Monday, February 29, 2016

REVIEW: Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger


Lying Out Loud

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with - secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross. Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand - a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually 'like' him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?






MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed the DUFF, so I was excited to read another book by the same author! This book was really interesting, with complicated relationship, catfishing, and lies. I thought this was a fun but serious book and I enjoyed it.

Sonny lies. She lies a lot. Right now she's lying about why she has to spend the night at her best friend's house every night. When the school's new student, and resident jerk, Ryder, gets a crush on Sonny's best friend, Amy, Sonny lies even more. It starts on accident. Ryder sends Amy an email asking her out, so Sonny helps write a mean message back turning him down. But when she writes back to apologize, she ends up having an all-night online conversation with him. But he thinks that he had that conversation with Amy. Sonny begins to actually like him, but Ryder sees Sonny as the trouble-maker, not the girl he has been chatting with every night.

The relationships in this book was really complicated. Amy and Sonny are friends. Ryder likes Amy. Ryder talks to Sonny who he thinks is Amy. Sonny likes Ryder. Mix them around, break them apart. I really liked the idea behind them book. Some of that may be because my friends got me into watching catfish.

The characters were great. Amy is shy and sweet. Ryder seems like a complete jerk, but he's actually not as bad when you get to know him, as Sonny finds out. Sonny is a great MC with many flaws. The obvious one is her lying. She also has a very complex and serious situation. This book is very enjoyable at times, but it's also a very serious book.

Also, yes, there are cameos from other Kody Keplinger books.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought it had an interesting plot, complicated relationships, and it's a serious but enjoyable book. If you're a fan of Kody Keplinger or contemporaries, I recommend this book.
I hereby give this book
3.5 Stars
Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

New Releases in YA! (March 1st-6th)

Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!
Here's what you get to look forward to this week:
P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!





What books, if any, do you plan to buy?

Friday, February 26, 2016

REVIEW: Beyond the Red by Ava Jae


Beyond the RedAlien queen Kora has a problem as vast as the endless crimson deserts. She’s the first female ruler of her territory in generations, but her people are rioting and call for her violent younger twin brother to take the throne. Despite assassination attempts, a mounting uprising of nomadic human rebels, and pressure to find a mate to help her rule, she’s determined to protect her people from her brother’s would-be tyrannical rule.

Eros is a rebel soldier hated by aliens and human alike for being a half-blood. Yet that doesn’t stop him from defending his people, at least until Kora’s soldiers raze his camp and take him captive. He’s given an ultimatum: be an enslaved bodyguard to Kora, or be executed for his true identity—a secret kept even from him.

When Kora and Eros are framed for the attempted assassination of her betrothed, they flee. Their only chance of survival is to turn themselves in to the high court, where revealing Eros’s secret could mean a swift public execution. But when they uncover a violent plot to end the human insurgency, they must find a way to work together to prevent genocide.

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






MY THOUGHTS
"Aliens" is a code word to me. If I see the word "aliens" in a synopsis, I'm going to want to read it. This book did not disappoint me! I thought this was a fantastic sci-fi!

Kora is queen of an alien territory, the first female ruler of her territory in awhile. Many of her people are rioting, seeing as unfit to rule, demanding her brother to be on her throne. But her brother is violent and cruel, Kora will never let her brother be on the throne.
Eros is a half-blood, half human and half alien. For all his life he's lived in the deserts, with rebel humans. He's alienated because of his blood, but when alien soldiers raze his camp, he defends it. Only to be taken captive. Now he will either be killed or he will be turned into a bodyguard. But there's knowledge that even he didn't know about his blood that must be kept secret.

This book is from the point of view of both Kora and Eros. I liked seeing everything from both their perspectives and environments, the book wouldn't have worked otherwise. I liked both the characters. Both of them are strong, as their situations demand it, but in their own ways. I also liked how the seemed to grow and change as the book went, as all the crazy was going on.

The world-building in this book was fantastic. I felt like we got to know the culture on the planet, of both the humans and the aliens, though we got to see more of the alien life. I've read a lot of sci-fi books, but this book is different. As far as plot and pacing, this book was very fast-paced and action-packed!

My only main problem with this book is the ending. I felt like the ending was about abrupt and I hope there's a sequel.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book! It had fantastic characters, world-building, plot, and ALIENS! I do kind of wish the ending was more resolved, so I hope there's a sequel in the future.

I hereby give this book
4 Stars!
Meaning: It was amazing!

Cover Lust: The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele


Cover Lust is something that I do every week where I feature a book cover that I absolutely love!
The Marked Girl (Marked Girl, #1)

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…

When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…

Worlds collide in The Marked Girl, an exciting fantasy tale turned upside down.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble



 


Why did I pick this cover? 
I love the colors in the cover and, I know it's been done before, but I like the upside down skyline! Anyway, I'm excited to read this book when it comes out!
What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Cover vs Cover: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

This week's pick is...

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy, #1)VS.  The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski, pb redesign:
Original                Redesign
The Redesign isn't bad. In fact, I would've liked it more if it weren't for the fact that I have the original cover to compare it to. The original cover is one of my favorite covers, I love the dress, the title treatment, the perspective. I like the badass pose in the redesign, but it's not as great as the original cover. It's also been pointed out, I don't remember where, that the poses in the new covers, eerily match the poses for the Throne of Glass series. These new covers also oddly remind me of the Cahill Witch Chronicles by Jessica Spotswood.
    Final Verdict: Original
Do you agree? Give me your thoughts on which cover is the best!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

REVIEW: Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Into the Dim

When fragile, sixteen-year-old Hope Walton loses her mom to an earthquake overseas, her secluded world crumbles. Agreeing to spend the summer in Scotland, Hope discovers that her mother was more than a brilliant academic, but also a member of a secret society of time travelers. Trapped in the twelfth century in the age of Eleanor of Aquitaine, Hope has seventy-two hours to rescue her mother and get back to their own time. Along the way, her path collides with that of a mysterious boy who could be vital to her mission . . . or the key to Hope’s undoing.      Addictive, romantic, and rich with historical detail, Into the Dim is an Outlander for teens. 

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







MY THOUGHTS
I love books with time travel, so once I found out about this book, I couldn't wait to read it! I honestly didn't know what to expect from this book, besides the time travel, so I was able to be surprised by the plot. I ended up enjoying this book!

Hope's mother is presumed dead after a devastating earthquake. Hope doesn't know what to do without her mom, and her father sends her away to stay with her mother's sister, an aunt she's never really known. It's there that Hope finds out that her mother belongs to a society of time travelers and that her mother never died in that earthquake. Her mother is still alive, but she's trapped in the 12th century. Hope must travel into the past and rescue her mother, but it's not as easy as it sounds and she may found out a few more family secrets along the way.

I thought that the way that the time travel was covered was very interesting. I liked the idea of the society of time travelers, and how there were two different societies. The plot was interesting and the historical elements felt well-researched. Some factors of the plot that were supposed to be surprises I kind of figured out early on, but I still liked where the author was going with these plot points and am very curious to see what will happen in the next book.

The set of characters were great. I liked Hope as a MC and I liked all of the supporting characters in the book. Many of the characters just met Hope and I liked how quickly they grew to care for her, and her for them.

As for romance, I was meh about it.There's a mysterious boy that Hope meets and I figured out pretty early on what was going on there. I can't say that I dislike him, but I really can't ship it. I'm not feeling it.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I really did enjoy reading this book! Despite the predictability and the romance, I loved the time travel and the plot! The historical elements were great and the characters were fantastic! The pacing of this book was a bit slow at first, but I still felt like a lot happened, and a lot was discovered, and I am very curious to see what will happen next!

I hereby give this book
4 Stars!
Meaning: It was amazing!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where you talk about whatever book you are IMPATIENTLY WAITING for!

This week I am waiting for...

The Marked Girl (Marked Girl, #1)
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Los Angeles)…

When Cedric, crowned prince of Caelum, and his fellow royal friends (including his betrothed, Kat) find themselves stranded in modern-day L.A. via a magical portal and an evil traitor named Malquin, all they want to do is get home to Caelum—soon. Then they meet Liv, a filmmaker foster girl who just wants to get out of the system and on with her life. As she and Cedric bond, they’ll discover that she’s more connected to his world than they ever could’ve imagined…and that finding home is no easy task…

Worlds collide in The Marked Girl, an exciting fantasy tale turned upside down. 

Release Date: June 21st 2016





Why am I waiting?
A fantasy book where a fantasy world collides with our world? I'm in!
What book are you waiting for this week?

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

REVIEW: Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan



Reign of Shadows (Reign of Shadows, #1)Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

With lush writing and a star–crossed romance, Reign of Shadows is Sophie Jordan at her best. 

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





MY THOUGHTS
Going into this book, I didn't know what to expect. I've disliked books and enjoyed books by this author. The Firelight trilogy was meh to me, but I enjoyed Uninvited (the sequel is another series). I am happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I really liked it and I was close to giving it a full 5 stars!

Ever since darkness fell across her kingdom, Luna has been in her tower. She's only ever really known two people and she's hardly ever left her tower, as the outside is too dangerous. Until one day, she does, and she comes across a group of three surviving in the wilds. After saving them, she leads them back to the tower. But when her tower gets attacked, she must leave, with one of the strangers she just found. In a world of darkness there are many dangers, especially when your the lost princess.

I loved this book! It was completely unique! This has some fairy-tale aspects, but all-in -all this is a very dark fantasy, and it was epic. The world-building was great! I felt like I was sucked into this dark world! And, best of all, there were plot twists! I adore plot twists! Some I saw coming, but still, I loved them!

I liked the characters in this book. This book is from the point of view of both Luna and Fowler. Luna doesn't seem like a strong person at first, due to how sheltered she is and the decision she makes of going outside, even though she's been told how dangerous it is. But Luna actually is very strong, especially when you realize more about her situation (I don't want to give too much away). She's also very kind. Fowler is from a completely different situation than Luna. He has learned how to survive in the darkness. The two have an interesting dynamic, both distrusting one another but thrown together due to circumstance. Although, of course you know right off that they will eventually grow to like each other, this is a YA book.

Fair warning: There is a bit of a cliffhanger.


IN CONCLUSION
I really enjoyed reading this book! Despite my earlier misgivings, I was very pleasantly surprised by this book! This was a such an interesting and unique fantasy book! The world-building was strong and dark and the cast of characters was interesting! I do recommend this book, but expect plot twists and a cliffhanger!

I hereby give this book
4 Stars!
Meaning: It was amazing!

Monday, February 22, 2016

REVIEW: Almost Midnight by C.C. Hunter




Almost Midnight (Shadow Falls: After Dark, #3.5)Novella Collection

Nestled deep in the woods, Shadow Falls is a secret camp where teens with supernatural powers learn to harness their abilities and live in the normal world.

Independent and strong-willed Della Tsang did not believe in vampires...until she became one. Chase Tallman is the newest member of Shadow Falls, but what made him into the sexy, mysterious vampire he is today? And what led him to Della Tsang? And for Miranda Kane, magic has always been something she's struggled with, but when an opportunity to test her powers takes her to Paris, she'll have to prove that she's a witch to be reckoned with and belongs at Shadow Falls.

Fans won't want to miss these four remarkable stories of love, magic and friendship.

I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.





MY THOUGHTS
I love this series, and the original Shadow Falls series! So, of course I was more than happy to read this set of novellas that take place in the Shadow Falls world! I've already read a few of the novellas, because they were ebooks before they were put together in this book. Anyway, I enjoyed the novellas in this book!

The first novella is Turned at Dark. I read this one before reading this novella collection. This novella focuses on Della when she first turns into a vampire. It's a really quick story, but it gives you some background on Della's life and it kind of is a quick introduction for the spin-off series. I gave it 3 stars.

The next novella is Saved at Sunrise. This novella focuses on a mission Della is sent on, with Steve as her partner. This takes place before Della and Steve get into a relationship and Della currently doesn't like him. It's kind of interesting seeing their relationship, before there was an actually relationship, and I felt it I got to know Steve more. Also, Della is, of course, her badass and snarky self. I gave it 4 stars.

Spellbinder is the next novella and was the other novella that I read before, I actually received this one for review. This one focused on Miranda participating in a spell competition. I really liked this one! It was short, but it felt like a full novel! I also really enjoyed reading from Miranda's perspective! I gave it 5 stars! Read my full review here.

Unbreakable is the next novella. This one is about Chase's past. I feel like this one is kind of vital in a way. Chase's past is kind of mysterious and while we do find out about some of his past in the series, this novella delves deeper. I gave this one 4 stars.

The last novella was a surprise. Fierce is from the point of view of Fredericka and I actually really liked it! This novella was actually a bit longer than the others, but I felt like I was fully into the story! I vaguely remember Fredericka in the Shadow Falls series, where she was cruel, but she turned around at some point. I felt like in this novella, I got to know her better! This was probably my favorite of the novellas, 5 stars!

IN CONCLUSION
This set of novellas is not necessary to read in order to understand the series, but I do recommend it! It gives you a better background on the characters and it's just great to read more of the series! I'm definitely looking forward to any more inclusions to this world!

I hereby give this book
4 Stars!
Meaning: It was amazing!

Sunday, February 21, 2016

New Releases in YA! (February 21st-29th)

Every week I list all (or almost all) of the YA books (and the occasional MG) that are coming out within that week!
Here's what you get to look forward to this week:
P.S. Click on the book's cover for the Goodreads page!





What books, if any, do you plan to buy?