Review: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

Glass Sword (#2) by Victoria Aveyard (Feb. 2016)
444 pages
Genre: YA Other...
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: The library.
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | Amazon | The Book Depository
**This review may contain spoilers of the first book.
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.

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My Review

I had the hardest flipping time getting into this book. Did I end up liking it? Well enough. I just think I read it when I was in the complete wrong mood. I am a mood reader you know...

Glass Sword begins where Red Queen left off. It was exciting at first, but then I really had a hard time caring about what was going on. I don't know why, but my attention just wandered. I also got a tiny bit annoyed with Mare, who repeatedly reminds us that she has power over electricity. I hear you, Mare. I hear you. 

It took me three weeks to read Glass Sword. Three weeks. Once I hit the halfway point I really had to push myself to keep reading. Luckily the last 1/4 of the book was really good, hence where the three stars came from.

I know this is a very vague review and I am sorry for that, but I had a hard time with this one for who knows what reason and therefore am finding it hard to come up with words to describe my experience. 

I think that if you read and liked Red Queen you should give the sequel a try. You will probably like it. I think I may even read the next book because that ending was killer.

Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

The Taking (#1) by Kimberly Derting (April 2014)
368 pages
Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: The Library
Purchase: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Rating:

Goodreads Summary: A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas ’n’ Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn’t aged a day.

Everything else about Kyra’s old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men.

Confused and lost, Kyra isn’t sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin’s annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra’s father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?

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My Review

The cover of The Taking is what got me to read this book. It popped up on my radar and before I even read the synopsis I had decided I was going to read it. Then I saw who the author was and that further sealed the deal for me. When I read the synopsis I was a little hesitant since it didn't sound like something I would normally read, but I was already committed so I gave it a go.

The Taking ended up being an average read for me. I liked it, but nothing really unique stood out to me while reading. I liked the writing and the overall plot, but I think there were a few tiny plot holes that bothered me a little bit. I am kind of sad to report that nothing stood out to me while reading. There was just nothing overly memorable about it.

BUT I did like the characters a lot. They were cute and interesting. They seemed real and were very likable. The romance was a little weird, but I liked Tyler so much that I was fine with it. I did like all the interesting/cool things going on with Kyra's disappearance, and I did love the how the author decided to use the plot device of her not remembering a single thing that happened to her in five years. It made me very curious, exactly what I believe that the author was probably trying to get me to feel. 

Even though The Taking didn't blow me away, I still thought it was a good book. I do plan on reading the sequel at some point.

Review: Landry Park by Bethany Hagen

Landry Park (#1) by Bethany Hagen (2013)

384 pages

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopian

Publisher: Dial

Source: Ireceivedthis one for my birthday last year.

Purchase:Barnes and Noble|The Book Depository|Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Downton Abbey meets The Selection in this dystopian tale of love and betrayal.

In a fragmented future where the United States is ruled by the lavish gentry, seventeen-year-old Madeline Landry dreams of going to the university. Unfortunately, gentry decorum and her domineering father won't allow that. Madeline must marry, like a good Landry woman, and run the family estate. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers the devastating consequences her lifestyle is having on those less fortunate. As Madeline begins to question everything she has ever learned, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself and David at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty - her family and the estate she loves dearly - and desire.

MY REVIEW

I have the worst time writing three star reviews. I think it is because I don't feel strongly about the book one way or another, in this instance I just thought Landry Park was pretty good.

I can see why the blurb said this is a good book for Downton Abbey fans, but only in the sense that basic things are the same, such as there being a huge class issue (although we don't get to interact much between both sides), everything seeming to be about money, and that there is a house that is precious to our main character. Yet I still really didn't get any Downton vibes while reading, and if I am being honest this was one of the main reasons I picked up Landry Park to begin with.

Now I'll shine a little light on our somewhat forgettable main characters. Madeline is smart, yet spoiled.She is hard to connect with, but she is a decent MC. David tries to be the kind of bad boy that you are supposed to want but can't have, and yet he doesn't quite pull it off for me. I did however care about the people the gentry were treating so poorly.

Although Landry Park started out with an interesting mystery, it rarely managed to hold my attention on a constant basis while reading. I tended to run out of interest here and there and although Landry Park usually pulled me back into the story, I was sad that it wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be. On the other hand, the ending was a flurry of crazy and kind of messed up stuff, so I am interested to see what is going to happen next. Sign me up to read book two.

Landry Park isn't a bad book. It just wasn't exactly what I was hoping for. I could have used a little more action and some stronger characters that I could connect with.

Review: Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein (2013)
336 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Ireceivedit as a gift from a friend a long while ago.
Purchase:Barnes & Noble|The Book Depository|Amazon

Goodreads Summary: A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

MY REVIEW

Premeditated didn't turn out to be as great as the synopsis lead me to believe it would be so please excuse my very brief review.

What I Liked

• The first page. My thought after reading it: "Well... s***."
• There was an interesting family dynamic going on that I couldn't help but be drawn into.
• I liked the writing.
• The characters were all pretty good.
• I did like the dark humor.

What I didn't Like

• The big ending/reveal was soooo predictable. I figured it out when I couldn't have been more than half way done reading the book, I was actually probably only about 1/4 of the way through the book when I figured it out, I don't remember the exact point.
• I felt like Dinah was mostly all talk and no action, nothing like what the synopsis implies.

Bottom Line: I don't regret reading Premeditated and it wasn't necessarily a bad book, I just feel that the synopsis was a little misleading.

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: Withering Hope by Layla Hagen

Withering Hope by Layla Hagen (Jan. 19, 2015)

Genre: Adult/Contemporary Romance

Source: I received a free copy for an honest review for a tour from the author through the Xpresso Book Tours.

Purchase: Kobo | iBooks | Amazon

Synopsis: *This will be a STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE.*

Aimee’s wedding is supposed to turn out perfect. Her dress, her fiancé and the location—the idyllic holiday ranch in Brazil—are perfect.
But all Aimee’s plans come crashing down when the private jet that’s taking her from the U.S. to the ranch—where her fiancé awaits her—defects mid-flight and the pilot is forced to perform an emergency landing in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

With no way to reach civilisation, being rescued is Aimee and Tristan’s—the pilot—only hope. A slim one that slowly withers away, desperation taking its place. Because death wanders in the jungle under many forms: starvation, diseases. Beasts.

As Aimee and Tristan fight to find ways to survive, they grow closer. Together they discover that facing old, inner agonies carved by painful pasts takes just as much courage, if not even more, than facing the rainforest.

Despite her devotion to her fiancé, Aimee can’t hide her feelings for Tristan—the man for whom she’s slowly becoming everything. You can hide many things in the rainforest. But not lies. Or love.

Withering Hope is the story of a man who desperately needs forgiveness and the woman who brings him hope. It is a story in which hope births wings and blooms into a love that is as beautiful and intense as it is forbidden.

My Review

Withering Hope is pretty much your run of the mill contemporary romance, luckily with some splashes of unique color among its pages. It is mainly a romance novel with some survival stuff thrown in. My favorite part was reading about how Aimee and Tristian were trying their best to survive in the Amazon rain forest, which I could never imagine myself being able to do. There are many interesting scenes involving bugs, many animals, and hard to find water and food, but I would have liked to see even more.I also would have liked to see a little more comic relief thrown in, but I can understand why there wasn’t since the whole situation was serious, but it would have been nice.

Now let's talk characters. Aimee is a little hard to relate too, but a cute girl who may be a little annoying but handles herself pretty darn well in the wild considering she doesn’t even like camping. Tristan is the sexy pilot who is determined to protect Aimee at all costs since he sees a strength and kindness in her that he admires. Although the book is mostly told through Aimee’s POV, I like that we get snippets from Tristan’s POV here and there throughout the novel.The main thing, the romance, wasn’t as steamy as I would have liked it. I just felt a kind of disconnect with this coupling, I have no idea why.I was very happy to see that their relationship wasn’t insta-love. That was very nice. I was worried the minute they crashed Tristan would do something heroic for Aimee and she would immediately forget about her fiancé, but luckily that wasn’t the case. On the other hand, I still felt that the romance was unrealistic and a little forced.However, at the end of the novel I did finally feel something for them, they were cute. I can say that Tristan and Aimee do make a good team.

Although Withering Hope didn’t hold too many surprises inside its pages, I did take joy in reading it. I liked watching the closeness between Aimee and Tristan unfold while they tried to stay alive in the rain forest. I really loved the unique setting.

The Author

My name is Layla Hagen and I am a New Adult Contemporary Romance author.I fell in love with books when I was nine years old, and my love affair with stories continues even now, many years later.I write romantic stories and can’t wait to share them with the world.And I drink coffee. Lots of it, in case the photo didn’t make it obvious enough

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Two Random Very Mini Reviews: Poison Study & The Collector

Poison Study by: Maria V. Snyder (2007)
412 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Mira
Source: The Library
Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Choose: A quick death…Or slow poison...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

My Very Mini Review: I liked it. I liked it a lot. Yelena's story captured me from the beginning, but my favorite person was the very complex, very skilled, Valek. Both of these characters are worth meeting. This is a well written fantasy novel, it may not be as good as Throne of Glass, but it was good. It had its unique moments and I do plan on reading the next book.

The Collector by: Victoria Scott (Dante Walker #1) (2013)

352 pages

Genre: Romance/Supernatural/New Adult

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: He makes good girls...bad.

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

My Very Mini Review: The way Dante talks, his word choices, just wasn't my thing. It did grow on me a tiny bit, but for some reason it made it hard for me to take him seriously. I did find the book quirky and it had its moments. I just felt very hot and then cold toward the whole book. It just wasn't for me, but I can see why many others enjoy Dante and Charlie's story. I don't think I will be reading any more of these books, but I will continue to love and read Scott's Fire & Flood series.

ARC Review: Adrenaline Crush by: Laurie Boyle Crompton

Adrenaline Crush by: Laurie Boyle Crompton (Sept. 23, 2014)

192 pages

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Source: I received an e-ARC from the publisher through Netgalley. This did not affect my honest review. Thanks Farrar, Straus and Grioux and Netgalley!

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When a daredevil teen pushes herself too far, she must choose between two boys: the one who wants to keep her safe, and the one who dares her to return to her old self.

Seventeen-year-old Dyna comes from a family of risk takers and is an avid thrill-seeker herself, until the day she splinters her ankle in a terrible fall. Her whole life goes from mountain biking and rock climbing to sitting at home and attending group sessions at the bizarre alternative healing center that her hippie mother found. The boy who witnessed Dyna’s accident believes her injury is a wake up call and he encourages her mild new lifestyle, but a young Afghanistan War veteran she meets at the healing center pushes her to start taking chances again. Forced to face the consequences of her daredevil impulses, Dyna finds herself in danger of risking the one thing she’s always treated with caution—her heart.

My Review

Adrenaline Crush should have made my heart race. It’s just too bad it lacked the uniqueness and excitement I was expecting from the cover and the description of the synopsis to do so.

Adrenaline Crush is a good book, but it didn’t leave any lasting impression on me as a reader. I read about 100 books a year and Adrenaline Crush isn’t going to be one I’ll remember, it just didn’t stand out in the crowd. It was average.

I liked the main character, Dyna, a great deal. She is a crazy fun daredevil who must deal with a big change in her life after she splinters her ankle one reckless afternoon. Even though I liked Dyna, I couldn’t relate to her very well. I’m not an adrenaline junkie nor am I a daredevil in any sense of the word. I hope to one day maybe do some bungee jumping, but that is about it on my risk taking. I just don’t see the point. Now, I have absolutely no problems with people that love a good risk and are daredevils, it was just hard for me to understand Dyna because she seemed reckless to me.

I also liked the supporting characters in this story. Dyna’s parents are pretty sweet, and her older brother is very much an older brother. I even liked both of the main love interests in their own way, although I never really cared much about any of the romantic relationships that formed in this novel. I did however like Dyna’s support group friends.

Adrenaline Crush is really well written and I plan to give this author another chance to wow me, because I believe that she could have if only I would have connected more with the characters. The only other qualm I had with this book was that I also wasn't a big fan of the length of the novel. At only 192 pages I felt like the story was lacking sustenance, but at least it was a quick read. I love a good quick read when I'm having a busy week.

Would I recommend this book to my fellow readers? Sure. You may have better luck connecting with the characters than I did, and if you do, I think you would appreciate this book a great deal. It was a good book, it just didn't leave a lasting impression.

ARC Review: The Fever by: Megan Abbott

The Fever by: Megan Abbott (June 17, 2014)

320 Pages

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Genre: Horror

Source: I received an ARC of The Fever from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. Thanks Little, Brown and Company!

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: The panic unleashed by a mysterious contagion threatens the bonds of family and community in a seemingly idyllic suburban community.

The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hockey star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community.

As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security.

A chilling story about guilt, family secrets and the lethal power of desire,The Fever affirms Megan Abbot's reputation as "one of the most exciting and original voices of her generation"

My Review

I have such a wide range of feelings for this book, both good and bad. The Fever just didn’t turn out to be as awesome as the synopsis made it sound, and that was disappointing. It had its pros and cons but there is one thing I can say for certain, Abbott knows how to write a horror story that will give you the creeps.

When I first started reading The Fever I was utterly confused. The story is told from three different POVs, the teenage daughter Deenie, her dad Tom, and her teenage brother Eli. I didn’t realize this before starting, hence the confusion. Once I gained my footing I started to enjoy the different POVs from these family members. It’s just too bad the author didn’t use this uniqueness to its full advantage. I would have liked to really get to know Deenie’s family, but even with all the viewpoints I still never felt a closeness with them. My lack of connection and lack of strong feelings for any of the characters is one of the main reasons The Fever only received three stars from me. Not to mention that Deenie and her friends aren’t really nice people.

On a better note, Abbott sure can write. She continued to pull my attention further and further into the story even though I wasn’t connecting with the characters. I was fully emerged into the story of this community dealing with a mysterious outbreak affecting the health of its high school students. Once I hit at least the half-way point I just couldn't stop reading. I had to know how these kids got sick. I wanted to know all the secrets of the characters. Scratch that, I needed to know.

The one last big thing I want to comment on was the lackluster conclusion. After how invested and intrigued I became in the story I was very unsatisfied with how the book ended. The big reveal was nowhere near as exciting as I wanted or expected. It wasn't unique. It was actually just a little sad. I felt let down.

Although this book ended up being a little disappointing to me, I think fans of the horror genre would still appreciate Abbott's writing and the overall creepiness of the novel. One last thing, that cover is wonderfully and horrifyingly eye catching and it fits the novel perfectly.

Review: Hope's Rebellion by: Jade Varden

Hope's Rebellion by: Jade Varden (Dec. 2013)
169 ebook pages
Genre: Dystopian/YA
Source: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thanks Jade!
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Goodreads Summary: Their friendship will test the fabric of tradition, duty and destiny...

There are only two seasons in Godenor: summer and winter. Weather brings the only surprises to a society where everything is planned, and everyone's status is determined at birth...by the color of their hair.

Rinna has the right hair, Drexi the wrong, and Prelly is almost too ordinary -- in every way but one. Small mistakes bring them together, creating ripples in a pond that knows nothing but serenity. If they reach their goals, they can't help but shatter the world they know.

Love of any kind, even the bond of friendship, isn't allowed in their world...but then, the heart can't always follow orders.

My Review

Hope's Rebellion is a fresh take on the somewhat overdone dystopian genre. The world in Hope's Rebellion has its own little unique quirks and for being such a short novel it's also complex. How would you like to live in a world where you would be judged just by your hair color? 

Although it took me a little while to get used to Varden's writing style and the fact that there are no obvious breaks (like line breaks) between the different character's POVs, which was confusing at times, I did end up really appreciating Varden's story telling skills. Hope's Rebellion may not have blown me away, but I liked it just fine.

One big plus of Hope's Rebellion is that the plot is always moving forward, and at a good pace. I was always curious about the characters, history, events and everything else going on in the novel at all times, keeping my attention throughout the entire novel, even when I could see the twists coming in advance. Not to mention when the book really picks up speed near the end, I couldn't stop reading, even if the ending was a little eh. 

I loved that the book centered around three main opinionated female characters, Rinna, Drexi, and Prelly. I enjoyed watching these strong girls grow into even stronger women. They don't agree with how society tries to put them in certain categories/jobs and although it takes some longer than others, they fight back.  My favorite part about these characters is how they all end up meeting/connecting. I also liked how so many different types of relationships are dissected in this novel, from friendship to love and everything in-between.

Hope's Rebellion is a very quick read with three very tenacious young women at its core. I'm glad I gave it a chance, even if the cover doesn't do a whole lot for me.

Review: Obsidian by: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian (Lux #1) by: Jennifer L. Armentrout (2012)

Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Romance
335 pages

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

My Review

My initial knee-jerk reaction when I first started reading Obsidian: This is Twilight fan fiction where Edward is meaner and an alien instead of a vampire. It was so eerily similar, I would have made a list of comparisons, but I didn’t keep track while reading. It took a lot of effort to work past my initial judgment, but I eventually did and was able to sit back and enjoy the story for what it was. I guess since I read and heard so many good things about Obsidian I was hoping it was going to blow me away, but it didn’t, and yet I was engrossed in the story anyway. Not to mention, I’m going to read the next book, although I'm not sure if I will read past the second one yet.

The Characters

Katy – She is a book blogger, so I immediately liked her and could relate to her excitement over receiving books and getting posts up on time. She is kind of an introvert who tries to break out of her shell a little bit. She is cute and smart and not just a love sick teenager. She actually cares most about her friendship with Daemon’s sister, the only minor interesting character, more than Daemon.

Daemon – I didn’t like him at first, I actually straight up disliked him and I can’t even say for sure if he totally grew on me by the end of the book. Daemon is a straight up ass. I know he has some reasons behind why he is mean to Katy that make sense and that I can understand, but being straight up plain rude wasn’t necessary. He does sound pretty hot though. It’s weird how much I had a problem with him, considering I’m a fan of bad boys, but this one just wasn’t doing it for me. I did however loved his alien powers.

Daemon & Katy – I liked their very interesting and sometimes very comical with their banter relationship. They aren’t my favorite ship or anything, especially because of how much of an ass Daemon could be, but I do like them. The sexual tension scenes were really well written and I like that Katy isn't all "I totally don't care you are an ass, I love you anyway and want to be with you forever."

The Plot and Such

The overall plot among other things in Obsidian reminded me a great deal of Twilight, and as I mentioned before, this my friends bothered me. I have no problem with Twilight, I own the books, I’ve read them, it’s all good, but I was thinking this book would have been something more, and it was, but not by much. It seems with how many people loved this book I am in the minority here. I don’t know how the Twilightness of it didn’t turn more people off. There were so many scenes that screamed Twilight at me. I did however enjoy the pacing of the book, I read it from start to finish in no time. I thoroughly enjoyed the action scenes. Getting to see aliens fight in all their glory was pretty cool. Even though the plot was pretty basic and reminded me of Twilight, for some reason I'm still not sure about, Obsidian kept my attention from start to finish.

The Bottom Line

I enjoyed Obsidian thanks to its few redeeming qualities. Katy and her coolness, the times it made me laugh, and the steaminess made for an somewhat enjoyable read. I still can’t tell you why even with all the issues I had with this book I still enjoyed it as much as I did. It’s a mystery. Anyway, I guess I would recommend this book to fans of young adult sci-fi romance, but with a cautious warning that it is very similar to Twilight. 

Review: Defiance by: C.J. Redwine

Defiance (#1) by: C.J. Redwine (2012)

403 pages

Genre: YA/Dystopian/Fantasy?

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Source: The Library

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan--the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

My Review

Defiance is… well I’m not sure. It wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t all that good either, at least not to me. If you noticed under my genre listing at the top I added a question mark, because frankly I have no idea what genre this book is. I didn’t get a sense of the time period, I think it takes place in the future from little things that are mentioned, but I’m not sure because there is like a dragon type creature in it and there aren't any cars or cell phones. I think it is in the future though because of a bad war or whatever, therefore they had to revert to the old ways of doing things, I believe they mentioned something about running out of natural resources, but I can’t be too sure. Obviously I don’t know and you should probably just ignore this paragraph of my review all together.

I loved that this book had dual point of views between Rachel and Logan. I'm all about getting inside both the female and male minds of a romance. I really liked Logan and how good he was at technology things. I didn’t like Rachel all that much, she rubbed me the wrong way, and was sometimes just idiotic. Oh and although this doesn’t have to do with the characters that much, I want to point out that they tree-jump, like monkeys, it is weird, and I don’t know how or why they started doing this. Okay, maybe I just need more history on this world Redwine created and I would have enjoyed the book a lot more. The Commander is the evil villain in Defiance, and although he is down right evil and creepy, he wasn’t very complex, at least not that we know of as of the first book.

There were some good action scenes, but nothing epic until the end of the novel where it was just a flurry of activity, which I did enjoy.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like Defiance but there wasn’t anything too outstanding about it. I would have liked it better if it had some strong world building. I guess that was my main issue with the book. I notice a lot of people really like this series though, so don’t let my review stop you from reading it. 

ARC Review: Defy by: Sara B. Larson

Defy (#1) by: Sara B. Larson (Jan. 7, 2014)

336 pages

Genre: YA/Fantasy

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Source: Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of Defy. This did not affect my honest review.

Purchase: Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository | Amazon

Goodreads Summary: A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

My Review

When reading Defy there was one thing that kept popping up into my head, “this book is trying too hard.” Defy tries sometimes with desperation to be the next best young adult fantasy novel. Although it has its positive attributes, there are a good handful of negative ones that it brings to the table as well.

Alexa is a strong female who has to disguise herself as a boy in order to survive and the prince is dreamy, but all the characters seem to fit into a stereotypical fantasy character mold, making none of them really all that unique. Even though the synopsis warns us of a love triangle I was hoping it wouldn’t bother me, but it wasn’t thrilling like the synopsis promised.

There are some cool magic and sword fighting scenes that lived up and somewhat surpassed my expectations, but those were the only real highlights of Defy. Sadly the whole book was pretty predictable and just seemed like it was trying too hard to win my attention. Not to mention that a few of the plot points seemed to make no sense to me and it felt like the author just added them in there for conflict or for whatever reason, but it just didn’t work.

Even though Defy wasn’t an epic fantasy, it still held my attention and I will probably read the second one, although this one ended okay if it were a standalone. Therefore, I guess I don’t know if and to who I would recommend this book to. If you are a big fantasy novel fan, I feel like you wouldn’t like this one as much since it doesn't add anything really new to the genre, but then again you never know. I guess I will just have to sign off by saying that if you skip past this one it wouldn't be a huge loss.    

Review: Dance in Shadow and Whisper by: Sarah Godfrey with Victoria DeRubeis

Dance in Shadow and Whisper by: Sarah Godfrey with Victoria DeRubeis (2013)

363 pages

Genre: Supernatural/Vampire/Demons

Source: The authors gave me a free copy of their book for my honest review. Thanks you two!

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Kali unexpectedly discovers on her first day of human high school that she’s forbidden to eat or partake of the toilet during class time, the assigned history and species books look best on the shelves of popular fiction, and the boy she’s watching over is definitely a reincarnated war lord.

The highest powers of Kali’s people and the highest powers of Yuuhi’s people, irreconcilable enemies, designated them to find proof that Jason is, in fact, the reincarnated Ares.

All Yuuhi sees in Jason is the typical scrawny, socially inept emo kid dressed in conflicting shades of black. But Kali sees that Jason’s shadow is bigger than he is, and if the powers of Yuuhi’s people find out, Jason won’t be human much longer.

The desire to protect him from an unexpected visitor brings out her most dangerous sides. Something’s changing in her, something she can’t control, and she’s not afraid of Jason mutating into a creature of the shadows more than she’s afraid she’s becoming something even worse.

And the highest powers will be watching her.

My Review

     

What did I just read? No seriously, I’m totally confused. Dance in Shadow and Whisper is an enjoyable read and is a novel with an interesting take on vampires and demons, but it had my head rolling at times. I enjoyed the story and there were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, but I can’t for the life of me truly figure out exactly what I just read. I was a little bit confused for pretty much the entire book. Maybe I’m just a little slow, but I’m thinking it’s because things at times aren’t explained overly well in the book. So as I sit back and continue to scratch my head I’m going to tell you what I thought of the book to the best of my ability. 

The characters all around were the strongest part of Dance in Shadow and Whisper (besides the awesome cover of course). Each one was complex, intense, crazy, unique, and out of this world. I love the importance of family and friends in this novel and how Kali and her brothers interact. If you are hoping for a romance there isn’t really one. I didn’t mind this of course, it was a nice vacation from the norm. We get a lot of different POVs in this book which at first turned me off, but then I got used to it and was actually glad because it shined some light on different happenings in the book which helped me battle my confusion problem.

The plot was kind of hard for me to follow, not the overall big picture, but the little details. The world building just wasn’t that spot on and everything seemed to be made more and more complex in a not so great way as the story continued along. I did immensely enjoy several different scenes that were creative and well written, especially whenever Kali was at school trying to be normal, these sences may have made the whole book, but some of the scenes were also a little boring for me. I do however want to emphasize that when I finally got about half way through the novel I couldn’t put it down. It was intense, less confusing, and full of action. It just made me a little sad that it took me half the novel before I started loving Dance of Shadow and Whisper.

Right now this e-book is 99 cents on amazon and I’d say to give it a shot if you are a fan of supernatural books with a lot of crazy stuff going on. I’m not sure I would technically classify this as young adult due to the big amount of curse words and other small things. I can however say with certainty that I will probably read the second one because the ending is a huge cliffhanger and I'm thinking the next book will be easier to understand and faster paced. 

Review: The Contaminants by: Devin K. Smyth

The Contaminants (#1) by: Devin K. Smyth (2013)

155 pages

Genre: Young Adult/Sci-Fi

Source: I received a free copy from the author for an honest review.

Purchase: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When America attempts to "purify" earth to maintain its own dominance, it sparks a worldwide nuclear holocaust. Teen friends Jessil and Soraj are among the few survivors. They escaped on a cruiser that now orbits the planet and is designed to help regenerate the earth's ecosystem. Soraj’s father leads the regeneration process and is hopeful that he can salvage a region in North America for the cruiser’s return.

But when Jessil discovers a message indicating her own father may have survived the holocaust back on earth, she’s determined to rescue him immediately with Soraj's aid. Can they succeed even though the planet they return to is very different from the one they left—and that their success could mean failure for the regeneration process?

My Review

I was finding it hard to write a review for The Contaminants and I’m not sure why. It was a pretty good book but I’m thinking it was just a little too crazy for me. So here is a breakdown of the different parts of the book and what I thought of them.

Setting: Part of the story takes place on a cruiser in space and the other part takes place back on Earth after a worldwide nuclear holocaust. The descriptions in this book were very well done. The setting was unique and complex. I loved reading about the space cruiser where the few people that escaped Earth resided and how it was falling apart and yet was originally built to be something amazing. The descriptions of the desolate Earth were also great. Smyth did a good job at painting the reader a vivid picture of what the new barely inhabited, except for some strange and crazy creatures, Earth looked like.

Characters: There are two POVs in this book. One is from Jessil, a teenage girl who boards the cruiser at the last minute while her father gets left behind on earth, and Soraj, a young man who is a geek and has an overly strict father. I enjoyed reading the story from Jessil’s point of view the most. She had the perfect female teenage voice and it just worked. When Soraj was narrating I felt more disconnected and didn’t really like his tone. It just seemed off. I wasn't a fan.

Plot: I would say that The Contaminants is a hard core science fiction novel for young adults. The plot was fast paced and well thought out. There were a couple of minor plot holes/unanswered questions that I picked up on while reading but nothing major. The main problem I have with the plot is how crazy it is and just way too unbelievable for my tastes. I know it is science fiction but I just couldn’t grasp the whole idea of the worldwide nuclear holocaust and the idea that one scientist could come up with a way to regenerate earth’s plants and animals and ecosystem and pretty much everything. It was just too far-fetched for me. I guess for me to enjoy a book more I need there to be just a tiny chance that this could actually happen in the future when Earth is the setting. I hope that made sense. Also a quick heads up, pay attention to the date/time stamp at the beginning of each chapter or you are going to get confused.

Overall I think that The Contanimants is a pretty good science fiction novel for young adults. It just was a little too crazy/far-fetched for my tastes, although I will say that it is pretty unique. It was a quick read and full of great descriptions. I think readers that are more into science fiction than me will enjoy this.

Side Note: I think the cover doesn't do this book justice. It could have been better executed.

**Thanks to the author for a fee copy of this book for an honest review.

My Rating: 2.5-3/5