REVIEW: Unspoken by C.C. Hunter

Despite her superhuman strength and enhanced senses, Della Tsang's life as a vampire certainly hasn't been easy. Especially since she was reborn and bound to the mysterious, infuriating, and gorgeous Chase Tallman. 

But if there's one thing that's always kept Della going, it's her dream of being an elite paranormal investigator. Her newest case is the opportunity she's been waiting for, but as Della tries to solve the twenty year old murder and clear her father's name. She uncovers secrets about the vampire council. And about Chase. 

Feeling betrayed by all the secrets he's kept hidden from her, Della is determined to keep him as far away from her heart as she can. But she'll need his help to solve the case that will lead them into the darkest and ugliest vampire gangs in town and into the scariest reaches of her heart.

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

NOTICE: THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL INSTALLMENT IN A SERIES. THERE MY BE SPOILER FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS.

MY THOUGHTS
Ever since I picked up Born at Midnight four years ago, I've loved every one of these Shadow Falls books, so I was ecstatic to receive this book for review! I really enjoyed this last installment of Della's series!

Della's currently in what you would call a situation. Her father is going to go on trial for murdering his sister, a murder in which he didn't commit. Her father has also been border-line cruel with Della ever since she's become a vampire and she's convinced that he believes her a monster. Della has to track down her uncle, who may or may not have been who killed the sister. To top it all off, there are people being gruesomely murdered, she has a few ghosts hanging around her, and she's still bonded to Chase.

Make makes this book so different from the others is that we don't just follow Della, but Chase as well. I love Della. She's a fantastic MC and a badass. Yes, she can kick butt, but she has a strong attitude, won't take crap from anybody, and speaks her mind. I like Chase as well. I don't like how he he keeps lying to Della, but he the kind of guy who won't take crap from Della if that makes any sense. I gave this book 4.5 stars. The only reason why I couldn't give this book a 5 is because while I like Chase as a person, his point-of-view bothered me. He was sometimes borderline obsessive other Della and it kind of creeped me out at times. Other than that, it was fine.

I oddly like how the plot of these books have a merging of mystery and paranormal. Obviously, the paranormal is strong in this series, but I felt like the mystery aspect really came into this one. I don't even know where to start with this because SO MUCH HAPPENED! This was not a finale that lacked action or plot! The characters have to delve deeply to find out who is behind the sister's murder and the murders around town, as well as numerous other things they have to deal with in their lives. I thought it was fantastic how it was all dealt with and how things were able to wrap up!

As for romance, there wasn't a whole lot of actual romance in this book. There was mostly some angst throughout the book, especially from Della, but the major mystery plot took the wheel, which I am quite glad about. Don't worry, guys, there are some scenes!

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I loved this book (and I loved this series)! Other than some issues with Chase's POV, this book was incredibly riveting and action-packed! I loved reading this series from Della's perspective and now it's like when Kylie's story came to an end, but I'm excited to read Miranda's story!

I hereby give this book

4.5 Stars!

Meaning: Almost perfect!

REVIEW: Gilded by Christina Farley

Sixteen-year-old Jae Hwa Lee is a Korean-American girl with a black belt, a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows, and a chip on her shoulder the size of Korea itself. When her widowed dad uproots her to Seoul from her home in L.A., Jae thinks her biggest challenges will be fitting in to a new school and dealing with her dismissive Korean grandfather. Then she discovers that a Korean demi-god, Haemosu, has been stealing the soul of the oldest daughter of each generation in her family for centuries. And she's next.

But that’s not Jae’s only problem.

There's also Marc. Irresistible and charming, Marc threatens to break the barriers around Jae's heart. As the two grow closer, Jae must decide if she can trust him. But Marc has a secret of his own—one that could help Jae overturn the curse on her family for good. It turns out that Jae's been wrong about a lot of things: her grandfather is her greatest ally, even the tough girl can fall in love, and Korea might just be the home she's always been looking for. 

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I received an ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

MY THOUGHTS
This was an enjoyable book. I didn't really have any problems with it, but it's not a new favorite. Still, it had a very unique premise and I liked it.

Jae's father recently moved the two of them from LA and now she has to deal with living in a new country, go to a new school, and a grandfather who may hate turns. Well, things get worse when it turns out that her family is cursed. A majority of the females in her family have been kidnapped by a Korean demi-god and Jae has just popped up on his radar.

The fact that this book involves Korean mythology (and even Korea in general) makes this book unique in the realm of YA. There are very few YA books that don't take place in America or European countries and I've never read a book with a premise revolving around Korean mythology! The setting didn't come into play as much as I hoped, but I did found some of the mythology very interesting.

Sadly, I felt like the mythology was added in oddly. I don't know how it explain it. During many points in the book when something very unreal happened, I felt like it was awkwardly placed into the story. I don't know, it just felt strange. Again, I did the idea and the mythology, but sometimes it just felt odd.

As for the book as a whole, I liked it, but I really can't say more. Oftentimes this book felt like a lot of other YA novels. The plot is great, but still nothing that overall wowed me. Jae, despite being Korean American, is just like many other MCs I've read. I'm not saying these things to be harsh, I did like this book, but this book just has an "inbetween-ness" in my mind that makes it hard to review: I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.

As far romance, again it wasn't anything new. It didn't annoy me, but I wasn't shipping it either. I do think the romance went too fast and was borderline insta-love at points, but it was okay. Marc is a nice guy, but, again, pretty typical YA guy (he was even white. Why?)


IN CONCLUSION
This review makes it sound like I was meh about this book, I DID ENJOY THIS BOOK. I liked the premise, the mythology, and it was very entertaining. Some things fell short, but I overall liked it and I do intend on continuing the series.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it.

REVIEW: Illusion by Lea Nolan

New school. Cross-country move. Broken heart. If only these were Emma Guthrie’s worst problems. Instead, she must battle a trio of enemies—human and spectral—who may or may not have joined forces against her and everyone she loves. All while pretending to be over Cooper Beaumont, her ex-boyfriend and true love, to shield him from her arch-nemesis’s revenge.

Worse, when the fight escalates, Emma is tempted to use black magic, which will endanger her soul. As her enemies close in, join forces, and fight with new and dark magic she’s never seen before, Emma must harness the power within her to fulfill an ancient prophecy, defeat a centuries-old evil, save her family, and reclaim the only boy she’s ever loved.

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

NOTICE: THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL INSTALLMENT IN A SERIES. THERE MY BE SPOILER FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS.

MY THOUGHTS
This is a very interesting series, definitely unique among all the paranormal clones so I was excited to pick the conclusion to this series up. It took a bit for me to get into at first, due to book amnesia, but once I did, I found a very high-stakes conclusion! 

Emma is just starting up at a new school, if only that were the worst of her problems. Someone she cares for could go to jail, an evil spirit is intent on revenge by destroying everything Emma loves, and there's a bully who isn't afraid to use dark magic. Emma wants to make sure that she, and all those that she loves, can survive this, but will she destroy her soul in her search for her own revenge?

This book immediately dives into the action, which is okay, but I was just very confused. I had difficulty remembering the events in the last book (due to my terrible memory), so I had no clue what was going on in the first few chapters. Thankfully, I was able to get my memory back and be able to fully understand what was going on. This book gives you enough details of the last books for you to understand things (if it's been awhile), but not too much info to annoy those that are binge-reading the series, so I'm thankful for that.

As for the plot, this book felt so different than the other books. Being the conclusion, there is a lot more going on. Emma basically has three different enemies in this one, which is not an easy thing to take care of. Thus, this book was a lot more action-packed than the previous book. It was so hard to put this book down, since I needed to know what would happen next! I also mentioned earlier how unique this series is among the YA paranormals. This entire series is about Hoodoo, the entire plot is just so different. 

The setting of this book and the overall feeling is different from the other books too. The other books take place in the summer, while this one takes place during the start of school. This setting change actually dramatically changes things. This book also felt somewhat darker than the other books. The other books were dark, of course, but I felt like this book was entirely dark, if that makes any sense.

As for characters, Emma definitely does grow throughout the series. It's hard for me to recall what she was like in the beginning of the series, but it's hard for me to realize that Emma isn't even 15. Emma has had to grow up so much and she's become such a strong girl. This book also has a focus on Emma's character, since she has to fight the darkness in herself.

As for romance, there wasn't a whole lot of it, mostly due to the events of the last book. I'm torn on the romance. The romance of this series is more light than some other YA books, but I also don't like how in love they are. I guess I'm just a non-romantic, but I always have a hard time believing that high schoolers are that in love. Still, it doesn't distract at all from the story, so I won't complain too much.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I thought this was a fantastic conclusion to this series! This is actually my favorite out of the three! This book was action-packed, dark, and so very different than other books out there. I really think that more people should know about this series, meanwhile, I'll be waiting for more by Lea Nolan.

I hereby give this book

4 Stars!

Meaning: It was amazing!

REVIEW: Illuminae Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

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

MY THOUGHTS

I was so excited to read this book!! I love both of the authors' other book series and add the fact that the book sounds fantastic, this book needed to be in my hands! I am glad to say that this book is the ultimate sci-fi! It tells a new story in an entirely unique way!

This book takes place in the far future. Kady and Ezra just broke up this morning and that means like the worst that can happen, until their small planet is attack. Their small planet ends up in the middle a war and ultimately destroys the planet. Three ships are able to rescue a few thousand people, Kady and Ezra included, but their problems are not over. The ships must travel through space towards help while an enemy ship is on their tail. That's not all. There's something deadly afoot in these ships...

What is very interesting about this book is how the story is told. It's told completely by various documents. Interviews, emails, IMs, camera footage transcripts, etc. It was a bit odd and confusing at first, but after awhile I got so used to it! And, really, it's such a unique way to tell the story and I became completely absorbed! First of all, you would like it would be hard to connect to the characters or really anything with this type of format, but no, it really wasn't. The characters were spectacular and while it took me awhile to understand the world, it didn't take that long. Really, the whole futuristic world was done very well. I know I'm raving here, but everything worked!

I really just want to mention the emotions that this book caused. I kind of knew that this would happen as both these authors have a history of it. I think this is something that I just loved, even if it may have ruined me. I just think it's amazing when authors can get me to connect with the book and the characters so well. Also, SO MUCH HAPPENS! That's part of why I'm being so vague in my review. Yeah, the synopsis gives a whole lot away, but I think it's for the best that you guys find things out through the documents.

Lastly, there are plot twists. Round of applause for plot twists!

IN CONCLUSION

Overall, my review is a mess, but just read this book! I was expecting awesome, but I was still blown away! This is going to be an entire series, so I am very excited to read more!

I hereby give this book...

5 Stars!

Meaning: A new favorite!

REVIEW: Wendy Darling--Stars by Colleen Oakes

From the Best-Selling Author of Queen of Hearts comes a dark and mesmerizing twist on the beloved Children's Classic, Peter Pan.

Wendy Darling has a perfectly agreeable life with her parents and brothers in wealthy London, as well as a budding romance with Booth, the neighborhood bookseller’s son. But while their parents are at a ball, the charmingly beautiful Peter Pan comes to the Darling children’s nursery and—dazzled by this flying boy with god-like powers—they follow him out of the window and straight on to morning, to Neverland, a intoxicating island of feral freedom.

As time passes in Neverland, Wendy realizes that this Lost Boy’s paradise of turquoise seas, mermaids, and pirates holds terrible secrets rooted in blood and greed. As Peter’s grasp on her heart tightens, she struggles to remember where she came from—and begins to suspect that this island of dreams, and the boy who desires her—have the potential to transform into an everlasting nightmare. 

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

MY THOUGHTS
I love retellings of all kinds so when I saw this one on Netgalley, I was immediately curious! It took a little bit to get into this one, but the ending was very exciting and I enjoyed this book.

Wendy Darling is in love with the bookseller's son, Booth, but she can't be with him. Booth isn't of her class and it's forbidden. Wendy is about to sneak out to see him, when instead, a strange boy flies into the nursery. He promises adventure and a tantalizing world. Wendy and her brothers travel with him to Neverland and at first it seems to be an amazing adventure, but it turns out to be dangerous...

This book is obviously a retelling of Peter Pan. For a long while, there weren't a whole lot that felt like they were definite retellings. Sure, there were differences, but it felt more like Peter Pan being told from Wendy's POV. Still, I thought it was very well-done!

I liked Wendy as a character. She's not as strong as a character as I'm used to, but she's also a woman in the early 1900's, so she would be much different from what we're used to. I liked how she cared for her brothers. Though, John is a complete jerk, Wendy still cares (even though he doesn't deserve it). She also tried to care and protect Michael.

The romance with Booth didn't wow me. I guess I felt like the romance way too strong. I admit that I might've felt more if I saw the romance come to play, but the book obviously has to begin with their heavy feelings for each other already there.

I mentioned that the book didn't feel like it was a definite retelling for awhile. It was also very slow-paced in the beginning as well. Well, in the last parts of the book, the book gets very interesting and much more fast-paced. I love how it twisted the original story and how the book ended! Yes, there's a cliffhanger, but I loved how it gives us a strong basis of what the next book will include!

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this turned out to be a great retelling! It took a bit to get really exciting, but I loved how it turned out. The ending makes me really want to read the sequel! I recommend this to fans of retellings and I am definitely continuing this series!

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Lailah by Nikki Kelly

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

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MY THOUGHTS
This book sounded so amazing! It has a fantastically intriguing cover and a very interesting idea, but sadly, it failed to meet any of my expectations. I've seen negative reviews around, but ignored them, thinking that I would still like this book. This book had potential, but ended up being just another cliche YA paranormal.

**apologies, but there may be ranting ahead**

May as well start with the positives. I love the idea behind the book. A girl who has no memory of who she even is, with repeating visions of past lives? Sounds so mysterious! I also think that Nikki Kelly had a pretty good grasp on her world. The history of the Angels and Vampires was very well-done, even if it had some info-dump, and there was definitely a lot of creativity involved in it (instead of using the usual aspects of the paranormal beings).

Sadly, the entire plot seemed to revolve more on the romance. Lailah has two guys liking her in this book,and she kisses both of them. The romance between her a Gabriel was so cheesy, it made me gag. Gabriel himself is just like every other YA paranormal love interest.  He seems like a good guy at first, but he keeps lying to Lailah. Let's not forget to mention that a hot girl that keeps trying to get together with Gabriel. Why does every YA love interest have to have some hot girl to make the MC jealous, seriously? As for the other guy, I really couldn't understand that one. He kind of creeped me out, but Lailah kissed him and lead him on even though its obvious who she really likes.

As for Lailah, I expected a badass, independent girl, but no. She seemed that way in the beginning, but she began the usual YA girl. Blah.

Lastly, I want to touch on the flashbacks. Most of this book was made up of flashbacks. I liked the flashbacks, but the formatting bothered me. There was no way to tell what was flashback and what was not. and it was very confusing.

IN CONCLUSION
I didn't hate this book, but I was not a fan. I am personally getting sick of all the same YA paranormals and this one just followed the same trend. The plot has promise, but the romance took over and the MC annoyed me. I will not be picking up the sequel.

I hereby give this book

1 Star

Meaning: I did not like it

REVIEW: A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

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MY THOUGHTS
I had very high expectations for this book. It sounded completely creepy and I was excited to dive in! While I did like this book, it was definitely not what I expected and it didn't blow me away.

Grace has been through horrific things, one of which gave her the bulge in her belly. Now, Grace is in a mental asylum to hide the family secret. Grace has kept her voice locked away until one moment when she breaks, and is sent to the cellars. A visiting doctor discovers her, seeing the intelligence in her mind, the doctor takes her with him. She's to help him study crime scenes and find killers, with a serial killer possibly on the rise.

I admit that I go into books without rereading synopsis of the book, so I was thrown when the book changed setting. I was expecting the asylum to be the major setting. That's not a big deal, really. I found the crime studies interesting and I thought this book handled madness very well! Mindy McGinnis is a wonderful writer and I also thought that the historical setting was not only interesting, but well written.

Now, to get into what I wasn't expecting. The madness in this book carried throughout this book, but the plot was surprising to me. It felt like the plot kept changing. I can't really get into the changes, less there be spoilers, but it's hard for me to get into a book when my expectations keep changing. 

The characters were great and I loved Grace's character growth, but I had a hard time connecting with the characters for some reason. This book was in third person, which I always have difficulty with (with the exception of fantasy books), so that's probably why.

As for romance, THERE IS NONE! A fact that I actually liked!

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I liked this book, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. Still, this is a great historical thriller and a very interesting read.

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore. 

And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?

Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck. 

Goodreads / Amazon/ Barnes & Noble

MY THOUGHTS
This book was on of my most anticipated releases off the year, so I had high expectations. This book wasn't as groundbreaking as I expected, but I still loved it!

Ever since an accident at the zoo when she was a child, Fiona has had a large scar running across her face. Her scar prevents her from being brave (and trying out for any contact sports). She's too scared to face her crush and too scared for anyone to hear her songs. When an opportunity arises for her to surgically change her face, will she take it?
Then there's Fi. Fi is what Fiona might've been. Fi doesn't have a scar and is a star lacrosse player.She lives for lacrosse and she wishes her only problem was that her best friend might be interested in her.

It's no secret that I love parallel universes. This book isn't as sci-fi as my favorite parallel universe reads, but this book has my favorite factor: What if? This question is what I find so fascinating about parallel worlds. There are so many crossroads throughout our lives and I find it so interesting to wonder how different our lives could be in each one! This book explores this concept in such an amazing way!

One thing I always wonder, especially, if how different I would be if my life went a different direction at one point. It's entirely possible that I could be an entirely different person! That's the case with Fiona and Fi. They're the same girl, but they are completely different. They each have different talents, interests, personalities, and lives. Fiona is a songwriter, Fi loves lacrosse. Fiona is shy, Fi is more outspoken. It's just amazing how different someone could be if lives were led a different direction!

I loved seeing the differences between the two universes, but I also loved seeing how they connected. Fiona/Fi's stories were different, obviously, and their two lives were different, but the surroundings had similarities. One main factor that I loved was how both of them had the same people in their lives somehow. Fiona's best friend was just an annoying class partner to Fi, but there were others who were always there and I liked that. It gives the idea that the same people revolve in all of your lives.

I know I'm raving about this book, so now here comes the part that I wasn't a fan of. This book follows Fiona//Fi for 3 years (last two years of highschool and first year of college. While I liked seeing how their lives went, it was told in a way that we were following their lives. I don't want to say it was uneventful, because there were big moments, but it wasn't enormously exciting. Still liked it, but it's what prevented me from giving this book a 5/5.


IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this was an amazing book! I love how the question of "What if?" was addressed and I found the two stories fascinating! This book was a bit slow-going due to the format, but it's still a great read! I strongly recommend it and I look forward to any books Moriah McStay writes in the future!

I hereby give this book

4 Stars

Meaning: It was amazing!

REVIEW: A Sky Unbroken by Megan Crewe

The rebels have been disbanded, their plans ruined. Betrayed by those she trusted most, Skylar finds herself herded, along with a small group of Earthlings, into a living museum—a human zoo—on the Kemyates’ space station, subject to her captors’ every whim. Any move Skylar makes could result in the extinction of her people—but giving in means losing any hope of freedom.

Meanwhile, Win returns home and evades punishment by pretending to be loyal to Kemya. But he can’t bear knowing that Skylar is imprisoned or watch his fellow Kemyates swallow the Council’s lies about Earth. He must bring the truth to the Kemyate public and see the Earthlings freed—even if it means openly challenging his world’s rulers.

In this final book of the action-packed Earth & Sky trilogy, neither Skylar nor Win knows they are about to uncover an even deeper conspiracy—one that could push the future they’re fighting for completely out of reach.

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NOTICE: THIS IS THE THIRD INSTALLMENT OF A SERIES. THERE MAY BE SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS. 

Review of book one/ Review of book two

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

MY THOUGHTS

Yet another great sci-fi series comes to a close. I absolutely adore this series and after that cliffhanger in the last book, I was more than ready to pick this one up! I am glad to say that this was a fantastic conclusion and did not disappoint.

Skylar had been betrayed by someone close, and even worse, the entire rebellion has been betrayed. Their plans have failed and Earth has been destroyed. And the rebels are being blamed for the destruction. Skylar and a few others are the sole remaining humans left and are being kept either in human zoos or as pets. Any wrong move and all of them will go extinct. At the same time, Win, and what's left of the rebellion, are trying to get the Kemyates to believe what truly happened to Earth, as well as understand that humans are not so different than Kemyates.

This book wasn't fast-paced, for the most part, but I felt like so many things of importance happened. Also, I still couldn't help but kept turning the pages! I wanted to see how they would be able to get out of these horrible situations. And while it wasn't incredibly fast-paced, there was definitely a lot going on in this book!

There is another thing that I love about this series, an odd thing, which is how different the settings and overall tone of the books are. For example, the first book took place on Earth and had a large focus on time travel, the second was sent on the station with Skylar as a pet, and the third was still on the station, but half of it was spent in a human zoo.

I felt that this book was hugely focused on the rebellion, even more so than the last book. I think one of the big reasons we see this as suc a huge part is because we actually get to see two rebellions from both sides. Yep, this book has dual perspective. We get to see Skylar and her fellows humans trying to prove to their captors that they are just as intelligent as the Kemyates and we see Win trying to convince his people of the same thing, in a different way. I loved the dual perspective and I also liked how the rebellion wasn't an all-out war like most dystopian novels.

And yes, there is a romance in this book. And yes, it's great. And no, it doesn't take over the book.

IN CONCLUSION

So, I have to stop myself here because I think I'm basically just going on and on about how I love this series. I would love to say more, but my reviews don't generally have that many paragraphs. Anyway, this is a fantastic series and I think this was a great conclusion. I've had so many great series end recently and I'm sad to say goodbye to another so quickly, but I'm glad that I decided to pick this series up. I've yet to read Mega Crewe's other books, so I'll just have to pick those up now!

I hereby give this book

5 Stars

Meaning: A new favorite!

REVIEW: Seriously Wicked by Tina Connolly

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too? 

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MY THOUGHTS
Cam has been raised by a witch. No, seriously. The witch is constantly trying to get Cam to learn spells, giving her odd punishments (turning her into words, lose feeling in limbs, the usual), and odd errands.  The problem is that Cam doesn't like the witch and Cam isn't a witch. When the witch summons a demon and that demon just so happens to posses a cute boy at Cam's school, things get even more complicated. Now, Cam not only has to stop the demon, but figure out how to stop a phoenix from incinerating her school. And she might have to be a witch in order to do it.

I picked up this book solely because of the cover. Being a lover of rainbows and striped tights, I was immediately curious about this book featuring a girl wearing those fabulous tights (though, Cam doesn't wear striped tights, so I'm a bit confused). And after reading the synopsis, I was definitely intrigued. I admit that this book was not exactly what I expected, though I didn't have incredibly high expectations.

This book is very short, less than 200 pages, so I quickly breezed through it! This book was a very fun read, as well. This book is just so ridiculous and cheesy (purposely cheesy) that you can't help but find the book to be fun. Yeah, the plot seems somewhat dark based on the synopsis, but the writing and characters make the book so much lighter.

The characters in this book were an interesting bunch. I would like to mention that Ca, our MC, is 15, which is on the younger side of YA. While a book can be YA at that age, adding in the ridiculous and light plot just give off a middle grade feeling. Though, I did like Cam and she came off as a real teenager. I did have problems with how she called the witch, well, a witch all the time, even though she was apparently family. Although, the witches parenting techniques were a bit harsh.

As for romance, there was a bit of a love interest. Due to the lightness of the book, there wasn't a whole lot of romance. Not that I' complaining!

IN CONCLUSION
I thought this was a really quick and fun read, but it wasn't really anything more than that! Sure, it was enjoyable, but I didn't love it and I can't really say that I will remember this book months from ow. If you would like to read a fun and light paranormal or you just need a quick read, pick it up!

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it.

REVIEW: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder.  Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her—and her best friend's boyfriend—start going around.  Now Regina's been frozen out, and her ex-best friends are out for revenge.  If Regina were guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth, and the bullying is getting more intense by the day.  She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past whom she herself used to bully.  Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend...if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens, as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

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MY THOUGHTS
I kind of picked this book up on a whim. I already had a copy, since I was curious after reading Courtney Summers' other books, but I really decided to read the book after hearing some over-bearing mother try to ban this book. I thought this was ridiculous, and I'll touch up on that in my review, so I wanted to read the book. Call me a rebel. Anyway, this book was a really raw, realistic take on high school, bullying, and the social order.

Regina was one of the popular kids. She was one of the girls that everyone hated, but everyone was afraid of. When her best friend's boyfriend tries to rape her, word gets around, but instead of people thinking that she was almost raped, they think that she slept with her best friend's boyfriend. She's shunned outside of her group and suddenly she's left with no friends, besides a misfit named Michael that her group used to bully. Now Regina is the one being bullied, each day a new torment, while the people she used to bully herself watch.

This book is so realistic and it makes me glad that I'm both done with high school and went to a high school that, thankfully, situations like this were rare. Sadly, this is something that happens, which is why this book is so real. Which is why that mother upsets me so much. She was against this book because she found it inappropriate, but this book is true to life, and yeah, I get that you don''t want your kid to read certain things, but your kid is old enough to deal with these things and know about what kind of things happens to kids the same age. Also, this book carries certain messages and I found it very offensive that this book is considered inappropriate when many teens have gone through  similar situations. Okay, rant over.

There are a lot of books out there featuring bullying and slam-shamming,  which are important in YA books, but this one is different. This book features an unlikable main character. She was once a bully herself and circumstances cause the tables to turn and for her to be the victim, so you have a very different dynamic here. You feel sorry for her and horrible for her, but you're reminded quite constantly that she used to do the same to others. The question that is constantly asked within this book is whether she deserves this and Regina herself believes that she actually deserves it at many points.

To be honest, this book made me angry, though not in a 'this book sucks' way. I have issues with bullying books because they are the definition of unfair and I can't do anything about it. I wish I could stop what's happening, but I can't, and instead I just get angry over the unfairness. Maybe it's just me, and it doesn't harm my opinion of this book, but I just wanted to say that I spent an hour and a half in anger.

My main problem with the book, though, was the end. This book would've had a much higher rating if the ending was more satisfactory. I felt like the ending was resolved too quickly and easily, especially compared to the situation and how long the drama lasted in the book. I also didn't feel like it was finished.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this was a very quick read focusing on a very tough subject. This book is very gritty and real, with a very different perspective than we are used to in these type of novels. I had issues with the ending, and my emotions, but overall I really do recommend this book to those who like to read realistic novels over tough subjects.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it.

REVIEW: Lumière by Jacqueline Garlick

One determined girl. One resourceful boy. One miracle machine that could destroy everything. 

After an unexplained flash shatters her world, seventeen-year-old Eyelet Elsworth sets out to find the Illuminator, her father’s prized invention. With it, she hopes to cure herself of her debilitating seizures before Professor Smrt—her father’s arch nemesis—discovers her secret and locks her away in an asylum. 

Pursued by Smrt, Eyelet locates the Illuminator only to see it whisked away. She follows the thief into the world of the unknown, compelled not only by her quest but by the allure of the stranger—Urlick Babbit—who harbors secrets of his own. 


Together, they endure deadly Vapours and criminal-infested woods in pursuit of the same prize, only to discover the miracle machine they hoped would solve their problems may in fact be their biggest problem of all.

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

MY THOUGHTS
I picked this book up on a whim. I've enjoyed many books by Skyscape and this book sounded very interesting, so I picked it up! I was pleasantly surprised by this book! It was so unique, fast-paced, and so riveting!

Eyelet lives in a society after the flash, which entirely changed the world. After being driven out of the city for being considered Wicked, Eyelet goes in search of her father's invention, the Illuminator. She's been plagued by seizures all hr life and her father dies before he could use the invention to 'fix her'. But before she can reach the Illuminator, it's taken by a stranger. She hitches a ride with him and actually stays with hi in his odd home, all the while trying to figure out this stranger and the Illuminator.

I'm kind of torn about the world-building in this book. Parts of it were very well-crafted, others not so much. I felt like the past needed work. I didn't quite understand what the world was like before the flash or much about the flash to be honest. I also didn't quite understand how the society was organized, mostly because the book spent hardly any time in the actual society. As for everything else, it was very unique and just fantastic! I felt like it was very well-written and as if I were inside the world. I thought that the outside of the society and the Vapours were actually really clear and so very unique. In fact, the very idea behind the book was unique!

As for pacing, this book was very fast-paced! Even when there wasn't a whole lot happening, it felt like there was, if that makes any sense. I was so invented in this book! Each time I finished a chapter, I had to read another! I had to actually force myself to put it down to go to bed!

As for characters, I liked them, though I didn't love them. This book has dual point of view of both Eyelet and Urlick. I liked the dual point of view, since I was able to see how they felt about the other character.

As for romance, this book did have romance, but it thankfully did not distract from the plot and was placed very well in the book, which is exactly how I like it.


IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was so interesting, unique, and I was incredibly invested in this book! I do recommend it and I've already gotten my hands on the sequel!

I hereby give this book

4 Stars

Meaning: It was amazing!

REVIEW: The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

A world battered by climate shift and war turns to an ancient method of keeping peace: the exchange of hostages. The Children of Peace - sons and daughters of kings and presidents and generals - are raised together in small, isolated schools called Preceptures. There, they learn history and political theory, and are taught to gracefully accept what may well be their fate: to die if their countries declare war.

Greta Gustafsen Stuart, Duchess of Halifax and Crown Princess of the Pan-Polar Confederation, is the pride of the North American Precepture. Learned and disciplined, Greta is proud of her role in keeping the global peace, even though, with her country controlling two-thirds of the world’s most war-worthy resource — water — she has little chance of reaching adulthood alive.

Enter Elián Palnik, the Precepture’s newest hostage and biggest problem. Greta’s world begins to tilt the moment she sees Elián dragged into the school in chains. The Precepture’s insidious surveillance, its small punishments and rewards, can make no dent in Elián, who is not interested in dignity and tradition, and doesn’t even accept the right of the UN to keep hostages.

What will happen to Elián and Greta as their two nations inch closer to war? 

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I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review

MY THOUGHTS
I really don't what I think about this book. I like it, but I also don't like and I honestly cannot figure out why I like/dislike it at points. This was an interesting read, though, and it is very unique book.

This book takes place hundreds of years in the future. After a huge war and an AI that 'helped' end it (by blowing things up, of course), the Children of the Peace. The Children of the Peace are the children of all the world leaders and they are taken as hostages. They are cared, taught, and live in a decent environment, but once their country goes to war, the child is killed. Greta is one of these children and has been, essentially, raised there. She doesn't expect to live to adulthood. Then, a new boy joins them. The boy is dragged in chains and constantly fights with the superiors (AIs). When Greta and the boy's nations come closer to war, will the two just let their deaths come?

I feel like this book cannot possibly be summed up in a minuscule paragraph, especially without spoilers. This book is very uneventful and I found myself, by the end, questioning how in the world did the story go from that to this? Not that that's a bad thing, I actually found the idea behind this book very interesting. I've seen many dystopian reads involving war, but none really involved a "solution" and certainly none such as this. I was also able to be surprised at every turn because I wasn't quite sure where this book was going next. My only issue would be that sometimes things weren't really explained as well and I did feel like the world-building needed some work. I was especially bothered by instances where Greta would casually mention something as if it were obvious (there are points when she actually uses the word obvious) and I', just staring blankly at the page think "No, it's not obvious. PLEASE EXPLAIN!"

As for character, I honestly didn't really like Greta. She's not a bad person, I don't hate her, but she's just dull. She kind of bored me and I really couldn't connect with her. In fact, many of the characters just felt one dimensional to me. The only one I actually found interesting was Talis, who's the evil AI that basically rules the world. You know, the usual.

Lastly, the romance was incredibly weird and confusing. There was a really weird love triangle in this book. It's a bisexual love triangle, which isn't what bothered me, but what bothered me is that I couldn't even tell if it was a love triangle. Greta kisses both of them, but I never got enough feeling to tell what was going on and even if she loved both of them. Also, when the relationship(s) go on throughout the book I'm still confused and it never really feels developed.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, I'm very mixed about this book. I love the idea and I think the book is very unique and unusual, but many aspects of the book just didn't feel very well developed. I did enjoy this book and I do think you should pick this up if you're curious, but it's not a favorite of mine. However, if Erin Bow were to write anything book, I will probably give it a try.

I hereby give this book

3.5 Stars

Meaning: I liked it, but it wasn't quite amazing.

REVIEW: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Never date your best friend.

Always be original.

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

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MY THOUGHTS
I had really high expectation for this book. Adi Alsaid's last book, Let's Get Lost, was phenomenal. It was fun, heartbreaking, and I adored it. So, of course, I was excited for more brilliance from Adi Alsaid, but this book wasn't what I was expecting. It's a good book and I like it, but it's not a 'new' book and certainly wasn't the funny, unique book I was expecting.

Dave and Julia are best friends and at the start of high school, they create a list of 'Nevers'. The list includes cliches that high schoolers often get into. Rules like, Never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, secretly pine for someone, run for prom king, etc. It isn't until the list is rediscovered senior year that they decide to do ALL of the things on the list. But Dave already has done something on the list, he's been pining for Julia.

I really like the idea of the Nevers and I was very curious to see how they would go about them all. It was indeed very interesting seeing how they did, since it's not like they follow the list exactly to a point, they randomly did things throughout the year and things happened because of them. While I wish this book could've been about the list entirely, it wasn't really the main focus, which I guess is okay. As I mentioned, they do things throughout the year, so it's not like they set out to do the list in a day or a week, that means that other stuff is also going on at the same time. I admit that I was kind of bored by the normal school life and things, but it did make things realistic.

I think that is a plus in this book, the realism. This book felt very realistic and, yes, that might have been why I was bored at points. The relationships, both romantic and friend oriented, were very realistic to a point that you don't see often in books. Many relationships, especially romance, are exaggerated in books. I felt this way in Adi's last book as well, so I can definitely say that he can certainly write realistic contemporaries.

Now, I was a bit bothered by how ironically cliche this book was, even know I shouldn't be. Why? I just get the feeling that this book was supposed to be cliche. The book is about two teens who are against being cliche teenagers, but in the end are they actually cliche? This is actually an important part about the book and I do believe that the cliche-ness was on purpose. Doesn't mean that I didn't groan at the cliche-ness at points.

IN CONCLUSION
Overall, this is a good contemporary read, but it's not what I was expecting and not quite as good as Adi's debut novel. I love the idea and wish it was focused on that more, despite the fact that not doing so made things more realistic. If you enjoy such books, pick this one up, but I recommend Adi's previous book more.

I hereby give this book

3 Stars

Meaning: I liked it.

REVIEW: Fractured Suns by Theresa Kay

We came in peace. Lie.
We had no role in the Collapse. Lie.
I have always been honest. Lie.
I never lied to her. Truth.

Reunited with her brother, and surrounded by Flint, Peter and her new-found grandfather, Jax Mitchell has still never felt more alone. The choice to follow Rym back to the city to find answers and see Lir is an easy one, but their reunion is cut short and Jax is forced to leave Lir behind. She finds herself traveling with some unexpected companions and heading back toward a place she’d hoped to never see again.

After being imprisoned—and tortured—on the orders of his uncle, Lir hasn’t seen daylight or linked to anyone in weeks. After a lifetime of connection, the pain and loneliness is almost too much to bear. Elated that Jax actually came, Lir finds renewed hope and strength to continue fighting his uncle's influence over the E'rikon, even when things look hopeless and Lir’s been branded a traitor by the very people he’s trying to save.

While Jax and Lir fight separate battles, their missions have more in common than they realize. It’s a race against time to stop men driven only by greed and power. But the people they trust the most might be the very people working against them—and "family" doesn't mean what it used to. Will they recognize their friends from their enemies in time to save the people they love or will they lose each other in the process?

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

NOTICE: THIS IS A SEQUEL FOR ANOTHER BOOK. THERE MAY BE SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOK. Review of Book One

MY THOUGHTS

This book takes place shortly after the events of the last book. Jax is still reeling from Lir's possible betrayal and coming into terms with her new abilities. With foreboding news, Jax must travel back to the town she intended to never go back to. At the same time, Lir is back in the city, being tortured by his uncle. But neither know who to trust and secrets will come to light, as well as the start of possible war.

This book definitely doesn't have middle book syndrome! So much happens! My crummy synopsis doesn't give this book justice. This book has event after event, and is definitely action-packed! I'm being extremely vague, mostly because I want you to be surprised, but there are so many twists! My mind was blown! Also, you find out so much more about Jax's abilities and the E'rikon!

I may be remembering wrong, but this book has a dual perspective, which I don't believe was in the last book. A majority of the book was from Jax's perspective, but every once in awhile we got to see from Lir's perspective. This really helped move the story. More stuff happened with Jax, but we really needed to see what was going on with Lir! I still love them both! They're great characters and very well-developed! In fact, all the characters, good and bad, and very well-developed! I also liked how we get to see new characters in this book as well as getting more of an understanding of all of them!

As for romance, there wasn't much. This book may not have middle book syndrome, but it does follow the aspect of most middle books where the couple is separated during the entirety. Not that there's no romance at all, Jax and Lir do see each other occasionally, but it's in the background, which is just the way I like romance. 

IN CONCLUSION
I loved Broken Skies, so I was excited to dive into this one! This is a fantastic sequel! I felt like so much happened and the characters were great! If you're a fan of sci-fi and/or aliens, please read this series! All the while, I will be waiting for the next book!

I hereby give this book

5 Wheels

Meaning: A new favorite!