Short and Simple Reviews: Into the Bright Unknown, Rock and a Hard Place, & Claim to Fame

This is a place for books that I didn't fully review.

Maybe I listed my likes and dislikes, had a little short paragraph, or a few sentences to convey my feelings on the book, but whatever the "review" is, all of them are short and simple. (hence the clever name)

The following three "reviews" are a little bit older. I wrote them last during my hiatus so they were never posted onto the blog. Until today that is.

The stunning conclusion to Rae Carson’s New York Times–bestselling Gold Seer trilogy

Leah Westfall’s journey has been one of ever-present peril, hidden magic, harsh realities, loss, life, determination, and love. She has searched for a place to belong and a place to call home, and people who can accept a girl with magical powers that prove to be both blessing and curse.

Rae Carson has been lauded as one of YA’s best writers of fantasy, and fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah J. Maas, and Westworld will be riveted by the conclusion of this remarkable historical fantasy trilogy.

Leah is poised to have everything she ever dreamed of on the long, dangerous journey to California’s gold fields—wealth, love, the truest friends, and a home. Thanks to her magical ability to sense precious gold, Leah, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have claimed rich land in California Territory. But their fortune makes them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Leah and her friends must fight back with all of their power and talents.

Leah’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter California’s history forever.

With a distinctive heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure.

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Review

This is such a fantastic series, but this book is my least favorite out of the series. The way the book ended was kind of a let down because Lee had to explain to everyone (and us) what exactly went on during the book, which just felt like a long (and confusing) info-dump. Overall, though, this is a fantastic book series, I was just a bit let-down by this one.

4 Stars

Meaning: I really liked it

Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Susane Colasanti, Angie Stanton's swoon-worthy romance--about an ordinary girl and a young rock star--will keep readers on the edge of their seats . . . and leave them wanting more.

In an instant, Libby's life went from picture-perfect to a nightmare. After surviving a terrible car accident, Libby is abandoned by her father and left with her controlling aunt. A new town, a new school, no friends--Libby is utterly alone. But then she meets Peter.

The lead singer in a rock band with his brothers, Peter hates that his parents overly manage his life. Constantly surrounded by family, Peter just wants to get away. And when he meets Libby, he's finally found the one person who just wants to be with him, not the rock star.

But while Peter battles his family's growing interference in both his music and personal life, Libby struggles with her aunt, who turns nastier each day. And even though Libby and Peter desperately want to be together, their drastically different lives threaten to keep them apart forever.

  

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Review

Meh. This book wasn't terrible, but the more I read, the less I liked it.
The whole plot is really unbelievable. Not just the whole "Girl meets popular rockstar" thing, but it seemed like almost anything bad that could happen to a character was piled onto Libby. Yeah, I know that people have been through as much as her, but it was a lot to take in within so few of pages and with the romance going on at the same time. It also was incredibly cheesy, lots of insta-love, and some of the characterization made zero sense to me.
It wasn't all bad, it was an interesting read at times, but it's easier to read if you suspend belief.

I won't be continuing this series. 

I hereby give this book

2 Stars

Meaning: It was okay

It was a talent that came out of nowhere. One day Lindsay Scott was on top of the world, the star of a hit TV show. The next day her fame had turned into torture.
Every time anyone said anything about her, she heard it. And everyone was talking about Lindsay: fans, friends, enemies, enemies who pretended to be friends....
Lindsay had what looked like a nervous breakdown and vanished from the public eye. But now she's sixteen and back in the news: A tabloid newspaper claims that Lindsay is being held hostage by her father.
The truth? Lindsay has been hiding out in a small Illinois town, living in a house that somehow provides relief from the stream of voices in her head. But when two local teenagers try to "rescue" Lindsay by kidnapping her, Lindsay is forced to confront everything she's been hiding from. And that's when she discovers there may be others who share her strange power. Lindsay is desperate to learn more, but what is she willing to risk to find the truth?

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Review

This was an okay read and I really liked the premise of the book. It was definitely a unique idea and it was interesting how it was shown and how it affected Lindsay. The last 50 pages or so caused me to give it this rating though. The ending was just odd compared to the rest of the book and I feel like some of the events that happened really warranted more of an explanation.

2.5 Stars

Meaning: I almost liked it, but not quite.