Review: Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt (Brenna Blixen #1)

Title: Double Clutch

Author: Liz Reinhardt
Publication date: September 6th 2011
Age group: Upper Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover rating: 5/5
Content rating: 4.5/5
Buy: Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Description via Goodreads:

Brenna Blixen spent her freshman year homeschooling in Denmark; now that she’s back in the States, she’s determined to make her sophomore year unforgettable. And by unforgettable, she imagined awesome classes, fun friendships, and maybe a little romance. 
What she got was a whole lot of romance, and all at once. 

The same day that dark, brooding Saxon Maclean charmed her with his killer good looks and whip-smart wit, Jake Kelly stole her breath away with his heart-wrenching smile and intelligent, thoughtful focus. 

But Saxon is a proud player who makes it clear that he doesn’t know why he can’t get Brenna off of his mind and out of his system, and Jake’s sweet and humble attitude hides a secret past life that might be more darker and more complex than Brenna’s willing to handle.
Complicating the matter is the fact that Saxon and Jake were once best friends and are now arch-enemies... and the more Brenna finds out about their connection to each other, the more intrigued and worried she becomes.

My thoughts:
I went back and forth for a while about whether or not I wanted to read Double Clutch. I had heard a lot of good things about it, but love triangles are not a favourite of mine and the entire plot of this book is a love triangle. However... wow! I am so glad I read it. It's an instant favourite and Liz Reinhardt certainly has a new fan. Double Clutch was an awesome, fun and exciting novel that I can't get out of my head. It would have been a massive mistake to pass this one up.

Our protagonist is teenager Brenna Blixen, who has just moved back to the US after spending a year with her parents in Denmark. I liked Brenna almost instantly. Her voice is really different and definitely stands out. She's a very sweet girl who has a lovely relationship with both her mother and her stepfather. She's intelligent and level headed albeit a little lost now that she's back in her old town and a very different person to the one she was when she left. This book is about Brenna growing up and trying to figure out what she wants and who she wants.

Then there's the two boys, who are so very different yet very similar at the same time. Saxon is your typical bad boy. He's got a large ego and always seems to speak his mind. I definitely liked him best. While he can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, I found him to be the most interesting and amusing. There's also more to him than meets the eye. I think he's a big softie inside. Jake is a lot sweeter at first and seems like a regular nice guy. However, Jake has plenty of his own secrets and his own demons to battle. I liked Jake but I didn't find him as fun or entertaining as Saxon.

Double Clutch was just brilliant! There are so many intriguing characters and a lot going on. We get to see how Brenna's relationships with her parents, friends, Saxon and Jake grow and change. Brenna is so direct and tough it's hard not to love her. Her life is certainly hectic and it was thrilling to read about. I would certainly recommend this novel and I'm so excited to read the next two books. Also, this book is definitely 'upper' YA as it has some very mature scenes in it.

Review: Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel

Title: Dust Girl
Author: Sarah Zettel
Publication date: June 26th 2012
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 5/5
Buy: Amazon / The Book Depository

Description: 

This new trilogy will capture the hearts of readers who adore Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series. Callie LeRoux lives in Slow Run, Kansas, helping her mother run their small hotel and trying not to think about the father she's never met. Lately all of her energy is spent battling the constant storms plaguing the Dust Bowl and their effects on her health. Callie is left alone, when her mother goes missing in a dust storm. Her only hope comes from a mysterious man offering a few clues about her destiny and the path she must take to find her parents in "the golden hills of the west" (California). Along the way she meets Jack a young hobo boy who is happy to keep her company—there are dangerous, desperate people at every turn. And there's also an otherworldly threat to Callie. Warring fae factions, attached to the creative communities of American society, are very aware of the role this half-mortal, half-fae teenage girl plays in their fate.

My thoughts:
It is honestly quite hard to find words to describe how much I adored Dust Girl! I completely devoured this book from the very first page; it gripped me and would not let me go! From the minute I started reading this book, I knew it was exactly my kind of thing and I most definitely enjoyed every single second of it. Dust Girl is a unique book which will certainly stay with me for a long time and I'm sure I'll return to it more than once.

The setting of this book is what made it very special and unique to me! Calliope lives in Kansas with her mother; her town is being destroyed by dust storms and times are hard. I think Sarah Zettel did an amazing job at describing Slow Run and its dismal state and I had no trouble picturing it. It all felt so real- and seriously scary! The mood of the town shone through easily and had me eager to find out what was going to happen. When Callie's mother goes missing, her life gets even crazier.

I loved Callie. I thought she was simply wonderful. She's a really refreshing and strong character who is incredibly easy to like. Callie's been through a lot but her personality is still great and she seems like a person anybody would be happy to be friends with. Jack was a great addition to the story and I found their interactions together really interesting. I definitely enjoyed following Callie and Jack on their journey and I was genuinely terrified at times! The mood in this book is so creepy and my heart was racing at some points. I was so caught up in this story and I love when a book can do that to me.

I honestly did not know much about the Dust Bowl before reading this book, and it has made me want to find out more about this particular period in history. So not only was this book captivating and entertaining, it has also been educational for me! I just loved everything about this book and I hope others will too. It's an original and memorable take on fae and I can't wait to read more by this author.

Review: Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire

Title: Don't You Wish 

Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Publication date: July 10th 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 5/5
Buy: Amazon / The Book Depository

Description:

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.   

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.
But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie. 

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it? The choice isn't as simple as you think.

My thoughts:

Wow, I completely devoured this book! I genuinely loved it and hated having to tear my eyes away from the pages. Some parts were so intense and had me feeling nervous for the characters! Don't You Wish is a wonderfully written novel and so much deeper and thought-provoking than I excepted; while still managing to be a light and fun read. I was really intrigued by the description but what I found inside the book was even more interesting.

Annie Nutter is a nobody at her school. She's been deemed unpopular, unattractive and unworthy. Her family's a little crazy and tensions are running high. Annie is sick of being treated badly by the popular kids at her school and, of course, wants out. Her mom has been feeling the same way. She saw an article in a magazine about a man she nearly married- a successful, rich man- and wonders how her life would have turned out had she gone with him instead of Annie's father. Annie's dad is an inventor and one crazy invention ends up transporting Annie to the life she has been dreaming of.

You would think this would be great. She's got everything she ever wished for. But after only a few moments in her new life as Ayla Monroe, Annie has already realized that the grass is not always greener on the other side. Ayla has a nasty personality and now Annie's stuck in her body. I felt so frustrated for Annie and hated the thought of being stuck in her position! It was so sad to see everybody be so shocked at how nice 'Ayla' was being all of a sudden. But it was great to see Annie take the high road and realize she did not have to be the stereotypical, mean popular girl.

Once Annie met Charlie- the 'nobody' of Crap Academy'- the book became so exciting! I loved how open Charlie was to accepting that Ayla was no longer the mean dumb girl he'd known her to be. It's so sweet watching their friendship blossom and to see them opening up to each other. Annie has a huge secret- but Charlie's got his secrets too. And Charlie's a genius who thinks he can get Annie back to her old life- but does she want to go?

It was heartbreaking watching Annie try to make her decision and I was freaking out at times! I was so sucked in to her life and found her really easy to relate to. I myself was agonizing over what she should do and it really made me question what I would do if I were her. This book is all about realizing that everyone has their hardships and even 'perfect' people aren't so perfect after all. I'm giving this book five stars and I don't do that lightly. The moral of the story? Be careful what you wish for!

I was provided with an ARC of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Beautiful Demons by Sarra Cannon (Peachville High Demons #1)

Title: Beautiful Demons
Author: Sarra Cannon
Publication date: October 29th 2010
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Cover rating: 3/5
Content rating: 4/5
Download for FREE: Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble

Description via Goodreads:

Harper Madison isn't like other girls. She has extraordinary powers, but her inability to control them has gotten her kicked from so many foster homes she's lost count. Shadowford Home is her last chance, and she hopes Peachville High will be the fresh start she needs. But when evidence ties her to the gruesome murder of a Demons cheerleader, Harper discovers this small town has a big secret.

My thoughts:
 Oh, I loved this book! Loved it! I wanted to give it a try as it seems to be a pretty popular and well-liked series and now I can see why. It was a whole lot of fun and very, very addictive. It's also very short which is good because it makes it an easy and light read but bad because it leaves you craving more the second you finish the last page!

Beautiful Demons starts off with Harper moving to a new home. She's had a tough life (since weird and dangerous stuff happens wherever she goes) and this is her last chance. She knows that if she screws it up at this home, she's going to be put in a juvenile detention center. You could just sense how anxious Harper was and how desperately she wanted things to go right for once. It was so sad reading about her watching other teens and just wishing she could be normal and relax like them! I thought Harper was brilliantly portrayed and very easy to empathize with. Her voice was very distinct and she told her story well. I think it would be hard not to like her as a character and I definitely wanted things to work out for her.

I didn't feel like there was one huge plot but more like lots of little plots that tied in together. There's lots of mystery in this book and it will keep you racing forward to the next page. There are so many intriguing characters and I look forward to getting to know more of them as the series progresses. There is definite creepiness throughout the book and I was actually freaked out at parts. It was like watching a movie and wanting to yell at the characters to not go into a certain room but you know they can't hear you!

Like I said, it's pretty short and it really is over before you know it. I wish it could have been a bit longer and therefore more developed. However, there's already 5 books in the series and a 6th in the works so I imagine that we will get more answers and a deeper plot as it goes on! You can bet I will be reading the second book very, very soon as I am just so eager to know what happens next. This book gets two thumbs up from me and I would absolutely recommend it to paranormal fans looking for a fun read with fascinating characters!

The good news? Beautiful Demons is currently free on Amazon (for Kindle), Barnes and Noble (for Nook) and Smashwords (all formats.) I don't know how long it will remain free so I definitely recommend snatching it up and giving it a go. You have nothing to lose!

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (The Grisha #1)

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publication date: June 5th 2012
Publisher: Henry, Holt & Co.
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Cover rating: 3/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon / The Book Depository (Hardback) / The Book Depository (Paperback)

Description:

Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, all she’s ever been able to rely on is her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’ve been sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. She is torn from everything she knows and whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes that she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the Sun Summoner. Only her power can destroy the Fold. Overwhelmed by luxury, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to keep her wits about her without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her mastery of her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha—and the secrets of her heart.

My thoughts:
Reading Shadow and Bone was quite an experience. I had big expectations for this one after reading some glowing reviews from fellow readers and was wishing hard that it would live up to them. Thankfully, I was definitely not left feeling disappointed because Shadow and Bone was a masterpiece! I don't think any description or cover could do justice to the journey that's written about in this book. I loved it!

Shadow and Bone had me absolutely captivated from page one. I just did not want to look away! The characters and world that Bardugo has created are so fantastic and unique. I sometimes feel like all the books I'm reading blend into each other a bit but this one really stands out. It's so different and so clever. The ideas, the powers, the names, the descriptions- all wonderful and incredibly memorable. The writing itself is really good and very easy to read and get completely lost in.

I loved Alina and it was so fun getting to know her as the book went on. There are lots of turns in the story and a huge twist that I really didn't see coming. I was left staring at the page for a while as I tried to process where the story was heading. The characters are all very complex and it was great trying to figure them out and see all their layers. There are a lot of dark elements to this book and parts made me wince. However, I found myself laughing out loud several times. There's some very witty dialogue and I especially enjoyed Alina's interactions with Mal.

This novel is one to look out for. It has everything a great story should have and I'm sure it will capture the hearts of many readers. I absolutely recommend it to all YA fantasy lovers, especially ones who are looking for something with a bit more depth and more complex levels to it. It's seriously fantastic and well worth a try!

Review: Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman

Title: Jersey Angel
Author: Beth Ann Bauman
Publication date: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

It's the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She's not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn't sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn't start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn't want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn't want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself  spending more time with Inggy's boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.

My thoughts:

I was really looking forward to getting started on Jersey Angel. The cover alone is really fun and drew my attention. I was looking for a nice easy read that would also be fun! I'm not sure if Jersey Angel lived up to  my expectations, though it wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't a very deep book. It didn't feel like there was anything under the surface for me. It's definitely one of those books you speed through in one sitting or so.

Angel is certainly not your typical YA female character! She's very sure of her self and very free about what she wants. This book is definitely not family friendly so may not be for everybody. I liked Angel though! I thought she was fun and strong willed. She wasn't perfect and made mistakes like everybody else in the world. I thought she was quite believable as a character and felt real. I very much enjoyed the setting of the novel and it had its interesting moments.

I did not feel like there was much of a story, though. This was a very quick read and it was over before I really could get into it! The writing is easy to read through quickly and the book itself is short at only around 200 pages. It definitely makes for a fast and different read if that's what you're looking for. The characters aren't that well developed because of this and a lot of the emotional parts just fell flat for me. Overall, Jersey Angel was an okay book but not particularly memorable and there isn't that much to say about it!

Review: Thoughtless by Jacqueline Gardner (Thoughtless #1)

Title: Thoughtless
Author: Jacqueline Gardner
Publication date: Feb. 8th 2012
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Cover rating: 3/5
Content rating: 2.5/5
Get it free: Smashwords 

I was asked to provide my honest opinion of this book.

Description:

When Bridget finds a dead cheerleader in the janitor’s closet, she becomes the killer’s next target. High school just got worse. It’s bad enough that she can hear the shocking truths that pass through her classmate’s heads. Now she has to worry about staying alive, and all clues point to the one person whose thoughts she can’t read - her boyfriend Terrence. Someone is taunting her, threatening to expose her secret. And when Bridget tries to single out her blackmailer, she’s nearly beaten to death by a mind controlled minion with fiery eyes.  

But when Bridget finally comes face-to-face with the killer, suddenly a horde of brainwashed students programmed to destroy her life doesn’t seem so bad.

My thoughts:
I have so many mixed feelings about Thoughtless! I was quite excited to get started on it. The cover gives off a bit of a creepy vibe and I wanted to know the story behind it. I've been really into YA books lately that feature teens with powers such as mind-reading (a power which Bridget, the protagonist of this book, has) so that had me intrigued. Something about the book felt a bit off to me though and it didn't really live up to my expectations of it.

I had a tough time really getting into the story. Perhaps the writing just didn't suit me personally, but my head was swimming from it for about the first thirty percent! I just found that it was quite difficult to tell who was saying what. Someone would say something but the sentence immediately following it on the same line would be about another character. This caused me to do a lot of double takes though it did improve as the book went on. Some sentences seemed to be missing words as well which would pull me out of the story.

I enjoyed a lot of things about it though! The idea of the powers the characters had really interested me and I loved learning more about them. The book is certainly full of mystery and the suspense certainly kept me on my toes. The story kept me rushing forward to see what would happen next and how each issue would be solved. We meet lots of interesting characters and not all of them are who they appear to be at first glance!

While flawed, Thoughtless still managed to keep me interested and I enjoyed the unique storyline and how believable Bridget was as a character. I think it showed a lot of promise even if it didn't fully work for me. Besides, it's free on Smashwords so if you want to give it a go, you really don't have anything to lose and may end up loving it- lots of other people did!

Review: The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines (The Vincent Boys #1)

Title: The Vincent Boys
Author: Abbi Glines
Publication date:
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon

My thoughts:
The Vincent Boys is yet another contemporary young adult book that I devoured from start to finish in just a few hours! I feel like this book went by almost too fast and that I would have liked more. It was a really fun yet deep read and the story was really easy to get lost in. I've had my eye on this book for a while when I finally got a copy, I started reading it the second it arrived in my Kindle! It definitely did not let me down.

This book follows Ashton Gray at a very drama-filled time in her life. Her boyfriend Sawyer is out of town and she ends up getting close to his cousin, Beau. Sawyer and Beau could not be more different from each other if they tried. I loved the contrast between the two guys- Sawyer is a seemingly perfect boy who never puts a foot wrong and Beau is your typical bad boy. It was interesting getting to know more about them and watch Ashton try to figure out how she felt about the both of them.

Ashton herself is a brilliant character! She's a bit lost and still trying to figure out who she wants to be which isn't easy when people are expecting so much from her. I thought she was a fun and sweet girl with a bit of wild side. Sometimes her indecisiveness got on my nerves but for the most part I found her to be pretty likeable. She does grow as a character as the book goes on and she learns from her past.

This book was filled with tension and conflict. There certainly isn't a dull moment when the Vincent boys are around- especially Beau! There were some typos that I could have done without but it was mostly a pleasure to read. I can't wait to read book two and I'm also really excited to check out the author's other books!

Review: The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Title: The Peculiars
Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Publication date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Steampunk
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance.
On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. 

On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena's father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.

My thoughts:
Well, the Steampunk genre seems to be the next trend in YA fiction. I find the concept of a lot of these books fascinating but I'm not sure if they're really going to be my kind of thing. I was very intrigued by The Peculiars. I loved the awesome cover and the premise sounded different and interesting. I definitely haven't read many books like this so have nothing to compare it with. But really, I didn't find this one all that impressive. It wasn't bad but was missing that extra spark for me.

It started off so well. It's not exactly a very quick read but I still flew threw the first half of it. I was so into this world and the characters. I loved all the little inventions and I couldn't wait to find out more about The Peculiars and Lena's real past. I liked Lena a lot. I could empathise with her easily and could understand why she made the decisions she did. It's only natural to want to find out your own history and where you come from. At the beginning, when she loses her bag, I was freaking out right along with her! The second half didn't quite keep up the greatness, though.

It was just too slow for me. I kept waiting and waiting for awesome things to happen but they didn't really. Things did happen but very slowly. There was so much description about every event that my interest was lost in what was actually happening. Just too much detail about how Lena was putting on her gloves and stuff like that. It just disrupted the flow! The end was too anti-climatic for my liking as I felt it had been building up to something more.

All in all, The Peculiars was okay. I genuinely loved many parts of it and Jimson was by far my favourite character in the book. But as a whole, I didn't love it and felt it could have been so much better. I'd still recommend it to anyone interested in checking out the genre.

Tour stop: Review of All the Difference by Kaira Rouda

Title: All the Difference
Author: Kaira Rouda
Publication date: March 29th 2012
Publisher: Real You Publishing Group
Age group: Adult
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

Roommates Laura and Angie couldn't be more different. Laura is a local celebrity, the television anchor who is motivated to move out of small-time media markets and on to the big time, no matter the cost. Meanwhile, Angie, a luckless waitress, spends her time waiting for Mr. Right to save her from temporary jobs and a life spent making bad choices. 

On the other side of town, Ellen abandons her life as a successful fundraiser for that of an isolated housewife in the country estate she shares with her husband, whose affairs become increasingly hard to ignore. When the city’s gossip columnist, Maddie, and restaurant reviewer, Dixon, become involved in the mystery, the unlikely duo stir up more than they intended. But will anyone be able to stop the next murder? 

My thoughts:


I first became interested in All The Difference because of the cover. I really love it! I love the colours it uses and I like the relaxed and fresh vibe it gives off. I knew instantly that I had to take a closer look at this book. The description sounded intriguing and mysterious and I was excited to dive into this one. I'm quite glad I decided to give it a go as I really did like it. It was extremely interesting and captivating!

All The Difference is a bit different to what I've been reading lately, which has mostly been young adult paranormal books so it was refreshing and a very nice change. At first, I honestly found this book a bit confusing. The changing perspectives are something that are real hit-or-miss with me so I was worried this was going to be too confusing or irritating. However I actually didn't mind it after the beginning of the book and it didn't bother me any more after that! The writing is really very good and easy to get lost in.

This book is full of interesting and complex characters with a deep and unique plot. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and while I did find it hard to keep them straight in my head at first, I quickly overcame that difficulty and started being able to form opinions on them all! They all have their issues to deal with and some are having a worse time than others. I found it interesting seeing how their choices changed their lives and the lives of those around them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and other than the first few chapters, it was an easy and fast read. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author and I'm glad I got the opportunity to check All The Difference out!

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

Title: Obsidian
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication date: November 9th 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 5/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

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 thoughts:

I've been excited about reading Obsidian since it was first published. Nearly every review I've seen for it has been gushing. I purchased this a few months back and I wish I had gotten around to it sooner! It was absolutely amazing and it definitely didn't disappoint me. I'm always a bit wary of hyped up books but this one lived up to the hype and exceeded all my expectations. I truly loved it and annoyingly, I always find it hard to review books I adored.

Obsidian's protagonist is Katy, a young girl who has just moved to a new town with her mom to try to make a fresh start and move on from her father's death. Katy moves next door to two people her age- the bubbly and friendly Dee and her brother, the arrogant and mysterious Daemon. From the first encounter, I was completely captivated by all these characters! I just loved their interactions and how they dealt with each other. They provided endless amusement throughout the whole novel and I just couldn't get enough of this gang! There certainly wasn't a dull moment when they were around each other.

Katy was definitely my favourite character. She's so feisty and strong. She knows how to stand up for herself and she doesn't take crap from anyone! She's not afraid to speak up and lets nobody push her around. I also loved that she was a book blogger! It was just so funny and a nice touch to the book. It was really cool seeing her talk about her ''In My Mailbox'' or ''Waiting on Wednesday'' posts. I do wonder how much sense all of it made to non-bloggers reading it but I was able to enjoy that aspect anyway.

If I could have read Obsidian in one sitting, I would have! It was really hard to set this book down for a second as I couldn't wait to find out more about these aliens and to see what was going to happen between Daemon and Katy. Daemon was a frustrating character for most of the book but it's still hard not to smile at him! Waiting for book two is going to be painful. I would recommend Obsidian to any YA paranormal romance fans. It certainly impressed me!

Review: The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher

Title: The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls
Author: Julie Schumacher
Publication date: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 3.5/5
Buy: Amazon
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

I'm Adrienne Haus, survivor of a mother-daughter book club. Most of us didn't want to join. My mother signed me up because I was stuck at home all summer, with my knee in a brace. CeeCee's parents forced her to join after cancelling her Paris trip because she bashed up their car. The members of "The Unbearable Book Club," CeeCee, Jill, Wallis, and I, were all going into eleventh grade A.P. English. But we weren't friends. We were literary prisoners, sweating, reading classics, and hanging out at the pool. If you want to find out how membership in a book club can end up with a person being dead, you can probably look us up under mother-daughter literary catastrophe. Or open this book and read my essay, which I'll turn in when I go back to school.

My thoughts:

I'm really into realistic YA fiction this year! It's not a genre I used to read in all that often but I'm really liking what I've discovered so far. My tastes tend to run the opposite way to a lot of peoples- what other people find silly/boring/underdeveloped, I find fun, light and entertaining. I was hoping The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls would be one of those light and cute books (the cover certainly suggests it!) and I think it did deliver. 

I really, really liked this book at the beginning! I absolutely adored Adrienne's voice and I thought she was incredibly easy to like. She doesn't really take anything too seriously and her insights on the world around her were really fun to see. She can be quite sarcastic and witty at times which made the book really fun. I liked CeeCee a lot too, even if it was hard to figure her out most of the time. She's more rebellious than Adrienne and starts to drag Adrienne down that path with her. There are a good few things in this book that are not so fun and it does handle darker topics. 

This book is based around a book club that their mothers set up for them during the summer. CeeCee, Adrienne and Jill are being forced into it by their parents but Wallis, who the girls see as a bit odd, decides to join of her own accord. I loved the book aspect of the book! I thought it was really fun to see books I've read being listed and talked about, and it also gave me ideas of other books I'd like to read! I enjoyed seeing their on books such as Frankenstein and The Yellow Wallpaper. 

There are little definitions at the beginning of each chapter and while a few of them were funny, I wasn't entertained by most of them and found them a bit annoying. They were a nice idea but not all of them were fun. There also isn't a whole lot of action in this book so I think that may be off-putting for some readers. I thought it was quite a laid back book but interesting themes running through it. I'm certainly glad I read it and would recommend it to fans of contemporary YA fiction! 

Review: Intangible by J. Meyers

Title: Intangible
Author: J. Meyers
Publication date: January 29th 2012
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 4.5 /5
Buy: Amazon
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.  

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

My thoughts:


Before starting to read Intangible, I read the bonus short story, Intuition which gives you a quick insight into the life of Sera and Luke Raine, twins who have some very special gifts. I was really impressed by Intuition and the second I finished it, I immediately moved onto reading Intangible as I just had to know more about these interesting characters! If you'd like to test the series yourself, Intuition is actually free on Kindle and Nook and it's definitely worth a look!

When I first started reading this book, I quite liked it. It was good, different and kind of sweet. I was enjoying learning about the characters and seeing more of the ''other'' world as the book went on. But then, at around 30% into the book, I became completely captivated and could not put it down for one second! It was like everything clicked into place, the book found its feet and the characters found their voices. I really, really loved it from then on and could feel it becoming a favourite with each page I read.

Intangible is the story of twins; Sera who can heal people with a touch of  her hand and Luke who can see in the future but so far has been powerless to change it. While the gifts may not be a new concept, I loved how Meyers developed these characters and enjoyed seeing how their gifts affected their everyday life and the people they were becoming. It was sweet to see the close relationship Sera and Luke have with each other. They would do anything for each other and they're both strong and independent characters at the same time. 

It's told in the third person but changes perspective quite a lot. Often this can bother me in a novel but I loved it in this! It was definitely necessary and really helps you get a look at the story from lots of angles. There's the main plot but there are also lots of sub plots with different characters and the changing perspective helps us follow all of these. I especially loved when the story followed Jonas and Marc! They were both highly interesting characters and I liked getting a peak into their lives. 

Intangible is quite an emotional book, too. I was either laughing at the sarcastic and witty conversations between the main characters or terrified for them because of Luke's visions. I found it really easy to like all the character and couldn't wait to see how everything was going to turn out. I would absolute recommend this book to everybody. It's different and funny and written incredibly well. I can't wait for more! 

Tour Stop! Review of Night Sky by Jolene Perry

Title: Night Sky
Author: Jolene Perry
Publication date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: Tribute Books
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

After losing Sarah, the friend he’s loved, to some other guy, Jameson meets Sky. Her Native American roots, fluid movements, and need for brutal honesty become addictive fast. This is good. Jameson needs distraction – his dad leaves for another woman, his mom’s walking around like a zombie, and Sarah’s new boyfriend can’t keep his hands off of her.  

As he spends time with Sky and learns about her village, her totems, and her friends with drums - she's way more than distraction. Jameson's falling for her fast.  

But Sky’s need for honesty somehow doesn’t extend to her life story – and Jameson just may need more than his new girl to keep him distracted from the disaster of his senior year.

My thoughts:
Wow. This book completely took me by surprise! I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't this. I didn't expect it to be so intense and emotional. I read Night Sky in one sitting because it was just so easy to get lost in the story and captivated by the characters. It's books like this one that make me want to read more contemporary novels. Night Sky was just wonderful!

I was maybe a quarter of the way into the book and wondering where Perry was going to take this. I was worried that the rest of the book would just be Sky and Jameson talking about how much they like each other. But no, we are thrown into a whirlwind of a story without a boring moment in sight. There is so much depth to this book and it's very easy to get emotionally invested in the story and the characters.

Jameson is a seriously likable character! He's going through such tough situations but he doesn't just sit around and mope for the whole book. He throws himself headfirst into life and new experiences and I really admire him for that. He's just a really nice guy who's always looking out for those around him. His relationship with his mom is really sweet and it's interesting to see them take turns at helping each other. Sky is simply brilliant. Her character is so intriguing and complex; I couldn't wait to find out more about her! I liked how their 'honesty pact' brought both good and bad things to their lives.

Finally, I love the title. Before I read the book, I just thought Night Sky was a generic and not so memorable title. However, after reading it I love how much meaning it has. I would never have guessed there was reason behind it and I love that! It makes a lot more sense now. Night Sky is a lovely book that I'd recommend to anyone who loves contemporary novels or would like to dip their toes into the genre!

Review: Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (Struck #1)

Title: Struck
Author: Jennifer Bosworth
Publication date: May 8th 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Supernatural
Cover rating: 5/5
Content rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her. 
Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.  

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

My thoughts:
Struck is a highly unique book that is sure to stand out in 2012. I was so excited about this one! There are so many of these end-of-the-world books out there at the moment that they sometimes start to blend into each other but Struck is very different and certainly has a unique feel to it. Even the cover is striking and the description makes it sound very intense!

I didn't love this one but I did really like it. Mia Price is a lightning addict- not something you hear about everyday! The place where she's living has been devastated by a terrible earthquake and cults start forming, each claiming their way is the best way to deal with the disaster they believe is on its way. I loved learning about these different groups and the religious group was fascinating. Scary- but fascinating! Mia has no idea what she's going to do; she can't seem to trust anybody and they're all after her.

Not only does Mia have the end of the world to worry about, she's also having family troubles. Her mother is slowly losing her mind and Mia is struggling to find the drugs to help her. She also worried about her younger brother and has no idea how to protect him. Then along comes the mystery guy, Jeremy, just to add to Mia's confusion! I did like Jeremy but I don't feel we got to know him very well until the very end so the reader doesn't really get much of a chance to connect with him so that took the spark out of their relationship for me.

This book is pretty intense but it did move way too slow for me. I felt like I was waiting and waiting for the story to get to the point. A lot of the time, we're just getting Mia's thoughts and nothing else is really happening. I would have loved this one if it had moved faster! I was dying to know what was going to happen but was almost fed up by the time we got there. I do think lots of people will adore this one. It's so different and some parts so possible that it's sure to be a winner with many people.

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Title: Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley
Publication date: February 14th 2012
Publisher: Knopf
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Cover rating: 3/5
Content rating: 3/5
Buy: Amazon
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about. 
His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere. 
Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls. 
But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My thoughts:
Graffiti Moon has hundreds of glowing reviews so I think it's safe to say it has wide appeal and has captivated many readers. The book's description didn't give me much of an idea of what to expect or what kind of tone the book would have so I was really curious as to what I'd find. While I really liked Graffiti Moon, I didn't adore it and it didn't take my breath away. It was a good, quick read that I was done with in a few sittings but not one that will stay with me forever.

Graffiti Moon is the story of a group of young people on the night they finish year twelve. It specifically focuses on Lucy and Ed. Lucy is searching for someone- the graffiti artist whose art she has fallen for after seeing it pop up all over her town. She is really determined to find ''Shadow'' and has definitely romanticized him in her mind. I liked Lucy a lot! I didn't expect her to be so fun. I liked the way she views the world and enjoyed her observations. Her family is a little wacky and so is she. She's independent and I enjoyed that about her.

Ed is hiding secrets of his own. I didn't enjoy his narration as much as Lucy's. It wasn't bad but I just didn't find it very interesting. Some of the phrases he said when contemplating situations were written nicely but for the most part I didn't find him to be an incredibly exciting character. He was however well developed and certainly believable. He's just a regular guy who has a lot of stuff going on in his personal life. I liked that he was so loyal to those around him and willing to forgive peoples' mistakes!

I enjoyed their journey through the night at the beginning but did grow weary of it after a while. There is a lot of talking and contemplating and sometimes I found it hard to concentrate on just wanted to skim it. By the last 50 pages or so, I was just wishing the book would hurry up and end already! It just lost its spark for me and I felt like in the end, the book really hadn't built up to all that much. Overall, I definitely have mixed feelings about this one but I'd recommend it as I can see why many people would love it.

Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan (Sky Chasers #1)

Title: Glow

Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan
Publication date: October 7th 2011
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Age group: Yong Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Cover rating: 5/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Description:

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?  

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...  

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth. 
But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside. 

My thoughts:


Glow completely blew my mind. I was hoping that the gorgeous cover wasn't hiding a mediocre book and I can now say for certain that it wasn't! I loved this book and I now have yet another series to follow obsessively. While Glow is a science fiction novel, it's not heavy on the science and is much more about people and how they react under different circumstances. While it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, I was very happy with what I found!

This book follows our two young protagonists- Waverly and Kieran- as life as they know it falls to pieces. They're on board a space ship, heading far away from Earth towards their destination, ''New Earth'' where they plan on building up civilization again. I really find the idea of the human race having to relocate due to earth becoming uninhabitable fascinating so really enjoyed this aspect of the story. I wish we had found out more details about what happened to earth in order to cause all these people to head to space but it is a series so I'm hoping we learn more as it goes on!

Glow was a book that completely transported me to another world. I found it so easy to lose myself in the pages and forget about everything else around me. The author's writing is descriptive without over-doing it and I could picture the ship and space perfectly. It's really fast paced and full of tension and suspense. I didn't want to put the book down because I really needed to know how things were going to go!

I found it really scary seeing the things people would do to get their way. Both Waverly's ship and the other ship have people who are not so nice and will stop at nothing to get what they want. When the people of the New Horizon stole all the girls from the Empryrean, I was freaking out for them! They wanted all the girls as they are not longer able to conceive. The lengths they go to are quite disgusting and I really felt for the young girls stuck on the ship. The boys ship doesn't fare much better as they all turn on each other since they've been left without parents. It's really chaos all around and it was fascinating to read about!

I definitely enjoyed this book. I found I connected better with Waverly than Kieran and that she had a stronger voice and was a better character all round. I will be eagerly awaiting book two in this series which is being published later this year!

Review: Torn by Amanda Hocking (Trylle Trilogy #2)

Title: Torn

Author: Amanda Hocking
Publication date: March 1st 2012
Publisher: Tor
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Cover rating: 5/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Description:

Acknowledging that she was different from everyone else wasn’t difficult for Wendy Everly – she’d always felt like an outsider. But a new world and new family is a hard for any girl to accept easily.  

Leaving behind the mysterious country of her birth, she is determined to fit back into normal life. But the world she’s left behind won’t let her go that easily. Kidnapped and imprisoned by her true family’s enemies, Wendy soon learns that the lines between good and evil aren’t as defined as she thought. And those things she’d taken for granted may have been lies all along. With the help of the dangerously attractive Loki, she escapes back to the safety of Förening – only to be confronted by a new threat.  

It’s time to make a choice – can she put aside her personal feelings for the sake of her country? Torn between duty and love she must make a choice that could destroy her one chance at true happiness.

My thoughts:


While I really enjoyed Switched (which I reviewed here just yesterday) it was absolutely nothing compared to Torn! This one was so much better. I didn't even realize that book one was lacking that extra spark until I read this. Hocking really steps it up a notch and I was so satisfied! The end of book one certainly left me craving more and Torn really delivered.

In Torn, Wendy has a lot of decisions to make and I certainly don't envy her. I love how she faces everything with such courage and determination even though really, she is in way over her head. She's not even 18 yet and the future of an entire kingdom is resting on her shoulders. Wendy went from having one torn apart family to having three- her ''host'' family, her mother and her kingdom, and her father and his kingdom. There are a lot of emotions at play and I liked watching Wendy handling everything. It can be hard to know what to believe when everyone's telling you something different and I admire how she approached the whole situation.

I love that we really get to know more characters in this one. We really get closer to the Queen throughout Torn. She's not the most open or emotional of people but I enjoyed learning about her past and how she plans on dealing with the future. I think everyone will like seeing Wendy get to know Elora better even if it's not a typical parent-child relationship! She's quite a complex person and I both like her and dislike her at the same time.

Loki was the high point of this book for me! I think he's a fascinating character and adored every conversation he had with Wendy. There's just something so likable about him and I love that he doesn't take anything too seriously. I definitely enjoyed all his scenes in the book! We don't see Finn as much in this one as in book one. I still really like him but it's hard to get a real impression of him when he goes from open to mysterious in the blink of an eye. He's much more in the background than he was in the first book.

Amanda Hocking is brilliant at world-building. It was really great to get to know a little more about the history of the Trylle and their rivals. Everyone in the book seems to have secrets of their own and I definitely liked uncovering them. Torn really moves the plot along and I think some people will be a little shocked at the direction it's taking- I personally am! Fans of Switched will love this one and I'm very excited to get to book three to see how it all wraps up.

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking (Trylle Trilogy #1)

Title: Switched
Author: Amanda Hocking
Publication date: January 3rd 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Cover rating: 4/5
Content rating: 3.5/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.  

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.  

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

My thoughts:


I have been looking forward to reading Switched for a long time! I really curious about the books that made self-publishing author Amanda Hocking famous in the literary world and was excited to see they were being published- with seriously lovely covers too! What drew me to this book was that it's about trolls. I've never read a book about trolls before. I'm sure they exist but not on my bookshelf. So it was already different and unique before I started it.

I really like Wendy Everly. Her narration is really strong and I could just picture her so clearly. She's a genuinely nice, level headed person despite the fact that her mother tried to kill her when she was six and everybody she meets backs slowly away from her. The storyline with her mother was so creepy and fascinating! It was obviously a shock for Wendy to find out that her mother wasn't crazy at all- she was telling the truth when she said Wendy had been switched at birth. As a child, I used to read lots of tales about changelings and I still find them really interesting to read about.

Finn is a wonderful character! He's very mysterious and you never know quite what to make of him. I liked that he insisted on being honest with Wendy about everything even if it wasn't going to be the answer she wanted to hear. I thought their relationship developed at a believable pace and definitely wasn't overbearing like in lots of books.

There wasn't a whole lot of action in this book though! It was mostly just world building and getting to know the characters. I'm hoping this will change in book two, which I should be getting to really soon! I'm very excited about this series and I would recommend it to anybody who's looking for something a little bit different. The YA scene is certainly not flooded with books about trolls.

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Blood of Eden #1)

Title: The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa
Publication date: April 24th 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Cover rating: 2/5
Content rating: 4/5
Buy: Amazon

Description:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. 

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. 
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.  

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. 
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.  

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

 My thought:
The Immortal Rules was a thrilling read! I have yet to read Kagawa's Iron Fey series but I've seen enough glowing reviews of them to trust that Kagawa would deliver a good book. I was incredibly excited to dive into this one. I love vampires and I love dystopian/post-apocalyptic novels so to have them combined into one novel was just brilliant! This one definitely held my attention and I think it's going to be really popular among readers.

Allison ''Allie'' Sekemoto is an awesome character. I honestly think I'd put her in my top ten favourite characters of all time! She's so impressive and easy to care about. I love her attitude. She's incredibly blunt and just tells it like it is. She doesn't like messing people around and this is the aspect she struggles with most as a vampire. She's determined to hold on to her humanity and shows incredible strength of character throughout the book. She's also funny in a dark sarcastic sort of way and despite everything, doesn't take herself too seriously.

The plot of the book is fascinating and I found myself trying to read as fast as I possibly could because I just needed to know where it was going! The people Allie ends up traveling with are in search of something great and keep their faith the whole way through. It was interesting to see people holding on to hope even when the world was in such an awful state! I liked all of the character's in the group, especially Jeb. It was fascinating to watch him lead this group and make some seriously tough decisions. Zeke is wonderful too- so likable and just a genuinely kind guy.

What I didn't like was how much the book description gave away! I like when the blurb just teases you and makes you want to find out more. But this one gives away so much that I felt like I was really far into the book before I came across anything that I didn't know would happen. There could have been so much more mystery and suspense if the description had been a bit more vague. I was really annoyed by this and felt it tainted my reading experience a little bit.

Mostly though, I really liked it and I'm very excited to read Kagawa's other books! She has a gift for storytelling and can really bring the world of the book alive before your eyes. I'm going to go crazy waiting for the second book in this series.