange when Xander sees her and she tells him that he doesn't know her. That's a little weird and Ky and Cassia are always making excuses for her. She does something and they just say that's just Indie.

I feel like this book didn't go anywhere. I didn't feel anything for the characters. They were all terribly boring. The concept of this series is so interesting but with all the trying to be meaningful and poetic writing it was kind of lost.

I'm actually not surprised that I didn't like this book. I didn't like the one before this but for some reason I thought that this one might be better. I think I just needed to see how it ended.

Review: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
Published: October 23, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 464
Series: Hush, Hush #4
My Rating:  2 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Will love conquer all?

Nora and Patch thought their troubles were behind them. Hank is gone and they should be able to put his ugly vendetta to rest. But in Hank's absence, Nora has become the unwitting head of the Nephilim and must finish what Hank began. Which ultimately means destroying the fallen angels - destroying Patch.

Nora will never let that happen, so she and Patch make a plan: lead everyone to believe they have broken up, and work the system from the inside. Nora will convince the Nephilim that they are making a mistake in fighting the fallen angels, and Patch will find out everything he can from the opposing side. They will end this war before it can even begin.

But the best-laid plans often go awry. Nora is put through the paces in her new role and finds herself drawn to an addictive power she never anticipated.

As the battle lines are drawn, Nora and Patch must confront the differences that have always been between them and either choose to ignore them or let them destroy the love they have always fought for.

My Review: When I first saw this in the bookstore I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy it. It took a few trips to the bookstore before I convinced myself that buying Finale was worth it. Well I finally bought this book and I almost wish I hadn't. I had this feeling that I wouldn't like this series as much anymore. To put it simply, my tastes have changed.

In this book I did not like Nora at all. She made stupid decisions throughout the entire book. Her idiocy reached new highs. Nora keeps drinking this devilcraft even though she knows she shouldn't and she was offered an antidote. Then she's always complaining about how she has no idea what she wants to do and how she can't be with Patch and lead the Black Hand's army. I just wanted to yell at her to stop and actually try to come up with a plan.

Whenever Nora and Patch were together I knew that cheesy lines were coming. And the last line of the entire book had me slamming that book shut. The only character that I actually liked was barely in this book and then that character has to go and die!

There wasn't really any twists in this book either I totally knew what Vee was hiding as soon as she mentioned that she had a secret. Could it have been more obvious? The other "twist" wasn't very surprising either. I knew exactly what was going to happen as soon as this random lady started talking about Italians. That part really bothered me, but I don't think anyone wants to read that rant.

Then there's also Marcie. Now I don't know how I feel about this character, but what I don't understand is how she moved in with Nora. At the end Nora and Vee also mention that Marice passed away a few months ago and how only five people went to her funeral. I don't even remember why they both hated Marice so much. It was probably over something unimportant and childish. Dabria was also there and I actually have no idea why. Nora hates Dabria even though she's trying to help Nora, but Nora can't seem to let her grudge against Dabria die.

The book was pretty long and I was pretty bored throughout most of it. I don't even like Patch anymore. I remember when I first started reading this series I hated Scott (I don't even remember why) but now he's my favorite character

So I guess I would only recommend this to hardcore Hush, Hush fans. Anyone else probably wouldn't like this.

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Published: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 480
Series: Mara Dyer #1
My Rating:  2 of 5 stars

 Synopsis:
Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.
 
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
 
There is.
 
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
 
She’s wrong.
 
After Mara survives the traumatizing accident at the old asylum, it makes sense that she has issues. She lost her best friend, her boyfriend, and her boyfriend’s sister, and as if that weren’t enough to cope with, her family moves to a new state in order to give her a fresh start. But that fresh start is quickly filled with hallucinations—or are they premonitions?—and then corpses, and the boundary between reality and nightmare is wavering. At school, there’s Noah, a devastatingly handsome charmer who seems determined to help Mara piece together what’s real, what’s imagined—and what’s very, very dangerous.
 
This fast-paced psychological—or is it paranormal?—thriller will leave you breathless for its sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

My Review: I should know by now that I should stay away from books that everyone seems to love. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer wasn't creepy or really special. I find it disappointing when I read reviews about how creepy a book is and then I read it and I'm not scared. I guess I'm one of those people that doesn't get scared by books. Scary movies on the other hand freak me out. I wish it was the other way around.

So we have Mara Dyer and I didn't actually hate her. I hated how she was obsessed with Noah. She made crappy decisions too. Other than that I didn't mind her. Which is kind of a first. Normally I don't like the main character if they obsess over a guy in book.

Now my real problem with the book was Noah. I don't even know where to begin. First of all he has a British accent. Now I love British accents but in books? Not so much. There's no real reason for him to have an accent because the book doesn't take place in England. It was just there to make him more attractive. Then there's also the fact that he's slept with basically everyone at the school and he's loaded. So we have a rich British boy that's slept with everyone. He also can do whatever he want because everyone just loves Noah. He also follows Mara into the ladies room because he wants to ask her to dinner. You hear that guys? If you haven't followed a girl into the ladies room to ask them to dinner then you're doing it wrong. Noah is also a complete jerk most of the time. I just...how is that appealing?

Now as you've probably guessed Noah and Mara fall in love. Now I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it. Well actually I'm pretty sure that most of the time I didn't like their relationship. Mara spends most of her time trying not to hurt Noah and then at the end I could barely take her "I don't want to kill you so I can't be with you" talk with Noah. Oh but wait that's not even the best part. After that she wants to have sex with him even though she won't kiss him because she thinks that's safer.

 Then there's also the ridiculous lines in this book. That make me want to laugh and bang my head against the wall at the same time. Here's some examples:
"What could I say? Noah, despite you being an asshole, or maybe because of it, I'd like to rip off your clothes and have your babies. Don't tell."
and
"Let me guess. A certain unkempt bastard with a panty-dropping smile?"
A guy said the last one. I don't even know what to think of that.

Now there were some things that I did like about this book. Mara's ability is awesome and pretty original. The best part of the book would have to be the ending. I didn't think I would want to read the next book but after that ending I think I might have to.

Review: Hidden by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Hidden by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Published: October 16, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 320
Series: House of Night #10
My Rating:  2 of 5 stars

Synopsis: At last, Zoey has what she wanted: the truth is out. Neferet's evil has been exposed, and the High Council is no longer on her side -- but she's far from done wreaking havoc in the vampyre world. First, a mysterious fire ravages the stables. Then, Neferet makes a devastating move that will test them all.
With the seeds of distrust sown and Darkness breeding chaos at the House of Night, everyone must band together -- but that's proving to be more difficult than ever before. The twins are barely speaking and the House of Night's former enemy, Kalona, has now become their warrior, pushing their trust to the limit. To top it off, Zoey is pretty darn sure she might be losing her mind. She saw something when she looked at Aurox through the Seer Stone that she can hardly explain to herself, let alone her friends. Is it possible that Heath has come back in a different form? Is that why Zoey's so intrigued by Aurox, when it's so obvious that he's dangerous? And who would believe her if she told them? Zoey knows that following her instinct about Aurox might be just what they need to defeat evil . . . but if she's wrong, it could cause the destruction of those closest to her.
With the tension at a breaking point and friendships on the line, can the nerd herd come together to stop the spread of Darkness before it's too late?

My Review: I don't even know why I'm still reading this series. If this series isn't a guilty pleasure of mine then I don't know what is. I have this love-hate relationship with the House of Night series. Sometimes I love it, but other times I just want to throw the book across the room or bang my head against the wall. The series is ridiculous! I don't even know what the whole point of the series is anymore. 

Really the only characters I like in this series anymore are Aphrodite and Stark. Aphrodite makes this series bearable. She's also hilarious and so truthful. My favorite lines from the book are always by her or sometimes Stark.
But my absolute favorite line by her in this book is:
"Oh for shit's sake, who hasn't tried to kill you? Or Zoey. Or me for that matter. Get over it."

You think sooner or later everyone trying to kill Zoey would eventually succeed but no. Zoey just so special and she's chosen by the Goddess so there's no way anyone can kill her! Having Zoey die would definitely be a great twist and it would end her annoying narration. What is brown pop anyway?


Then there's the whole "everyone can choose the path they want to take" almost every other page. It was extremely annoying because that's been going on since...since Hunted or maybe since the first book. I don't even know anymore. BUT I GET IT ALREADY! Stop repeating yourself and get on with the book.


Both Erik and Heath need to go die or just move to the other side of the world where I will never have to read about them ever again. Heath needed to stay dead. I liked him better dead because he died honorably. Plus I really hate love triangles and I hope that Zoey doesn't try to date Heath again. Then the one time its from Erik's POV he's talking about how he can't stop looking at Shaylin's boobs and how her bra is pink with bows. That was just way to much information for me.


I swear nothing really even happened in this book. Zoey doesn't really do anything until the end where she saves her grandmother. I don't even know how this book took up about 300 pages.

The way Zoey talks is so childish and immature that it is hilarious. 
This is how she describes an evil girl:
"as in Nicole who was a super mean red fledgling"
She sounds like she's a little kid talking about a bully. How old is Zoey? Sixteen? Seventeen? I don't even know but she's not ten.

At least Shaunee and Erin are no longer twins. That was probably one of the best things about this book. Erin is more wild now that she's acting more like herself and Shaunee is just so much better without Erin acting as her other half.

There were some parts that I enjoyed about this book, but I think the negative out weight the positive. But I'm already ten books into this series so I need to know how it ends. So it looks like I'll be reading the next one. Please let it be the last one. Eleven books for any series is almost too many.