Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub

Pages: 352

Genre: Retelling/Historical

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: July 9, 2013

Romeo and Juliet are gone. Will love live on? Despite the glooming peace that's settled on Verona after the recent tragedy, Montagues and Capulets are brawling in the streets. Faced with more bloody battles, Prince Escalus concludes that the only way to truly marry the fortunes of these two families is to literally marry them together. Everyone is skeptical, but none more so than the pair selected, for the most eligible Montague bachelor is Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, still anguished by the loss of his companions, and the chosen Capulet maid is Juliet's older cousin Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved and whose refusal of Romeo's affection paved the way for bloodshed. Contrary to their late cousins, there's no love lost between Benvolio and Rosaline, yet they forge a bond to end the renewed feud not only to escape their forced betrothal, but to save their lives and the city of Verona itself. 

STILL STARCROSSED STILL STARCROSSED, OR WHEREFORE ART THOU OTHER .5 STARS.

I'm sorry I couldn't help myself. How else better to start out a review for a book based on the famous Romeo and Juliet? Or, rather, the continuation for this tragic love story. Because that's what this is, and that's what made Still Star-crossed such a fascinating read.

So I did ask where the other .5 stars went. And here I will share my only complaint about this book: the romance. I know, I know, it's a pretty big part of the book (or so you think), but really I only had a problem with who she ended up with. I suppose it was pretty obvious, but I just couldn't believe their relationship. It seemed so fake and rushed. I honestly felt like she could've done better with Option #1. But the story goes where the story goes right?

But other than that, oh my, this book was so close to perfect. I have to admire Melinda Taub for writing in Shakespearean, complete with thees and thous and didsts. She did a wonderful job with sticking to it, but sometimes a few modern terms slipped through the book. But I didn't mind! Or rather, I didn't notice. The book just enthralled me and had me mesmerized from Chapter One. While I was a bit wary about it at first, there's something about the writing that just draws you in and enchants you. I never was a fan of Shakespearean talk, but like this? I rather love it!

The characters were beautifully written, something that sort of surprised me. It's hard to shape characters when they've been created by someone else, but again Taub passes the test! They're thought out characters that have likes and dislikes, pet peeves and desires, and we get to learn almost all of them. I started to care for these characters--strange because it was written in third person omniscient, but somehow it worked. I really feel like Rosalie and I would've been best friends--she's just that amazing of a character!

And then we have the plot that surprised me time and time again. While it's been a while since I've read Romeo and Juliet, I think this story stays true to the original, and it really is a great continuation! But, contrast to Romeo and Juliet, this story is far from just a romance. There's a conspiracy that I honestly did not see coming--involving some people I never would've imagined. With a surprising mystery, with surprising twists, Still Star-crossed is more of a mystery than anything else! And a thrilling one at that.

Still Star-crossed is truly a brilliant novel that I have to recommend to anyone who's even heard of Romeo and Juliet (so basically, everyone.) A well written continuation of a star-crossed love gone horribly wrong, mixed with shocking twists, a murder mystery, and a few romantic gestures, this is a book that I think most people will adore--if not fall madly in love with it to the point of death.

Or not.

(P.S. I was tempted to write this entire thing in Shakespearean talk)

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These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Pages: 374

Genre: Sci-fi/Romance

Series: Starbound #3

Publisher:Disney Hyperion

Release Date: Dec 10, 2013

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever? Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

I got These Broken Stars a little after release, and by then people were fawning over it, talking about how much they loved it, how amazing it was so suffice to say, I had high expectations. Very high expectations. So high I screwed studyimg for finals and read it instead.

And you know what? I loved it. Right from the start I loved it and it broke my slump of starting 8 books and finishing none of them. That's how amazing These Broken Stars was. Plus, that cover! 

So I actually have no idea how to start this review. It's always hardest to write about a book you loved, I guess? But let's start with characters. 
I adored Lilac as a character. She was brilliant character who was completely amazing throughout the entire book. She was smart, witty, and was willing to do what she could. She pretended to be the flighty heiress everything thought she'd be, but her reasons for doing so was heartbreaking and I actually felt heartbroken by page twenty. She was a character I could sympathize with and it's amazing that Lilac went through some character growth without losing my admiration. 
Tarver was swoony. Can I leave it at that? Fine. He was sweet and swoony and amazing and swoony and I loved him and his swooniness. In all seriousness though, Tarver was just as brilliant as Lilac, though more street smart than book smart, and it showed. I loved how caring he was towards Lilac and how badass he was, though not without his vulnerability. 

The romance was swoon worthy, but I think I've already used that word too much. I'm always a fan of hate/love relationship which is definitely how their relationship seemed when they crashed. I adored how they first met though, although it did seem a bit insta lovey, but the romance after that was entirely amazing. And I actually loved the insta love part of it too, surprisingly. I'm pretty sure there's a meme that's like "True love is when you take care of each other even if you're angry." or something like that and it definitely applies to the book. Also? Let me just say that I couldn't contain my squeals (and screams) at all. 

The worldbuilding and the vivid descriptions were a giant part of the novel and the science part was...mind blowing and just...brilliant. It was amazing, the things behind the whispers, behind the mysterious terraformed planet and it's definitely a creative, if not somewhat original, idea. 

These Broken Stars is, at it's core, a survival story and I loved that. I never knew watching people walk could be so fascinating. Of course, that's not all that happens. There was a mystery on the edges of the book and you couldn't help but get enraptured, wondering, dying to know what was happening, what was causing this or that, whether they were going crazy, or if there really was something...other.
What I think I loved the most was that our characters reached the conclusion before we did, which is actually pretty hard to do. And it wasn't just some wild leap, there was actually evidence to back it up and it was...interesting, seeing where we'd be taken next.

These Broken Stars is, perhaps, one of my favorite sci-fi books out there and I can't wait to read book two, which I'm hoping will at least have a Lilac or Tarver cameo! (It has to guys, it has to.) Heartbreaking and awe inspiring, These Broken Stars is just one that'll have to  make it to the top of your TBR, no matter how towering it already is!

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The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray

Goodreads Blurb

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.
At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.
The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.
If they play it right, then they'll be safe.
But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

Woah, guys, woah. I'm definitely impressed with The Dollhouse Asylum and my mind is kind of blown.

The Dollhouse Asylum got off to a pretty rocky start because Cheyenne just irritated me so much. She created all these excuses for Teo when everyone kept telling her, warning her, about him. She was so lovesick and naive I wanted to slap her out of her love induced stupor, but I have to hand it to Mary Gray--she sure knew how to write a character infatuated. Thankfully Cheyenne wised up pretty early on though. She drove the story on and was clever enough to dissuade Teo from...well you'll see. She grew on me as a character, though she was still moldable and pretty easily distracted.

Teo was definitely my favorite character, as psycho as he is. He's a complex character with layers upon layers, and it was fascinating watching him come undone. He loved in a sick and creepy way, but he didn't know any different. He did what he did for Cheyenne and it was a sort of a twisted sweetness. And in the end...well he broke my heart and I sort of cried for him. In the end, he just wanted to love and be loved by Cheyenne, build a perfect world for her--with his own dark desires mixed in.

I didn't really understand Cleo's part in all this though. Her personality, the "slut" of the story, didn't really drive the plot on in any way, except to be that typical mean girl with the gorgeous face. She made Cheyenne jealous when she flirted with Marc...but that was about it.
And speaking of Marc, the romance between him and Cheyenne was a bit ridiculous and I feel like the story would've been so much better if they'd stayed friends without the underdeveloped chemistry between them.

But the plot was...wow. My favorite part of the entire book, it was unexpected, shocking, and wonderfully horrible. The story just hooks you in and traps you in it's web of deaths, realizations, and revelations. It was fast paced and didn't let you breathe at all until the book finished and, like I said, I sort of teared up at the end. Stop looking at me like that! I honestly didn't expect it at all and it hurts every time I think about it.

While a bit awkward in the beginning, The Dollhouse Asylum gets better and better until it's full-blown amazing and a book I have to recommend for fans of psychological thrillers, dystopians, and basically anything that'll break your brain. It's one you should definitely read and one I can't stop recommending!

Pages: 296

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: Oct 22, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Goodreads Blurb

Nora Henderson has been basting baby back ribs for as long as she could reach the counter of her dad's famous barbecue joint. When she's accepted to Taste Test, a teen reality cooking competition, Nora can't wait to leave her humble hometown behind. On set, run-ins with the maddeningly handsome and talented son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, make Nora wonder if it's him or the win she really wants, but as she and Christian emerge as front-runners for the final prize, Nora can't ignore the mysterious accidents plaguing the kitchen arena. Someone is conducting eliminations of their own, and if Nora doesn't stop them, she could be next to get "chopped" for good. 

Taste Test was a delicious (I'm sorry, I just couldn't help it.) read that I enjoyed (and almost died laughing over.)

The number one thing that hit me was definitely the writing style. Or, rather, the other things included. We got "interviews" with all our characters that I definitely enjoyed and giggled over. It let us see what front some of them were putting up and how they felt about what was going on! It was both hilarious and sort of sad sometimes. In the way that I want to be "LET ME LOVE YOU" to them.  And then we got recipes. That I really want to try but would probably burn (even if it's not burnable.) I really love how Fiore included these little extras to make our reading experience way more enjoyable (and for all you actually decent cooks out there--can you pretty please make a few of them then send the food to me? I will love you forever, because some of these look absolutely scrumptious.)

The relationships between these characters also took center stage. Whether it was the absolutely amazing father-daughter dynamic Nora and her dad had, the unrequited love between her and Billy (BFF), or her hate/love (literally. Mainly hate?) with Christian, all of them were wonderfully written! Nora's weren't the only relationships that played a role though--Gigi (the new BFF) and her friendships and familial ties, Joy's little trysts, and Christian's own relationship with his dad were also ones that were pretty fleshed out! I do wish we spent a little more time on them though, rather than spending a majority of the book focusing on Christian and Nora's chemistry.

Of course, that doesn't mean I like it. Trust me, I was cheering these two on from the start! They were absolutely HILARIOUS by themselves, but together? I think I died of laughter several times. Their witty banter was filled with snarky remarks that had me crawling around on the floor clutching my stomach. Kelly Fiore definitely played on the phrase "There's a thin line between love and hate" because that was definitely true here! I never knew whether they were going to end up kissing or if it would end with Nora slapping him.

I did love the pacing, though I couldn't help but wish we focused more on the show in the first half. We glossed over several of the "incidents" and we only really read/experienced a few and it wasn't really the main focus. The culprit was also pretty predictable, though I really didn't expect the reason why! The ending, I loved though. (But can we get an epilogue? I DON'T WANT TO SAY GOODBYE.)

The characters were probably the thing I liked the least. Nora wasn't really written well and seemed a little flat and she seemed to judge harshly and quickly. She definitely wasn't my favorite character and I can't help but wish she was a little less...impulsive sometimes.
Christian, I loved, though he did seem excessively cruel at times. But his snark was absolutely HILARIOUS and I'm pretty sure I fell in love with him by the second time we met him. He was absolutely adorable and a fun character to read about!

Taste Test is a cute and fun read I'd definitely recommend to people looking for an laugh out loud book that brings out their Giggle Monster. A perfect read for anyone who needs a break from the paranormal and dystopian!

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Release Date: Aug 27, 2013

Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

Goodreads Blurb
In this breathtaking debut that reads like Gossip Girl crossed with Twin Peaks, a Queen Bee at a blue-blooded New England prep school stumbles into a murder mystery.
Anne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York’s Upper East Side—that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sent to a prestigious boarding school outside of Boston. Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. 
When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.

Oh God, I wanted so badly to like this! It had a great premise and I love mysteries, but I could barely stand it! Or, rather, her.

My biggest issue with this book was definitely Anne. I knew there might be a chance I wouldn't like her, but I knew that there would be some kind of character development. And there was!But all that changed was her snobbishness, and that wasn't where my annoyance with her ended. She was so assumptive and paranoid too! The slightest thing and she would suspect someone in the murder without giving them a chance. Soon enough she had about ten suspects and was nowhere closer that she was before her "investigation". There was this one moment I hated when she called someone else "nosy". It was pretty hypocritical considering she was breaking into offices and stealing things. Anndddd she also judged Lee (a suspect) without even talking to him. And he just...gah! She also acted like she knew Isabelle better than her other classmates when she only knew her for a week compared to their years of knowing her!

But I did admire her quick thinking and how she tried to do what was right. I sort of loved how the popular crowd just seemed to gravitate towards her and that it wasn't that cliche "Queen Bee Turned Loser" scenario. She was snarky and fun, so I sort of love/hated her (although she did annoy me more than I wished.)

The mystery was absolutely amazing and I had no idea who the killer was and what to expect. I loved how many clues Anne discovered, to the murder and other...scandals. It was fabulously deceiving and wonderfully plotted, and I have to hand it to Taylor--she sure knows how to write a suspense.  It was a super fun adventure and an engaging mystery for sure!

The romance...love triangle, le sigh. Anne just sort of latched onto the two most "important" guys. School Golden Boy Brent and dead roommate's delinquent brother. It was kind of awkward, but I absolutely loved Brent. He was sweet and adorable and I loved how he acted around Anne! On the other hand, Anthony...well, I didn't really understand him. Kara Taylor did manage to create awesome realistic characters, I'll give her that but they weren't really easy to connect to or really understand.

While a brilliant novel, the main character and supporting characters brought my rating down by a lot. I definitely would've enjoyed this better if I could've ignored Anne's...misgivings, but I couldn't and was just irritated the entire book. The mystery was absolutely brilliant though, and I seem to be a black sheep in this, so I recommend giving it a go!

Pages: 305

Genre: Suspense/Drama

Series: Prep School Confidential #1

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 2.5