Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay

Goodreads Blurb

In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...
In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.
Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.
As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Of Beauty and Beast was…wow. Just wow. I wasn’t quite expecting how much I would love this retelling! It does the story of Beauty and the Beast justice, enchanting me almost right away. I was captivated by the world and by the legends surrounding it. It has that fairy tale feeling to it, something I can’t really describe, but leaves you astonished all the same.

I absolutely loved Isra. It was easy to relate to her yearning for freedom and for her wish of something…more. She was independent when she needed to be, and gentle all the time. She’s a blind princess and tainted at that, so she knows what hurt feels like. She’s not like most heroines, but she’s quick, kind, and tries to avoid hurting people as much as possible. I loved her character and I’m pretty sure she’s my favorite princess-character I’ve read in a long time. My heart ached for her as she faced her impending sacrifice and I pitied her when we find out just how much she’d lost.

Gem was a great love interest, our “Beast.”  He’s fierce, has a vendetta against the Smooth Skins, and is disgusted by the people of Yuan, especially our lovely princess. He’s temperamental and can get violent, but he’s humane all the same. The way he slowly dropped his guard and how hard he tried to stay loyal to both his tribe and Isra at the same time almost broke my heart too.

But as much as I loved the characters, the writing is most definitely my favorite part. It’s fairytale esque and immediately transported me to Yuan, where roses thirst for blood, and citizens cheer for the death of their queen.  Sometimes the writing was awkward, but the majority was enchanting, drawing me right in. I loved the present tense writing, using “walk” instead of “walked” like so many other stories. That and the gorgeously bitter world Jay created made this an absolutely superb retelling, making my heart stop for several beats!

The worldbuilding? Splendid. While it bordered on cheesy and cliché at times with the Dark Heart and Pure Heart, it was still absolutely breathtaking. I loved reading about Yuan and the roses, how the sacrifice worked and how Monstrous, Banished, and Smooth Skins worked and what kind of people they were. While there were a few confusing points, I let it go since, you know, it reminded me so much of a real fairy tale. (I DON’T SEE YOU ASKING WHY THE ROSES WERE SO IMPORTANT IN THE ORIGINAL. Not the Disney by the way. And anyways, why a candlestick?)

The plot was absolutely shocking for me so many times through, especially near the end. Honestly, I had no idea what would happen. Especially when I asked myself: Is Isra really going to die? SPOILER: I’m not telling. Enjoy having your heart in your throat.

There’s no end to the amount of betrayals there are, some of them making me want to rip out a certain character’s throat. But, you know. All in good reading!

Of course, we have to talk about the romance. It was sweet, though filled with betrayals at first, but I loved how much Isra trusted Gem and how fiercely devoted Gem was to protecting Isra. The fact that it was a hate relationship at first helped a bit too. We don’t really get to see their relationship grow much except in passing, and I wished that we had so we could see Isra’s feelings grow. I wasn’t really quite sure what caused her to fall in love with him when she knew he hated her at the time.

Of Beauty and Beast is a compelling read that left me absolutely breathless at the end. It’s a fairy tale that’s more than a simple story and enthralled me from the first sentence. It’s written in a fairy tale fashion, giving us that “tale as old as time” feeling—of course, perfect for a story such as Beauty and the Beast.

Pages: 400

Genre: Retelling/High Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Rating: 4.5-->5 stars

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Goodreads Blurb

Twelve-year-old Sophie Foster has a secret. She’s a Telepath—someone who hears the thoughts of everyone around her. It’s a talent she’s never known how to explain.
Everything changes the day she meets Fitz, a mysterious boy who appears out of nowhere and also reads minds. She discovers there’s a place she does belong, and that staying with her family will place her in grave danger. In the blink of an eye, Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and start a new life in a place that is vastly different from anything she has ever known.
Sophie has new rules to learn and new skills to master, and not everyone is thrilled that she has come “home.” There are secrets buried deep in Sophie’s memory—secrets about who she really is and why she was hidden among humans—that other people desperately want. Would even kill for.
In this page-turning debut, Shannon Messenger creates a riveting story where one girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world, before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Oh my gosh. There are no words for how much I absolutely adore Keeper of the Lost Cities. It was an amazing debut and one of my favorite books by far--impressive, considering I rarely read Middle Grade in the first place! And honestly, if you crossed out Sophie's age, I could almost peg this as YA (except, of course, the cussing and stuff. So, umm, no worries there. I'm rambling. ON WITH THE REVIEW)

My friends can confirm that I was squealing so much while reading! There were plenty of hilarious parts (which I just had to read over and over and over, by the way) and I was beside myself with joy! From the blurb, Keeper of the Lost Cities, admittedly, sounded a bit typical, but OH, it was far from it! Talk about originality! I loved the world that Messenger created! It was well thought out, vivid, and detailed to the core! Not to mention the fascinating animals! (Seriously, guys. Can I have an imp?) I would've killed to see some artwork for this book! I especially loved Sophie's time at Foxfire because, while it did sometimes seem typical high school (or, umm, middle school? Migh School?), the classes and happenings were beyond fun. I loved discovering everything about Foxfire (Glowing fungus!) Academy and loved the classes and how Sophie handled them! 

I loved the plot! Somehow I managed to blow through all 500 pages of this in a day and still have free time on my hands. I really don't know how. What I do know is that the plot was definitely one of my favorite parts! While it's not action packed, we get to see Sophie adjust to the school, her new life, and deal with being the odd one out. Which, trust me guys, was even better than action-packed. It was just so fun seeing the world through her eyes! And we still had our action scenes that almost gave me a heart attack! Also, conspiracies, rebellions, social standings, and more. What more could a girl want in her plot?

Characters? Oh they were absolutely wonderful. They were well developed and they each had their own personalities! And I could definitely connect with Sophie. (Okay, so that may have something to do with us being near-same age.) I actually cried at a certain part in the book that was heartbreaking for Sophie and I pretty much squealed whenever she did. Whatever she did, I pretty much had the same reaction! And I just loved that as a reader! She was a strong character and I loved her for the sacrifices she was willing to make so that others weren't hurt. She was such a determined character who would really do anything she thought was right and would help people.

Our secondary and supporting characters were amazing as well! Grady, Edaline, Aldine, Dex, Keefe, Fitz, Biana, all of them! (Oh, and I fun learning their names too!) They were fun characters who supported Sophie and I loved all their personalities to the core. Especially Keefe, who's our resident bad boy! Fitz was a bit oblivious though, but it was endearing!

Relationships were a big part of the book, and the biggest one was definitely my favorite. Sophie and Grady and Edaline. I loved their familial bond and I loved how they were all there for each other. They had a sweet family relationship going and I loved them so much for caring about Sophie like their own daughter. 

Oh. And then, the crushes. I'm not really sure if Keefe had any crush on Sophie or anything, but I had to laugh at how oblivious Sophie was to a certain friend's crush and how Fitz was oblivious to her crush. I sort of wanted to push it, until I remembered this was an MG I was reading. Sorry! 

Keeper of the Lost Cities, I can safely say, was one of my favorite reads of the year! I can't wait for book 2 so I can fall even more in love with the characters and the world. Honestly? I have to recommend it for any fans of Harry Potter. So, umm, basically? All of you reading this right now should go grab a copy. Seriously.

Pages: 496

Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade

Series: Keeper of the Lost Cities #1

Publisher: Aladdin

Release Date: Oct 2, 2012

Rating: 10/5 stars

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Goodreads Blurb

I can’t weep. I can’t fear. I’ve grown talented at pretending.
Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.
Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?

OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS BOOK. 

But instead of ranting to you, I would like to link several tweets of mine.

https://twitter.com/nikki_wang/status/313861405109538816

https://twitter.com/nikki_wang/status/313860439668817920

https://twitter.com/nikki_wang/status/313861696131301376

https://twitter.com/nikki_wang/status/313850454176038912

The idea of Some Quiet Place is original and too amazing for words! I absolutely loved meeting all the Emotions and Elements and seeing how their “jobs” affected their personality and I think that Kelsey Sutton wrote these characters perfectly.Then again, I’m sort of biased since I’m part of the Fear fan club!

Speaking of Fear, the romance(s). There was a love triangle, but it was far from annoying. Okay, I lie. It was absolutelyfrustrating whenever Elizabeth would choose Joshua over Fear. Sure, Joshua was sweet and adorable and all, but he was so…boring, compared to Fear. (It’s obvious, whose team I’m on, isn’t it?) Fear was definitely my kind of YA boyfriend—cocky, arrogant, sweet at times, and always there for her when she needs it. Also, paranormal abilities. Fear was such an amazing character who I loved.
What surprised me was that I honestly wasn’t sure, at first, who she would end up with. And, when I finally thought I knew who she’d end up with, it turned out to be the other guy. Which surprised me, but…well, no hints. But when you read it, I bet you’ll be able to tell my reaction immediately. It induced a lot of…strong feelings.

Elizabeth was a…well, I can’t really describe her. While she couldn’t feel the touch of Emotions, she still seemed to care about people. She was a strong character, though I’m not quite sure if that has to do with her or the fact that she didn’t feel hatred or humiliation or guilt or any of those. There really are no words to describe Elizabeth!
Joshua was, like I said, a sweet character who seemed to love our heroine and he was…understanding, in a way. But he also struck me as a bit naïve and I sort of wanted to kill him for taking Elizabeth away from Fear.
And I already pretty much described Fear, but let me say it again—he was absolutely one of my favorite YA guys ever. EVER.

I did not expect any of this. At all. I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen and while a bunch of crazy theories were running through my head, none of them were even close! Here’s what happened—my eyes went wide and mouth my dropped open. My heart broke, then fixed itself, and then it went swimming in my stomach. It then started running to who-knows-what and promptly died. At least, that’s how I felt while reading Some Quiet Place. You guys, you guys, you guys. There are no words for the twists or the plot. And I also almost cried, which if you guys didn’t know, is pretty weird for me since this wasn’t a contemporary in any way.

The world building was magnificent too! How the Emotions and Elements were personified and how they lived on another plane, and how they could duplicate themselves so that they could attend every summons, and how their effects still lingered after. It was all ingenious! But I did have some questions—if the Emotions felt emotions, wouldn’t the others come? And how could they ignore some of their summons when there’s a rule that they can’t? There were a few world building holes, but otherwise I did love it! They didn’t really interfere with my enjoyment of this that much anyways.

Some Quiet Place has managed to climb its way up to one of my favorite debuts of 2013! It’s near perfect and one of those books I can’t stop recommending. I’m hoping everyone’s going to pick it up and squeal over Fear this book with me!

Pages: 350

Genre: Fantasy/Supernatural

Series: Some Quiet Place #1

Publisher: Flux

Release Date: June 8, 2013

Rating: 10/5 ABSOLUTE STARS

2013 Belongs to Dante!

Goodreads Blurb

He makes good girls...bad. 

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper's soul in ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried.

I had no freaking idea what I was getting into when I started this. No. Freaking. Idea. Honestly? I was maybe expecting some big cheesy romance with a few paranormal elements thrown in. But it was SO much more. 

There's really only one way to kick off this review: Dante. His name alone should make you swoon! But his swagger and his attitude? It'll charm you and keep you laughing! Who cares if he's a reaper from hell--he's DANTE. He's a naughty influence and it was interesting seeing things from his POV. It changed things up a bit, and gave us a fresher view on a usually typical paranormal romance. His sarcasm and wit is, by far, his most endearing traits. Not counting physically of course...
Charlie was an interesting character. At first, I pretty much felt the way Dante did--she was pathetic, desperate, in need of quite a few makeovers. But there was just something about her that was brought to life in these pages and I adored her character so much after a few chapters! She was just, if she were real, one of those people I'd instantly want to protect. To repeat Dante's thoughts, she was so INNOCENT in a sort of cute way. 

And OMG their romance. Dante just fell EVER so slowly while Charlie was basically in love at first sight. Too bad Dante didn't feel the same way then! But it was adorable seeing how Charlie became more than just a promotion scheme to him, more of a person, more of someone he wanted to protect and love. It. Was. So. Damn. Sweet.

I want a Dante.
Without the drama. 

What I found interesting about this were the...unique rules of Heaven and Hell. A lot of things came into play that aren't usually used in an angel/demon book, but I have to give it to Scott--she handled it beautifully. Or, rather, witfully. Which is totally a word. The paranormal elements were interesting and definitely wasn't overshadowed by the romance like I'd expected! It's a captivating read--and watching how Dante operated were really interesting bits. ;)

There were a TON of plot twists I honestly never saw coming and sometimes I just had to stop reading and collect my thoughts. Dante was an overpowering antihero! Who totally had me swooning at the first page. Back in topic, the plot was well executed and OHMYGOSH I just loved it! 

Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal/Romance
Series: The Collector #1
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Rating 4.5--->5

Check out the other stops on "2013 Belongs to Dante" 

Victoria Scott
I’m a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. My workis represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. I have a master’s degree in marketing, and am a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.
My first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen, April 2013. It is the first book in a trilogy. My second YA series will begin with THE BRIMSTONE BLEED and is being published by Scholastic in spring 2014.

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Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Goodreads Blurb

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

Oh. My. God.This is possibly one of my Top 3 favorite books ever. I'm not even joking. This review will be possibly the most vague and probably won't even begin to describe my feelings for this amazing book. But I promise to try!

(Also, this is probably one of the only times I can't analyze characters, romance, plot, anything. Just One Day was so much more than just those specific things. But I can't explain how! you'll just have to read to see.)

I haven't read If I Stay, Where She Went, or any others. This is my first Gayle Forman book and I can promise that I'll be reading and loving the others. There was not one thing I didn't like about Just One Day. It made me think, it touched my heart, and it was surprisingly deep. The difference between falling in love and being in love really did make sense and I loved how it rang true. I loved how even though Allyson was looking for someone else, she was rediscovering herself all along. And I loved how she wasn't portrayed as some lovesick damsel pining for the guy. The way I saw it, she was looking for answers, for questions, not just for a guy.

So I'm going to try and talk about the characters. These were possibly the most real characters I've ever read about, and that's honestly saying something.They all touched my heart in some way and no matter how small or short their scenes were, I loved them.One thing I found strangely weird though, was that each person was kind and friendly, even though that's far from true. But hey, it's fiction right? And very good fiction too.

Just One Day is a novel that makes us question ourselves in ways we never have before and makes us wonder what love really is and who we really are. It will break your heart, put it together, and do it again and again. Just One Day will make you tear up, and you'll never stop thinking about it, because it just isn't possible to.

Pages: 320
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date: Jan 8, 2013
Rating: 7/5 stars

FICTIOUS FREAKOUTS 2012

Hey guys! So this is an awards-type thing I decided to do last year, where I gather up my seven 7 stars, my four 10 stars, and then show you guys which was my absolute favorite book of the year. I HAVE to have reviewed it this year in order for it to qualify though!

(Click the covers to go to my review)

Fangirl Fiction
Books that'll turn any girl into a fan! 7/5 (7 books most)

Burn for Burn was just an amazing read that absolutely stunned me! I loved Jenny Han's Summer series so when I heard about this my interest immediately piqued! This was SO good and I loved how different the girls were! But I really do wish the guys/girl had done something more dramatic to earn this kind of suffering...well that is what prevented a ten, but still! AMAZING book, I loved how devious it was and it was just...wow.








Do I even need to say anything? Sweet Evil was amazing with a unique twist on the Nephilim (trust me, that deserves 7 stars already) and Kaidan? YES. not to mention I loved Anna and she was just adorable! Want to see my entire rant? Click the pic!










Send me a Sign. Oh how I loved thee. I absolutely loved Mia and her superstitious ways! She could read into anything and I just loved how quirky she was, and the fact that she wasn't the average loser/normal in books. She was popular and quirky and she didn't know if she'd be alive in the end. It's a unique...situation for a character and this book just made me cry so many times! I loved the love interest. He was just...awww. Wish I could say more! Send Me a Sign to say I can! 








I can't believe I rated this 4 stars at first! Oh, the young blogger I was. But Meant to Be was a sweet, adorable read that was light, hilarious, and romantic at the same time! Lots of fluff, but the kind that we love! I have almost zero qualms about it whatsoever! This book and I were Meant to Be!









Even the Empress would approve! I loved how we got to read about the apocalypse and not just read about after it. I loved seeing how the suspense increased with each page, and I loved meeting all the other Arcana! I just loveloveloved this book! That's pretty much all I can say right now! Also--Jackson.










Another book that made me sob! I loved the writing, I loved the character, I was with her along the way when she fell in love, relived her guilt, and everything else. This book was just...heartfelt. It was such a Lovely, Dark, and Deep tale!














Fab Fiction
Absolutely FABULOUS fiction! 10/5 stars! (4 books most)


OH MY GOODNESS! THE SQUEES I HAVE FOR THIS. It was just amazing, I wanted to cry at the end and and and...wow the guy she ended up with was so unexpected..and KORBYN. WHHHHYYYYY. Oh I want to cry. I couldn't believe when it was over and...and...OH THE FEELS.








Oh my. Crewel was just simply magnificent! One of the strongest female heroines I met and amazing world-building! Need I say more? It excels at my favorite parts of a book and I could reread this in less than hour because of how much flipping I'd do! And that ending? JUST CREWEL.









You've seen me rant about this on Twitter. Facebook. I'm even doing a Readalong for it! Is it any surprise it's on here? Venom is my absolute favorite historical fiction novel! Jeez, I even did a report on it for school! It manages to weave deceit, romance, and absolutely stunning writing into one historical novel you can't forget!









Fiction Favorite!
My (very hard to choose) favorite book of the year!


The IMAGINATION! The CHARACTER! The LOVE INTERESTS! OH MY GOODNESS I JUST LOVED THEM. The creativity that should be required for all Alice retellings was here. The character was likeable and I didn't really have any negative feelings towards. her. I AM A MOTH GIRL and I just loved how...brooding Morpheus was! Jeb stands NO CHANCE in the long run. MORPHEUS IS SO MUCH BETTER! My heart SPLINTERED when I read this!

How was  your New Year's? What were some of your fave books? I'd LOVE to know!

Splintered by A.G. Howard

Goodreads Blurb

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

(When I use the word mad in this review, I mean mad as in crazy. Not anger. I repeat, crazy, not anger)

Splintered is a gorgeous retelling of one of my favorite classics, Alice in Wonderland, and I'm thrilled to say, it did not disappoint!  

I can't think of one other Alice retelling (Apparently, Alice in Zombieland is less Alice and more Zombieland!), so when I heard about a debut novel that was focused on Alice in Wonderland, I was both excited and wary! Most retellings I've read haven't done the original justice, but when the Splintered cover was release? I was a goner. It was just gorgeous and has that mad look about it and fits the books so wonderfully! So I decided to let go of doubts and requested!

Thank God I did! Once I started, I was hooked! While the beginning was a little slow, once the crazy things started happening, you'll become simply mad. Splintered was, in a word, stunning. I hate it when retellings erase parts of the original story to fit their plot, pretending like that original was never written. Seeing a book that used the original as a platform? Psh, there's one star already! I loved that A.G. Howard made our main character the daughter of Alice (she is, isn't she?) to explain the craziness and curse that seems to run through her family. 

I loved the "misinterpretations" of the original Alice story! Of course they wouldn't be entirely accurate. After all, Alice was just a kid when she went back home, right? Kids wouldn't want to remember all the dark and twisted things. So the "mistakes" weren't very far fetched, one of those "passed through generations" things that's getting a bit old. That was definitely some imagination on the author's part!

And of course, A.G. Howard had to have a lot of imagination. From the White Rabbit (My mistake! I meant, RABID WHITE.) to Twiddledee and Twilldum (Or rather, Sister Two and Sister One) to the seriously creeptastic flowers. That eat aphids. And humans. And somehow, A.G. manages to make them all seem madly sane and fitting the story so perfectly. Suddenly, this classic book isn't a fictional story: it's a guide. And that? That was just MAD.

As for the love interests, I can't decide who's team I'm on? Leaning towards Morpheus, the sneaky boy who lures Alyssa to wonderland, but loving Jeb, Alyssa's real world crush. They're both such amazing guys, this is possiblythe only time I couldn't decide who's team I was on! Morpheus was just sneaky and smirky with too many dark secrets to hide, but he was just torn apart on the inside. Basically, my favorite kind of fictional guy! Jeb was just...he was just adorable. He gave up so much for Alyssa and I just wanted to cuddle him throughout the book! Except, the end. The end, I wanted to knock him over with a giant flamingo-mallet and shove Alyssa towards Morpheus. But anyways.

one of the best things about Splintered was seeing our old friends: the Cheshire Cat, the *cough* Wise Caterpillar, the Twiddle Twins, and so many more! This one definitely met my expectations and I can't wait to grab a sequel! Because I'm telling you, there had BETTER be a sequel!

Splintered was imaginative and creative and was an absolutely stunning retelling of Alice in Wonderland and a mind blowing debut. With vivid worldbuilding, gorgeously written characters, and a plot as twisted as Wonderland itself, Howard brings to life a world that already haunted our imaginations! 

Pages: 384

Series: Standalone (NOT FOR LONG I hope!)

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy/Romance

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: January 1, 2013

Rating: 10/5 stars

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Goodreads Blurb

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Ermmm...wow. That was really my reaction after reading it. WOW. Falling Kingdoms...it wasn't...wasn't what I expected at all. And I say that with 90% all the love in the world. Because the other 10%? It was a bit hesitant. Let me just say, that as the last and final Breathless Read, it didn't let me down, though it wasn't quite as good. But then, I haven't been a fan of 3rd person multiple POVs, so that probably has something to do with it!

And, I'm just saying, the Breathless Reads? I can now fully confirm--all of them will leave you breathless. There is no doubt.

So like I said, I am not a big fan of multiple POVs, especially not 3rd person. The characters are usually not well developed and while the characters weren't completely underdeveloped, they did fall a little under the line. The only really developed character, in my opinion, was Cleo and only because most of the book was from her perspective. But from what I gathered...

Cleo: Cleo was, by far, one of my favorite characters. She acts like a whiny princess at first, because after all, she was raised as one. But when she witnesses the murder of a wine seller's son (killed by her fiance, actually) she's plagued with guilt and it turns out she's a lot less whiny and spoiled than she seemed at first glance. And when her beloved sister gets sick, she turns out to be stronger than anything we expected. She defies her father, travels into enemy lands, all to look for magical healing seeds. Does it sound naive? Yes. But the fact that she'd do things she's definitely not comfortable with, all for her sister?  I loved her. 

Magnus: Can I pretty please kill him? I really wanted to rip my hair out whenever we got to Magnus' chapter. He was just...ugh. He was always thinking about Lucia, which I mean, I get. he's in love with her and wants to protect her and I loved that about her! But did he really just have to kiss her like that? I was expecting him to tell her first, then tell her his feelings, then kiss her. And I think I would've liked it a lot more if he did that. And he was so surprised when (SPOILER) she rejected him, I actually felt a little sad for him, but when he becomes cruel? Well. But then, I'm also a bit biased since he's Cleo's captor and basically her enemy. Not my favorite character in the least.

Jonas: Jonas is the brother of the guy who was brutally murdered by Cleo's fiance, and he's bent on revenge. He wants them to go through his pain or kill them, though the latter one sounds better to him. And he's...well, I couldn't blame him for trying to kill Cleo. She stood by while her companion killed his brother in front of him. But I was a bit disappointed in him for taking that route. But characters are only characteristically human!

Lucia: She's an important character, the "Chosen One" as it may be, and a very powerful sorceress--one who can wield all four elements. But we actually didn't read from her perspective for more than...two chapters? Three? It was just a bit disappointing since I was expecting more magic and practice from her. 

The plot though was...wow. It was seriously quick and action packed. Epic/High Fantasy is usually like that, but...wow. Falling Kingdom's plot was definitely more complicated and quick than I thought (for such a thick book) os plot-wise, Falling Kingdoms completely, utterly, destroyed my expectations for the plot. It was fun, a bit gory and bloody, full of betrayals, war, strategy, and more! 

There's a revolution brewing, a war to be fought and so much more and honestly? Let me say that the plot is the one thing that kept me reading the book. I just wanted to know what happened, but I refused to read the end (no matter how many times my friends told me too!) And that ending, by the way? I need the sequel now!

Worldbuilding? LOVED. I loved the magic, the legends, the goddesses, the whole thing! I loved the three kingdoms, how different they were, how the royal families operated. (Backstabbing mainly.) I absolutely love High Fantasy because of the worldbuilding, actually. It's fascinating, seeing what kind of world an author can create with only her mind and no restrictions! And Morgan Rhodes? She created one of my favorites. It was just a lush world (at least, Auranos is/was.) and the descriptions were detailed enough that we could clearly picture it all, without being boring and monotonous. I absolutely loved the legend of the Watcher and the goddesses and the magic! It was why I was a tad disappointed that we just didn't get to see more of it!

The romance was definitely iffy for me. There was this giant triangle (rectangle?) that was Cleo and her love interests: Nic, Theon, and (possibly?) Jonas. Nic is the boy next door, basically. Her best friend and always there for her, Cleo's never considered him as more than a friend, but when he shows sudden interest, she's a bit...caught in the middle. (SPOILER HERE) Theon was the guy I was actually rooting for, because I mean, come on, a guard and a forbidden love? What more can a reader ask for? But the thing is...when Cleo finally kissed him? He got killed about 5 pages later. And I. Wanted. To. Cry. But I was in school. But the fact remains--I absolutely hated that when Cleo, my favorite character, finally got with my favorite love interest...he died. I'm not sure if this is changed in the final copy, or not. I hope so! Then there was Jonas, and he didn't really show interest besides the fact that she was beautiful, but all us readers know that there's sure to be something between them later on. Right? Right.

Then there was Magnus and Lucia. One couple I was not rooting for, actually. It was just...weird how Magnus could be so cruel as to kiss her first then information-dump her. not necessarily cruel, but you get my drift. Long story short? Magnus holds an unrequited love for Lucia, and we're not quite sure if Lucia feels the same way later in the book. She cares for him, she admits, but we're not sure if it's a sibling-love or a romantic love.

Summary?

Pick this up! There were a few holes in the writing I didn't like, but honestly? I enjoyed the read! The plot definitely lived up to it's title as "Breathless Rebellion" and I think it's definitely worthy to be a Breathless Read! Any reader of High Fantasy will devour this in a blast and they'll love it for sure! There's a lot to be found in Falling Kingdoms! Because, in the end, who will fall? Aren't you curious?

Pages: 412

Series: Falling Kingdoms #1

Genre: High Fantasy

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Rating: 4.5--->4 stars

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Goodreads Blurb

Sixteen year old Evangeline “Evie” Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they’re still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.
But she can’t do either alone.
With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can’t totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?
Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it’s not always clear who is on which side…

OH. MY. FREAKING. GOD.  Poison Princess? It was so...so...so...good. I'm afraid I can't recommend it highly enough, and that I'll just be squealing throughout the entire review!

First of all, the originality of this was just amazing! I, personally, have always been fascinated by horoscopes (Pisces here! The personality traits for a Pisces totally describes me!) and the Tarot cards (mine's the Moon. But I hate Selene. I really do). So when I heard about a Young Adult series that featured the Arcana cards? And the apocalypse? And a sexy guy with "rakish grin"? Well, of course I had to get a copy! And I'm so glad I did. Like I said, while there were some attributes that Poison Princess had with other books, there were so many that was pure genius! 
The similarities? Well, there were blood-sucking monsters after the apocalypse, there was the main character going "crazy", the main character was the most special and powerful being, and there was a mischievous love interest. And while I was tired of those things at first, they clearly added to the story. (Except Bagmans. They were like vampires. And that mixed with the Arcana? MAJOR supernatural overload! Not to mention, the apocalypse.)
The pure genius stuff? The Arcana, the powers and alternate names of the Arcana, the roles each card plays, the description of the apocalypse,the way that Kresley Cole tells the story, and, well...everything else. 

The plot was simply amazing. Immediately, chapter 1 gets you hooked. It's...creepy. We're introduced to Arthur, even before we meet Evie, and he's definitely the type of guy you don't want to run into. The best word to describe him? Psycho. And he lures Evie into telling her own story. Before and after the Flash. And that's how we learn her story. Which is just filled to the brim with action. There were attacks, betrayals, very cruel insults, daring rescues, and slim escapes. I just loved it! You never knew what would happen next, you never knew who was on your side or not. And you always had this foreboding sense of dread at the botton of your stomach, just waiting, knowing, something big was going to happen. You just never knew when!

Oh my my my, did I love the characters? Except for Selene, you bet I did! Evie was seriously a kick-ass character who definitely had that sassy side. She wasn't naive or weak (no matter what she or Jack thought!) and that ending? Oh, God. I'm having Arcana withdrawals! Evie is that heroine you love and the type that a lot of authors try to shoot for, but few actually hit the target. 
Jack was...the one with the cruel insults. He was just so mean sometimes and I wanted to throttle him most of the times (especially that pool incident. REALLY, Jack?), but he saved Evie's life a hundred times and he was just so sweet...if not bipolar a lot!
Matthew was just adorable and hilarious! And frustrating to no end. He had ALL the answers, but he didn't answer a single question! But his replies? They made me laugh so much, frustrating me at the same time! I didn't even know that was possible!

So world building. Definitely loved. Like I said before, I'm a giant fan of Tarot cards, and the way that Kresley Cole portrays them as humans? It was just spot on. And the after affects of the Apocalypse? I can definitely imagine that happening and it really wasn't a giant stretch. The thing about this world was that it was...horrible. There were so many dangers, so many desperate people, creatures. And that wasn't even the worst of it. Or, that's what I'm suspecting. 

Overall, Poison Princess was a lush read that while it may disappoint Kresley Cole's Adult fans (from what I hear!), it definitely had me loving it after page one. Young Adult fans should be clamoring for this title and grabbing it off the shelf once they see it! Everything was absolutely wonderful and the lush writing will definitely pull you in, if Jack and his wicked grin don't get you first! 

Pages: 384
Series: The Arcana Chornicles #1
Genre: Apocalyptic/Romance
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Rating: 7/5