The Last Forever by Deb Caletti

Pages: 320

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: April 1, 2014

Endings and beginnings sit so close to each other that it’s sometimes impossible to tell which is which.Nothing lasts forever, and no one gets that more than Tessa. After her mother died, it’s all she can do to keep her friends, her boyfriend, her happiness from slipping away. And then there’s her dad. He’s stuck in his own daze, and it’s so hard to feel like a family when their house no longer seems like a home.Her father’s solution? An impromptu road trip that lands them in a small coastal town at Tessa’s grandmother’s. Despite all the warmth and beauty there, Tessa can’t help but feel even more lost.Enter Henry Lark. He understands the relationships that matter. And more importantly, he understands her. A secret stands between them, but Tessa’s willing to do anything to bring them together—because Henry may just be her one chance at forever.

This was my first Caletti book and I'd been hearing wonders about her writing, so I was eager to start! The gorgeous cover helped too, and going into it, I was in love with the gorgeous writing and how quick the beginning was. I'll admit, it was a bit too fast, but I still enjoyed it.

But once she met Henry, things just went down from there.

At first I thought it would just be a rushed romance--and I've dealt with that so many times, I didn't think it would bother me that much. But it did. She felt a connection with him, was obsessed with him, tried to, basically, stalk him, after their first "fated" meeting. And she straddled him and forced a kiss on him at...I think their third meeting. When he didn't really show that much interest (or at least, not as much as I'd expect for a kiss on the third meeting.) And sometimes the things they said were so utterly cheesy and cliche.

But that really wasn't the bad point for me. While I got that it made it more realistic, I hated how Tessa acted so desperately to make friends with these three people, trying to force her way into the group. And when they didn't let her in, she just settled on insulting them behind their backs to their friend and her obsession, Henry and her grandmother.
Basically when things didn't go her way, she judged them on that one reason. She acted spoiled and I thought her to be assumptive and just a little bit deluded, thinking she knew someone after only a few meetings. And every time she would act self conscious or insecure, the writing made it feel more like she was just fishing for compliments instead.

 I was so very close to DNFing this, but I continued on for the plant. The mystery of what the plant was and the history behind it. But we learn what it is a little over half way into the story and after that...I didn't have much motivation to read it.

So I sort of skimmed the rest. (Before you all yell at me, I did read 75% of it and only skipped a bit to 80% then read from there.) The giant twist did surprise me, though! I was shocked, and while the way Tessa reacted was normal, I felt a little irritated by how drastic her reaction was. Then again, I've never felt that kind of betrayal.

I'll admit, I was sort of in a book slump (or, at least, it was the second book I'd almost DNF'd that week.) but unless you've read and loved several of Caletti's works, I can't really say I'd recommend it, though I do think you should give it a try if it sounds like something you'd love!

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Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett

Pages: 384

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Series: Arkwell Academy #2 

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: Mar 4, 2014

Dusty Everhart might be able to predict the future through the dreams of her crush, Eli Booker, but that doesn’t make her life even remotely easy. When one of her mermaid friends is viciously assaulted and left for dead, and the school’s jokester, Lance Rathbone, is accused of the crime, Dusty’s as shocked as everybody else. Lance needs Dusty to prove his innocence by finding the real attacker, but that’s easier asked than done. Eli’s dreams are no help, more nightmares than prophecies. 
To make matters worse, Dusty’s ex-boyfriend has just been acquitted of conspiracy and is now back at school, reminding Dusty of why she fell for him in the first place. The Magi Senate needs Dusty to get close to him, to discover his real motives. But this order infuriates Eli, who has started his own campaign for Dusty’s heart.
As Dusty takes on both cases, she begins to suspect they’re connected to something bigger. And there’s something very wrong with Eli’s dreams, signs that point to a darker plot than they could have ever imagined.

I have to admit, I loved The Nightmare Dilemma a lot more than The Nightmare Affair and I was absolutely thrilled to get an early copy!
Writing a review of this is actually going to be pretty hard, so expect this review to be short guys! All you really need to know, though, is that I absolutely loved it.

Dusty is a fun character and there was absolutely no limit to her snark and she's just as smart alack-y as in The Nightmare Affair. She's a lovable character who brings some comic relief to the story and I absolutely adored her loyalty to her friends and how determined she was to protect the people she loved.
All the side characters were just as amazing and all their personalities were developed more. Selene, while I felt like she didn't get much face time, still had her awesome siren rebellion going on and Lance, while he was still a bit of a jerk, was a bit less hostile and I liked him a lot more. (Also? Him with Selene would be absolutely adorable.)

The romance again took a back seat to the plot and I really loved it this time, though there were romantic moments that made me absolutely squeal. Paul is back and while I was a bit worried about a love triangle, it's clear that's not really a problem. The surprise complication between Eli and Dusty, however, was a bit shocking, though I felt like it was a bit cliche, though it definitely made for some intriguing romantic tension!

And speaking of intrigue, that's what this book was filled with. The mystery had me on my toes and, unlike in book one, I was at a complete loss as to what was going to happen. There were twists I didn't expect and everything from powerful, corrupt people, to betrayals, to sinister cults were mixed in with the mystery and I was completely hooked in.

The Arkwell Academy series is a cute paranormal series with dark twists and The Nightmare Dilemma, thankfully, doesn't suffer from Sequel Syndrome at all! It was a magnificent read that grabbed my attention and made me fall in love with the characters all over!

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Blog Tour: Gilded by Christina Farley

HEY GUYS! I'm part of the GILDED by Christina Farley blog tour and I'm thrilled to present to you a book that sounds absolutely amazing! BUT FIRST, an interview with Christina Farley!

Fiction Freak: What made you focus on Korean folklore out of all the legends of the world?

Christina Farley: I was teaching at an international school in Korea and I wanted to write a story that my students could identify with. We were doing a comparative study of Greek myths with other myths, but I couldn’t find a book to tie in with Korean mythology. So I wrote one!

      FF: What is your favorite Korean myth that you've stumbled upon?

CF: Definitely Haemosu’s and Princess Yuhwa’s story. But I also find Princess Bari’s story intriguing, too, so I couldn’t resist bringing her into Silvern, book 2.

FF: I have to ask, do you watch KDramas or listen to Kpop?

CF:I'm a sucker for Korean dramas set in the Joyseon Dynasty like Mandate of Heaven and The Goddess of Fire. Oh, and the Jumong series! As far as K-pop, I don't listen to much of it, but one of my students is now pretty famous. His name is Eddie Shin. His brother, Alex Shin, also one of my student’s, created GILDED’s book trailer. (Here is the link to Eddie: http://www.soompi.com/2011/03/25/asianamerican-group-aziatix-to-enter-us-market/#.Uwar3cuPKP8)

Here is a video I made that explains what inspired GILDED: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL2Sn26fqrU&feature=share&list=PLN5-S2dSFXkzEmCD6KtacReYw4iDiYntY&index=1

As far as the whole stealing the oldest daughter part, that’s something I made up. J It really stemmed from the ‘what happens next’ question when I read Haemosu’s and Princess Yuhwa’s story. I love imagining the possibilities of after the happily ever after because there is always more to the story.  

FF: If you were told that you had suddenly become Jae, you would...

CF:Be very, very worried. Things only get worse for Jae, especially in Silvern, book 2! I’d definitely keep my bow with me at all times and start hitting the dojong more often!

FF: If Jae was only allowed to say one word throughout the entire book, it would be...

CF:Crap.

FF: What would be Jae's guilty pleasure?

CF:Food! (If you read the book it’s a big part of Jae’s story)

She loves the Korean sweet pancakes called hoddeok: http://mykoreankitchen.com/2007/01/29/korean-sweet-pancakes-hoddeok-fully-home-made-version/

FF: What has been the best part of writing GILDED? The mythology? The characters? The plot?

CF:I really love Jae’s world. I was itching to get back into it and write the sequel so even before I got the edits for GILDED, I was busy writing SILVERN. It’s so fun researching the mythology and pulling that into our modern world and then seeing the chaos it creates. And over Christmas break, I secretly wrote book 3 (shhh… because even my agent hasn’t seen it and it hasn’t been bought yet by my publisher). But by that point, I knew the characters so well and they had become real and alive to me. I could literally hear them speaking to me (Um, that sounds weird!). I cried so many times writing book 3 because of the things that happened to them.

FF: Imagine you had a time machine--what part of your life would you have loved to skip, and which would you have loved to relive?

CF:Oh! Good question. I would say elementary school. I was a late bloomer so in elementary school I was always the smallest and youngest. I learned to read late and struggled academically. I figured everything out eventually, but I remember how tough it was. My favorite years so far have been when we were living in Korea. I loved eating the food and traveling around the county. And my coworkers and students are still like family to me even though we are now all in the four corners of the earth.

Gilded Synopsis

A Korean god. An ancient curse. Can she escape becoming GILDED?

A girl with a black belt and a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows discovers an ancient Korean god has been kidnapping the first-born daughters of her family for generations. And she’s next.

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 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.

Author Info

CHRISTINA FARLEY, author of Gilded was born and raised in upstate New York. As a child, she loved to explore, which later inspired her to jump on a plane and travel the world. She taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were in the mysterious and beautiful city of Seoul, Korea that became the setting of Gilded. Currently she lives in Clermont, FL with her husband and two sons—that is until the travel itch whisks her off to a new unknown. Gilded is her first novel. For more details, check out her website at www.christinafarley.com. Christina holds a master’s degree in education and has taught for eighteen years. She is represented by Jeff Ourvan of Jennifer Lyons Literary.

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BIRTHDAY: Letter to Myself

WRITTEN TO MY NEW 14 YEAR OLD SELF BY MY 13 YEAR OLD SELF AS OF NOVEMBER BECAUSE a) I am an insanely early poster and b) I thought it'd be fun to see this post and realize how quirky I was (still am?)

Hey Nikki! SO YEAR NUMBER 14 OF YOUR LIFE HAS FLOWN BY (Technically 14, but most people would say 13 since you were 13 years old, but as of today it's been year 14 right? Right.) So most of it has been quirky, but here's what's been going down:

You met and made friends with some SUPER SWEET 2014 debuters! Seriously, they're so sweet and they're called YA Valentines (Yes, Nikki, I am pimping them on your birthday letter. I'M SORRY.)

You had a crush for a few weeks, but it disappeared because you realized you hadn't talked to the guy in a couple of years, so who knows how he changed. And you refused to be that cliche YA girl with a crush on some guy she doesn't know so yeah. Hey high school starts this year! Maybe you'll find a new crush? 

*Update as of 2/10 so you may still sorta like em. Eh.

In the meantime you can totally cheer your friends on since you totally know who they like and who likes them because you managed to pry the secrets from their fingers because you can be annoying (Don't worry, some people actually find it endearing. Some.)

On the downside, you realized you had depression and that put a damper on things. But you're dealing, so it's all good! 

ON THE UPSIDE YOU TURNED GIRLY. Like seriously girly. First you turned from jeans and tshirts to suddenly semi-fashionable in the summer (Like, you wore skinny jeans which you never did. And wore decorative belts. And flowy tshirts. And jewelry. REALLY CUTE JEWELRY. YOU HAVE ADORABLE NECKLACES.) And right now you're actually considering skirts which you always said you'd never wear. Oh all the lies Nikki! Tsk tsk. OH. YOU EVEN WEAR MAKEUP DAILY. Okay not really, just some mascara and once in a while lip gloss. But still. It's a big change. 

You've grown apart with some of  your blogger friends, you've made new ones, but you still miss the old ones. They're busy with all their lives though, but hopefully they come back soon. <3 Some have even stopped blogging, but fingers crossed they come back, eh? In the meantime there's always texting and social media! Hope you stay in touch with the old blogger friends though. After all, they were your first friends in this strange place. 

Chocolate will forever be the best (or will it. WILL IT NIKKI. WILL IT REALLY.) Yes, Nikki. Yes it will be. 

Hmm, let's see what else is new. Uh. OH. You're currently writing, but I dunno if that'll continue after a few months. You think it's a cool idea though, all creepy and a retelling of beauty and the beast! (Honestly, Anita Howard totally influenced you on the creepy and retelling part.)

*Update instead it is now a thriller and you're also working on a contemporary

You worry too much about things only adults should worry about, but you can't help it. 

But it's okay, because you're pretty happy. And you know 2014 will rock (after all you start high school this fall. CRAP. YOU START HIGH SCHOOL. NIKKKKKIIIIIIIIIII.)

-Nikki, the 13 and a half year old version.

PS, you're strange. 

Toxic Heart by Theo Lawrence

Pages: 368

Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy

Series: Mystic City #2

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: Apr 8, 2014

A city in flames. A trust betrayed. A perfect love destroyed.Has Aria lost Hunter, her one true love?
Ever since rebellion broke out in Mystic City, pitting the ruling elite against the magic-wielding mystics, Aria has barely seen her boyfriend. Not surprising, since Hunter is the leader of the mystic uprising, and he'll do whatever it takes to win freedom for his people—even if that means using Aria.But Aria is no one's pawn. She believes she can bring the two warring sides together, save the city, and win back the Hunter she fell in love with. Before she can play peacemaker, though, Aria will need to find the missing heart of a dead mystic. The heart gives untold powers to whoever possesses it, but finding it means seeking out a fierce enemy whose deepest desire is for Aria to be gone—forever.

**Spoiler in Paragraph 3!
I was in love with Mystic City in 2012, so I was super excited to finally get an ARC of Toxic Heart! I dived into it almost immediately and I was both pleased and a little more than a little disappointed.
Almost immediately I fell back in love with the series and I was caught up in the story again, and I remembered every little thing that happened in Mystic City--something that's a little impressive for me! But after that initial applause, things died down.

Here's what I loved: Seeing Aria and Hunter and our whole gang of members, along with some new characters who I absolutely loved. Err, mostly loved. There were a wide range of characters and while they weren't fully developed, they each had their own little quirks that made them unique to the story.
Aria was definitely the same as before, but I felt like her flaws were a bit more pronounced in Toxic City, namely her pettiness and her naivete. How could she expect everyone to suddenly come to peace when she knew full well that her brother and Thomas wouldn't go for it?
While I did feel for her (what with Hunter ignoring her, using her, acting cold towards her) she wanted Hunter to drop everything, the lives of all the people who depended on him, to work on their relationship. I get it--she wanted him to love her (after all, she sacrificed just as much as he did, if not more), but I felt like it was just unreasonable to want him to ignore everything else. But he was douchey for most of the book.

Hunter actually didn't make much an appearance in Toxic Heart, which leads me to my next topic: the romance. The romance, while it wasn't the main conflict of the story, was, at the very least, one of the biggest two. And that...irritated me. Because a random love triangle popped out of the nowhere, and the story's ending (that had to do with the romance) seemed way too rushed and way too random. There was nothing really leading up to this decision. **Especially since, throughout the entire book, Aria really just seemed to whine about not being with Hunter...and then she goes off and leaves him the moment she gets mystic powers? WTF? She seemed to be using him a lot more than him using her at that part. **

The plot was definitely action packed, but I felt like most of the story seemed to do with Aria's relationships with both Hunter and other mystics, especially Turk, which I didn't enjoy. I wanted more fight scenes, more action, more showing of how this war would destroy both sides either way. This "fierce enemy" mentioned in the synopsis didn't really even show up until a good bit of the way in, something I was sorely disappointed in.

I do, however, love the fact that both the reader and Aria would start to doubt the rebel's causes, especially once things started to get bloody and people started to get a little too desperate. I always enjoy those books where you're not quite sure who's side you're on and who's really the "good guy" or if there's one at all.

The worldbuilding seemed a bit weaker than I remember it, but Lawrence still does a fabulous job with the writing style and the imagery, giving us a clear and perfect picture of the disaster and heartbroken ruins. I did still have a few questions about the worldbuilding, but they didn't bother me as much as questions usually do!

Toxic Heart, while suffering a bit from Sequel Syndrome, is still a fascinating read that had me up until 1 AM reading about a Romeo and Juliet who weren't that star crossed and were driven apart by a war that ripped both from their families.

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Acid by Emma Pass

Pages: 416

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: Mar 11, 2014

The year is 2113. In Jenna Strong's world, ACID—the most brutal controlling police force in history—rule supreme. No throwaway comment or whispered dissent goes unnoticed—or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a horrendous crime she struggles to remember. But Jenna's violent prison time has taught her how to survive by any means necessary.
When a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed, and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID, and try to uncover the truth about what really happened on that terrible night two years ago. They have taken her life, her freedom, and her true memories away from her. How can she reclaim anything when she doesn't know who to trust?

I've been eyeing this book since early 2013, maybe even 2012, and you have no clue how disappointed I was when I found out that it released in 2014 in the US. Now I know how you INTL folks feel.

So the first thing I actually noticed about this book is that the given synopsis didn't seem to have anything to do with the story. After a while, you realize it has a lot to do with the actual story, and I sort of loved that little bit of obscurity.
The concept was rather unique too, although I didn't know how I felt about the only-girl-in-a-prison thing. It didn't make much sense--no other girl had ever done anything bad enough to land in jail? What? But I did love the rest of it, the on the run plot, and especially the second half of the book where she...re-rediscovers herself?

Yeah, the plot was badass and it was action packed, but there was still something about it that didn't...engage me as much as I wanted it to. I felt like it was too easy to put it back down at times, and the only thing that pushed me on was wanting to get to the ending. It wasn't the urge to figure out what was happening--it was easy enough to guess. The plot was sort of...undeveloped, I suppose. There were so many parts of it that didn't quite fit together and just seemed to be filler chapters. There was no one main goal--so I suppose Acid would be a fascinating TV show, but didn't seem to quite work as a book with it's pieced together plot, though it was still pretty enjoyable most times!

Jenna was such a kickbutt character at first, but after a while she turned...flatter. While she never really annoyed me, she didn't speak to me as much as she did at first. She lost her sass and her snark, and turned...blander, but still managed to be a pretty decent character, I suppose.

I'm unbelievably happy that there wasn't much focus on the romance, but her relationship with the would-be love interest seemed really rushed. She risked so many things for him, and I didn't understand why--maybe out of obligation? But it didn't make much sense, really. And that was about the extent of my feelings.

While it was a pretty decent read, Acid isn't really one I'd recommend much unless it really appeals to you. It maybe wasn't quite my kind of book, but I wouldn't completely turn away from it. 

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Mirk and Midnight by Jane Nickerson

Pages: 384

Genre: Gothic Literature/Retelling

Series: Strands #2
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Release Date: Mar 11, 2014

Seventeen-year-old Violet Dancey has been left at home in Mississippi with a laudanum-addicted stepmother and love-crazed stepsister while her father fights in the war—a war that has already claimed her twin brother. When she comes across a severely injured Union soldier lying in an abandoned lodge deep in the woods, things begin to change. Thomas is the enemy—one of the men who might have killed her own brother—and yet she's drawn to him. But Violet isn't Thomas's only visitor; someone has been tending to his wounds—keeping him alive—and it becomes chillingly clear that this care hasn't been out of compassion. Against the dangers of war and ominous powers of voodoo, Violet must fight to protect her home and the people she loves.

While I hadn't read Strands of Bronze and Gold prior to this, the synopsis had me wanting and, I mean, it was a companion novel. So I could read it right? And who can pass up a Tam Lin retelling, anyways?

This story takes place during the Civil War, something that fascinated me, especially since it was a retelling of Tam Lin, a story of fairies and magic--what place did the Civil War have in this?
As it turns out, the main plot for most of the story didn't really have much to do with Tam Lin (or Thomas, in this case) as I'd expected. The retelling bit of the book was in maybe the last quarter of the book and we don't even really meet Thomas until halfway into the book. But that didn't really matter to me, by the time I was in that deep.

The story, even without meeting Thomas yet, is exciting or, at the very least, intriguing. It was slow at times and it definitely resembled a plain old historical fiction at times, but it was so much more than that. While I do wish it was more like the last bit of the book, I have to admit, the story was still interesting especially with Violet's rather...well, with all the changes that Violet's family is going through. Sunny and Emily were such contrasting characters and it was interesting to see their personalities start to grow a bit more complex, especially Sunny's. My favorite characters have to be, by far, Miss Ruby (Oliver?), Laney, and Seeley. Nickerson has a knack for secondary characters and I couldn't help but just grow attached to all of them!

The romance was quick and a bit insta lovey, I suppose, but it just seemed to fit the story and made me love it even more. The story really focused on Violet's independence as a woman in this time and how she dealt with all the terrible and wonderful things that were happening in her life at the same time. And I loved that.

There were definitely a few creep factors in this, especially with the voodoo mentioned in it. I definitely wish that there were more scenes like the last, but nevertheless, it was enjoyable and pretty spectacular, for lack of a better word!

The Mirk and Midnight Hour was a completely fascinating read that brought out the Gothic in Gothic Literature and I couldn't help but fall in love with the solemn atmosphere and the supernatural/voodoo forces that pushed the plot on. The historical feel just brought the story alive and the story stands out as something I'd call darkly enticing and hopelessly enchanting. 

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Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Pages: 336

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Mar 18, 2014

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you? 
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most? 

(Review is marked with the slight snark stamp)

Let me be totally honest here--I was unbelievably excited for Side Effects May Vary. I was ecstatic when I got a review copy. I was practically in love with the synopsis before I ever saw the cover. And then it went ahead and, well, disappointed me.

Side Effects went off with a bang, I'll give it that, but things slowly started to go downhill from there.

The absolute first thing that irritated me was Alice. She was, frankly, a huge bitch and I couldn't see why anyone would like her. Sympathize, yes. But like? That was sort of a stretch for me.
She was a bitch to everyone around her and I'm not surprised she didn't have friends. I mean, I guess you could call her "flawed", but that didn't really excuse her for all the terrible things she did. (Yes, I know Luke was terrible and that Celeste and Mindi were terrible to you, but seriously? Then again they did some pretty extreme stuff too.) I think Harvey and his friends were the only decent teen characters in this book, in all honesty, and his friends didn't even really seem that well written.

Harvey, I'm not sure if I loved or what, though I'm leaning towards love. He was sweet, adorable, caring, and undeniably real. I loved that he actually tried to get past his love for Alice instead of pining after her like some lovesick puppy, but the thing is...he sort of just let her walk all over him and just sort of adored her for it. He would never stay angry at her, and while that was sweet, it just felt so weak of him to do that, but can you argue with a man in (puppy) love?

Another thing I wasn't really happy with, but didn't mind so much, was the way the story was told with alternating "Then" and "Now" chapters. Typically, I'm okay with that. In fact, I love it. But there was not set rhythm to them and we'd have maybe five "Then" chapters and two "Now" chapters or something, along with two POVs.

But, you know, as bad as I think I make it sound, Side Effects May Vary wasn't a completely terrible book, and I actually liked some of it. Alice did have her good and kind moments, though they were rare, but those parts redeemed her, if only a little. The story itself though was amazing and heartwarming and there were so many bits of it that just sort of stuck with  me--I just couldn't really get over Alice herself and the way Harvey just let himself be used.

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The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain

Pages: 512

Genre: Fantasy/Mythology

Series: Into the Dark #1

Publisher: Egmont

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

I'll admit, going into it, I didn't really know what to expect. From the synopsis it seemed like a typical, cliche paranormal story, but it's so much more than that! The Shadow Prince was actually quite the enchanting read and I actually kept reading until lo and behold, it was 7 AM.

The worldbuilding is the first thing that I noticed. Bree Despain takes Hades and Persephones' myth and twists it into her own creation, somehow making this retelling so much more fascinating. The Underworld had it's own hierarchy system with it's own backstory that set this book apart from all the other retellings. The world was dark and haunting and was quite fascinating. We got to see all the workings of the Underworlder court and how it came to be that way and it was all original and, by the way, a breath of fresh air when we learn that Orpheus plays a rather large role compared to Helen of Troy or Achilles.

As for our characters, I felt like Daphne was a bit flat at times, but she was definitely one of those stubborn and spitfire heroines! She doesn't really dive headfirst into impulsive decisions, but she makes rational choices and decisions, and that's what really won me over.
Haden was quite an interesting character, especially since he was in the mortal world. He was so adorably clueless, but you knew he had an arrogant and dangerous side--after all he was raised in the Underworld. But being in "our world" left him a bit helpless and it was so cute seeing him try to understand how the world worked. Or, more specifically girls.
EX: "My online research into "how to get a girl to like me" had suggested, time and time again, that to win a human girl over, I had to be mean to her. I'd spent the bulk of classes either ignoring her, contradicting her, or acting like a "bad boy", which I gather meant showing off my muscles and leaning back in my chair after saying something sexually derogatory." 
Yep, that sort of summed it up! It was hilarious seeing him navigate the minds of females--or rather, one female. Daphne.

Of course, that leads us to romance. The romance was a bit rushed and I honestly had no idea where it came from. I honestly think that without the romance, Shadow Prince may have been a lot better, but the sudden burst of "I love you" sort of ruined it. Though Haden and Daphne did have a rather interesting relationship that made me laugh out loud one too many times!

The Shadow Prince is told in alternating POVs and I really love how Bree Despain writes. She managed to capture two completely different voices into this story and it was unbelievably easy to see how different Haden's way of thinking was. His POV especially was brilliantly written, especially with the fact that we could actually see him slowly getting more human, bit by bit. That takes talent y'all!

The plot was filled with twists, though I do admit most of them were pretty predictable, but that didn't take away the thrill of figuring out you were right! There were so many little mysteries that weaved themselves into a bigger, more sinister plot, and it was enthralling, trying to untangle all the threads!

While the synopsis seems a bit overdone, the book is far from it and wonderfully executed too! The Shadow Prince was a mesmerizing read that had me on my toes for hours as I flipped through the pages anxiously.The Shadow Prince is  a book I'd recommend to any paranormal/fantasy fans and is definitely one to pick up!

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Nil by Lynne Matson

Pages: 384

Genre: Sci-fi

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Henry Holt

Release Date: March 4, 2014

On the mysterious island of Nil, the rules are set. You have exactly 365 days to escape—or you die.
Seventeen-year-old Charley doesn’t know the rules. She doesn’t even know where she is. The last thing she remembers is blacking out, and when she wakes up, she’s naked in an empty rock field.
Lost and alone, Charley finds no sign of other people until she meets Thad, the gorgeous leader of a clan of teenage refugees. Soon Charley learns that leaving the island is harder than she thought . . . and so is falling in love. With Thad’s time running out, Charley realizes that she has to find a way to beat the clock, and quickly.

Ever since I first heard of Lynne Matson and Nil, I've been absolutely dying to read this story! Teens with only a year to live? To escape? Talk about fascinating!

The number one thing that I have to comment on (besides the hot guys, of course) is the amount of science that Lynne Matson manages to include. The clues that are scattered about the island, that our characters manage to piece together are unbelievably scientific and precise, and it was thrilling to see how they all fit together! The worldbuilding of the island is so thoroughly well built, I'm probably going to be paranoid of all noons and heat waves forever.

I absolutely loved the characters in Nil too! There were so many, but each was so individual, had such a range of personalities, it was hard not to fall in love with them. Each character, main or supporting, managed to wiggle into your heart--all the more heartbreaking for when Matson rips them away from you (and oh, she does this quite a lot.)

Plot wise, Nil is pretty much perfect--it's fast paced and as we learn more and more about this sinister island, things get more and more intense until suddenly twists are thrown at you left and right. I honestly, no matter how often you hear this, put it down. I got home from school, sat down, and read for two hours straight. With little explosions of caps and exclamation marks on twitter.
Especially the end. The ending was absolutely heartbreaking and heartwarming and I could not believe it whatsoever. It's really a perfect ending that I really loved and actually made me tear up!

My only slight complaint was the rushed romance and insta love in the beginning, but once you get used to it, it's a really sweet romance that made me love Thad and Charley all the more. The romance is adorable and in all honesty, sometimes I squealed at certain scenes. Except one in the end. That one made me cry.

Anyways.

Nil is definitely a book to check out when it releases with it's fantastic pacing, gorgeous writing, a cut throat island, and sci-fi elements that'll enrapture you the entire read! And who can forget about all the amazing characters that'll simply make you fall in love with the, no matter how...short...you know them?

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Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland

Pages: 371

Genre: Greek Mythology/Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Zephyr Mourning has never been very good at being a Harpy. She’d rather watch reality TV than learn forty-seven ways to kill a man, and she pretty much sucks at wielding magic. Zephyr was ready for a future pretending to be a normal human instead of a half-god assassin. But all that changes when her sister is murdered—and she uses a forbidden dark power to save herself from the same fate.
Zephyr is on the run from a punishment worse than death when an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend (a surprisingly HOT friend) changes everything. Because it seems like Zephyr might just be the Nyx, a dark goddess made flesh that is prophesied to change the power balance. For hundreds of years the half-gods have lived in fear, and Zephyr is supposed to change that.
But how is she supposed to save everyone when she can’t even save herself?

Going into Promise of Shadows, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The cover was unbelievably eye catching and the premise sounded unique and completely riveting! 

Unfortunately, it wasn't as captivating as I thought it'd be. 

From the first chapter, I was fascinated by the worldbuilding--seeing a new twist on Greek mythology is always captivating! The world is my favorite bit of the book, managing to be completely original, something that's actually pretty hard with this genre nowadays. Learning about the Vaeter and the Aetherals was enchanting and it just pulled me into the world filled with harpies and Fates, Greek gods and the Nix. And, beyond the Greek gods, there wasn't much that tied the book to Greek mythology, something I found interesting and pleasantly surprising! 

We start out in Tarturus with Zephyr, making us hooked and enthralled. There's a sense of intrigue from chapter one, and you just automatically want to know more about what happened to Whisper, how Zephyr got thrown into Tarturus, and all of that. But after that, things started for a downward spiral. 

There were a lot of secrets revealed in the first few chapters, but Zephyr never seemed to be that surprised or that hurt, despite the fact that in years of knowing these people and that she just know learns of these things. She only seemed to be affected when it suited the plot--or when she wanted to be whiny.

Speaking of whiny...Zephyr wasn't exactly the best character. She didn't listen at all, and sometimes the characters went along with it, even if she was in the wrong and they were in the right. She was impulsive and ignored everyone's warnings, thought that she knew everything when she knew nothing at all, and she always did what she wanted, even though she knew perfectly well that it would put everyone she loved in danger. 

She was also hypocritical and seemed to always be itching for a fight. She was, really, just a terrible character and I wasn't exactly the biggest fan.

The other characters were a bit flat and didn't have much character. We never really got to know them well, besides the fact that they either worshipped, feared, or hated Zephyr. 

The plot was a bit predictable and a bit typical too, though it did manage to surprise me now and then. I wasn't a giant fan of the storyline, though it may have been overshadowed by my not so big love of Zephyr. It was a bit rushed, but it was still a bit fun. I do wish it was a bit more edgy and dark though, but I'm not totally unhappy with it! 

The romance was forced to me, and I really didn't feel like Tallon and Zephyr fit each other besides their affinity for erobos (essentially, the "darkness"). Although maybe they do since while Zephyr kept screwing things up and directly disobeying Tallon's instructions (that would've saved them a whole lot of trouble), and yet, Tallon kept on forgiving her, saying he was wrong all the time. It irritated me that he didn't seem to do anything besides support her the entire time or get grumpy. 

Promise of Shadows honestly wasn't my favorite book and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it. Though if you loved Justina Ireland's Vengeance Bound, you may love this one too! 

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Steadfast by Claudia Gray

Pages: 384

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Spellcaster #2

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: Mar 4, 2014

Nadia, Mateo, and Verlaine have saved Captive's Sound from the dark Sorceress Elizabeth...or so they thought. Despite their best efforts, a crack opened and a new, greater evil seeped through. With Mateo as her Steadfast, Nadia's magic is magnified and she is more powerful than ever. But there is still so much she doesn't know about the craft, leaving her open and vulnerable to a darker magic...which has begun to call Nadia's name.

I got this unsolicited, and I was a bit anxious going into it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Spellcaster, but I hadn't hated it, so I honestly didn't know how I'd feel about Steadfast (even if the cover was pretty!) Thankfully, I actually loved this one, though maybe not as much as I could've or wanted to.

The biggest problem I had with this story was the POV issue. We saw the story through the point of view of almost every single character that had some kind of role in the story. Sometimes they'd have a whole chapter, sometimes only five paragraphs, and it got really annoying really quickly. Not only was it confusing, but it took away part of the mystery and allure Steadfast could've had and I'm pretty sure I had the same problem with Spellcaster.

I'm not saying there weren't any twists--because God knows there were a ton, but there just weren't any sudden moments of doubt for our characters, any hesitation in trusting the characters. For example, Asa, a character who's quickly introduced and quickly revealed to be more than human, was always not-evil. Yeah, he worked for the "One Beneath" but it was evident that he would fall in love with a certain character, and predictable that he would sacrifice something for her. And we were told that he hated Elizabeth too, so we never doubted his motives.

But the read was still pretty awesome because even though the mystery was taken away, Elizabeth's point of view bits were absolutely sinister and made it pretty clear she was psycho and completely devoted to the devil. She was crazy and a perfect antagonist who sent shivers down my spine and was so deluded but so powerful--a pretty scary combination if I do say so myself.

Verlaine's situation was emphasized and it was absolutely heartbreaking to see how terrible and horrible it would be to be unloved, when, by all accounts, she should be. It made me love her and she started turning into a more major character than just the sidekick, something I definitely enjoyed seeing!

Steadfast was a pretty fantastic sequel, and better than the first one in my opinion, though I definitely had a few issues with it. It was a decent read though, and if you loved Spellcaster, you're guaranteed to love this one!

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A GRIM Blog Tour

I'm excited to be on the Grim Blog Tour, especially since I loved this creepy anthology so much! (Check out my review here) 

This was, probably, one of my favorites stories in the anthology! While dark and creepy is something I love, there's something about a romance that stems from hate, especially if there's still some dark and creepy in it and if it's as compelling as this short was! 

So ever since I was a kid, Beauty and the Beast was always my favorite Grimm tale (East of the Sun, West of the Moon which is pretty much the same thing, my ultimate favorite, and Cupid and Psyche my favorite Greek myth.) So yeah, I'm pretty obsessed with the story and it mayyy have something to do with me loving Beast/Beast so much! I used to scour my library for B&B retellings and ended up rereading each one every time!
Funnily, now that I'm talking about it, I remember something from preschool. We were allowed to pick two tiny story books (Really they were only maybe 10 tiny little pages, 3x2 each) that held a illustrated story in each and I practically shoved all the other kids away from the Beauty and the Beast one so I could have it.

We all know how big a Kagawa fan I was, so I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw she wrote a story in this anthology! And leave it to her to pick the story that's so hard to write a YA retelling for, short story or not--The Three Little Pigs. Then again, this is Kagawa, and she made it as creepy and horrendous as a regular Grimm tale. I'm thoroughly impressed! And if I didn't already love the anthology, this would sort of seal the deal.

Now, if you've never heard of the children's story book The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs I don't know if I can talk to you anymore. My teachers have read this to me at least 5 times throughout my years as a preschooler to a 2nd grader and when I realized that The Brothers Piggett was a story on the Three Little Pigs...well I was a bit hesitant, because this was, legit, the only Three Little Pigs retelling I could think of.
Somehow though, Julie Kagawa manages to rework her magic with words and creates a more complex story while sticking true to the important bits of the Three Little Pigs. How the heck does she do that again?

Untethered had an unbelievable twist that I honestly didn't see coming, surprising, especially for a short! I loved it so much though and was absolutely surprised. Not to mention how touching and heartbreaking the story was and how, in the end, it was just so beautiful. I think I actually got a bit misty eyed by the end of it. There's no way you can't love this story!

This one isn't a retelling, or not one I can think of at least, and I don't really think I can say anything without spoiling it. But I'm going to say that it sort of reminds me of one of my favorite books: The Catastrophic History of You and Me, but I'm going to zip my lips after that.
I don't really have a story related to this, but I'll leave you with this: the second story of my house used to be an attic and sometimes I hear creepy noises coming up from there. Also, once you walk up the stairs, there's a door that leads to a closet and in that closet there's a door that's maybe a foot and half by a foot and a half that is creeeeeppppyyyyyy. Do I need an exorcist?

About GRIM

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today:

Kimberly Derting | Sonia Gensler | Tessa Gratton | Claudia Gray | Rachel Hawkins | Amanda Hocking | Ellen Hopkins | Shaun David Hutchinson | Julie Kagawa | Malinda Lo | Myra McEntire | Saundra Mitchell | Jackson Pearce | Sarah Rees Brennan | Dia Reeves | Jon Skovron | Jeri Smith Read

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Follow the Tour 

• Monday, February 17th - Harlequin Paranormal Blog
• Tuesday, February 18th - Stories 1, 2 and 3 - Two Chicks on Books
• Wednesday, February 19th - Stories 4, 5 and 6 - Book and A Latte
• Friday, February 21st - Stories 7, 8 and 9 - Fiction Freak
• Monday, February 24th - Stories 10, 11 and 12 - Mundie Moms
• Wednesday, February 26th -  Stories 13, 14 and 15 - Bumbles and Fairytales
• Friday, February 28th -  Stories 16 and 17 - Fiktshun

Giveaway

Giveaway is US/Can

Each tour stop is offering up a copy of GRIM, and one winner will receive a fantastic Grand Prize Package including the following Harlequin Teen titles: 2 copies of GRIM, a copy of WHITE HOT KISS by Jennifer Armentrout, THE SECRET DIAMOND SISTERS by Michelle Madow, THE QUEEN’S CHOICE by Cayla Kluver and an ARC of  LET’S GET LOST by Adi Alsaid.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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