Early Review: The Taking by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Taking
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: The Taking #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: April 29, 2014
Source: eARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing.

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

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

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

My Thoughts:

Kimberly Derting has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time. I’m a huge fan of The Body Finder series and even though The Pledge wasn't that great for me, I was super excited when I found out she was releasing a new series! The Taking was literally the first book that I read this year! I was so excited about my ARC that I couldn't wait to dive right in.

The Taking is about a sixteen year old girl named Kyra who, after a softball game, suddenly disappears without a trace. She wakes up behind the dumpster of her local gas station 5 years later but it feels like the next morning to her. She’s still wearing her softball uniform and hasn't aged a day. Soon, a mysterious stranger starts showing up everywhere she goes and Kyra soon discovers that there is a lot more behind her disappearance than she originally thought.

Even though Kyra is a good main character I didn't feel all that emotionally attached to her. Everything that happens, her disappearance and reappearance, all happens so fast in the very beginning that you don’t really get a chance to become attached to the life that she had before. Most of the story is her struggle with accepting that everyone has moved on without her. We, the readers, don’t get the chance to know the Kyra before, we only know the person that Kyra becomes after she resurfaces.

I really enjoyed the relationship between Kyra and Tyler who incidentally is her “before” boyfriend’s younger brother. Since five years has now passed, Tyler is one year older than Kyra. They become really close throughout the book, both trying to figure out what happened to her. Tyler is really super cute! He always admired his older brother's girlfriend and now here she is, she hasn't aged a day and he has the chance to actually get to know her! I really like that he kind of always held a candle for her!

The plotting and the pacing of the book were a little bit slow at times, especially in the middle but it really kicks up towards the end, making me hopeful that book two will be an action-packed adventure. There was also a bit of a cliffhanger at the end which made me really excited! I don’t generally like cliffhangers but this one made me really anticipate the rest of the series! Oh, and since I wasn't super obvious about it, it’s about aliens which we definitely don’t have enough of in YA right now.

The Taking was a really great book to start the year off with and now in just a couple of weeks everyone can enjoy it as well! Not only was it a great start to a really exciting new series, it can really appeal to those readers who are new to sci-fi!

Review: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Title: Black City

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Series: Black City #1

Publisher: Putnam's Sons BYR

Source: Library

Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-old Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

My Thoughts:

Since I already own an ARC of Phoenix and just received an ARC of the final book in the trilogy Wings I thought that it’s probably high time that a write a review for Black City. I was a little hesitant going into this book because I had heard it was about vampires and we all know that the whole vampire thing is way overdone in YA lit!

Looking back, I’m glad I've waited so long to write this review. I've read a few vampire novels since Black City and they all fell flat for me and has made me realize how unique this vampire story really is. While checking out my Goodreads account, I noticed that I gave this book 3 start just after I finished reading it. After my year of retrospection of vampire novels, this book definitely deserves 4 stars.

Black City starts off really, really strong! It’s super action-packed right off the bat which reeled me immediately! But then towards the middle it starts to drag a bit and get a little boring. And then at the end it gets really good again! I feel like I’m describing a trilogy all in one book!!

Even though it has a little insta-love, I still really loved the relationship between the two main characters. As far as world building, I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the vampires and/or darklings and how they’re depicted as a separate species. It’s all very interesting and something I want to read more about. Black City is one of the better vampire novels out there in YA literature!

Review: Life by Committee

Title: Life by Committee
Author: Corey Ann Haydu
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Source: ARC
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Some secrets are too good to keep.

Tabitha might be the only girl in the history of the world who actually gets less popular when she gets hot. But her so-called friends say she’s changed, and they've dropped her flat.

Now Tab has no one to tell about the best and worst thing that has ever happened to her: Joe, who spills his most intimate secrets to her in their nightly online chats. Joe, whose touch is so electric, it makes Tab wonder if she could survive an actual kiss. Joe, who has Tabitha brimming with the restless energy of falling in love. Joe, who is someone else’s boyfriend.

Just when Tab is afraid she’ll burst from keeping the secret of Joe inside, she finds Life by Committee. The rules of LBC are simple: tell a secret, receive an assignment. Complete the assignment to keep your secret safe.

Tab likes it that the assignments push her to her limits, empowering her to live boldly and go further than she’d ever go on her own.
But in the name of truth and bravery, how far is too far to go?

My Thoughts:

Life by Committee, which will be released in May, takes in interesting look at how influential the internet can be in teenagers’ lives. Not only does it show the inter-working of female friendships but it also shows just how fragile everything seems when you’re in high school.

Life by Committee follows high school student Tabitha after she has had a huge falling out with her best friends. As a hobby, she likes to collect old, used books, especially those that have notes in the margin so that she can go through and read other people’s thoughts. While reading the margin notes in a used copy of The Secret Garden she comes across a website called Life by Committee. It’s a place where teenagers can share their secrets as long as they agree to complete dares set by the moderator. They are also required to complete one dare a week if they want to continue being members of this group. Before Tabitha knows it, she becomes completely obsessed with Life by Committee and is living her life by secrets and dares; almost all of her decisions are made by the group’s moderator. Nothing good can come when you let other people make important life decisions for you. And most of Tabitha’s dares involves another girl’s boyfriend. If you felt like you had no one left who understands you, would you turn to strangers on the internet? It’s interesting because a lot of people do even though it’s not to this extreme.

I thought Life by Committee was a pretty good contemporary and a pretty quick read. I liked it because it’s not the typical love story and the ending was definitely different.  I really like contemporaries like this: short, quick read, intriguing main characters and a story that wraps up well at the end.  I definitely recommend this book for those who are really into contemporaries.

Review: The Way We Fall

Title: The Way We Fall
Author: Megan Crewe
Series: Fallen World #1
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Purchased E-book

It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.


And then you're dead.

When sixteen-year-old Kaelyn lets her best friend leave for school without saying goodbye, she never dreams that she might not see him again. But then a strange virus begins to sweep through her small island community, infecting young and old alike. As the dead pile up, the government quarantines the island: no one can leave, and no one can come back.

Those still healthy must fight for the island’s dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn't?

Poignant and dizzying, The Way We Fall is the heart-wrenching story of one girl's bravery and unbeatable spirit as she challenges not just her fears, but her sense of what makes life worth living.

My thoughts:

I bought The Way We Fall as an ebook at least over a year ago and it turned out to be one of those forgotten book that took me forever to finally read. I was nervous going into because I thought that it might me about zombies and I just don’t do zombie books very often. But I’m definitely glad that I gave it a chance.

The Way We Fall is definitely a different kind of book. It’s written in the form of journal entries/letters written to someone whom she used to be good friends with. Kaylen lives on a small island near Canada where her father is a medical research scientist. It all starts with one or two sick people who end up dying less than two weeks after their first symptoms. The disease spreads very quickly and the whole island becomes quarantined because people are just dying all over the place.

I really liked The Way We Fall! It was very interesting and I really wanted to know what was going to happen and how it was going to end. Most dystopia novels that I read are all about the aftermath of some catastrophic even some ten to one hundred years later. But in The Way We Fall we see the world as it is now and watch as it turns to ruins because this disease is destroying the population. It’s quite fascinating and I’m very interested to see what happens to the island and the rest of the world in the later books.

Review: Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Perfect Ruin
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Internment Chronicles #1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Find it here: Goodreads, Amazon

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

My thoughts: 

Perfect Ruin is a beautifully crafted novel that caught my undivided attention early on. Lauren DeStefano has once again wrapped me up in her world-building, leaving me on the edge of my seat and definitely wanting more. The first book in her sophomore series is imaginative, inventive and creative, quickly making her one of my favorite authors.

Perfect Ruin is about a city called Internment and it is literally in the sky. It is surrounded by high intensity winds making it impossible for people to jump off. The main character, Morgan, describes the city as small enough for their train system to circle the city in about two hours. The citizens of Internment are made to believe that the Sky God has chosen them to live in a somewhat perfect society. There is hardly any crime and everything is regulated by the government. It’s all really fascinating. And then a murder disrupts everything!

I really loved the characters. Often time the characters’ attitudes and personalities are what really make or break a book for me. Morgan, the protagonist, is a very likable character. She doesn't make snide remarks, she’s not sarcastic and she’s really trying to see the reality of the world she lives in. She’s clearly struggling with thoughts of what’s on the ground and what it would be like to jump off Internment. She’s able to strike a balance with her curious side and her rational side which is what makes her such a great character.

Even though DeStefano writes with beautiful imagery, Perfect Ruin has very dark undertones that stay consistent throughout the novel. If you were a fan of her Chemical Garden trilogy then I recommend you pick up her new series. I will definitely be looking for the rest of The Internment Chronicles!

Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Title: The 5th Wave
Author: Rick Yancey
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Source: Borrowed

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

My thoughts: 

Pretty much everyone in the blogosphere and the booktube world has been absolutely raving about this book so when the opportunity to read The 5th Wave presented itself I knew I had to read it.  I have also read The Monstrumologist which is pretty good so I had to give The 5th Wave a chance. 

It started out really good and just grabbed my attention.  I was so interested in just learning about what had happened during the first few waves. Yancey did a great job of creating a whole bunch of build up to what I thought would be some huge massive 5th way that was about to hit.  But then when we actually discover what the 5th wave actually is I was kind of let down a little bit.  I was also thrown off a little bit by the changing perspective because I didn't realize that the perspective had change and I was a little confused.  To me, changing perspective is really hard to pull off and Yancey did a pretty great job.  

There was so much hype around this book that I really expected it to blow my socks off! I still thought it was pretty good I just didn't think it was absolutely this best book that I've read this year. 

Review: Onxy

Title: Onyx
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Series: Lux #2
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Source: Purchased

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarre connection. I’ve sworn him off even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But against all common sense, I’m falling for him. Hard.

Our relationship issues aren’t out biggest problem…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And when a new boy shows up a school with a secret of his own, things get complicated fast. I need to choose between my own instincts and Daemon’s.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. Daemon’s never going to stop searching until gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies.

My thoughts:

I love this series! Love, love, love this series! I was somewhat of a late comer to the Luxen because I can honestly say that their original covers turned me away. After multiple bloggers told me to get on it I felt like I had no choice but to finally pick it up. And I am so glad that I did! When I was around middle school/early high school I really loved that show called Roswell! Ever since then UFO's, Roswell, NM and stories about aliens have always intrigued me.  So for me, the Lux series is definitely great because it has that Roswell feel!

What really makes the Lux series exciting to read is that there is always something going on! Some kind of adventure, mysterious plot development and very suspicious behavior by some sketchy characters! I'm always on the edge of my seat! No doubt Onyx had all this and more! Since Katy has developed some of Daemon's alien power, her life is crazier than ever and now a new guy at entered the picture vying for her attention.  I would say it's a love triangle but, honestly, Daemon has no competition! I knew this new guy was sketchy all along and that it was just a matter of time before Katy admitted that she's in love with Daemon.

I don't know what it is about Daemon but he is one of the hottest guys I've ever read! Every time he calls Katy "kitten" I just MELT!!! I love every word he says and that he's not afraid to admit that he's in love with Katy! Even though his temper is a little off-putting, he is still in my top 10 book boyfriends!

I'm telling you, if you have not read this series yet, you need to get on it! It's one of my favorites right now and has also made Jennifer L. Armentrout one of my favorite authors!

Review: Renegade

Title: Renegade

Author: J.A. Souders

Series: The Elysium Chronicles #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Source: ARC from Publisher

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren't under her own control.

And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

My Thoughts:

Renegade is definitely one roller-coaster ride after another. The setting is fantastic, the plot and storyline are utterly captivating and the twists and turns around every corner had me flipping through this book so fast just to find out how it ends. It’s such a dark book with so many secrets and lies. It’s a completely engrossing adventure with a love story to boot!

The characters fell a little flat for me. I just didn't care about Evelyn and Gavin the same way I normally care about characters. I was interested in their story lines and I definitely wanted to know where they had come from and what had happened to them in the past but I didn't really care for their well-being. So I’m thinking that since Evie was chosen to be the Daughter of the People because of her genetic perfection that she must be the most beautiful person in Elysium. Of course Gavin would fall in love with her at first sight. After years of perfecting Elysium’s genetics, she’s probably the most beautiful girl that he’s ever seen! Probably one of the most damaged but definitely beautiful. They kind of have this insta-love scenario that I really don’t like because they don’t even know each other. 

Mother was definitely my favorite character! She is so cold and conniving and manipulative and she brain washes all these people to believe that the “surface” is plagued with fatal toxins and that they will die if they go up there. And how old is she really? We don’t know! Mother is so mysterious! I loved the whole back story of how Elysium was created. 

OMG that twist at the end was just crazy! The Elysium series is one that I will be reading until the bitter end and I will wait at the edge of my seat for the rest of the books to be released! Renegade is the type of dystopian books that I love!

Review: The Blessed

Title: The Blessed

Author: Tonya Hurley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Source: Library

From the author of the New York Times bestselling ghostgirl series, the start to a captivating and haunting teen trilogy about three girls who become entangled with an enigmatic boy—a boy who believes he is a saint.What if martyrs and saints lived among us? And what if you were told you were one of them?

Meet Agnes, Cecilia, and Lucy. Three lost girls, each searching for something. But what they find is Beyond Belief.

My Thoughts:

The Blessed really took me by surprise! I knew that it was about a religious cult, so I knew it was going to be unique. I also knew that it was getting some very mixed reviews which honestly, made me want to read it for myself. People either loved it or hated it and I definitely loved it! As soon as I cracked it open and read the first few chapters, I was sucked in and I read the rest on the edge of my seat!

I loved the way the story was told. I normally don’t enjoy books that told from multiple perspectives but The Blessed pulled this off very well! I really liked the three main female characters Cecelia, Agnes and Lucy. These three girls are very different and each personifies a certain type of character. One is all hard core, rock ‘n roll and has the tough as nails persona that shows she not afraid of anything or anyone. Another is a socialite, using people for all their worth and throwing them away when she’s finished. And the third is a catholic schoolgirl struggling with loneliness and tries to take her own life. But fundamentally, they’re all looking for the same thing; they’re searing for a higher calling and for their place in life. Even though they’re all so different they’re still susceptible to the charismatic charm of a good looking guy. They all fall victim to his “preaching” and believe they have been individually selected by God.

Even though I really liked this book, I struggled to understand what was really going on. We’re they just having a spiritual experience or were they actually being moved by God. I don’t know. But it certainly piqued my interest and I would like to know more if there is going to be another book. This book is definitely not for everyone but I found it to be very engrossing and interesting to read. I have found that readers loved it or hated it. What did you think?

Review: The Body at the Tower

Title: The Body at the Tower
Author: Y.S. Lee
Series: The Agency #2
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Library

This is another colourful, action-packed Victorian detective novel about the exploits of agent Mary Quinn. At a young age, Mary Quinn is rescued from the gallows and taken to Miss Scrimshaw's Academy for Girls. The school turns out to be a front for a private detective agency. At age 17, Mary takes on her first case (A Spy in the House). In this, the second book of the series, Mary Quinn sets out to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death at St. Stephen's Tower, better known as the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament. The accident occurred after hours in a highly public part of town and despite the presence of night watchmen. Mary, disguised as Mark Quinn, becomes a builder's assistant to find out the truth about the body at the tower.

My thoughts:

I love The Agency series so much! It’s full of great characters, fun plot lines and little bit of romantic interest thrown into the mix! It is so easy for me to let myself get swept up into the story of mystery and intrigue!

Mary is one of my favorite mystery detectives! Not only is she smart but she is embarking on this awesome career during a time when women were expected to marry and take care of the children. Being a detective is the last thing any man would expect her to be. She is also very quick and cunning; she can pick up on the tinniest of clues and unravel it until the very end. The scenes between Mary and James Easton are always my favorite! They have this awesome sexual tension that just continues to brew and eventually boils over when they can’t keep their hands off each other! And they complement each other very well!

The assignments that Mary gets are always so intriguing! The mysteries are just complicated enough to where you can follow along easily but I’m still unable to figure out for myself until close to the ending. These always make for the best type of mysteries, in my opinion! I give The Body at the Tower 4 hearts because there is no doubt in my mind that I will continue reading this series!

Review: Red Rain

Title: Red Rain
Author: R.L. Stine
Publisher: Touchstone
Find it here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from ALA

Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers orphaned twin boys and impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island—husband Mark and their two children, Ira and Elena— aren't quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the twins’ true nature—or predict that, within a few weeks’ time, Mark will wind up implicated in two brutal murders, with the police narrowing in.

My thoughts: 

I grew up reading R.L. Stine. He writes such great horror that I couldn't get enough of him when I was in elementary school and junior high.  I read as many Goosebumps as I could and then moved on to the Fear Street novels! Looking back now they're probably pretty cheesy but R.L. Stine definitely installed himself as one of the great middle grade horror writers! So when I heard that he was writing a horror for adults, I knew that I absolutely had to read it!

The basic plot of Red Rain is that Lea is a travel blog writer and she goes to a little island off the coast of South Carolina. While she's there, a hurricane hits and she ends up taking home twin boys whose parents died in the storm.  When they get to Long Island, horrible things start happening and the whole town goes a little crazy. Even though I really enjoyed the story, it's not a mystery to try and figure out what's happening or who is killing people.  It's revealed right in the beginning who the twins really are and what their intent is. I enjoy a good horror novel when I have no idea who is behind the murderous and anyone who jumps out could be the killer! But there is still a twist in the end that's revealed which I didn't realize until I was almost finished with the book.

Even though I really liked the book I didn't like that the murderers were these twelve year old twins.  I understand that they're pretty unsuspecting and that the adults in the novel would never have guessed that these innocent looking boys are killing people but I thought it was just kind of weird.  And I didn't like their accents.  They were supposed to be these white boys with blonde hair and blue eyes but they sounded Jamaican! So that kind of threw me off! I also didn't like that the story changed from so many perspectives. That's just a personal preference though.

Red Rain is a great horror novel to read around Halloween time! I give Red Rain 4 hearts because even though the story was a little weird, it still has all the blood, guts and gore that I'm looking for in my horror novels!  

Middle Grade Monday: The Time-Traveling Fashionista

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

Title: The Time-Traveling Fashionista
Author: Bianca Turetsky
Publisher: Poppy
Find it here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Library

What if a beautiful vintage dress could take you back in time?

Louise Lambert has always dreamed of movie starlets and exquisite gowns and longs for the day when she can fill the closet of her normal suburban home with stylish treasures. But when she receives a mysterious invitation to a vintage fashion sale in the mail, her once painfully average life is magically transformed into a time-travel adventure.

Suddenly onboard a luxurious cruise ship a hundred years ago, Louise relishes the glamorous life of this opulent era and slips into a life of secrets, drama, and decadence. . . .

Dreamy and imaginative, The Time-Traveling Fashionista features thirty full-color fashion illustrations to show gorgeous dresses and styles throughout history.

My thoughts:

I've been hearing about The Time-Traveling Fashionista since it first came out and literally been wanting to read it since then as well! But I had no idea it was a middle grade book! A few months ago I spotted a copy of it at the bookstore and when I flipped through it I was shocked to find such beautiful illustrations and I knew that I had to read it! 

I loved the characterization of Louise! She's this girl who is born into a wealthy family whose mom would buy her whatever clothing she wanted but she always chooses to search endlessly though thrift stores and vintage shop because she is obsessed with fashion.  She's a somewhat geeky seventh grader who hasn't grown into her body yet.  Even though she enjoys her life she wishes that there was a little more adventure. She gets invited to a traveling vintage sale her whole world changes! 

I loved the part when she was on the Titanic! I loved the mix of historical fiction and modern touches throughout the story.  I love everything about the Titanic so this book was especially fun for me! The famous, glamorous people, beautiful, old fashioned dressed and not enough life boats for everyone. As much as Louise was trying to be the famous actress that everyone thought she was she was also very much herself.  She formed a friendship with her maid and possibly saved her life in the end.  It was a very fun story and I'm so glad that the series is going to continue! I give The Time-Traveling Fashionista 4 hearts because who doesn't want to read about a teenager who time travels just by putting on a vintage dress! 

Review: Fever

Title: Fever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Series: The Chemical Garden Trilogy #2
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Find it here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Library

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

My thoughts:

When I first read Wither I thought it was really great! But between reading Wither and Fever I read so many other great books and I thought that if I read Wither again, that I wouldn't think it would be as great.  So I wasn't read to jump on Fever as soon as it came out.  I eventually got it from the library and I definitely liked it more than I thought I would. 

I really enjoyed the progression of Rhine and Gabriel's story.  I felt it was well-paced and the series of events seemed fairly likely as opposed to other stories that are completely unrealistic.  The story moved quickly enough to where I didn't feel bored nor did I think that Rhine stayed in one place for too long.  I also enjoyed the ending and thought the little twist was just perfect.  It definitely left me hanging and wanting to find out what happens in Sever, the final book in the Chemical Garden trilogy. 

The Chemical Garden trilogy is a series that I have come to appreciate more now that I've read Fever! I guess I needed to be reminded that I really enjoy these books.  I don't like the cover to Fever as much as Wither and I feel like it too much of a literal interpretation of the story.  I personally like more abstract covers. I have to give Fever 4 hearts for reminding how great this series is and now I'm genuinely excited for the release of Sever! 

Review- Betrayal

Title: Betrayal
Author: Gregg Olsen
Series: Empty Coffin Series #2
Publisher: Splinter
Find it Here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from the publisher

In this action-packed thriller sequel to Envy, foreign exchange student Olivia Grant is stabbed to death after a party--and the prime suspect is her best friend. As twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan get pulled into the aftermath of this Amanda Knox-like crime, they realize nothing is what it seems. Could it be betrayal of the ultimate kind?

Betrayal features real-life crime-solving techniques, heart-stopping suspense, plenty of red herrings, hard-hitting ethical questions, and information about the Amanda Knox case that inspired the novel. As the crime unravels, so does the twins' past…and they must face off against a family member who may unexpectedly have carried out the worst betrayal of all.

My thoughts:

For as long as I can remember I've always loved a good murder mystery novel! And I'm pretty sure I always will. There's just something about a good mystery that keeps me reading a book. Now add a little bit of the paranormal element and I'm definitely hooked!  Even if I have it somewhat figured out, I'm going to read it to the end just to see if I'm right or wrong! 

When reading Envy, I couldn't get enough of the mystery that is surrounding twins Haley and Taylor. Even after Betrayal, their special abilities haven't been truly explained but it's still fun to get wrapped up in their world.  I love how we get to see so many aspects of the twins lives and see how most of the time they work in perfect sync but then how they also argue.  

I really enjoy how Olsen writes the mystery.  He gives away the clues that are only necessary and as the story evolves, more is revealed and the pieces fall into place.  It's probably the reason why I have never been able to figure out who is the murderer. Betrayal is such a great murder mystery because of the characters, the dark and gloomy setting and because of the touch of paranormal! I give Betrayal 4 hearts for being a mystery that I couldn't figure out! 

Middle Grade Monday: Framed & Dangerous by Kim Harrington

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

Title: Framed & Dangerous
Author: Kim Harrington
Series: Sleuth or Dare #3
Publisher: Scholastic
Find it here: B&N, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Purchased

Who's the culprit?

Norah and Darcy are still in a fight, but crime doesn't stop just because the girls aren't speaking. Someone has set fire to their school's brand-new field house. And the prime suspect is Zane Munro, the cute boy Norah can't help crushing on.

When Zane asks Partners in Crime for help, Norah and Darcy must band together to investigate. Norah knows Zane is innocent, but the clues are not in his favor. Can she and Darcy mend their friendship, crack the case, and clear Zane's name before it's too late?

My thoughts:

I love this really cute series! It's full of fun, adventure and two super smart girls who can kick butt and solve awesome mysteries! These are such great books for kids who are not yet teenagers but are looking for something a little more exciting to read! 

Norah and Darcy are one the scene again when the new field house at their school goes up in smokes.  Norah puts all her effort into the case when Zane, the boy she's been crushing on, is framed as the main suspect.  Partners in Crime is also trying to solve a case over fifty years old that turned into an urban legend called the Prom Killer. I love how they had to go into the library and look at the old newspaper clippings on the microfiche.  Digging into the past was one of my favorite parts of this book!

Norah and Darcy have a great friendship and are able to work through the bumps they experience.  They don't just throw their friendship away when they have a miss-communication but they talk about their differences. They're a great team and I love reading about the mysteries they solve! I give Framed & Dangerous 4 hearts!

Middle Grade Monday: Little Magic Shop of Horrors

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

Title: Little Magic Shop of Horrors
Author: Gina and Annette Cascone
Series: Deadtime Stories
Publisher: Starscape
Find it here: Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from ALA

The Deadtime Stories by “Twisted Sisters” Annette and Gina Cascone—they’ll scare you silly and give you giggles at the same time.
Peter Newman really wants a twenty-one-speed mountain bike. That’s the grand prize for his school’s talent competition. And Peter’s pretty sure he can win it. All he needs is a talent….

When he and his best friend Bo see an ad for the Little Magic Shop of Horrors, they rush right over. For only $9.95, Peter buys a magic kit and becomes “Peter the Great.” Now he can do tricks even Houdini couldn’t perform!

The only problem is Peter can’t undo the tricks. But that doesn’t bother him too much. Until he wins the talent contest—by taking off Bo’s head! Will Peter be able to save his headless best friend?

My thoughts:

I knew that when I sat down to read this book, I would finish it in one sitting. It kind of reminded me of those Goosebump books I was so fond of when I was younger. Coming in at just around one hundred and fifty pages, Little Magic Shop of Horrors is a fun and entertaining read to pass a little time!

Peter and Bo want to win the school talent show. They decide to do a magic act so they look up a magic store in their local phone book. After several attempts to find this little magic shop with no luck, it mysteriously appears out of nowhere! The shop owner does some really weird magic tricks that make the boys even more excited about learning magic and they can’t believe it when he practically gives them a huge starter kit for less than ten dollars! Disaster ensues when Peter starts trying all these magic tricks without any kind of instruction manual.

Peter and Bo make a good team. Peter is so determined to become a great magician and to win the talent show that he sometimes loses sight what happening in reality. Bo is definitely his voice of reason and seems to understand that magic is not worth risking your life for. I have to say that my favorite character is Peter’s grandma! She is the crazy, nutty old lady who is convinced that she flew a bomber plane in WWII and that she was Houdini’s assistant. So when all this magic ensues, she gets really excited!

I love middle grade reads like this that are super fun and so easy to read! This book is only the first of the Deadtime Stories series that I've read but I can definitely say that I will be reading more of them. I give Little Magic Shop of Horrors 4 hearts because it is a book that middle grade readers will love especially around Halloween time!

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Series: Firelight #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it here: Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Purchased

A hidden truth.

Mortal enemies.

Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My thoughts:

The main reason I wanted to read this book is because it is about dragons! I didn't even know what is was about expect for the fact that the characters are shape-shifters who turn into dragons! It was the first book that I had ever read concerning dragons and I really really liked it! 

Jacinda, the main character, is a twin (her twin never shifted into a dragon at puberty) who lives with her mom and sister in their draki tribe somewhere in the mountains.  After she breaks the rule and is nearly caught by dragon hunters, her mother makes them leave the tribe so Jacinda can escape a very harsh punishment. 

Cassian, the son of the tribe's leader, is someone I would want to punch in real life! One of those guys who walks around like they're entitled to everything they have and can get anything they want. I really felt bad for Jacinda and was really mad when her mother and sister wanted her to stop shifting into a dragon so that she could become a normal person. She really didn't complain when I felt like she could have.  She is a strong character that made the best of her circumstances.  There's so much mystery surrounding Will! I can't wait to read Vanish and find out what's going on with him and what happened to him when he was younger! The forbidden romance between Will and Jacinda made this an even more exciting read!

Firelight was such an exciting read for me! I've read a lot of reviews where the readers felt like it was kind of a redundant romance and a predictable story. But what made it so special for me is that they're DRAGONS!!! I give Firelight 4 hearts for being a refreshing read is a sea of cookie-cutter books! 

Middle Grade Monday (1)

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

Title: Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrows
Author: Katy Towell
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Twelve years ago, for 12 days straight, the town of Widowsbury suffered a terrible storm, which tore open a gate through which escaped all sorts of foul, rotten things. Strange things and strange people were no longer welcomed in Widowsbury, for one could never be sure of what secrets waited under the surface . . .

Adelaide Foss, Maggie Borland, and Beatrice Alfred are known by their classmates at Widowsbury's Madame Gertrude's School for Girls as "scary children." Unfairly targeted because of their peculiarities—Adelaide has an uncanny resemblance to a werewolf, Maggie is abnormally strong, and Beatrice claims to be able to see ghosts—the girls spend a good deal of time isolated in the school's inhospitable library facing detention. But when a number of people mysteriously begin to disappear in Widowsbury, the girls work together, along with Steffen Weller, son of the cook at Rudyard School for Boys, to find out who is behind the abductions. Will they be able to save Widowsbury from a 12-year-old curse?

My thoughts:

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrows is a book that I purchased at ALA this year. What initially drew me to the book was not only the cover but the spelling of the title Skary Childrin. Right off the bat I knew this book would be a fun and slightly spooky read and great for my Middle Grade Monday feature! After flipping through the book I knew I had to purchase it because the illustrations are pretty awesome!

Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrows centers around the three main characters who are the “outcasts” of their private boarding school in a town that hates outsiders or anything new. Adelaide is believed to be a werewolf, Maggie has super-human strength and Beatrice says she can see and talk to ghosts. Everything that ever goes wrong at the school is always blamed on the three of them and they spend most of their days in detention. Weird things start to happen around town when a mysterious carousel appears and people start to go missing!

Even though this is a middle grade novel, I still didn't catch on to whom the villain was until he was revealed. After the villain tells his story, I found myself feeling sorry for him even though he was doing all these terrible things. He was a product of those who bullied him when he was a child.

I really enjoyed the overall message that the story gave. Be better than those who bully you because you still have a choice to make the right decision. The villain gave the three girls a chance to take revenge on those who bullied them and in the end they made the right decision. Even though they were still considered “outcasts” and not well liked, they had clean consciences.

The story got a little scary at parts but it was really fun to read! I give Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrows 4 hearts for being a little spooky but also sending out a great message to the younger audience!

Review: Girl of Nightmares

Title: Girl of Nightmares
Author: Kendare Blake
Series: Sequel to Anna Dressed in Blood
Publisher: Tor Teen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC, ALA

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

My thoughts:

Anna Dressed in Blood is one of my favorite young adult horror novels because Kendare Blake does not hold back when it comes to blood and gore! I didn’t expect anything less when I picked up Girl of Nightmares and I’m so glad! All my favorite aspects from Anna Dressed in Blood were alive and thriving in Girl of Nightmares which made for a really exciting read!

One of the reasons why Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares are so amazing is because of the three main characters! They really came together in the former and continued to rely on each other in the latter. The dynamics of Cas, Thomas, and Carmel really works well and they play off of each other’s strengths which always makes for an exciting read! Thomas’ grandfather is one of my favorite characters! He made me laugh a lot! I really wanted to know more about the Obehman. Was he human before he became this monster? Was he a ghost who became super powerful? Is he a demon? I would have liked his origins explored more.

Going into Girl of Nightmares, all I really knew is that Cas was going to try to save Anna from wherever she was. Cas didn’t even know where Anna was! So I didn’t know where this book was going to take the readers but that almost made it more exciting because I had no idea! I really liked that the adventure took the gang outside of their little town into London and then into the Suicide Forest! The secret society of ghost hunters was also very interesting and I would love to see a side book that dives deeper into the history of it!

I really, really liked this book and I’m so glad that Kendare Blake has decided to write horror within YA! I give Girl of Nightmares 4 hearts because even though I loved it, it wasn’t as enthralling or all-consuming as Anna Dressed in Blood!

Review: Don't You Wish

Title: Don't You Wish
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Publisher: Delacourte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of the Publisher

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: 

I really enjoyed this story! It’s a somewhat different take on the whole “the grass is greener on the other side”. And who hasn’t wondered if the grass really is greener on the other side? I know I have. One of the reasons that this book really stuck with me is because I spent a lot of time in junior high and my early years of high school wondering what it would be like if I was born into a wealthy family or if I was more popular. In Don’t You Wish, Annie experiences firsthand what it would be like to have a different life while retaining her previous life memories.

Annie Nutter is a great character! She’s the epitome of nerd, striving to be noticed by those who are deemed “more popular” by her peers. Annie and her best friend eat junk food to their heart’s content, gossip endlessly about the hottest guy in school and have each other’s back no matter what. After a seriously mean prank played on her by her ultimate high school crush, Annie goes home wishing she was popular more than ever. When her house gets hit by lightning, she wakes up a completely different person in a completely different place.

Annie/Ayla is convinced that she is having the most awesome dream for the whole first day. She’s gorgeous, popular, filthy rich with the most popular boyfriend. She is pretty much basking in every moment she can. After a few days pass she begins to understand that not everything is perfect in this world and she doesn’t know if she wants to go back. Even I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to go back and I was kind of hoping that she could fix her family in this new life. Annie/Ayla always does the right thing so I knew in the end she would make the right decision.

I believe that Don’t You Wish dealt with the question of “what if” really well. It showed that nothing can ever be perfect and even wealthy and beautiful people have problems. I give Don’t You Wish 4 hearts for being fun and tackling series questions at the same time!