The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin 5/5 stars (Plus Books One and Two)

Hey, guys! So, after a few days of trying in vain to finish Insomnia by Stephen King, I thought I'd switch focus to a book I knew I'd love, AKA the third book in the Mara Dyer series.  And, wow, was I right.  I got it this morning from my online library and just finished it.  Now that was a series!
I know that I haven't posted about this series before (sorry!), so I thought I'd share a little about the first two books (so that you all read them) before I get to book three.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer:

Official Description:
Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can. 
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. 
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. 
She's wrong.

Note: I don't really like that description.  If I were to sum book one up in a sentence it would be: "Wait... Is Mara actually crazy?"

My Review:
Wow. This book was impressive. A friend recommended it to me. I was skeptical, but I borrowed it from the library because I wanted some good, old-fashioned crazy. 
And this book.... Let's just say it did not disappoint. I loved the characters. It's rare that there's a girl main character that I liked but Mara was pretty awesome. This storyline kept me guessing and I felt like my view of the story was constantly shifting as the book went through twists and turns. 
Have you ever been reading and forgotten to breathe? If not, you will once you read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. 
I was impressed and can't wait to read the next book


The Evolution of Mara Dyer:

Official Description:

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can't. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren't. She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She's wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

My Review:

It was good, great even. This series keeps you on your toes. Is Mara really crazy? Is Jude dead? Who is the girl in the "before"s? What really going on here? While I'm not sure if I'll ever know the answer to some if these questions, it definitely keeps you paying attention to all the details while you read. 
That ending though.... Spectacular. 
This was a really good book. Definitely worth a read. I can't wait to read the next one (fingers crossed on it being out already!). 

The Retribution of Mara Dyer:

The Cover:

I'm just going to go ahead and say it.  I don't get it.  I know its Mara and Noah at the bottom of a lake, but why?  I don't know.  I'm sure it's symbolic of something.  If you know, comment!

Official Description:

Mara Dyer wants to believe there's more to the lies she’s been told.
There is.
She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.
She should.
She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.
She will now.
Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.
Retribution has arrived

My Review:

I was really excited for this book and it did not disappoint.  It had no stop action, fantastically complex character development, seemingly real people, and a thought provoking story.  I loved it.  It was definitely the perfect conclusion to the story.  Its last sentence was just completely perfect!  One of my favorite things is when first person books explain how their story is being told by the characters, and this book hit that on the head!  

There were twists and turns.  Seriousness and hilarity.  I was on the edge of my seat, laughing out loud and so absorbed in the book that I barely noticed time passing as I finished this 470 page book in an afternoon.  I'd definitely recommend it to you!  

Phrase:

So much vomiting!

Quotes:

"she reached out and grabbed Jamie by the sleeve, making him scream, which made me scream.  

"What is wrong with you?" Jamie said, hitting her lightly on the shoulder.

"Sorry! I wanted to get your attention without calling out."

"That worked out well for all of us." he replied." pg 46

""Who hired you to prepare this?"

"I'm afraid I can't divulge client information, Mr...."

"Jesus" Jamie said.  I snorted." pg 239

"Even if what he says is true, I am simply out of f*cks to give. I had few to spare to begin with." pg 348

If you liked this series, you might also like:

Angelfall

Hush, Hush

Legend

Happy Reading!

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The Future We Left Behind/ 1.4 (Point 4 #2) by Mike A. Lancaster 5/5 stars

Hey, guys! So, earlier this week I discovered that Human.4 (which I read like three years ago and absolutely loved) has a sequel, and I've been oblivious about it since 2012!  Needless to say, I was beyond exited!  I practically stormed the library to check the book out and then finished it in basically a day.  It was great, the book before it was great, and you should read both.  Since I never reviewed the first, I'll post a little about that before we get into The Future We Left Behind.

Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster:

The Cover:

It shows an "upgrading" human arm.  Its such a cool cover.  The title is cool, too. A+ cover all in all.

Official Description:

Kyle Straker volunteered to be hypnotized at the annual community talent show, expecting the same old lame amateur acts. But when he wakes up, his world will never be the same. Televisions and computers no longer work, but a strange language streams across their screens. Everyone's behaving oddly. It's as if Kyle doesn't exit. 
Is this nightmare a result of the hypnosis? Will Kyle wake up with a snap of fingers to roars of laughter? Or is this something much more sinister? 
Narrated on a set of found cassette tapes at an unspecified point in the future, "Human.4 "is an absolutely chilling look at technology gone too far.

Alternate Official Description:

'My name is Kyle Straker and I don't exist any more.'
So begins the story of Kyle Straker, recorded on old audio tapes. You might think these tapes are a hoax. But perhaps they contain the history of a past world . . .
If what the tapes say are true, it means that everything we think we know is a lie.
And if everything is a lie does that mean that we are, too?
Plug into a gripping new generation of sci-fi.

My Review:

Considering that I read this book so long ago, I remember it remarkably well.  It was really neat.  There were certain moments, that I'm not going to mention because spoilers, that I would love to be able to replicate in my own writing.  It's deep without trying too hard, funny without being silly, and perfect in a way that few books can manage.  I'd highly recommend it!

The Future We Left Behind/ 1.4 by Mike A. Lancaster:

First of all, I'm not sure which title to use, The Future We Left Behind or 1.4.  I've seen both, but they are the same book so don't be confused!

The Cover:

It shows a mechanical bee (I know it doesn't look like a bee but trust me) flying near a person's head. These bees are actually a really significant part of this book.  Peter's, the main character's, dad engineered mechanical bees when the bees started becoming extinct.  These fake bees crowded out the natural bees, killing them all.  While that's not a very important part of the plot it shows Peter's dad's nature.

Official Description:

Thousands of years in the future the divide between humanity and technology has become nearly unrecognizable. Each thought, each action is logged, coded, backed up. Data is as easily exchanged through the fiber-optic-like cables that extend from fingertips as it might be through ordinary conversation. It's a brave new world: A world that the Straker Tapes say is a result of many human "upgrades." But no one is sure whether the Straker Tapes are a work of fiction or an eerie peek into an unimaginable past. 
Nearly sixteen-year-old Peter Vincent has been raised to believe that everything that the backward Strakerites cling to is insane--an utter waste of time and potential. Since his father is David Vincent, genius inventor of the artificial bees that saved the world's crops and prevented massive famine, how could Peter believe anything else?
But when Peter meets Alpha, a Strakerite his own age, suddenly the theories about society-upgrades don't sound quite so crazy, especially when she shows him evidence that another upgrade is imminent. And worse, there may be a conspiracy by the leaders of the establishment to cover it up. A conspiracy spearheaded by Peter's own father.
Gripping and full of unexpected twists, The Future We Left Behind takes the unsettling questions raised in Human.4, and flips them entirely. What if we knew that the very way we live was about to be changed in an instant, and we could stop it? And what if everything we are sure we know is entirely wrong?

My Review:

This book was so cool.  It picked up a thousand years after book one.  At first, I was skeptical about this change but it was obviously for the best.  The human race is still being upgraded and it seems like another update is imminent.  

People who believe that what is detailed in book one, the Strakerites, are hated and laughed at.  This led Mike Lancaster to be able to do something incredible, reference his own book within the current book.  Human.4 had become a bible of sorts to the Strakerites.  This probably doesn't seem very neat, but I loved this little detail!  For example, at one point, Peter goes through the list of books he will read in his English class.  They include Shakespeare, William Faulkner, Beowolf, Human.4, etc.  It was just so gutsy and fantastic.  This author won a lot of points with me by doing that.

The characters were all fantastic.  They were three dimensional with their own motivations, however ill guided they were.  They seemed alive.  Also, there was a LOT of character development, which I'm a big fan of, especially with Peter.  It was nice.

The plot was great! It was exciting and lovable and full of tension.  Unrelated things built off of each other.  There were twists and turns, betrayal and loyalty, love and hatred.  It was just fantastic.  I read this 300-some page book in almost a single sitting as a result.

I also liked its formatting.  The entire situation is set up like an encrypted computer diary that someone decoded.  So at the beginning of chapters, we have a line of computer code to run the next section of the diary, etc.

Quote:

"In the entire history of the world the answer to a question about the way things wok has never been 'magic', 'the supernatural' or 'pixies'.

Examples:

1) An apple falls. Was it pulled down by hands of angles? No. I think you'll find the answer to that one is 'gravity'.

2) Bright fire fizzes across the night sky. Are the Gods fighting? No, that one is an electrical discharge, and we have called it 'lightning'.

3) The sun is devoured by blackness in the sky. Surely the Gods are angry with us? Uh, no, the moon has just moved in front of the sun. We call that 'an eclipse'. "

I would strongly recommend both Point 4 books to anyone.  They grapple with issues while not being heavy-handed.  They are interesting, engaging, and just plain awesome.  Five out of five stars barely cut it!

Phrase:

Kyle paradigm

Happy Reading!

The Ripper, The Asylum, and The Compelled (Stefan's Diaries #4, 5, and 6) by "LJ Smith", Kevin Williamson, and Julie Pec 3.5/5 stars

Hey, guys!  This is my last review installment for any Vampire Diaries book for the foreseeable future.  This is the second half of the Stefan's Diaries series, and now that I'm done, I'm going to move on for a while.  Just a warning, these will be exceptionally short reviews!

Have you missed my previous posts? Click on these links to read my review: Vampire Diaries (original), Vampire Diaries: The Return (Nightfall,  Shadow Souls, Midnight), Stefan's Diaries 1: Origins, Stefan's Diaries 3 and 4: Bloodlust and The Craving ADD A LINK TO THIS!!!!!!!!!!.

Now, if you're ready, let's start reviewing these three books.
Oh, and if you are wondering, I grouped these three Stefan's Diaries together because they formed a trilogy of sorts.  They all told the story of Damon and Stefan in London during the Jack the Ripper Era.

Book Four: The Ripper:

Official Description: 

Haunted by the past . . .

The year is 1888, and the scent of blood lingers heavy in the London air. Stefan Salvatore thought he could escape his violent origins by settling in the peaceful countryside of England, but when a heinous murderer named Jack the Ripper surfaces, Stefan fears darkness will always follow him. Drawn into the investigation, Stefan assumes the worst: This is the work of a vampire. And the more he learns, the more he becomes convinced that the killer is someone close to him—and that he can never outrun his past.
Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.

My Condensed Description:

Stefan assumes the murders in London were committed by Damon and decided the best move is to snoop around London.  Stefan meets Violet and tries to help her.

My Too-Short Review:

It wasn't quite as good as the others on this series, but it was still enjoyable.  I was mostly just disappointed that this book was about Jack the Ripper rather than "Ripper Stefan".  This book was just a bit whiny.  I'm not as interested in this storyline than I was in the plot of the previous three books.

Book Five: The Asylum:

Official Description:

The hunters become the hunted. . . .

Driven from their hometown of Mystic Falls, both Stefan Salvatore and his brother, Damon, arrived in Europe looking for a fresh start. But Samuel, a wealthy and cunning vampire, has other plans for them. First he ruined Stefan’s peaceful existence and now he’s framing Damon for the most gruesome murders London has ever seen.
United against their common enemy, Stefan and Damon are stunned when they realize that the source of Samuel’s rage lies in their past—tied up with the woman who forever changed their lives. Haunted by the memory of Katherine, the brothers find that their uneasy alliance is tested. Can they overcome their rivalry to defeat Samuel before he exacts his final revenge?
Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan’s Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began.

My Condensed Description:

Damon and Stefan argue amongst themselves while a vampire, Samuel, kills more girls.  Samuel frames Damon for these murders and creates a vendetta against Stefan and Damon that they, in turn, attempt to reciprocate.  Also, Stefan and Cora bond.

My Too-Short Review:

I have to admit that I don't like this Jack the Ripper storyline, which spans 3 books now as much as the early storylines. I hope they change soon! (They didn't.)  This book went a lot slower than the past ones have.  I don't believe they should've stretched this over three books.  Two books is pushing it.

Book Six: The Compelled:

Official Description:

Control or be controlled . . .
Stefan and Damon thought they knew evil. But nothing compares to Samuel, the ruthless vampire hell-bent on avenging Katherine's death by destroying the Salvatore brothers.
Reeling from Samuel's latest attack, Stefan and Damon find help in the most unlikely of places—a secret coven of witches. Together they discover Samuel's plan is more sinister than they ever could have imagined. Their only hope is to stop him before he secures the power to control humans and vampires alike. If they fail, not only Stefan and Damon but all of London will fall victim to Samuel's spell.
Based on the popular CW TV show inspired by the bestselling novels, Stefan's Diaries reveals the truth about what really happened between Stefan, Damon, and Katherine—and how the Vampire Diaries love triangle began. 

My Condensed Description:

Damon and Stefan finally band together to attempt to stop Samuel once and for all.  They recruit a few witches to help them on their mission, but things are more complicated then they appeared. There was a reason for Jack the Ripper's dismemberments, and it could lead to the end of London.

My Too-Short Review:

This was definitely better than the last two books in this series.  It had more action, a better plot, and more complex interactions between characters. 

Quote:

This was just too melodramatic not to include:
"But washing the dirt from my face did nothing to scrub the blackness from my soul" - The Ripper

Does anyone know if there will be anymore books in this series? Comment!

Happy Reading!

Follow me on twitter: @BookshelfSecret

Bloodlust and The Craving (Stefan's Diaries #2 and 3) by "LJ Smith", Kevin Williamson, and Jullie Pec 4.5/5 stars

Hey, guys! Just so you know, this will be a very short review.

I just read both Bloodlust and The Craving, sequels to Origin (LIIIIIINNNNNKKKKK) and part of the Vampire Diaries /  The Return  (Book 1  Book 2  Book 3) series.  I'm liking the series so far.  All of the books are action-packed, short and fun.  If a book is only 200-some pages, I don't tend to expect more than good characters and an actual plot, and you most certainly get that in these books. There are pretty good books that just breeze by.  I am by no means saying that they're the best books I've ever read, but if you just want some quick entertainment, go for this series.  It will probably exceed your expectations for a vampire book.
I also love it when books are set in the Victorian Era.  It just makes every interaction so scandalous! For example, "he just touched her hand in public! *gasp*"  This makes the book better for me, in the same way that it made The Infernal Devices better.  I'd recommend reading these books if you have a free day. They may be guilty pleasure books, but as long as there is still pleasure, why not?

P.S. These covers are just awful.  I'm so glad I'm not reading paperback copies so no one sees these covers and judges!

Happy Reading!

Visit me on Twitter: @BookshelfSecret

The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith 4/5 stars

Before you run away screaming because vampires are so overdone, you hate Twilight and everything it represents, or any other pre-conceptions, just chill, forget what your brain is complaining about, and read this review.

A few months ago, I decided to watch the Vampire Diaries TV show. I did this although I thought it sounded bad, mainly because I wanted some context for the commercials that came on while I would watch Arrow (a good vigilante show if you are interested).  My exact thought was "This looks bad. Let me watch the pilot."  Anyways, I got hooked.

After my personal success with the show, I thought, "Hey, why not try the books?"  To be honest, I found them a little disappointing, though still decent.  I just really did not like Elena, and the books were a tad dated (the first came out in 1999). Also, they are not at all like the TV show.  The general premise, though not the specifics, were the same...  The characters had the same names... And that was about it.  I'm sure that if I had read the books first, I would have been outraged by the show but...

Anyways, let's do this book by book.  I'm not going to review each one because I did not review them as I read them and I honestly cannot tell the differences between the books in my mind. They all blended together!

General Things to Know:

• Each book is short (in the 200 page range).  Some editions combined each set of two into one book.  You could read each in one sitting, fairly easily.
• Elena is annoying and the main character.  She is manipulative and basically awful in every way possible, but you can enjoy the book even if you hate her.
• The things that it shares with Twilight were not copied. (Look at publishing date above)
• A lot of the books have cliffhangers
• All of the covers are just awful, so please don't judge these books by their covers
• The author uses italics a lot

The Awakening

Here's a classic 90s cover if I've ever seen one.

Official Description:
A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror...
Elena
Searching for the ultimate thrill, she vowed to have Stefan.
Stefan
Haunted by his tragic past, he struggled to resist her passion.
Damon
Driven by revenge, he hunted the brother who betrayed him.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

I swear that this book is not quite as cheesy as the description says.

The Struggle

Official Description:

This is the terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them: Damon: determined to make Elena his queen of darkness, he'd kill his own brother to possess her.Stefan: desperate for the power to destroy Damon, he succumbs to his thirst for human blood.Elena: irresistibly drawn to both brothers, her choice will decide their fate.

Book two was a bit better than book one, but they were very comparable. If you didn't enjoy the first, you probably won't enjoy the second.

The Fury

Official Description:

A Love Triangle of Unspeakable Horror... Stefan Tormented after losing Elena, he's determined to end the feud with his brother, Damon--whatever the cost.
Damon Mocking Stefan and Elena, he laughs in the face of doom.
Elena Wild with her craving for blood, she confronts the ultimate evil.
The terrifying story of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

Things get intense in book three.  It is by far the best in this series.  It's very exciting!

Dark Reunion:

Official Description:

Elena rises from the dead to recreate the powerful vampire trio. Summoned by Elena, Stefan keeps a promise to her and fights the most terrifying evil he's ever faced. Joining the brother he once called enemy, Damon battles this new horror with strength, cunning, and deadly charm.

This book was a bit more strange than the others, but I enjoyed it.  It also had very, very little of Elena (who I found incredibly irritating) so I was happy with it!

This is the end of the original Vampire Diaries series.  The have a bunch of branch-off series that were written about 12 years after this original series.  I'll post my review of the first of these spin-offs soon, but just so that you know, they are much worse than the original series.

In the meantime, Happy Reading!

Legend series by Marie Lu (Awesome)

I'm going to do a mini series review of the Legend series by Marie Lu.  I loved the series and read the entire trilogy in about a week.  It was fantastic, and I loved it and think you will too!  (All of the reviews were from my thoughts as soon as I finished and were not at all influenced by the books afterwards.)

Legend:

The Cover:

The cover simply has the Republic's seal marking it.  The Legend it mentions is Day, of course.

Official Description:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. 
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. 
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. 

My Review:

All of the reviews I've seen of Legend rather supported the-best-book-I've-ever-read cause or the-worst-book-ever-why-on-earth-do-people-like-it side. 
That said, I've been waiting on hold in the library for Legend for about two months now. Well, before that I requested it from the library and got it almost immediately, only to find it was in Swedish instead of English... I had to return that one and get a readable copy, of course. There was so much excitement and disappointment is trying to read Legend. I was so excited when I got it and for good reason! Legend was fantastic! I loved the way the story was put together and the characters and basically everything! It was a great book. 
Of course as soon as I finished, I started the next challenge: finding book two. (Why my library has the first and the third, without the second, I have no idea.)

Prodigy:

The Cover:

I'm not entirely sure what is on the cover... (If you have an idea, tell me in comments.)  But the prodigy mentioned is June.

Official Description:

Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives. Day is believed dead having lost his own brother to an execution squad who thought they were assassinating him. June is now the Republic's most wanted traitor. Desperate for help, they turn to the Patriots - a vigilante rebel group sworn to bring down the Republic. But can they trust them or have they unwittingly become pawns in the most terrifying of political games?

My Review:

4.5 stars
Prodigy wasn't nearly as fantastic as Legend was, but it was still a good book. Quite a bit of the book felt like filler/ fluff. A good deal of the book was focused on Day/June's love story, which I didn't care nearly enough about, considering how much airtime it got. 
On the other hand, I really do care about the characters. While the storyline is a bit repetitive (the classic Book 1: terrible stuff is happening, Book 2: main character is the face of the rebellion, Book 3 (probably): they change the government system and the main characters love each other), I still enjoyed the story. Marie Lu had a slightly altered take on the story. Also, based on the very end of this book, she will most likely veer even further away from the classic YA Dystopian novel (Hunger Games, Delirium, Matched, etc.). 
I'm looking forward to read the next book because whether or not it's original, Marie Lu can WRITE!

*Update: This was also the book where June started to get on my nerves.

Champion:

The Cover:

I think the cover shows a rose on fire, just like Day's dream had in the beginning of the book.  The champion who is mentioned... Well, I don't know if anyone won.  Maybe it references the winner of the Republic/ Colonies war.

Official Description:

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion? 
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps-Elect, while Day has been assigned a high-level military position. 
But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them: just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything. 
With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion

My Review:

Champion was a wonderful book with a wonderful conclusion. It was on par with Legend while being better than Prodigy. I can't believe the series is over. I want more! To tell the truth, I can't even tell if I hated the ending of Champion or loved it... I am deeply satisfied either way though, so it doesn't really matter! A great, great book. I can understand why this series is so popular. Marie Lu is a truly talented author, and I hope she writes much more!

Series Phrase:

If you do that, you will have a revolution on your hands. 

The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (Awesome)

I'm going to do a group mini review for The Infernal Devices series.  I loved the series so much!  To be fair, I started the series off with an incorrect idea of what it was about.  For some reason, I thought the series was basically just Magnus's backstory.  I was terribly wrong, but I loved the series all the more for its unexpected plot line!
(The reviews were all written right after I read whichever book I'm mentioning. )

CLOCKWORK ANGEL:

The cover:

To tell the truth, I'm not sure which character is on the cover.  I am about 90% sure that it's Will Herondale, but it could be a completely different character.  Above the series title, Tessa's clockwork angel flies.  

Official Description:

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them....

My review:

I really liked Clockwork Angel.  It was such a great book.  I had forgotten how much I loved Cassandra Clare's writing.  She is truly a fantastic author.

I read the first five books in the Mortal Instruments series before I read Clockwork Angel. I would NOT suggest this to readers. Read Clockwork Angel, at least, right after City of Glass and before continuing the series. My ordering of the books caused me to be about 99% certain that I know what Will's hiding. It kind of built a sense of dramatic irony around it, instead of curiosity, which is what I am sure was intended. 

(*Note: You can actually read them in whatever order.  I still suggest the above ordering, but it turned out that I was wrong about Will's secret...)
All of this doesn't even mention how GREAT the book was. I had high hopes because Cassandra Clare is an amazingly talented writer, but I was afraid that working with different characters might not go as well. This was not the case, by any means! The storyline was completely engaging and exciting. The characters were very well written and the plot complex. All in all, a fantastic book! I am going to find (and read) the sequel as soon as I can!

CLOCKWORK PRINCE:

The cover:

This cover also shows whom I believe to be Will starting with a torch.

Official Description:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My Review:

I don't think I've been as frustrated by any other book more than I was with this book. It made me want to let loose a grutal scream as many as twenty times throughout the book. (Some of those times, it actually happened.)
However, unlike the normal frustrating books, Clockwork Prince tackled the problems in the correct ways. A character would do something and the effects would be terrible, but I could find no fault with how they handled the situation. 
I LOVED this book. Thinking back on it, while the book was super fast-paced and plot driven, there was not very much that happened in regard to the villain of the story. This, surprisingly, had no effect what-so-ever on the way I enjoyed the book. 
I had a slight issue with Tessa at one point. She would be making some commentary on some event, and I could only think of one thing, "Please, please do not make this a love triangle." Then, as the book progressed it morphed more into, "She's going to make this a love triangle, isn't she?" And then, finally, "She went and make this a huge love triangle." For me, anyway, love triangles just make unnessary tension, an unneeded hatred between the guys, and disappointment in about half the readers at the end of the series. 
Besides the love triangle, I loved watching all of the character's relationships evolve and shift. They are all fully developed characters with their own habits and personalities. Together, you could never know how they would behave. 
A lot of Clockwork Prince simply tugged at my heart strings. As Will's secret was slowly revealed, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken for him. 
All in all, Clockwork Prince was a worthy sequel to Clockwork Angel, and I can't wait to read Clockwork Princess. (In fact, I couldn't and went ahead and started reading it!)

CLOCKWORK PRINCESS:

The cover:

It shows Tessa, like she always is, reading a book.  The bridge (significant with Jem!) is in the background, and she wears her clockwork angel necklace.

Official Description:

Tessa Gray should be happy—aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

My Review:

I imagined this series's end many times. None of them came even close to the majesty of this book. Clockwork Prince was easily the best book in the Infernal devices series, which really says something when you think of all the other great books included.

Cassandra Clare easily solved the issue of the love triangle with such elegance that I believe that all writers should take heed of.  

In a show of how much I loved all of the characters, I had to fight tears while reading the epilogue.  Thinking about epilogues, Clockwork Princess had one of the only truly good and necessary epilogues that I've ever read.  It was perfect.  This book was perfect.  This series was perfect.

Series-long Phrase:  Demon Pox!

Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan. (Awesome)

Hey, everybody! Sorry that I'm late posting this. I got a little caught up. So, since I haven't finished any of my library books yet, I decided that I would review the Ranger's Apprentice series. This is definitely more of a guy series, but girls will love it too (I know that from experiance). I honestly can't tell you how poplular it is, because I'm not 100% sure.  I know if it's not that it definitely should be.  There are ten books in the series: The Ruins of Gorlon, The Burning Bridge, The Icebound Land, The Battle for Skandia, The Sorcerer of the North, The Siege of Macindaw, Erak's Ransom, The Kings of Clonmel, Halt's Peril, and The Emperor of Nihon-Ja. And here's acouple of the covers:

Those are just a few of them and this is one of those series that have different covers, so don't be alarmed if you see a different kind. 

Anyway, back to the series.  I really liked it.  It had solid characters and perfect plot shifts and turning points.  It was beautifully written.  It kept you guessing about what would happen next and who would attack whom.  The character's relationships were really thought out and intracing. 

My only complaints about the entire ten book series (I would usually have a lot more considering how many books there were) was that the author decided to put books 5 and 6 in the close future and then the series carrys on until catching up with those books and then there was another book or two.  (I really hope that that made sense.) 

Most of the series goes pretty much that part one of the book is book one, the second part of that book is book two, the third book is the start of another adventure, the fourth is the second part of that adventure, etc. 

My second complaint, which is related to the first, is that at the very beginning of the book, the reader has no idea how much time has past since the book before it.  When I read the first chapter of acouple of the books, I was all like "Wow! When did that happen?".  It cleared itself up though really quickly, usually by the second chapter.

The basic premise of the series (this won't give anything away)  is that there is a boy named Will who is chosen to become a Ranger. He learns how to do Ranger like things, but the problem is that a war is brewing just like it did years and years ago. It's up to the Rangers and some of their friends to stop all the other forces before its too late. 

That was mostly the first two books' description, but I think that it is not really nessecary to spoil anything just because once you read the first book the rest will come quickly afterwward.  Most of the books are fast paced and the slow parts are nice and sweet or they're funny.  There are definetly parts that will make you laugh, think, or cry(if you are one of those people who cry when they read).  Actually...  I'm not sure if you would cry, it's not all that sad...

If, again, you don't believe me; go ask someone who has read this series and see what they think.  It's not just me.  It is really amazing.

I'll post again soon, I'm about halfway through Matched so I'll post when I'm done with it, if not before.

Until then, Happy Reading!

*UPDATE: Three years have passed since I posted this review.  I noticed the "rating" was "between good and awesome".  I have no idea what I was thinking! I replaced the rating with the correct one.  This is one of the best series I've ever read.  Since last posting, I have reread it.  Twice.  It is still just as hilarious.  The characters have all been amazing.  In fact, the protagonist from this series, Will, is my favorite character of all time.  I have no idea why I ever doubted the Ranger's Apprentice series.  I apologize for my past self's behavior!

The Maze Runner Trilogy by James Dashner (Awesome)

Hey! I have another review for a pretty popular series, The Maze Runner Trilogy. This series consists of The Maze Runner, the Scorch Trials, and the Death Cure. The last one only came out this month.  These are the covers:

It's a really good series that gets better and better with each page.  The first book started out strong then teetered a little bit, getting close to being slow, but then as soon as I noticed that, it became really awesome and I couldn't put it down.  The next two books didn't have a single slow spot in them; they were great.  

 The story line of The Maze Runner (with no real spoilers, so don't worry) is that a boy named Thomas comes to in a metal lift with no memories other than his name and how the world works.  He arrives at the Glade, which is in the middle of a maze that changes every night.  The Gladers try to find a way out of this maze, but there's a catch.  There are these things called Grievers that travel the maze at night.  Nothing is as it seems.  

It has many twists and turns that keep you guessing and characters you really care about.

The second book, The Scorch Trials is even better.  *SPOILER ALERT (if you have not read the first Maze Runner book)*  After Thomas and the others have been rescued, things start getting strange as they cross the Crank filled Scorch in search for the safe haven promised to them.*SPOILER ALERT OFF*

The third book, I can't really do a description without ruining the story, so I'll just say that it was really good and consisted of, basically, people running around, making alliances, and then fighting each other.  That was an awful description, but everything builds on itself and I'm not going to be that one person who spoils the ending of the series for you.  So, go read this series because it's amazing, interesting, and let you understand what people are saying.  You'll be glad you read it.  Hope you liked my review!