Tori's Review: Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Series: Everneath #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Rating: ♚♚♚♚½
Pages: 370
Published by Balzer + Bray on January 24, 2012
Amazon | B&N

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned-to her old life, her family, her boyfriend-before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance-and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

The first thing that really stood out in this book to me was the world-building. Ashton was able to create a world that felt real even when it wasn't. The mythological aspect in this was super fascinating, and I loved how Nikki was submerged into the world of the Everneath. Her interactions with the characters in the story were realistic and didn't seem forced at all.

The only person in this book that I didn't like was Jules. She just didn't seem as genuine and as real as Cole and Jack were. She felt more as a person who was there just to move the pace along. This wasn't a big deal, but I think it's important to mention. She ended up being more a nuisance more than anything.

Personally, I'm more toward Jack in this book. Cole doesn't seem like the type of person that one can depend on. He doesn't seem committed to anything other than himself. He's such a stereotypical bad boy, too. Although I'm more toward Jack, I'm still not in love with Jack nor do I love him. I think the only reason I couldn't give this book a full five stars is because I'm not completely convinced that I need to be in love with these characters. They seem real and all, but I just haven't formed an emotional connection to them (yet).

I have to admit that I do personally really enjoy that Jack never gives up on Nikki. It's sweet, and I loved that about him. I suppose Cole doesn't really give up on her either, but in a different sense.

I think Aston created the perfect atmosphere for this book with her writing. She really set the tone as mysterious and borderline fantasy, which I love. For some reason, I particularly enjoy urban fantasy, so this book was perfect for me.

This book is mostly romance and relationships, so I was extremely happy when the romance didn't outside and block the plot. That just didn't happen, and I loved that about this book. I honestly tried to find something that I hated about this book and couldn't stand.

I came up blank. I recommend this book to nearly anyone. I think so many people will enjoy reading it.

Lindsay's Review: My Life Next Door (My Life Next Door #1) by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
Series: My Life Next Door #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚
Pages: 394
Published by Dial Books for Young Readers on June 14th, 2012
Amazon | B&N

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

I loved this book. Loved, loved, loved. I was a little cautious at first because the premise of the-boy-next-door is always overused and the same, but My Life Next Door is nothing like that.

Samantha's mother is running for a political position and urged Samantha to keep two jobs all summer to keep herself busy while her mother is working late and her sister is on vacation. With so much time alone, Sam builds a relationship with the family next door who make her feel like she belongs, instead of being second to her mother all the time.

As a main character, I sympathize with Samantha and was happy with how real she seemed. I felt like we connected and I honestly felt her emotions throughout the book. The only thing I struggled with was how she reacted to her mother because I am so outspoken that I was practically screaming at the page for Sam to freak out.

And then there's Jase. As a romantic interest, he is so perfect. And it's not too perfect either, when the plot comes into play. I think that's why I loved him so much was because he was actually an amazing guy to Samantha, and didn't do anything wrong like in other stories of the like.

So many things happened in this book that kept me prolonging my real life. I really don't have anything bad to say and to gush would be to reveal too many spoilers. Have you ever read a book that you just felt happily speechless about? This is that book for me.

Originally I thought My Life Next Door was a standalone, and it ended so well that I was okay with that. And now that I realize it's a  series, I'm unsure of how to feel. I don't want the second book to be disappointing after such an amazing opening novel because it will ruin it. It was a fantastic standalone book and now I'm skeptic about how Fitzpatrick will follow.

 

Lindsay's Review: Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Series: Caster Chronicles #4
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Rating: ♚♚♚
Pages: 456
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on October 23rd, 2012
Amazon | B&N

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

When I first picked up the first book in the series from the library, I absolutely loved it. So much so that I ended up buying the book and continuing reading the series over the last few years. Before I get into it, I just want to let you guys know that there are major plot spoilers ahead.

The Plot: After jumping off the water tower to save all the people he loves, Ethan Wate is stuck on the other side, unable to return back to Lena and his remaining family unless he erases his page in The Caster Chronicles. He must complete the tasks at hand to get to the book and back in Gatlin, Lena must help him the best she can.

Honestly, it took me a while to get around to this book. First was because it was hardcover and I was not paying a hardcover price. But eventually I saw it soft cover and on a book buying spree, decided to complete the series on my bookshelf and finally read it.

I didn't reread the series before getting to Beautiful Redemption, and as much as I hate to say it, I didn't remember much of what had happened except for some key parts in the first book. And though it was a good read and a good end to the series, I just wasn't feeling the book. I've tried all day to think of reasons why but all I can come up with was that it didn't really end with a bang. A lot of the things that happened seemed un-character-like, and on top of that there was Lena's perspective for a third of the book and it was more interesting then the entire Ethan parts.

I just felt kind of

throughout the book.

And on top of that, the main bad guy, Abraham, dies. After all the crap he caused for them and how powerful apparently he is, you would think there would be some big fight with hardships and loss and all that. But no. Link kills him with garden sheers. Link. With gardening equipment. Are you serious? For such an antagonist and all the big fights with him throughout the series, he just dies the stupidest of deaths. I was actually yelling at my book. It feels like the authors just didn't want to deal with him anymore and killed him off in the easiest way possible.

I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly love it. It was a thorough ending to a good series, and I'm glad I finished it.

Tori's Review: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2) by Richelle Mead

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #2
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampires
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 418
Published by Razorbill on June 12, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

NOTE: Thank you, Lindsay, for sending this to me for Christmas! You're such a doll. Also, if you haven't read book one, Bloodlines, then go read that now. This review will have spoilers for that book as well as spoilers for Vampire Academy, the six books preceding this series. So yeah. Go read all that before reading this review. Or go and read my Bloodlines review!

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, but you already knew that. Sydney Sage is a smart***, but you probably already knew that, too. Sydney Sage is doubting her Alchemist heritage, but you--oh, wait. You didn't know that, did you? Well, now you do.

There were two aspects of this book that made it an extremely enjoyable 400 pages: Adrian and Sydney's doubt and Syndrian. In the first book, Bloodlines, Sydney is a blind follower. She does everything the Alchemists tell her to do without question, without research. The only reason she does what she does is because the Alchemists tell her to. She is their lap dog. It was annoying. I like strong leads that know what they want and go and get what they want (even if I'm so not like that in some cases). I was happy to find out that Sydney is no longer that annoying lap dog in The Golden Lily! She learns that not everything is what it seems and that, yes, the Alchemists are capable of lying to her. In other words, she grows a backbone.

Like I said, Adrian is one of the reasons this book was extremely enjoyable. This is true. Very true. Like I said in my Bloodlines review, Adrian is a very fleshed out character in my opinion. There are a couple instances where he says things that seem out of character, but maybe that's just how he is. I don't question it. It must be his spirit. But I still stand by my words when I say that Adrian is very prominent, and I'd know that it was him talking without a speaker tag attached to the end of the quote. Even in the Vampire Academy series Adrian was one of my favorite characters. It's no different in the Bloodlines series.

But Dimitri was my all time favorite in the Vampire Academy series, and now he's not really my favorite anymore. I don't know if it has to do with the fact that he's kind of pompous in The Golden Lily or if he's just too stoic for me...but I just didn't like him all that much. Dimitri seemed pretty dull and he lacked substance. I'm actually starting to wonder what I saw in him when I was reading the first series. His fighting skills? His (literary) good looks? His...in-love-ed-ness with Rose? I don't know. All I know is that at the end of Bloodlines I was really happy to see him, but halfway through The Golden Lily I stopped caring that he was around.

I did like most of the characters in this book though. Even though Dimitri was dull and lacked substance as a secondary used-to-be-main character, I didn't hate him. I didn't hate anybody really except Brayden. At first, I thought, "Oh, cool name! Sydney finally gets a date! She's just practicing for Adrian, yeah?" but that was before I realized how boring Brayden really is. He's just like Sydney in academic terms, but he's just so boring. His words could put me to sleep. And his first kiss with Sydney was just awkward and weird and just no. I did not like them together whatsoever.

I have to admit that this series really isn't as good as the Vampire Academy series. I think part of it--okay, a lot of it--has to do with the fact that I'm not a big fan of Sydney. She's just...finicky and I don't really know what to make of her. She's depicted as being so brilliant and smart, but she misses the simpliest things. The plot is so predictable, just like it was in Bloodlines, and it's hard for me to believe that someone so smart like Sydney could just let all those signs breeze over her head. She's not very aware of her surroundings, and I think that if it weren't for Eddie or Dimitri (maybe even Adrian?) then she'd already be dead.

But the ending. Just. That ending. I really can't even talk about how torturous that ending was for me. I read it, but I had to pause mid-way because I was just like, "This is so not happening. It's so not happening," and I took a break. I just set the book down and took deep breaths for a good five minutes before finishing the book. The ending was just so painful.



I will. I will drown with Syndrian if that's what it takes to get those two together. I heard The Indigo Spell, the next book, is a lot better than the first two, and that there's more Syndrian! I'm really hopig there is because I can't stand to see my Adrian being so sad. It's painful. I'm just so glad that I already have The Indigo Spell. I need to order The Fiery Heart. Like right now. I might die if I don't. I hope that Barnes & Noble shipping thing really is three days or else I will flip out.

Despite the fact that I just pretty much pointed out everything that bugged me about this book, I actually really liked it. A lot. I liked this book a lot. Or maybe I just liked Sydrian a lot. Who knows? I still think this series is a must read if you've read Vampire Academy.

"He shouldn't have said that," repeated Adrian, eerily serious. He leaned his face toward mine. "I don't care if he's not the emotional type or the complimentary type or what. No one can look at you in this dress, in all that fire and gold, and start talking about anachronisms. If I were him, I would have said, 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'"

You may now swoon.

You might also like:

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Tori's Review: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Horror
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 296
Published by Balzer + Bray on September 18, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

SHHHH! Don't spread the word! Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island. You do NOT want to miss it.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Ten is about a group of ten teenagers that find themselves on a remote island with a killer in their midst. After watching a creepy video on the night of their arrival, teen after teen starts to get killed off in brutal and specific ways. After our protagonist, Meg, finds a journal of a dead girl, she realizes that the murders follow a pattern. After discovering the pattern, it's a race against time to rat out the murderer...before they're all dead and gone with no witnesses to find the killer.

This book was very suspensful. I read it on the way to my volleyball tournament, and it was definitely a way to get me on my toes...and to freak me out. The deaths aren't exactly graphics, but they're described enough to make my stomach churn. It sort of creeped me out how these teenagers (mostly Meg and T.J.) weren't really affected by all the death going on. It seemed as though their philosophy was, "Keep Calm and Carry On." I can't decide if I didn't like this about the book or if it was just something that I noticed.

As far as plot goes, this plot was amazing. I couldn't guess the killer. I really couldn't. Up until the very end, I thought I knew who it was, but I always changed the suspect. The fact that it was so hard for me to determine who the killer was shows that either (a) this was a good book or (b) I'm just stupid when it comes to this stuff. But regardless, there were so many twists and turns that I never suspected who it was by the end of the book. This is honestly the first mystery book that I've read that isn't paranormal that I haven't guessed the ending. Congrats, Ten.

Meg, at first, is super annoying, but as the book goes along I grow to like her more, and I want her to survive. Honestly, everyone else can go die. I was alright with Ben, and T.J. wasn't too terribly annoying, but I didn't like Minnie, and I didn't really have time to get to know the other characters in order to form an attachment to them. Hilariously, at first I thought Nathan was some super nerd, but turned out he was really popular? Goes to show how sucky I am at remembering character discriptions. I've just read so many of them. Anyway, Meg was really just a big pushover. The fact that Minnie basically ruled her life turned me off at first, but Meg grew on me. Minnie didn't.

I have to admit that the romance was a bit dry between Meg and T.J. T.J. was awesome and all and he seemed like a pretty solid dude, but I wasn't shipping them at the end. Honestly, I don't even know what makes a good romance, but I just know when I don't like a particular relationship. One good thing between the two of them though was the fact that T.J. came across as a real dude. Most guys in stories will be like "oh my god I've loved you forever I'm sorry I was such a jerk to you but I've realized the err of my ways now." Like yeah not buying that. I mean, T.J. was a bit sensitive, but it was reasonable. (Except the end when...you know. Yeah. I'm just saying I would've saved my own butt before a guy that rejected me.)

Ten really reminded me of Shark Night 3D except the book was actually scary. (Sorry, but the movie was just laughable. Utterly and positively laughable. I'm sorry if you loved it. The premise was just...kind of hilarious?) The basic plot of both the book and movie: teenagers go to island; teenagers have fun; teenagers die; two teenagers left; teenagers escape but now are in love. (I think they fall in love by the end of the movie. It's been three years.) But yeah. Pretty similar, right? I already heard that Ten was eerily similar to And Then There Were None. Considering I've never read this book (I plan on it), I didn't have a problem with Ten being so similar. I'm sure I'll have qualms once I read And Then There Were None though.

Reading this book has definitely encouraged me to read more thriller/horror books this year. I kind of like being scared, which is hilarious because I hate horror movies. I absolutely cannot stand them.

In conclusion, this was an interesting read. I'll definitely be checking out Gretchen McNeil's other books, because I liked this one a lot. I wouldn't go to say that I loved it because there were still faults, but I liked it enough to give it four stars! I think that this was a good book to read to break me into the YA horror/thriller genre. I'm really glad that I picked this up and decided to read it!

Oh yes and I love the cover. It's so simplistic and dark and just wow I love it.

"But the killer's still out there. He could have climbed out through one of the bedroom windows. She's not safe."

T.J. shrugged. "She's the one with the gun."

Tori's Review: Precious Blood (The Blessed #1) by Tonya Hurley

Precious Blood by Tonya Hurley
Series: The Blessed #1
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Rating: ★★
Pages: 405
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers on June 25 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is beyond belief.

Lucy, Cecilia, and Agnes find themselves in the emergency room of a Brooklyn hospital at their lowest points. All are rebels running from their lives and themselves, plagued by broken hearts and broken dreams.

Enter Sebastian: mysterious, compelling, seductive.

He brings each of them what she longs for...but in the battle for his heart, will the girls lose their souls?

I won this book in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway! Thank you, Goodreads, for hosting it.

Precious Blood actually has a really interesting premise. It's just the characters that really got to me. I firmly believe that most of the events I hated in this book were because of the characters, not the plot.

This book centers around three girls--Lucy, Cecilia, and Agnes--who all have issues one way or another. Either they're an unloved celebrity, a broke rock star, and a suicidal hopeless romantic. I'm pretty sure this book has it all. And that's almost not a good thing in this book's case. These three girls all end up in a hospital one night because somehow their issues got the best of them. It's there that they all find matching bracelets that eventually lead them to a church where they meet a hot stranger that they really shouldn't have fallen in love with because he's a two-timing (whoa, three-timing) jerk that only wants them because they're "special." Let's not emit the fact that he doesn't tell them why they're special until they're practically killed in a basement underneath a church.

This is going to be a bad review, so I'm going to start by pointing out the good things that I liked about this book before I dive into the parts that weren't particularly for me. I think there's honestly only one thing that I liked: the plot. The idea of reincarnated saints was something that I found interesting. The pace of the book, although a bit slow at first, wasn't horrendous either. Rough around the edges, yes, but it could've been much, much worse.

Sadly, that's the extent of my like. The only reason I didn't give this book one star was because it wasn't horrible. It was just ridiculous. (Be prepared for a lot of quotes. I took notes on this book. Then again, I took notes for all the books I read over Christmas break.) "You will catch your death out here." Cecilia says this. Let me just point out that Cecilia is the broke rock star that spends her time on the streets hanging out with a stoner that writes some of her songs. She's also a high school drop out. Not only would Cecilia not talk like that, but nobody would talk like that. "You will catch your death out here? No. I just...no.

...Agnes piped up. "But what about what he said? About [the bracelets] leading us here?..." You know, that's real funny, because I don't even remember Agnes being in the scene where Sebastian told Cecilia and Lucy that the bracelets led them to the church where he was staying during the storm. It was little things like this that just irked me. I'm very particular. I notice when little mishappenings occur. I think Agnes as a whole just annoying me though. She always looked at Cecilia sympathetically. If you've read this book, you would know that Cecilia is not a victim whatsoever. She's tough. I think she can handle Lucy saying a few mean words to her.

Oh, and Lucy and Cecilia, man. They were always at each other, usually because of Sebastian. I mean, you two just met the guy. There is not claming or dibs on this one. He is a strange man in a church that is pretty much creepy as hell, and you're still pining and fighting over him? This leads me into another thing that I hated: the instalove between Sebastian and the three girls. They were in the same vicinity for three days and all of a sudden the three girls were in love with Sebastian. I don't know if this had to do with their saint bond or whatever, but it was annoying. I hate instalove.

Oh, I found another mishappening. "No," Agnes said again, this time with no conviction. Agnes never said 'no' the first time. By using 'again,' it's implied that this is the second time Agnes has done such-and-such, except she really didn't. Agnes said 'no' one time and that's all. Like I said, little things like these, I notice them and they get to me.

(And out comes my grammar side.) First, 'off of' is not a grammatically correct phrase. It never was and it never will be. Stop trying to make it happen. And why is the word 'dumpster' capitalized? Unless it's a company that creates dumpsters, then dumpster should not be capitalized. It is an improper noun. It is not a proper nown. It should be lowercase.

I hate how all the girls are so conceited! Like, you three are not God's gift to this Earth so stop acting like it!

There was one line that is just a no-no. The psychiatric floor Perpetual Help also happened to be the highest floor. "The Penthouse," as the ward staffers liked to euphemize it. At that moment, all Agnes could think was that it was a pretty good place to jump from, which might have been what the administrators had in mind when they moved the unit up there. The simplest cost-cutting measure of all. I'm sorry, but that is just wrong. You do not joke about jumpers especially after you just slit your wrists. Just...no. I take it back; I'm not sorry. That's just so wrong to joke about.

There was one scene where Cecilia took a gold charm on her bracelet and used it as a pick for her electric guitar. I'm going out on a limb here so if I'm wrong don't kill me, but I don't think that gold charms work for guitar strings, especially electric guitars. I have both, electric and acoustic, and I've tried to use a multitude of items to strum, but the only item that works is a guitar pick and my fingers. All the other items either (a) break or (b) make a horrible noise. I just don't see how using a gold charm would work.

I don't know. There were just so many things in this book that got to me. I'm really starting to lean toward one star, but I didn't not (again with the double negatives. I use these a lot in my reviews) enjoy it at all. I have to admit that there were parts that caught my interest. I wouldn't really recommend this book to anybody. I know that's horrible to say, but I just really wouldn't. I wouldn't say it was a waste of my time, but it's simply not a book that I will be reading again or reading the sequel to. I don't want to read it if I don't think I will enjoy it, because although I'm good at nitpicking books, I don't enjoy giving bad reviews. It makes me feel like a bad person.

If you want to read this book, get it at the library. Then if you like it (quite a few people do!) then you can buy it. Precious Blood just wasn't for me.

"Without dreams, there are only nightmares, Doctor."

You also might like: 

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Tori's Review: The Diviners (The Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Series: The Diviners #1
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Rating: ★★
Pages: 578
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on September 8th, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City—and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It’s 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.

Evie worries he’ll discover her darkest secret: a supernatural power that has only brought her trouble so far. But when the police find a murdered girl branded with a cryptic symbol and Will is called to the scene, Evie realizes her gift could help catch a serial killer.

As Evie jumps headlong into a dance with a murderer, other stories unfold in the city that never sleeps. A young man named Memphis is caught between two worlds. A chorus girl named Theta is running from her past. A student named Jericho hides a shocking secret. And unknown to all, something dark and evil has awakened. 

This was the book that I bought with the money that I got after returning Unwind back to Barnes & Noble since my copy was inconveniently missing the last 50 pages. I intended on buying Unwind again, but then I saw The Diviners and I figured, "What's the point in buying Unwind again when I've already read it? Why not just buy a whole new book that I can enjoy? I can always buy Unwind later when I plan on rereading it if I ever do!" So yeah. Long story short, The Diviners has been added to my collection of books.

For buying this book, I wanted to enjoy this a lot more than a did. And not just because I paid a good twelve bucks for this fat book (not that I'm complaining... Okay, I am a bit. Just a bit), but also because so many Booktubers and reviewers I like loved this book and gave it either four or five stars, and when I read it and didn't really like it, I felt so bad. It didn't even take me the entire book to feel bad. It took me the first hundred pages. I wouldn't say I had to force myself to finish The Diviners, because I didn't. I could just say that it took a lot longer than it should have. If I liked it, it would've taken me a week or so. Instead, it took me two weeks. And the only reason--the only reason--that I persevered the first 300 pages was because two of my teachers give us 30-60 minutes a day to read, which is where I get a lot of my daily reading done (okay, four-days-a-week reading, because I only go to school four days a week). But still. It shouldn't have had to take my school hours to finish a book. I should get home and still want to read it, which sadly, I didn't want to do.

Anyway, onto why I didn't really like this book all that much. As my first Libba Bray book, I didn't really know what to expect other than what others told me, so you can imagine my shock (or irritation?) when the first murder--the first interesting plot point--didn't even occur until around page 70 or 80. Yes, it took that long for something interesting to happen. That's not good. In regular books that are 300-400 pages, the first interesting thing happens in the first 1-40 pages. I once read this quote from James Dashner, and he said that if your plot doesn't start on page one, then you don't have a story. I don't completely agree with this, because you do need a starting point, but I agree somewhat. I think it's more like either chapter one or two. Sure, "chapter one" of The Diviners had the ouiji board and all, but other than that, it took 10-15 "chapters" to get the plot rolling.

And let's not even talk about pages 100-400. Nothing. Happened. Pages 400 through the end is where everything happens and reels you in until you finished it. I'm surprised I didn't have to force myself to read to page 400 like I had for The Book Thief.

I don't want to make this review too long and excruciating, but there are a couple of things I need to point out before I end this. I'll number them for you.

1. Memphis. I literally didn't even know that Memphis was black until around page 350-400 when Memphis showed up with a white chick and his friend Gabe admonished him for that. I'm not saying that Memphis being black is bad, I'm just saying that this fact shouldn't been made apparent within the first time we meet Memphis. The other thing about Memphis is that I don't even know why he's in this book. The Diviners is written in third person, and so Bray can have a bunch of different perspectives. But come on. Memphis had no real place in the overall plot.

2. Evie. I liked her, but she was a bit boring. I think Jericho would've been a better main character as for his big secret in the end. I think this aspect of the book should be explored more in the second book. That will definitely make it more intriguing to me!

3. It was too long. The story could've been told in 300-maybe 400 pages rather than almost 600.

4. The entire book seemed more like a gigantic prologue to a bigger, better book rather than a book on its own. Also, Diviners were barely talked about. In the book. Called The Diviners. There's something wrong with that.

5. This book wasn't even creepy. In all the reviews I've seen or read, the reviewer says that this book scares them and it creepy. Yeah, no. I'm literally so scared of horror movies so you can't say that I'm not easily scared. And you can come up from behind of me and say "boo" and I'll scream like I'm being murdered. But the whistling? Sure, creepy. But the scenes where Naughty John made an appearance weren't even scary. This book wasn't scary. At all. I was disappointed. Not in the writing, because I don't look for scary books, but in my expectations.

6. The lingo of the 20's made the book hard to follow at times. I don't know. I think Bray should've given us a dictionary or key or something.

7. The entire book seemed like Bray was just trying to show off her extensive knowledge of the 20's rather than tell a story. The description was great, but I think it was a bit excessive.

But I have to admit that I liked the whole occult aspect as well as the mystery! The ending was really interesting, and it's what saved this book from one star. My verdict is that if you're going to read this book, then you either need to be into the 20's or like chunky books. I think you should get this from the library if you really want to read this rather than buy it. Then you can buy it if you like it! Clearly many people see something they like in this book, so it's worth a shot for you, I think.

(And this review still ended up being long... What can I say? I'm a ranter. I don't mean to; it just happens.)

Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones.

You might also like:

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia 

Tori's Review: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody
Series: None
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Rating: ★★★
Pages: 352
Published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux on January 1st, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him. 

This was an impulse read for me. A very, very impulse read. Literally I was on my phone around 10 o'clock at night on YouTube when I came across the video trailer for this book. The minute it was over, I got the book and started reading it. I read until around 1 or 2 in the morning. That's how intriguing this book was. Don't be fooled by my three star rating. If you've read my reviews in the past, then you'd know that I rate books pretty harshly. Three stars just means that I liked it, but it wasn't a favorite. Most books I read are three stars or so.

Okay, so first off, I really enjoyed that this book was so entertaining. There really wasn't a dull moment in this book. Although the beginning was a bit slow, it was still interesting and wasn't boring. The beginning just took 1/4 or 1/5 of the book to really get into the plot, which was just fine. The other thing that I liked about 52 Reasons to Hate My Father was the romance. It wasn't overpowering, but it still there. I think it's important to have a bit of romance in a young adult book, because that's what interests young adults (love. Oh, the love. Prince Charming, where art thou?). Unless you're a guy. I know for a fact that most guys really don't care. But like I said, the romance in here was minimal, but it was present. I've found that this is the kind of romance that I like. I hate it when romance shadows the rest of the plot, and 52 Reasons to Hate My Father didn't do that, which I appreciated.

Although I liked Luke and Lex together, I thought that they needed to be a bit more fleshed out as a couple. They really didn't hang out all that much, and when they did, it was because Luke was forced to drive Lex around and babysit her. I think that they needed more heart-to-heart moments to sell me on the fact that they're in love with each other. I know I'm being a bit contradictory with this point because up above I said that I like minimal romance, but I also like when they have reasons to be in love (haha, not-so-funny joke: 52 Reasons to Be in Love. Yeah, I'm done).

I think the fact that this book was so entertaining had to do partly with Lex's inner monologue. She was hilarious, in my opinion. I read a few reviews where people didn't really like her because she was arrogant, but I think that they need to realize that she was basically raised by her brothers and/or her father's staff. People that were hired to take care of her. I think that if her dad had spent more time with her while she was growing up, then she wouldn't have been so...her. I thought that it was interesting to see the perspective of a supposed rich daddy's girl. I say supposed because I doubt that Brody is a real-life rich daddy's girl.

That's really all I have to say about this book. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I don't think I'll be rereading it anytime in the near future (too many other books that I need to knock off my TBR! And oh, god! Christmas! So many books!), but that's okay. There are a lot of books that I like that I probably won't be rereading for another twenty years or ever. I think that this was well worth the read, and it's an easy read at that. If you're looking for something to just sit down and plow right through with, then 52 Reasons to Hate My Father is definitely the book for you! Or if you're just looking for something to read next, this is a good option. It's fun-filled, and definitely something I'd recommend to my friends in real life.

It's Cinderella in reverse.

This fairy tale has officially become a horror story. Happily Ever After on a yacht in the Mediterranean has turned into Crappily Ever After in the dark dungeons of Brentwood. And the princess--who used to be so glamorous and beautiful and on the CIP list of every ball in town--has been handed a bucketful of cleaning supplies and poofed into a maid.

Review: Exceptional (Exceptional #1) by Jess Petosa

Exceptional by Jess Petosa
Series: Exceptional #1
Genre: Dyatopia, Young Adult, Science Fiction
Rating: ★
Pages: N/A
Published by Jess Petosa on February 24, 2012

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

In the future, things are anything but ordinary...

In 2022, the United States commissioned a group of scientists to experiment with genetic mutations. Their goal was to create a serum that would alter the human genetic code, making the subject stronger and faster. They succeeded but their victory was short lived. Not only had they created a super serum, but also an airborne virus. By 2025, seventy-five percent of the world's population had perished. The survivors, well their lives would never be the same.

175 A.V.

Ally is an Ordinary; a human immune to the virus. She lives in a settlement outside the City with her mother and twin brother, but lately it doesn't seem to be enough. She is wrestling between being with her family and volunteering to move to the City, where she can work for the Exceptionals.

Luke is an Exceptional; a superior human being. His ancestors were infected with the virus and lived through it, leaving their super human strength and special abilities to him. He has never given much thought to Ordinarys, despite pressure from his father to choose one from the ORC. But all of that changes when he meets Ally...

I made a list--a freaking list--on reasons why I hated this book. I don't mean I just didn't really like it and found it boring, I hated it. I had to force myself to continue. It was so predictable. This review was originally going to be in a Mini Review post, but I realized that I just had too much to say about this book for it to be considered a Mini Review. I want to start off by saying that I hate saying rude things about someone's book, but I do anyway. So when I have a lot of rude things to say about a book, I feel like a horrible person.
 

Jess Petosa, if you're reading this review, I am terribly sorry. I have nothing against you. I swear. It's just that your book had so much potential, but you just executed it horribly. Seriously. I'm so sorry for writing this review (sort of?). I'm sure you're a wonderful person in real life!
 

The first thing I can to talk about is the instalove. I just couldn't handle the instalove in this book between Ally and Luke. The first time Ally sees Luke she notes how hot he is. Now, that part didn't piss me off. The first time I see a guy, I note how hot he is as well. But when she's already buddy-buddy with Luke and making out with him even after he put her in a fucking breeding house (sorry, spoiler, but it's predictable)? That's just a big no-no-no-no-no-no-no.
 

There were also inconsistencies. In one scene Ally said she had only been in Luke's room once, when in fact she had been in there before when he wasn't home to watch movies. That's a little creepy as well, if you ask me. I wouldn't want someone in my room when I'm not home if I've just me them and then claimed them as my fucking breeding mate. Yeah. I'm deep. (No pun intended.) There were also inconsistences in the Exceptionals' appearances. At first they're described as seven feet tall monsters, but then as the book goes on the height is barely mentioned ever again.

This was minor, but the science in the book was backed up horribly. I'm not saying that I'm an expert in genetics and science-y shit like that, but it just didn't make much sense to me. Pretty much just like Allegiant, the science aspect of the book sucked.

There is just way too much to elaborate on. I'll list:
- Too much monologue of OH MY GOD SHOULD I DO THIS OR SHOULD I DO THAT
- Luke and Ally knew each other one week before they started making out and saying that they loved each other
- Lally = fuck no. I had no motivation for those two. No characterization at all. Just no.
- I hated Luke. He was so ew, and the ending? What the fuck, Luke? What the fuck?
- I love how Ally, Luke (Lukin, but still), Sabine, and Aden have normal names but then you meet the other characters. Like, Stosh? What? Tighe? Pax?
- The characters were so fake. None of them had a character arc. None.
- Because of the lack of character arc, all these characters made random decisions that only made sense to the author. There was no motivation behind anything the characters did whatsoever.

The final thing that made me hate this book was the ending. It was as if Petosa was trying to get the main character out of the bad situation as fast as she could so she didn't have to write the gigantic action scene at the end of every good dystopian good. Just saying.

That pretty much sums of this review--ahem, more like rant. I'd suggest not reading this. Unless you're into all those points that I made up there, then steer clear of this book. Seriously. Don't waste your time. Read a better book that you've been wanting to read.

 

Review: Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
Series: Hush, Hush #4
Genre: Angels, Young Adult, Paranormal
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 454
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers on October 23, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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.

Maybe I'm being a little bit overemotional because I didn't sleep much last night, but I feel like I'm fighting off the feeling of sobbing like a baby. If I started I don't think I would stop. Maybe overemotional is right.

When I started the series I was so skeptical. I always am when starting a popularized book. But the Hush Hush series captivated me and I couldn't never stop reading, even when I said I'd only read one more chapter.

Before I begin to gush, I just want to get the negative things off my chest in hopes of pushing away the emotional feelings of finishing a series. There were many issues with the plot throughout the series, but I will only talk about this book. I won't give away spoilers you can't read off the back of the cover so don't you worry.

If Nora is the leader of the nephilim army, then how come she never meets with them? Not once does she make and announcement or stand before them, leading them. Her life rides on it and she doesn't see them once. Some kidnap her and she still doesn't act like a leader. Really?

Marcie Miller. Oh my God, did that girl infuriate me. She had an important role in the book, but I felt like she was never given enough face-time to make the pieces fit together in the end of the book. She almost felt like a fill-in character when she was important, and I don't understand why. Even more than that in the epilogue, when you read about her and what happens, it's like, two sentences and that's it. Even though I hated her - may she burn in hell - I felt like she needed a bigger closing than that. She was a key part to the series because of her heritage and that was it.

My biggest problem - the way the last chapter ended and the epilogue. There was no wrap up after the climax and even though Fitzpatrick tried to do that in the epilogue, it wasn't enough. Sure, every book should end with a bit of wistfulness hanging in the air. But you shouldn't end the book with lose strings! So many things happened that were never addressed. What happened to the army afterwards? What about Vee? What about the council? So many lose threads. And then there's Gavin. I won't spoil who he is because I don't even know how he came about in the epilogue. Seriously. WTF HAPPENED HERE VEE BECAUSE I DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

Now time for the gushing.

I seriously think that the things Patch says to Nora sometimes - though drawn out a bit too much - are the sweetest things ever. How he confesses his feelings make me grin and want to kill Nora and take Patch as my own. He did so many things for her and if it wasn't for his character, the series would not have been a success like it is. He is so important in his words and actions throughout.

Honestly, whenever I finish a series, no matter how amazing or awful, I feel like I'm closing a chapter in my heart. (how cheesy am I?) It's so hard because it's over and I don't know, I'm sentimental and what not. It took me much longer to get to Finale because I'm a cheap ass and waited to see it in a softcover, but I'm so glad I got to it. Now I can complete my set!

If you've read the first book or a few of them and not have finished, I suggest pushing toward doing so. I didn't reread the books before I did and fared just fine. It feels really good to finish off the series and put it on my shelf in completion. Woo!

"No match for Patch."

Review: Sweet Evil (Sweet Evil Trilogy #1) by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
Series: Sweet Evil Trilogy #1
Genre: Young Adult, Angels, Paranormal
Rating: ★★
Pages: 453
Published by HarperTeen on May 1, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels. Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Is it possible to think a book was stupid and amazing at the same time? Regardless, I am conflicted. On some level I absolutely loved Sweet Evil and on the other I think parts of it were completed stupid. Bear with as I read this book during the wee hours of the night and therefore my emotions were all over the place.

The Good: 

Kaiden was hot. Oh so, so, so hot. Reading about him was amazing, even if he didn't have a speaking part and when I wasn't reading about him I was looking forward to reading about him. Also, he was defined well while also still remaining distant and mysterious.

The Bad:

The plot. Though the idea of each sin plus commandments designated to a specific demon and their offspring is unique, I also find it incredibly stupid. They want to wreck havoc on the humans - okay, that's cool. But how is that much havoc happening when you have a limited number of people. And how is making people drink alcohol and throw up really that big of a deal?

Honestly, if it wasn't for Kaidan and the drama I probably wouldn't have steadily read Sweet Evil as I did. I just couldn't fall in love with the plot because in my eyes, there needs to be a thorough back story and the plot needs to make complete sense as to why what is going on is actually happening.

I think the reason why I read this every night was because I have trouble sleeping and it was something to do on my iPod in the dark. I'll give Higgins that there were good cliffhangers, intriguing characters and things that happened that I just had to read on to find out what happened next. But the plot just wasn't working for me.

Origin (Origin #1) by Jessica Khoury

Origin by Jessica Khoury
Series: Origin #1
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 394
Published by Razorbill on September 4, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Pia has grown up in a secret laboratory hidden deep in the Amazon rain forest. She was raised by a team of scientists who have created her to be the start of a new immortal race. But on the night of her seventeenth birthday, Pia discovers a hole in the electric fence that surrounds her sterile home―and sneaks outside the compound for the first time in her life.

Free in the jungle, Pia meets Eio, a boy from a nearby village. Together, they embark on a race against time to discover the truth about Pia's origin―a truth with deadly consequences that will change their lives forever.

Origin is a beautifully told, shocking new way to look at an age-old desire: to live forever, no matter the cost.

I read the first 116 pages of this book out loud to my family and their Australian friends on Black Friday while we were driving around, and let me tell you, I enjoyed reading out loud a lot because it forced me to slow down and process each and every sentence separately and understand it for what it is. It took me a lot longer to get that far (I could've finished Origin that day, but instead I only made it through 1/4 of the book), and I sort of appreciated that.

The first thing I realized that I didn't like about this book was the romance between Eio and Pia. Now, don't get me wrong, Eio was awesome and Pia was a bamf, but I just felt like they shouldn't have fallen in love. And if they did fall in love, I doubt they would've fallen in love in such a short span of time. What was it? Three, four weeks? I'm sorry, but a month and they fall in love...that just doesn't seem realistic to me. I have to admit that Eio was incredibly sweet, and even though their love was rushed, that boy--ahem, man--made me swoon.

The second thing I realized that I didn't like about Origin was the fact that the entire thing was very anticlimactic. The majority of the book is set on Pia wanting to know the catalyst for elysia, the plant that produced the liquid that was used to create the injection to make a person, after five generations, immortal. And when Pia discovered the catalyst, I didn't feel very shocked or awestruck. No, I hadn't guessed the ending, but I just felt like the way that Khoury decided to go with how the injection was created was very halfassed and not very surprising. The entire book, I spent knocking my head against the wall, figuratively, trying to think of ways that the injection could've been created. It's just that by the end of the book, I had wanted so badly for the catalyst to be something surprising and cliffhanger-worthy, but...it wasn't.

But those are the only two things that I didn't like. Everything else? Amazing! That's why I still gave this book four stars. I loved Pia's character. She was distinguishable, and that intrigued me so much. She had a distinct voice, as did the other characters, and she was real because she had motivation for her actions; they weren't spontaneous and not expected. Pia was a calculated girl, and everything she did came down to a science. And when she did do something out of character, she justified it in her own way. And everything came down to her being a scientist and wanting to know the truth, to seek knowledge.

Eio didn't have as strong as a voice, and he didn't exactly have a very high character arc, but he still maintained a distinct voice. He could say something without the speaker tag, and I'd know that it was him just because of the way he spoke to people as well as Pia. The same goes for Pia's mother, Uncle Paolo, Uncle Antonio, Aunt Harriet, etc. The characters were my favorite part of Origin.

The overall plot was great, too. The science aspect was clear and was very easy to follow. Like I said at the beginning about how it was anticlimactic, the beginning was very interesting, and I was compelled to read more. Although the ending was...unique...I don't regret reading Origin. At all. This book had a lot of potential as a plot, and I think that Khoury, although the big surprise could've been better, executed the idea quite well.

I'd recommend this book to my friends. In fact, three are already going to be borrowing it! I definitely recommend this book to anybody who liked adventure, animals, science, boys, or just the wild in general. This book isn't fantasy, though. Everything that occurs in Origin could very well happen in real life, which is something that I particularly enjoyed about this book.

Khoury's new book, Vitro, comes out next year, and I can't wait to get my hands on it once it gets released! I'm sure I'll love it just as much as I loved Origin.

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout + Reboot (Reboot #1) by Amy Tintera

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #3
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Aliens
Rating: ★★
Pages: 382
Published by Entangled Teen on December 1, 2012
Amazon | Barnes & Noble

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it. 

I guess the Daty obsession/fad is over now, for me at least. I know what these books flaws are now. In my opinion, you have to marathon read them with no time in between to read anything else in order to stay involved in their world. I stopped reading Opal because I had volleyball tryouts and then I just need picked it back up. Finally I finished it and I see how similar this book is to Wattpad books. And I can't do it anymore. The twists aren't aren't surprising anymore.

The ending was so predictable. It seemed like Armentrout foreshadowed the ending a little too much. To the extent that I knew exactly what was going to happen. And the betrayals were extremely obvious as well. The only reason I gave this book two stars was because, hey, I liked Daemon. He's supposed to be badass and callous but he's got a soft spot for Katy. I used to love Katy, but now I don't. I just can't stand to read in her point of view anymore.

And Armentrout's attempt at a climatic ending (with the totally susceptible and inevitable villain coming back to kill Katy) was weak, and it wasn't even very necessary to make the plot continue. While reading this book, I felt like the only reason she added it in was to fill up space in her book.

No hate on Armentrout, because she creates some pretty unique plots and she entertained me during Obsidian, Opal, and Obsession, but I just don't think I'll be able to read any of her stories anymore unless I'm up for something fluffy, and I want a break from heavy books that cause emotional stress on my sanity. I doubt I'll be reading Origin anytime soon.

To read the review for the first book in the Lux series Obsidian, click here. To read the review for the second book in the Lux series Opal, click here.

Reboot by Amy Tintera
Series: Reboot #1
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia,
Rating: ★★★

Pages: 365
Published by HarperTeen on May 7, 2013

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders. 

I read this a month or so ago, so this mini review is actually going to be mini. I'm just going to say why I gave the book three stars, as in what stood out to me and what didn't.

The first thing I hated about the book was Callum and Wren's relationship. I didn't hate Callum and I didn't hate Wren, I just hated their relationship. They should not have fallen in love. They had no reason two. They simply fell in love because, hey, the author wanted them to. In my opinion, two people should fall in love with each other's personalities. Callum and Wren fell in love with their circumstance.

Also, Wren was 'trained' to be a cold-hearted robot, and then the second Callum shows up, she picks him, the weakest reboot, to train? I'm sorry, but no. Wren had no motivation to make the choices that she did other than the fact that she wanted to. That's a little bit too weak for me. Now this would work in the case that the character making such choice was whimsical and spontaneous, not for a character that was rational and driven by their brain rather than their heart. Choosing Callum and falling in love with him were not rational, therefore Wren shouldn't have done it. I liked her just fine when she was a coldhearted bitch. She was hilarious.

I'm afraid that this book was exactly by Shatter Me in a sense of the action stopping halfway through the book. Shit goes the fuck down in the first half of the book and the characters are in a tough situation, but then the last half is the characters that have escaped facing the real life world. That's literally two different plots all in its own! Now, I don't really have a problem with this, I just noticed this particular point while reading Reboot. This didn't affect the rating, I just wanted to point it out.

Now the ending. The ending was...weak, to say the least. Wren and Callum made it to their end goal, but the ending was just...lacking. It wasn't action packed (a bit of action, but still) and everything was a bit too convenient. Callum is hurt (it gets a bit spoilery from here. Skip this paragraph if you don't want to be spoiled) and Wren doesn't know if she can help him. So she gets the cure and gives it to Callum and she doesn't know if it will work...but it does...? I mean, it's great that it worked and all but at least give the book a cliffhanger so the readers have a good reason to want to read the next book. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to read the next book, but honestly, it's only because I do have a soft spot for Callum. He's sweet. Good for him.

Anyway, if you want to, go ahead and read Reboot. It's worth it.