Burn Bright by Bethany Frenette

Pages: 304
Genre: Supernatural
Series: Dark Star #2
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: Feb 25, 2014

Audrey Whitticomb saved her entire city.Well, kind of. The superhero Morning Star (who just happens to be Audrey's mom) might have played a small part, and her sidekick, Leon—Audrey's sort-of boyfriend, who is gorgeous... and frustrating—maybe helped, too.But after two peaceful months, there is a vicious new threat in Minneapolis. Her name is Susannah, and she's a Harrower, a demon hell-bent on destroying people like Morning Star, Leon, and Audrey—the Kin. Like others before her, she seeks the Remnant, a Kin girl who has the power to unleash the inhabitants of the Beneath. But to what end?Audrey already has a ton on her plate: dealing with her best friend Tink's boy drama, helping her other best friend Gideon figure out his nightmares, and exploring the highs and lows of "dating" Leon. But when she develops a powerful new ability, Audrey seizes on the chance to fight, despite her mother's protests and Leon's pleas.As Audrey gets closer to figuring out Susannah's motives and tracking down the Remnant, she'll uncover more than she bargained for. The terrible truth is staring Audrey in the face. But knowing the truth and accepting it are very different things.

So, if you follow me on Twitter, you know that I've been dying for a book where the main character isn't the prophetic savior or bringer of doom. I mean, they're fun, but so typical nowadays. But this series definitely doesn't follow that road! While Dark Star was a fun read, it didn't really make an impression, but Burn Bright? It definitely did. I adored it and just loved reading it!

I was a bit fuzzy on what happened in Dark Star, but Burn Bright craftily weaves in the storyline from book one into this sequel. Soon enough I was traveling with Audrey on her wild adventures (and getting almost killed too. Well, that's not good) and getting into the Harrower-version of a catfight.

Yeah. It was fun!

The plot is unbelievably action-packed, filled with so many fights, new powers, new problems, and twists that just made me gape at the pages. I mean, seriously? It twisted my head around, and the twists were just so...wow. 

And there was Audrey. Oh Audrey...Audrey, Audrey, Audrey. She was one stubborn character and I loved her all the more for it! While she did irritate me sometimes for keeping some very important things secret, she won me over with her obvious loyalty for her friends and anyone she loved. She was so headstrong and I just loved her determination and her snark! I also loved her best friend type of relationship with her mom--it was so sweet.

Leon was just an adorable character who I loved! Sure, he was uptight sometimes, but Audrey loosened him up when he need to stop being so stiff, and they were just such a cute couple. I loved their steady romance and their relationship was so fun! At first I didn't like him, but he grew on me. Sort of like moss. (I'm pretty sure it was that way in Dark Star too! It just says more that Leon was able to get into my good graces--again. *wink*)

This is pretty much the best sequel you could ask for! It doesn't disappoint and I just loved it! It was so amazing and I was pretty much gushing about it the days that followed after I finished! Also, you guys. Have you seen the gorgeous covers?

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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

Linked by Imogen Howson

Goodreads Blurb

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere. 
Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes. 
Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed. 
Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world. 

So I seem to like linking tweets in my reviews. I should do this more often.
So here are things I tweeted while reading Linked. Excuse any...French words.
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/347504532466589697
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/347505832214282240
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/347506627047473152
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/347506702343618560

So, despite my tweets, I do have a few mixed feelings on Linked, especially on our main character, Elissa. While she was easy to relate to and had, by far, the most realistic reaction to finding out you had a secret abused twin, she also had a lot of downsides. Sometimes I felt like she was unsympathetic towards Lin, chastising her when Lin just didn't know any better and other times I felt like she just seemed so selfish (though that was rare). She also seemed super impulsive and very trusting, though I can't say Lin's paranoia was that better! But Howson did manage to create a realistic character who acted like a real teen!
On that note, the author managed to perfectly capture the attitude of an abused escapee who had next to no knowledge of the outside world. Lin was a character that we could sympathize with and she sort of reminded me of a (powerful) lost puppy who just wanted to be loved.

So I had no idea, going into this, that Linked was dystopian. Or Sci-fi. Or anything other than a thriller, actually! I have no idea how I missed that! So imagine my surprise when I discovered a world at least a thousand years into the future with other planets, planet ranks, and outstanding worldbuilding. The descriptions were vivid, though sometimes unneeded. (I felt a bit irritated that we had a two sentence description on lemon meringue pie, then neglected to learn how certain fake IDs, which would come in handy in the future, worked).

There was also a bit of an info dump in the first half of the book and it was a bit slow for me, but *SEMI SPOILER* once we got on the airship, things got a lot more interesting, a lot faster. I was absolutely riveted by then and practically screamed my head off at a giant twist. Several actually, none that I was expecting. It absolutely ripped my heart out. (Such a cruel cruel world.)

There's barely any romance and what we do have is one that's actually pretty sudden after years of hate (and secret, denied love). I'll admit, it was sort of awkward, but I couldn't help but giggle and "Awww" at a certain romantic part. What can I say? I'm a sucker for confessions.

Unpredictable and stunning, Linked makes readers think about humanity and how we can make an ultimate sacrifice when it's called for. While slow at first, this is definitely a book I'd recommend to sci-fi fans and anyone who loves a twisted plot that'll leave you gasping and wanting more.

Pages: 368
Genre: Dystopian/Sci-fi
Series: Linked #1
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 11, 2013
Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

Ink by Amanda Sun

Goodreads Blurb

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

I had two issues with Ink, so I might as well get them over with. First was the romance--it sort of reminded me of Twilight, to be honest. I mean first, there was the insta-love. Katie sees Tomohiro and suddenly can't get him, or the strange things that happen out of her mind. And then, for someone who kept pushing her away because he was "dangerous" (Twilight-ian), Tomo warmed up to Katie pretty quickly. 32% in, Katie realizes she loves him, even though their relationship was short at the point.
The second was Jun. How was Katie not wary of someone who she met at a train station and pops up randomly in all the wrong places? She was so at ease with him and...it was sort of weird.

But after the initial bad start, Ink completely blew me away. I fell in love with our characters and the writing. Or, rather, one character. Tomo was really your typical bad boy and I loved him. So much. What can I say? I love me some YA bad boys! More than that, he didn't try to keep Katie in the dark which was automatically ten points in his favor. When it was inevitable that she would get mixed in, he knew that keeping her in the dark was dangerous. THANK YOU TOMO.
Katie was a...complex sort of character to me. At times, she annoyed me (only a few times! 1/30 I promise), but in the end she always makes the right decision! I couldn't really connect with her, but she was a decent YA heroine!

The plot oh my God I died I am dead it killed me. So much run ons in that! I absolutely adored the plot which completely blew me away. I loved everything--the pacing, the twists, how you never knew who you could trust or what was going on. It was wonderful. Until my heart broke near the end. BROKEN.

The worldbuilding was definitely the strong point of the novel. Both the fantasy world Sun created and the Japan we read. You could tell how well researched Ink was and you really were transported. It's the little details that count, and the author didn't slack on those at all! And the fantasy world, OH, I loved it so so so much! It was fascinating and kind of haunting at the same time--a perfect mix!

Ink was a fantastic read with a world I loved to explore alongside our characters. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a book that'll transport you to other places or to anyone who needs an exciting fantasy/paranormal read!

Pages: 377
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Mythology
Series: Paper Gods #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland

Goodreads Blurb

For Cricket Thompson, a summer like this one will change everything. A summer spent on Nantucket with her best friend, Jules Clayton, and the indomitable Clayton family. A summer when she’ll make the almost unattainable Jay Logan hers. A summer to surpass all dreams.
Some of this turns out to be true. Some of it doesn’t. 
When Jules and her family suffer a devastating tragedy that forces the girls apart, Jules becomes a stranger whom Cricket wonders whether she ever really knew. And instead of lying on the beach working on her caramel-colored tan, Cricket is making beds and cleaning bathrooms to support herself in paradise for the summer.
But it’s the things Cricket hadn’t counted on--most of all, falling hard for someone who should be completely off-limits--that turn her dreams into an exhilarating, bittersweet reality.
A beautiful future is within her grasp, and Cricket must find the grace to embrace it. If she does, her life could be the perfect shade of Nantucket blue.

Nantucket Blue arrived right when I was aching for a fluff, so the timing was absolutely impeccable. And the best part about it? I loved the book.

Just to get it out of the way, my one problem was with our main character. While completely real with her own flaws and misconceptions, she was a bit annoying to me. She interfered with almost everything, even if she did have good intentions. Whether it was with her mom's love life or barging onto an island and her friend's vacay (when clearly she wasn't wanted) it annoyed me so much. And then she did such drastic things for a crush. Maybe it's because I never had a serious crush, but...I didn't like how desperate she seemed sometimes. And I also felt she apologized when the other person should've--maybe it's just me though! I did love her determination and her development as the story progressed though.

But oh, I did love all these other complex characters. Some of them had surprisingly deep layers that I loved and they were absolutely hilarious at times! They're easy to relate to characters who were so real--the whole story was. There were these people who twined with each others' lives and left just as quickly as they came, and I loved that because that's just how life is! And the resolution was another favorite of mine--they didn't all come together into one gigantic ending. It was pretty open-ended and I loved it. There were so many possibilities! But even if I am a fan of open-ended stories, I really wish we could've had an epilogue of some kind--just for a little closure?

The romance was so adorable--that's all I can say. Okay, maybe it has more to do with the absolutely adorable and cute love interest, but still. In these kinds of books, we always know that the main character falls for someone else...but I really don't want to say who. Just know that he's sweet and romantic and so hilarious sometimes.

The writing was definitely one of the strong points too! The setting was beautifully described, taking us right to Nantucket. Not only that, the relationships were, by far, one of my favorite parts. They were like the characters--flawed, sometimes broken, real, and layered. Whether it was familial, friendship, or romance, they were all amazing to read and just made everything so much better!

Filled with laughs and sighs, Nantucket Blue is one of those books absolutely perfect for the beach side! (The first inside pages even match the sand!) It's a wonderful debut that definitely makes you realize that you're in charge of you're own life and that you have to be the one to guide yourself.

Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary/Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Goodreads Blurb

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).
Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

I've been absolutely aching over this title and I was beyond excited to get this from Edelweiss! Kickass assassin heroines and a dystopian society? Oh my gosh, yes. And Reboot didn't really disappoint!

The world first line immediately grabs your attention and the first chapter just hooks you right in. It was impressive and I loved seeing how the society worked and what it was like for Reboots. It was strange though, that they were supposed to be less human which I take to mean more emotionless, but they definitely felt annoyance and hatred and all. Though if we're just calling them monsters, then that was definitely a sort of accurate description. I sort of wish we'd learned more about the virus though!

I loved Wren's character. She was so kickbutt and independent and I loved that! I enjoyed seeing her character evolve and have her gain some more emotion along the way, though it was a bit annoying having this amazing, strong character become a lovesick one within pages. Thankfully, she got back on her feet after a few chapters!

Callum was an interesting character who, at first irritated me. I get that killing humans didn't seem right to him, but he had to have understood that it was either his (and Wren's) life or the criminal's. I did eventually warm up to him, but it definitely took a while. Though it was definitely amusing reading his little quips!

For a book like this, it's no surprise that the action was completely unbelievable. It was quick paced and left you absolutely breathless! There weren't many twists, but for a book like this, it honestly didn't need any! I loved seeing their *spoiler* escape and how resourceful they could be. The action scenes were vivid and absolutely grasping!

The only thing I didn't like at all, was the romance. Like I said, Wren was such a strong character, but fell so quickly. It was pretty much insta love. She couldn't get him out of her mind, and he was suddenly everywhere. Then she breaks her routine and trains him instead of her usual higher numbers. It was irritating and it may have something to do with why Callum annoyed me at first. 

This was definitely a thrilling read that captured my attention immediately. It was fun and definitely one I'd recommend! The ending leaves you aching for more, though it doesn't immediately cut you off. It shows us what humanity is and that we can believe any lies if given just a small amount of proof. It has a faint underlying sense of emotion and, mixing that with the thrill and the anticipation of the plot, this book is definitely a great debut that dystopian fans should prepare themselves for! 

Pages: 352
Genre: Dystopian/Sci-fi
Series: Reboot #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

Goodreads Blurb

When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he's her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again. 
But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can't stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a ton about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she's obsessed. 
Bea tells herself she's got it all under control, but this isn't a choice, it's a compulsion. The truth is, she's breaking down... and she might end up breaking her own heart.

This was, in all honesty, very disappointing to me. I mean, it sounded amazing, but actually reading it...well, it fell flat. 

Even though this is technically a YA book, I honestly don't feel as if many teens will enjoy this novel. It was...I'll be blunt: it was like reading an autobiography and I honestly don't enjoy those. I think my problem with this was the issues that are in this book. I have nothing against people with OCD, but I really don't enjoy reading about it. And...I really didn't think that was what this book would be about. I imagined something emotional and gritty, but this...I don't think it was quite what I was looking for.

Our main character, Bea, is a certified stalker. Of a guy who's 10 years older than her and married. She listens in on his therapy sessions and jots down the entire conversation in a notebook and pretty much drives to his apartment complex he shares with his wife. And stares at his window. She can't drive without driving back to make sure she hasn't run over someone and scared that she might stab someone. What? I absolutely LOATHED this idea. I'm not saying I hate people with this kind of problem...but reading this is really NOT my thing. 

When the synopsis described Beck as "kinda-messed-up" I thought maybe a guy with some family issues. And that's true, in a sense. Beck is addicted to working out. As in, working out for 8 hours straight and OCD in the way that he washes his hands every time he touches someone and does everything in 8's. He washes his hands 8 times, he taps his fingers 8 times, he showers for 8 or 88 minutes, can't send a text without texting 8 times, etc. It was...honestly, ridiculous. But why 8? Well, I guess I won't spoil that right now.

So, yeah, the characters had their issues, but the characters didn't just seem real, they seemed like people who would, quite honestly, freak me out a bit. I feel so bad saying that, but she's a stalker! 

Not only that, but this was so incredibly slow. There really weren't any giant twists or anything, and the only thing interesting that caught my attention was near the end and lasted about 5 pages before fizzling out. I can't really hate this book since this book didn't really evoke any strong feelings from me. I read it...and barely had any emotion, really. 

Other than that, I can't really explain how much I didn't like this, but...you guys. It was bad. And it's possibly one of the worst books I've read, no matter how much I wish I didn't have to say that. I wouldn't recommend it at all, but then again, maybe I was just the wrong person to read it? 

Pages: 352

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Rating: .5--->1 star

Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Goodreads Blurb

Weeks after his crucifixion and rebirth as Phoenix, Ash Fisher believes his troubles are far behind him. He and Natalie are engaged and life seems good. But his happiness is short-lived when he receives a threatening visit from Purian Rose, who gives Ash an ultimatum: vote in favor of Rose’s Law permanently relegating Darklings to the wrong side of the wall or Natalie will be killed.
The decision seems obvious to Ash; he must save Natalie. But when Ash learns about The Tenth, a new and deadly concentration camp where the Darklings would be sent, the choice doesn’t seem so simple. Unable to ignore his conscience, Ash votes against Rose’s Law, signing Natalie’s death warrant and putting a troubled nation back into the throes of bloody battle.

First, I must squeal for one paragraph. I am sorry.

OMG. THIS WAS SO....ACK!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT AN ARC OF THIS. AND HOW GOOD THIS IS. WOW. THE WAY THIS WAS...ACK. BE STILL, MY HEART. THIS IS SO AMAZING.

That was like 1% of it, but I thought I'd better get on with the review, yeah?

Okay, I absolutely have to acknowledge the romance in this. The action and the rebellion were amazing of course, but the romance! Ash and Natalie and Elijah...and Giselle, but she appears and disappears quickly. (Thank God!) My heart broke so many times for Ash and Natalie. There's a giant twist that just changes everything between all of them, and I swear my heart dropped all the way through the Earth and made a beeline for China. I just...can't imagine. Natalie and Ash are so devoted to each other, every few pages I had to stop and smack a friend on the arm (whoever was closest to me. They can prove it.) and squeal! It was just so amazing, the way you could clearly see how in love they were. It's like a less messed up Romeo and Juliet! And Elijah. Elijah. How could you?!

Like I said, the action was definitely amazing itself. What Black City lacked, Phoenix definitely made up for it! There was definitely a lot more moving around than in Black City and there was definitely a lot more danger--and that's saying something! With President Rose a looming threat and both Sentry, Lupines, and citizens looking for them, Ash and Natalie were definitely in a fix. And yet, they somehow managed to survive it...until a giant betrayal I could never have expected!

Bringing me to another thing. There were a lot of betrayals I couldn't imagine, but with their lives' on the line, I guess some people forget to be selfless! But the first betrayal was a bit predictable. The second? Well. I think I may have died on the spot!
Phoenix was a book that while, at first was a bit slow, but quickly went uphill after the first few chapters or so! It's pacing was brilliant and I absolutely adored it!

Definitely not experiencing Sequel Syndrome or anything like that, Phoenix definitely surpassed my expectations and definitely beat Black City in the long run! Anyone who loved Black City will definitely adore this! Just like it's first book though, it's definitely one of those dystopias that the word dystopia perfectly describes!

Pages: 368
Genre: Dystopia/Romance
Series: Black City #2
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

White Lines by Jennifer Banash

Goodreads Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Cat is living every teenager’s dream: she has her own apartment on the Lower East Side and at night she’s club kid royalty, guarding the velvet rope at some of the hottest clubs in the city. The night with its crazy, frenetic, high-inducing energy—the pulsing beat of the music, the radiant, joyful people and those seductive white lines that can ease all pain—is when Cat truly lives. But her daytime, when real life occurs, is more nightmare than dream. Having spent years suffering her mother’s emotional and physical abuse, and abandoned by her father, Cat is terrified and alone—unable to connect to anyone or anything. But when someone comes along who makes her want to truly live, she’ll need to summon the courage to confront her demons and take control of a life already spinning dangerously out of control. 

I never am good with gritty books, really. I honestly find it completely ridiculous how characters in these books run run away, do drugs, or just become antisocial because of their troubles. But then, I'm so young I barely know anything about real problems. I think this book made me rethink my stand on this. My thoughts on the ridiculousness, that is.

White Lines...it's one of those books that, while isn't literary-perfect, it still manages to pull on you somewhat. Cat's hasn't had the easiest life. Her mother abused her, her father doesn't seem to care, and she's practically alone in the world. All she knows now is partying, but how far is she willing to go for a little thrill that only holds empty promises?

I'll definitely give it to Banash, she knows how to capture the gritty world of downtown. Almost everything is messed up and throughout the book, things are just slowly, slowly, spiraling down for Cat. She's not a smart character and she copes with her problems in the worst ways possible. She's completely f*cked up, and she has her ups and downs. She's so shockingly real. She tries to cope, and tries to escape, and that's a bit familiar, isn't it? Giovanni, Alexa, everyone. They may not be model characters, but they were fleshed out well enough.

I almost never talk about the writing style, but I have to. It was just gorgeous. The prose told the story beautifully and it was easy to understand. It was stunning writing and I definitely love Jennifer Banash's style. There's just a certain feel to it that makes you fall in love.

The plot was slow at times, though, and I almost put it down maybe halfway in? It definitely got more interesting later on for me, and I was aching to know how this sad story would end. And...wow, did it end. It almost felt too...not fitting. How (SPOILER. SORT OF) everything just fell into a sort of happy ever after. (END)

The romance also seemed to come out of nowhere and didn't seem to really...advance the plot as much as I thought it should've. So there was that.

All in all, I'd recommend it for fans of historical fiction, especially Out of the Easy by Ruta Septys, or Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith if you've had the luck of reading that early!

Pages: 304
Genre: Historical/Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: April 4, 2013
Rating: 3.5 -->4 stars

The End Games by T. Michael Martin

Goodreads Blurb

It happened on Halloween.

The world ended.

And a dangerous Game brought it back to life.

Seventeen-year-old Michael and his five-year-old brother, Patrick, have been battling monsters in The Game for weeks.

In the rural mountains of West Virginia, armed with only their rifle and their love for each other, the brothers follow Instructions from the mysterious Game Master. They spend their days searching for survivors, their nights fighting endless hordes of “Bellows”—creatures that roam the dark, roaring for flesh. And at this Game, Michael and Patrick are very good.

But The Game is changing.

The Bellows are evolving.

The Game Master is leading Michael and Patrick to other survivors—survivors who don’t play by the rules.

And the brothers will never be the same.

T. Michael Martin’s debut novel is a transcendent thriller filled with electrifying action, searing emotional insight, and unexpected romance.

The End Games was...completely unexpected. It was such a hopeless, bleak kind of book and really, really depressing. No matter what they did, it felt like Michael and Patrick would be running forever, and never really live without fear. 

Actually, I think depressing was sort of an understatement.

The plot and the writing were two of the top things for me (that, and the sort of twist on the zombie apocalypse.) Right from the beginning of the bat, we learn two things. A) just how dangerous the world is, and just how desolate it is now, and B) things are already changing and getting creepier. Their were so many action scenes and so many twists that had me gasping and stunned. And, waning, a lot of deaths. 

I rarely talk about voice in my reviews, but it was like you were in Michael's mind, not just as a narrator! The way the story was told is phenomenal and the writing was superb (I love that word.) You could just feel Michael's nervousness, his fear throughout the entire book.

The characters, though, were not my favorite. I'd say they annoyed me, but I mainly felt a bit impartial to them. If one died, I honestly didn't care. They weren't relatable to me, though they might be to some, and I got so irritated by all the lying. I mean, I could understand. The world pretty much ended, after all. But Michael kept lying all to raise hope, knowing it wouldn't last. It was horrible of him and I wanted to sock him in the face. 

And onto the zombies (I found it funny that people didn't call them Zombies. They did live in this century, but no one thought to call them zombies?). I loved discovering about the disease that brought them back to life, it's origin, and it's purpose. There was a lot of thought out into this worldbuilding and it was fascinating.

The End Games is a game of survival, and the rules are being broken. With twists or attacks around every corner, there's almost no one to trust, but all the more reason to take a chance. The ending was perfect for the book! I just wish we could've seen an epilogue!

Pages: 384

Genre: Post apocalyptic

Series: Standalone

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Rating: 3.5-->4 stars

Life After Theft by Apprilynne Pike

Goodreads Blurb

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto. 
No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.
Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel

(THIS ACCIDENTALLY POSTED IN MARCH. ACK.)
I absolutely loved the Wings series, so when I heard Apprilynne Pike was writing another book? OF COURSE I had to read it! I was a bit wary of it at first, because this honestly didn't sound like my kind of book. I'm not one who usually enjoys the haunting-but-not-creepy kind of stories, but it was Apprylinne Pike! I shouldn't have doubted--she told this story almost flawlessly! 

Life After Theft is one of those stories that has such flawed characters that we can easily relate to or recognize in our friends or society. Jeff may have been the main character, but the supporting characters definitely had an important spot in the plot, and I loved how deeply woven in the plot they were!

Speaking of the plot, I just loved it! I kept biting my nails, scared that they would get caught, or something. I didn't expect the slight mystery that was involved. There were a ton of secrets that revolved around these prep schoolers and I was just dying to figure it out! And I didn't expect any of it. 

Romance...eh. In the beginning I sort of wanted to slam Jeff's face in the wall for being attracted to Sera immediately and really only because of her good looks. After a while though, I absolutely adored the interactions between the two because they were just so perfect for each other! (Also, guys really do seem have a one track mind.) I sort of thought he'd be attracted to Kimberlee from the synopsis but I definitely couldn't have been more wrong! The banter brings a sort of comic relief, but also holds a tone of suspense. 

Reading from a guy's POV was definitely different and made things a lot more hilarious! apprylinne Pike has done it again--and with a completely different genre! It's not guaranteed that you'll love it if you're a fan of the Wings series, but I definitely think it's 90% possible! I absolutely love her writing and this definitely wasn't an exception!

Pages: 352

Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: April 30, 2013

Rating: 4.5-->4 stars

Death, Doom, and Detention by Darynda Jones

Goodreads Blurb

The normal part of Lorelei MacAlister’s life didn’t just slip away quietly the day Jared Kovach came to town. Nope. The normal part of her life shattered. It exploded. It burst into a gazillion shards of fleeting light.

It went out with a bang.

Goodbye normal.

Hello dark and eerie.

While her best friend, Brooklyn, is focusing all of her energy on helping Lorelei hone her abilities, Lorelei is dealing with the reality that Satan’s second in command has taken up residence inside her body. Oh, and the fact that she has a crush on the Angel of Death. But what a beautiful death it is. If those weren’t bad enough, something sinister has come to town and it wants nothing more than to hear Lorelei’s dying breath as it strangles it out of her. Thank goodness the gang has a supernatural champion. But what happens when the only being who can save them switches sides midstream? How can a group of misfits capture one of the most powerful beings ever created? And will they find out how to bring Jared back to them before it’s too late?

I honestly think I've fallen in love with this series. Seriously! This is one of my favorite angel/demon stories! And that's a hard list to top.

Death, Doom, and Detention was a perfect sequel for me and I loved it (almost) as much as Death and the Girl Next Door! My only complaint was that there were a few crucial things to the plot at Lorelei didn't mention until, oh my, it came back to bit her in the butt. I reall wanted to strangle Lorelei for "forgetting" a few very important details.

Now the absolute best thing was Lorelei and her snark. She made me laugh out loud so many times, I think a few of my classmates may think I'm schizophrenic. (I may be exaggerating. Maybe) She was a hilarious character that definitely didn't seem like our typical (sometimes whiny) heroines. She was a lot more reluctant and a lot more wary than what you usually seein books and I definitely appreciated that!

The relationships between the characters were definitely a thing of fascination! There was definitely a ton of tension present and the way they all reacted to each other was fun to read about. You could just feel the animosity in the book's atmosphere and I definitely had to hand it to Darynda--she managed to write unique characters who both made you sit up straighter in shock and make you laugh out loud!

The plot was predictable in some parts, but was, for the most part, completely unexpected! Jones always manages to throw something right in your face once you think everything's fine and settled--I'm still deciding if I love it or hate it! 

Taking a usually overused paranormal element, Darynda Jones manages to write a completely unique story about a girl who's lost in her own way, an angel who's darker than he seems, and a prophecy that's scaring everyone and anyone. It seems like your typical story, but it's far from it!

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Darklight #2

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 4 stars