June 29, 2016

The Rose & the Dagger (The Wrath & the Dawn #2) by Renee Ahdieh 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I finally had time to read the sequel to The Wrath & the Dawn.  Before I get around to raving about The Rose & the Dagger, I'm recommending that you go ahead and read the first book in the series.  It was seriously good.

Also, just as a warning, this series is a duology.  I'm not sure why, but I assumed it was a trilogy up until I was reading the epilogue.  It was a bit disorienting.  Just prepare yourselves for that.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Shahrzad behind a screen of daggers/ roses.  It fits with The Wrath and the Dawn's cover, but I'm not a fan of the style.  A bit too busy for my taste.  B cover

Official Description:
The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.
Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.
The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.
 



My Review:
I really enjoyed The Rose & the Dagger.  It picked up right where the first book stopped.  There was constant action.  The story constantly veered into unexpected storylines.  The theme of betrayal was very central to The Rose & the Dagger and was, therefore, always present whether in actual betrayal or in paranoia.  It added a neat layer to the book.

The characters were much more complex in this second installment.  Much more of the book was told from perspectives that were not related to Shahrzad, which I appreciated.  This allowed characters such as Khalid and Tariq to shine.  All of the characters were lovely, if misguided, so their perspectives added a refreshing more complete picture.

I loved this book.  It was the perfect ending to this series.  There was only one problem I had with The Rose & the Dagger.  The epilogue.  As many of you may know, I am generally opposed to epilogues.  In the case of this book, the epilogue was set at least five years after the events of the book and wrapped everything up a bit too tightly.  I agree with leaving no loose ends, but I felt like some of the epilogue felt a bit forced.  I personally would have been content without the epilogue, but for the most part, it had a very satisfying ending.

I would recommend this book as well as the first book.  It's an exciting book full of fire, magic, betrayal, and romance.  What's not to love?

Phrase:
Jahandar's book

Happy Reading!

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Red Queen / Glass Sword
The Young Elites / The Rose Society
The Knife of Never Letting Go


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June 24, 2016

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I finally read the sequel to Red Queen (my review) and loved it.  Even though I only vaguely remembered book one when I started book two, the story came back to me quickly.  It wasn't at all a problem to understand and get back into the story.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It fits with the series's theme of crowns with blood.  Except in Glass Sword's case there is both Red and Silver blood on the crown.  Below the title, it also says "Kneel or Bleed" which is definitely appropriate.  I think this is a cool cover that is distinctive, simple, and relevant.  A+ cover.

Official Description:
If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.
Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.
The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.
Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.
But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.
Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul.
 


My Review:
Glass Sword picked up right where Red Queen left off.  It thrusts you right into the action and really doesn't stop.

The plot to Glass Sword was more intense than the first book.  It was full of action and betrayal.  There was also a subplot of Mare's slow descent into the dark side, as well as her changing relationship with Cal throughout the book.

The characters were super complicated.  Mare felt three-dimensional; she wasn't perfect or whiny.  Cal is a really interesting character.  I'd be willing to read the whole series over again from his point of view.  He faces his own character development, even though the Red Queen series is told entirely from Mare's perspective.  The relationships between the characters were fun and/or frustrating to read about, but they felt realistic.

While the plot and characters were superb, the best part of Glass Sword is the actual writing.  Some sentences were so well-written that I just wanted to read them aloud to the people around me.  Even without the plot/characters that it has, Glass Sword would have been worth reading.

I would definitely recommend reading Glass Sword.  Read Red Queen first, but I think you will enjoy both books.  They're well written and exciting.  I could barely put them down!

I'm excited to read the third and penultimate Red Queen book when it comes out in (most likely February) 2017.

Phrase:
Lightening Girl

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
The Young Elites / The Rose Society
The Selection

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June 22, 2016

Ridley & Jay by Shania Nicole Soler 3/5 stars

Hey, guys! I just finished reading Ridley & Jay.  I enjoyed it up until the last few chapters.  The story did a complete 180.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Ridley in a field.  I'm going to be honest, it doesn't relate well enough to the story for my tastes.  A C cover.

Official Description:
Could you ever hand your parents over to the police? For Ridley this is a definite no. She could never do such a thing because to her, they have never done anything wrong. It’s always her own fault and the bruises and scars on her body remind her of this every day. From her own perspective her parents don’t hurt her. To her, they don’t abuse her. She knows that people won’t see this the same way she does which is exactly why she has one close friend and no one else. People don’t talk to Ridley and Ridley doesn’t talk to people because if she does they’ll get close. If people get close to her somewhere along the line they’ll discover what she’s hiding. If this happens it’ll be the end of everything. She’ll have to pack up what little she owns and say goodbye to Virginia. So, as far as she’s concerned, all she needs is her music, books, and a lifetime supply of long sleeved shirts. 
Jay has a few close friends and a regular life with a great family. As far as he’s concerned all he needs are his good looks, grades, and charming personality. That is until he meets Ridley. Then, all he’s concerned about is getting to know her. Who is the girl that only wears long sleeved clothing, even when it’s ninety degrees out? What is she so desperately trying to hide? How do I get closer to her? 
Ridley can’t stop the unknown feelings she gets when Jay’s around and Jay can’t get enough of Ridley’s mystery. What begins as solving the mystery of the girl named Ridley becomes something more than Jay could have ever imagined. Ridley tries to keep Jay further than arms length away but cannot deny the unknown feelings inside her.


My Review:
Ridley & Jay was a story about a high school girl who is abused at home.  She meets Jay and realizes her true value until it all collapses around her.

I enjoyed the story.  It was fast-moving and had a very believable and cute relationship.  Ridley and Jay's relationship felt organic and not forced.

The book was full of description.  It added vivid imagery, but the descriptions sometimes bogged down the story a bit.

My main problem with Ridley & Jay was its ending.  I generally don't care what the ending is as long as it's approached naturally and feels right for the book.  This ending did not make me feel this way. From the end of one chapter to the start of the next, the story entirely changed direction.  There was no transition and suddenly the story had flipped over.  The ending was abrupt and didn't fit well with the story.  It left me unsatisfied and a bit cheated.  Don't get me wrong, the ending would have been fine if there was more build up to it, but as it was, it didn't work.

Overall, I would not recommend Ridley & Jay because of its abrupt change of direction.  It had a cute romance plot, but I don't think it outweighed the rest of the issues.

Phrase:
iPod

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Eleanor & Park

Need other suggestions?  Check out my suggestions page!


*Thanks to Shania Soler for a copy of Ridley & Jay in exchange for my honest review*

June 17, 2016

The Fate of Ten (Lorien Legacies #6) by Pittacus Lore 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  It's been a long time coming but I finally read the penultimate Lorien Legacies book!  If you haven't already read it, this is a really fun series (which apparently I haven't reviewed before). Either way, I'd recommend the whole series, but you need to read them in order.  This review may have spoilers for previous books in the series!

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows a Lorien sign (for ten?).  It is a fairly simple cover and isn't eye-catching, but it works well with the rest of the books in the series's covers.  An A- cover.

Official Description:
The sixth book in the thrilling, action-packed, New York Times bestselling I Am Number Four series! For years the Garde have fought the Mogadorians in secret. Now all of that has changed. The invasion has begun. If the Garde can't find a way to stop the Mogs, humanity will suffer the same fate as the Lorien: annihilation.
There is still hope. When the Elders sent the Garde to Earth, they had a plan—one which the Garde are finally starting to understand. In the climax of The Revenge of Seven, a group of the Garde traveled to an ancient pyramid in Mexico known to their people as the Sanctuary. There they awoke a power that had been hidden within our planet for generations. Now this power can save the world . . . or destroy it. It will all depend on who wields it.
 


My Review:
The Fate of Ten is probably the most intense book in the Lorien Legacies series.  There was never a dull moment.  The action was nonstop, and it was action I cared about, not just random gun waving.

The characters remain one of my favorite parts of this series.  They are complex and feel like real people.  Over six books, you grow to really care about John, Six, and the others, and their reactions, emotions, and character development feel organic and are fun to read.  

The only problem I had with The Fate of Ten is its formatting.  The entire book is in first person point of view, split between John and Six (with one chapter from Ella's point of view).  However, there is no notification when the point of view changes.  This leads to some easily remedied confusion.  It's a bit irritating!

Overall, I loved this book.  It was a reminder of how much I had loved the series and will (most likely) continue to love it.  The last book, United As One comes out on June 28 and I will be sure to read it.  If you haven't read the series, I'd recommend reading it.  It's a lot of fun.

Phrase:
Ximic

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Human.4

Need other suggestions?  Check out my suggestions page!

June 15, 2016

The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter #2) by Thomas Harris 2.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  So here's a book I regret reading.

Previous book in the series (can read it out of order):
Red Dragon

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows the protagonist Clarice Starling and Hannibal Lecter side by side with their mouths covered by a moth (found in a murder victim's mouth).  It's a cool cover.  B cover

Official Description:
Hannibal Lecter. The ultimate villain of modern fiction. Read the five-million-copy bestseller that scared the world silent... A young FBI trainee. An evil genius locked away for unspeakable crimes. A plunge into the darkest chambers of a psychopath's mind-- in the deadly search for a serial killer... Thomas Harris is the author of Hannibal , Red Dragon , and Black Sunday . As part of the search for a serial murderer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill," FBI trainee Clarice Starling is given an assignment. She must visit a man confined to a high-security facility for the criminally insane and interview him.

(That description says about nothing about the book.)

My Condensed Description:
A serial killer nicknamed "Buffalo Bill" is kidnapping and skinning his victims and he won't stop.  It is up to FBI trainee Clarice Starling to help solve the case.  She works under Jack Crawford to help the FBI find the clues that may lead to Buffalo Bill's capture before he disposes of his latest victim.  When stuck, she seeks clues from the captured serial killer Hannibal the Cannibal who gives cryptic information that may just help Starling stop Buffalo Bill's killing spree.

My Review:
This was just disappointing.  First of all, the only reason to read Silence of the Lambs really is Hannibal, and he's in only about a fifth of the book.  The parts of the book he's in is by far the best parts of the book, but it isn't good enough to overweight the other four fifths.

Also, Silence of the Lambs is unnecessarily crude.  Both in language and situations.  I would give you an example, but I would feel gross to mention it.  There is never a scene were the female characters are not objectified on the most vile level.  It's just gross (I get that it's the point to show the terrible acts of prisoners, etc. but that doesn't excuse it) and made me self- conscious of reading the book.  In fact, it goes to the point where I may judge someone for reading Silence of the Lambs to begin with.

The main character was boring.  She could've been basically anyone and nothing in the book would have changed.  She didn't do anything to advance the plot, was unremarkable, and had no personality to speak for.

Also, this is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, but there is an occasional perspective from Buffalo Bill.  In my opinion, in cop books, perspectives from the "bad guy" only ruin all of the suspense, make you frustrated with the main characters, and distract from the actual plot.  I hate it, and Silence of the Lambs definitely told things from the villain's perspective multiple times.

The only redeeming parts of this book were the moments with Hannibal, which is why I read Silence of the Lambs to begin with, but it wasn't worth it.  I would not recommend reading this book.  It was crude and not very interesting.

Phrase:
Don't pass him any paperclips

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Stephen King books
Check out my Suggestions Page!


June 10, 2016

More Than This by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  After reading Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy, I wanted to read the rest of his books. This book is definitely different.  I loved about 99% of it with a passion, but the ending was too open ended for my tastes.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows an open door full of light.  It both references a particular scene that takes place around a prison and shows the general theme of the book, with a kind of parallelism to the afterlife.  The background could be interpreted as a circuit board or nothingness, both of which fit the book.  I love it!  A+ cover

Official Description:
A boy drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments. He dies.
Then he wakes, naked and bruised and thirsty, but alive.
How can this be? And what is this strange deserted place?
As he struggles to understand what is happening, the boy dares to hope. Might this not be the end? Might there be more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?


My Review:
This book is part suspense, part mystery, and part philosophy (kind of).  Most of More Than This is Seth (the protagonist) mentally debating where he is and experiencing flashbacks from his life.  Is he is hell? An apocalyptic world? Or did the world never exist at all?

It was thrilling, with a fast paced plot and frequent twists and breakthroughs.  

Seth was a likable characters who was flawed but was easy to route for.  He was stubborn, resourceful, and intelligent enough.  

The book had interesting undertones.  It questioned existence and how we experience life.  More Than This is a book that makes you think, and I've found myself continuing to think about it a few weeks after I finished it.

Just a warning.  If More Than This was a movie, it would be rated R.  There are a few scenes that are a bit adult and may make younger audiences uncomfortable, but certainly nothing massive.  It's definitely fine for mature teenagers, but reader discretion is advised.  
Also, there is mention of the main character being gay.  It's not a major part of the story, but it is frequently mentioned.  

The only problem that I had with More Than This was its ending.  I understand why the author wrote it as he did, but the ending was a bit too unresolved for my tastes.  I'm fine with open endings normally (at least the ones in the Neal Shusterman fashion of resolution but not complete resolution). However, More Than This's ending didn't resolve a pivotal question of the book.  It was ended this way purposely to continue the book's themes, model uncertainty, etc.  I see Patrick Ness's goal, but I would've preferred more resolution.  If open endings bother you, this book may frustrate you. However, the rest of the book is so spectacular that it makes up for it!

Overall, I would recommend this book.  It has complex ideas and doesn't shove them into your face. It's funny and sweet and gut-wrenching all at once.  It has suspense, danger, betrayal, and mystery.  It was a wild ride that is well written, as well.  

Phrase:
The Driver

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Books by Neal Shusterman
Chaos Walking Trilogy
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June 8, 2016

Monsters of Men (Chaos Walking #3) by Patrick Ness 5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I finished the Chaos Walking series.  It was amazing and makes me want to read every book that Patrick Ness has ever written.

Previous Books:
The Knife of Never Letting Go
The Ask and the Answer

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows a world on fire as a result of the war going on.  The Noise lines the sides of the page, which I really like.  The title also links well with the book.  "War makes monsters of men"  A+ cover.

Official Description:
Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await?

My Review:
Monsters of Men was a great conclusion to this series.  

One of the most remarkable things about this series is its character development.  You can see the changes in the characters brought about by their varying experiences, and this book showed the depth that these characteristic changes affected the characters.  Despite oftentimes being misguided, the characters of this series feel real and relatable.  I just wanted to wrap them up in a blanket and protect them from the dangers throughout this book.  And the danger was everywhere.  The plot gets far more intense and violent in Monsters of Men as war becomes inevitable.  

This book also contained elements of mind control which were super interesting both in format and storyline.  It really added to the book and doesn't feel artificial.  The mind control links with the character development in cool and new ways.  

There was also an added point of view from a Spackle.  The wording is entirely different since it is an alien being with a different construct of the world than the humans, so it took some getting used to.  But, it did help show all sides of the battle and humanize the enemy, which I thought was worthwhile.

Overall, I loved this book!  If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, you will enjoy Monsters of Men as well.  To be fair, it starts off a little slower than The Ask and the Answer, but it still started by hitting the ground running.  I'd definitely recommend this book as well as the entire series.

Phrase:
The Sky

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Books by Neal Shusterman

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June 3, 2016

Reality Boy by A.S. King 4/5 stars

Hey, guys!  I listened to the audiobook of Reality Boy and am not sure what I think about it.
The book and characters were super interesting and the book makes you think, but the plot was almost nonexistent.

The Cover:
The Cover:
It shows Gerald with TV static in front of him in the same way as jail bars.  It's a nice cover and works with the book story.  A- cover

Official Description:
Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.
Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.
In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.


My Review:
Basically, this book was about the disasters that stemmed from Gerald's bad experience on a Super-Nanny-esque reality TV show.  On this reality show, Gerald acted up by pooping on the dinner table, earning his high school self the nickname of "the Crapper."  Needless to say, that is a disaster for his high school social life.
Reality Boy's a story about self-discovery and overcoming the largest challenges.

It was a book centered on Gerald's thoughts and internal conflicts.  This part of the book was great.  It had the elements of a story that make you continue to think about it.  The other portions of the book weren't as impressive.

The characters were unlikable (though I believe they were supposed to be), but you could still relate to them in a less personal way.

The plot was focused on the internal conflict of Gerald.  There were few key plot points.  This was neither good nor bad, but if you prefer plot-centered books, this is not going to be your cup of tea.

I'm going to be honest, this book is not what I expected.  I misunderstood the description.  If I had know what it was about, I probably wouldn't have read it.  It wasn't my typical kind of book, but I really enjoyed reading it.  It was very well-written and I looked forward to reading the next part.

I'd recommend this if the above elements don't bother you.  This is a PG-13 at least book.  Nothing too bad but not a book you read at 10.

Phrase:
Fake Nanny

If You Liked This Book, You May Also Like:
Thirteen Reasons Why

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