Toxic Heart by Theo Lawrence

Pages: 368

Genre: Dystopian/Fantasy

Series: Mystic City #2

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Release Date: Apr 8, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

---

Mirk and Midnight by Jane Nickerson

Pages: 384

Genre: Gothic Literature/Retelling

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

Release Date: Mar 11, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

---

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?

---

---

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

Pages: 232

Genre: Action thriller

Series: Mind Games #2

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: Feb 18, 2014

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.
The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.
But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

After reading Mind Games, I was bordering on desperate to read the sequel--with an ending like that, who wouldn't be? So when I was approved for it on Edelweiss (screw my eBook ban) I pretty much dropped everything and READ.
And oh my God. Perfect Lies was amazing. While it did have a bit of Sequel Syndrome, it nevertheless had that perfect Kiersten snark and style that made me fall in love with the story and our characters all over again!

And so, let's start this off with our lovely sisters will we?
Fia's story absolutely broke my heart at times, her voice so completely bitter and raw. Kiersten White does a brilliant job making Fia sound a bit crazy, a bit murderous, dangerous, and desperate, while still making us love her. Fia's a broken character that touched my heart, though I did sometimes want to slap her for being so dependent on James, who I started to...well, not trust. At all. But her brokenness and her inability to trust anyone made me hurt for her. (On another note, despite it all, Fia managed to maintain her wicked and dry humor, but for some reason that just made me hurt more.)
Like Fia seemed to be the main character the book was centered around, I felt like Annie was the star of the show in Perfect Lies. We learn more about our blind Seer and I sympathized with her so much, her ache for her sister, her longing to be stronger, and her wish for a future that wasn't so bleak. All Annie seemed to want was for her and Fia to make it out alive...whatever "it" was.

Their relationship, while we didn't get to see much of them together, was absolutely beautiful. They did whatever they could, destroyed whoever was in their way, just to protect each other and it's one of the best things about the book--the way White can flawlessly create a sister bond between these two characters. Without even letting them be together for more than a few pages!

For the romance, let's talk about Fia and James for a bit. I really really really (like, really) loved their relationship at first, how they acted around each other, but the more we got into the story...well, the less I trusted him. I wasn't so sure of his motives anymore, or his dedication to Fia. Where did his loyalties lie? Who would he die for? I don't think we ever did find out. 
Like I said, Alice takes the spotlight, and that means she finally finds a romance too! I really loved who she ended up with, even if it was a bit rushed, but their romance was so sweet in one of those hate/love ways.

The plot was just as amazing as Mind Games. It's completely thrilling and unbelievably shocking and, with Annie and Fia, I honestly had no clue what the hell would happen next! It's a roller coaster of twists and turns that I never saw coming and that left me hanging for more! I feel like the ending is absolutely perfect, but honestly--I so wish there was a book three!

There's really no end to how amazing Kiersten White's books can be! I've loved every single one so far, and I can't wait for her next one! Perfect Lies is a perfect companion to Mind Games, and I recommend the series to anyone who's loved her stuff before! (But I do recommend reading these two books back to back because of Reasons.)

---

---

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Pages: 336

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Everneath #3

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 21, 2014

Now that Nikki has rescued Jack, all she wants is to be with him and graduate high school. But Cole tricked Nikki into feeding off him, and she’s begun the process of turning into an Everliving herself... which means she must feed on a Forfeit soon — or die.Terrified for her survival, Nikki and Jack begin a desperate attempt to reverse the process using any means possible. Even Cole, who they expected to fight them at every turn, has become an unlikely ally — but how long can it last? Nikki needs to feed on Cole to survive, Cole needs Nikki to gain the throne in the Everneath, Jack needs Nikki because she is everything to him — and together, they must travel back to the Underworld to undo Nikki’s fate and make her mortal once more. But Cole isn’t the only one with plans for Nikki: the Queen has not forgotten Nikki’s treachery, and she wants her destroyed for good. Will Nikki be forced to spend eternity in the Underworld, or does she have what it takes to bring down the Everneath once and for all?

My thoughts are sort of incoherent right now so please excuse my jumble of a review.

So honestly I'd forgotten just how much I loved this series until now. Oh sure, Everneath was brilliant, and Everbound was pretty good, but after a year you sort of forget the emotional crippling pain. Brodi Ashton brought it all back.
I will hazard to say that Evertrue is probably the best book in the entire trilogy, and I don't say that lightly. Because OH GOD THE END.

Here comes the explosion:
Because guys, I just can't deal with this. I actually spent an hour in English clutching my head and repeating "I can't deal" over and over. The end of Evertrue is traumatizing and oh God someone help me survive. The ending was a shock to my little fangirl heart. Or maybe it wasn't and I was just really hoping it wouldn't happen. Either way, I teared up, had a book hangover, and was pretty much dead after the read. It is truly and utterly heartbreaking. (Literally.)

Let's just all, for the moment, talk about how much I just adore Cole. No matter what terrible thing he does, I'll always love him more than Jack because he does love her, in his own way, and he never stops loving her even though he knows she hates him. I always did have a weakness for literary bad boys!
So on that note, I should tell you that something...happens to Cole a quarter into the book, something that sort of...changes him. And I just missed the old Cole who was unbelievably flawed, but completely cocky and sweet, though admittedly arrogant and a bit douchey. And that was really the only thing I didn't absolutely love about it.

Plot wise, this book is damn near perfect. Fast paced and action packed, I couldn't help but get caught up in the events. While there weren't that many twists, the ones there were were absolutely shocking. Go big or go home right?
There was a point, when there was only 45 pages left, where I wondered how Ashton would wrap up the plot and romance, and everything else, so quickly, but she manages it without making it seemed to rush, which definitely impressed me.

So many things happen, so many sacrifices made, and I just found my heart being ripped open reportedly until I could've been stuck in the Everneath and wouldn't have noticed. Evertrue beautifully wraps up the trilogy in a perfect, but desperate way that made me want to cry.

Correction: it did make me cry.

---

---

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Pages: 352

Genre: Fantasy/Retelling

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Release Date: Jan 28, 2014

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.
With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Oh God, the love I have for this book! As I'm writing this, I literally just finished reading it in one sitting at midnight, so excuse me as I collect my thoroughly gasted flabber off the floor and turn it back into a brain. I wasn't quite sure what I was expecting when I dove into Cruel Beauty, but I know it wasn't this. And for once, that's a good thing!

So I'm a giant fan of retellings. And when I say giant, I mean giant. Add in Beauty and the Beast? It just got better and better! The tale as old as time is one of my favorites and one of the more commonly retold stories--but it's so, so, so hard to get right. But I can say with absolute certainty that Rosamund Hodge is a genius author whose brilliance can not go unheeded.

Hodge is a wonder with words, something that you can easily see through her debut. I fell in love with the first chapter and couldn't let go after until I'd read everything and was clinging to my plush rabbit in agony. The most amazing part, I think, is the worldbuilding, which has it's feet set in the plot, the characters, and pretty much everything.
The world is a mix of high fantasy, paranormal, and Greek mythology, something I found extremely unusual, but undeniably enthralling. It was amazing seeing the world come to life in the pages and being told the world's history and background through snatches of folklore and tale and  absolutely fascinating, how the author pieces together bits of her fantasy world with that of Greece. Who knew demons and gods went together?

The plot, I realize, is actually rather slow, but you don't get bored at all. The tension between Nyx and Ignifex kept me laughing and giggling forever and you can't help but get sucked into the story once they meet. It's more than just the romance, of course. It's Nyx trying to defeat Ignifex, to avenger he mother's sacrifice, and to keep her promise. It's amazing how this goes about and there are still so many plot twists I can't accept. I refuse to accept.

Romance! There are hints of a love triangle, but I can't really say anything beyond the fact that, well, it's not really a love triangle and that I loved Ignifex from the moment we met him, with his snark and wit and charm about him!

Nyx is truly a badass character. She's not quite the assassin I was expecting, but she's tough, she's fierce, she's curious, but beyond all that, she's absolutely and brilliantly flawed. It's even stated in the book that her heart was threaded with darkness, and you can't help but relate to her sometimes. Not to her situations, of course (I don't know about you, but I don't know anyone engaged to a demon prince), but her feelings and her regrets. She's a broken character and it's just something you love about her.

The ending, I have to say, was absolutely perfect. And that's all I have to say about that.

So yes. Cruel Beauty is one of those books you can't help but fall in love with, and one of those books that'll automatically jump to your favorites list. It's gorgeously written with brilliant characters, a cutthroat plot, and a romance that'll set you on fire. It's like reading a fairy tale--there's honestly no choice but to get enthralled. I honestly can't recommend this book enough! So seven out of five stars it is! 

---

---

Blackout by Robison Wells

Goodreads Blurb

Laura and Alec are trained terrorists.
Jack and Aubrey are high school students.
There was no reason for them to ever meet.
But now, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible powers. And these four are about to find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all.

Blackout was a bit disappointing, I'll admit, but it was still a good read! 

A couple of chapters into the book, all teens are being collected by the army and tested for the Erebus virus, a virus that seems to alter a teen's brain growth and give them supernatural powers, some useless, some dangerous, but each with the risk of other disease-like symptoms such as fatigue, kidney failure, brittle bones, etc. And...that's really all we learn about the virus. The basics. As a person who holds worldbuilding above pretty much anything else, I was disappointed by the fact that we don't learn much more about this virus. I suspect we'll learn more in the sequel, but this first book felt more like an introduction most of the book until the halfway point.

Because that's where things get kickass. This book made me think "Crap" way too many times and there were so many times I wanted to crush something. And I mean that in a good way. Wells definitely built the suspense, but the subplots were so quickly resolved that it got a bit annoying and there were definitely a lot of filler chapters that didn't seem to add anything, though that may just be because this book seemed to flash by in 2 seconds! It was definitely an intriguing plot, though, that neatly sets the scene for the sequel which is definitely going to be amazing. I can just feel it.

I'm not a giant fan of the 2+ switching POV kind of books, and I'm afraid this was no exception. While each character clearly had a distinct personality, but we never really got to know the characters that well because of the switching POV and the third person view. It was one of the better 2+ POV books I've read, though, and I loved to read from Aubrey's view the best! Plus? Her power was super cool.

The romance was also a bit..quick considering Aubrey had "betrayed" Jack before and the fact that they fell back into their old rhythm in only a day wasn't very...believable. 

But Blackout sounds perfect for people who've read and loved Robison Wells's Variant series! It wasn't a favorite of mine, but it was definitely an entertaining read that was a fun adventure! 

Pages: 352

Genre: Apocalyptic/Sci-fi

Series: Blackout #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: Oct. 1, 2013

Rating: 3.5 

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Goodreads Blurb

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 
When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 
As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Oh my holy freaking crap you guys. You guys.

This is a beyond amazing sequel for The Darkest Minds! While The Darkest Minds wasn't my favorite (but still really good!) Never Fade completely blew away every expectation my puny and uncreative brain had. I never could've imagined (or guessed) any freaking thing that happened in this book. My mind has been blown. Utterly shattered.

The plot is definitely the book's strongest point. Starting off with a bang (literally) Never Fade is 500 pages of nonstop action that had me absolutely glued to the book, dying to find out what happened next. There are innumerable plot twists that absolutely made me die inside. (Also, at a certain plot twist, I choked on my chips. During class. And made a totally attractive gagging sound.)
There's action on every page and there's really no way anyone could ever be bored! So much happens in so little time that I actually couldn't keep track of it all! So I got a bit confused. But that's just me.

Ruby is still one kickass heroine and I loved her even though we can't really connect to her. She comes off as a bit cold and emotionless (more than in Darkest Minds) but it's heartbreaking because we know that she still got bothered by things and that she sometimes felt so weak. She starts to warm up quickly though, and soon, she's the strong and fearless heroine we all know and love!
Chubs was the added humor.
Liam was the added sweetness.
Jude was the added adorableness.
Vida was the added kickass.
Seriously, could our characters get more perfect?

Old characters come crawling back from the dumps, new characters are introduced, but either way, you have to love them! Whether it's the evilness, their madness, their kindness, or whatnot, every character ends up touching you (no matter how fast they're ripped away. Trust me. A lot are ripped away.)

Never Fade was an absolutely amazing adventure that let us explore our characters and the world they're stuck in. More stunning than the first, the Darkest Minds sequel is definitely one to pick up--even if you weren't to sure about the first one! Explosive (seriously. EXPLOSIONS!) and heartwrenching, Never Fade is the perfect sequel with a killer ending!

Pages: 512
Genre: Dystopian/Supernatural
Series: The Darkest Minds #2
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: October 15, 2013
Rating: 7/5 stars

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Goodreads Blurb

Brie is the “biggest, cheesiest, sappiest romantic” who believes that everyone will find their perfect someone, so when Jacob, the love of Brie's life, tells her he doesn't love her anymore, the news breaks her heart, literally, and she dies. But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie revisits the living world to discover that her family has begun to unravel and her best friend has been keeping an intimate secret about her boyfriend. Somehow, Brie must handle all of this while navigating through the five steps of grief with the help of Patrick, her mysterious bomber-jacketed guide to the afterlife. But how is she supposed to face the Ever After with a broken heart and no one to call her own?

I've been absolutely dying to read this book for a while now, but I could never bring myself to actually buy it for some strange reason. Then I saw the paperback cover and it happened to be right in front of me. Obviously, it was fate. (GORGEOUS COVER. DO YOU SEE IT?)

The Catastrophic History complete surprised me. Even though so many people told me how far from a fluff it was, I still somehow expected it to be light--but it really wasn't. What it was? Possibly the most beautiful love story I've ever read. So heartbreaking, so heartwarming, and so, so, powerful.

While it was paranormal/supernatural, Catastrophic History had a contemporary feel to it that made me love it so much more. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that we deal with a few issues, but I think it was mainly how amazing Brie's voice was. She was such a raw character who had such a distinct teen personality! She was easy to connect to, sassy and flawed, and I wanted to hug her so many times. The things she had to endure were hard enough--that she couldn't really help? It only made it worse.

The romance was beyond amazing and had a twist to it that I just couldn't predict! But it was so absolutely perfect and it made me want to cry (Again! The feels in this book!) I can't say really anything else about it or I'll be spoiling so much, but it truly was one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever read.

The plot was, while a bit slow a few times, was absolutely amazing! I loved most of the pacing and I loved everything that happened, the twists, the heartbreak, all of it. This book was just so completely passionate and so completely perfect. So much love! Though, the ending? A little bit too HEA, but otherwise, so completely perfect. So. Perfect.

Pages: 400
Genre: Contemporary/Supernatural
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: Jan 1, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Goodreads Blurb

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 
Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.
In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

I had absolutely no idea how much I absolutely loved this. Seriously. Look at my tweets.
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345205363882196994
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345204604650283008
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345200520987828227
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345197273782816768
https://twitter.com/Nikki_Wang/status/345190705213362176
And there were a ton more actually. But they're all pretty much the same.

Walking in, I was a bit skeptical since there were more than enough mixed reviews to make me a bit anxious. But I really shouldn't have worried! Mind Games absolutely blew my mind--and that's a complete understatement.

For a Sci-fi/Supernatural book, Mind Games definitely has some of the most broken characters I've met. They were all so fleshed out--though I do wish we met more "students" besides are heartbreaking sisters and Eden (Annie's friend).
Fia was by far my favorite of the two sisters. She was loyal, smart, and she didn't have to depend on her perfect instinct all the time. She knew what she had to do, when she had to do it, and knew what was unreasonable. I loved her stubborn nature, but her bitterness just broke my heart clean in two. She sacrificed so much for Annie and it definitely wasn't without consequences. She was the broken one, the one that needed saving--but how do you save someone who doesn't want to be saved?
Annie, while not a bad character, just didn't click with me as well as Fia. She was so much more...rude, I guess, and I don't think she fully understood exactly how much Fia was sacrificing and exactly what she needed.

As for the romance, we don't really focus on it, but I adored James so much. He cared so much about Fia and knew exactly what to do and say to comfort her. He may have been an asshole, but he's a sweet one who has all the traits of an arrogant, swoony, love interest.
There's no romance for Annie yet, but I'm pretty sure Adam is her guy. We don't really learn much about him, but he's a very...interesting character.
Kiersten  White did a brilliant job creating characters who matched our heroines personality perfectly. Fia had someone who she could find comfort in, but could understand her pain, while I feel like Adam's cheery personality would definitely help Annie start accepting the fact that she couldn't protect her sister 24/7 and that her little sister's already so much more grown up than herself.

The plot was wonderfully paced and while, I realized suddenly, nothing much happens, you just can't help but get addicted to the pages, and just keep on reading. There's something about the way White writes that just pulls you straight in until the end--where you're still going to be begging for more. What does happen keeps me on my toes though and it definitely sets up the sequel wonderfully! I can absolutely NOT wait!

I absolutely loved how Kiersten White chose to tell this story too. We alternate between the past and the present so that we get to fall in love with our characters from the beginning as well as understand them a bit more. It really is heartbreaking how they evolved into the people they were now.

My only complaint is that I would've loved more plot and more focus on their gifts and how they got them, but that's really about it--it didn't affect my reading enjoyment at all!

Stunning, beautiful, and absolutely breathtaking, Kiersten White lives up to her expectations with Mind Games! Heartbreaking characters, a kickass plot, and enchanting writing, I'm not quite sure how this book isn't loved by everyone!

Pages: 237
Genre: Sci-fi/Supernatural
Series: Mind Games #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Feb 19, 2013
Rating: 7/5 Stars

The Beautiful and Cursed by Page Morgan

Goodreads Blurb

After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.
In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.
And Grayson has gone missing.
No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.
Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

The Beautiful and Cursed was definitely a book I was looking forward to--Gargoyles? In Paris? With that gorgeous cover? How could I not be intrigued?

Oh the atmosphere! It was haunting and chilling and had an absolutely dark tone to it that I had to fall in love with. It had such a gritty feel to it and was absolutely wonderful. This was so much darker that I thought it'd be! It's mysterious and a bit gory, but completely enticing. The mystery is definitely one of the best parts about the story--and the gargoyles? They added a sense of grim allure that just drew me in. Especially in Paris!

Speaking of gargoyles--hello? Who's written about that before! Learning the lore behind gargoyles was absolutely fascinating and I loved Morgan's twist on these old tales! It did seem a bit typical at first, but that's quickly overlooked by, well, the gargoyles. 

With YA you can make pretty much any creature sexy and enticing, huh?

The plot was definitely one of the better parts of the book! It was shocking and twisted, surprising me until the very end. It's a complicated mess--and we all know those are the best when it comes to the plot! The Beautiful and Cursed was definitely at it's strongest in the second half though! Because that's pretty much where a chain of events unfold and where everything just explodes.

The POVs are something of a nuisance for me. I hate multiple POVs, but I loved Grayson's. It added even more of an air of mystery to our already thickening plot and made everything so much more...interesting. But at the same time, I'm no fan of multiple POVs, and this wasn't really an exception.

Now, I should've stopped and thought about the romance when it said "a devastatingly handsome servant". There were almost 2 love triangles (two and a half? Two halves? Does Chelle count? Vander? Ermm...), one for each sister. And the love interests (besides Luc) weren't my favorite. They seemed a bit bland to me in all honesty, and a bit too typical for a YA love interest. (And there were so many guys, I can't remember all their names!) And the insta love between Luc and Ingrid--that just ruined it completely. There was no support for their romance, no building up of chemistry really. It was just...there.

And I didn't even really understand how these two girls could attract so many guys! Ingrid was definitely my favorite of the sisters, but she seemed to...proper for my taste, though Morgan did a wonderful job of creating the perfect attitude for both of these girls! But I usually like my characters more wild--though Ingrid was still, most definitely kickass. But something about her struck me as annoying.
Gabby definitely struck a nerve. She was so naive and irritating--so impulsive too! I'm not sure if she ever really thought before she acted, but it didn't really seem like it. But I did admire her will to fight and to rescue her brother even in the face of doubt!

Just like the title suggests, this novel is truly beautiful and thrilling to its core. While I didn't completely enjoy it, The Beautiful and Cursed definitely had it's good moments and I'll be sitting here waiting for a sequel!

Pages: 352
Genre: Fantasy/Historical
Series: The Dispossessed #1
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 3.5-->3 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

September Girls by Bennett Madison

Goodreads Blurb

When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn  to him. 
Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here.

Oh, it's case of the deceiving cover again. I mean, the cover was absolutely gorgeous and the synopsis was definitely intriguing! But the actual story was, I found, very different from what I expected. 

So the first thing was the writing. It was a bit awkward sometimes and the cussing was...extreme. Every few sentences and almost every paragraph had a cuss word and it got super old super fast. The way it was written was also a bit awkward and while there was an air of mystery surrounding the story, it was also a bit obvious and a bit boring.

Also, *spoiler* the way to break the curse was also pretty messed up.

The plot also left a lot to be desired for. It didn't have any twists whatsoever and was actually pretty boring most of the time. It was nice to read, I guess. But what really disappointed me was that we never found out exactly what the girls were, and their parents...didn't make a whole lot of sense. We never went in depth with their situation, and since the book really sort of revolved around that, the story lacked. Also, very repetitive and there were a ton of things just suddenly popped out at you that made no sense whatsoever.

I was also a bit confused as to how DeeDee was really that different. The only reason she was "different" was because she'd rather read than party, but for all he knew, she was the only one he stumbled in on. It was coincidence after coincidence and it got super frustrating seeing DeeDee actually act like all the other Girls. 

Sam was also pretty shallow--and oh my gosh the number of times I wanted to punch him are innumerable. 

What I did like? The switching POVs. We got few glimpses into the supernatural world through this other POV which I can't reveal, and those were, by far, my favorite chapters. I did like Kristle though, despite her faults, and found her a strangely refreshing blunt kind of character, even if I did want to strangle her sometimes. (No, all the time)

Characters. Flat, obnoxious, disgusting, sex-crazed, etc.

The book sort of not really redeemed itself in the fact that it had a sort of impact on me and hit me as one of those raw kind of books. Maybe not beautiful, and maybe not gritty, but somewhere in-between. It's one of those books that you can sort of understand, not on a fictional level, but in the message the author was trying to send. But oh, it was so not worth the read. 

But, ermm, if I may offer a sort of snarky version of this review? (I restrained. I'm sorry. But)

Okay, I really wanted to punch all the characters so many times for being idiotic, drug addicts, and so demeaning, especially the guys. It made me want to throw a brick at something, preferably something glass. So the way it was written was sometime pretty, and it did give a raw message, but still. The characters? The plot? Eh. Also, hello? Can we please get some closure? I possibly hate this, and sort of like it because of the rawness. I think. My feelings are mixed. So mixed. But seriously. Lots of drinking, mostly sex, lots of objectifying, and a lot a lot a lot of anti-feminism/females-are-only-good-for-certain-ahem-things.

Pages: 256

Genre: Supernatural

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: May 21, 2013

Rating: Uh. No.

Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Goodreads Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli’s dream comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Haha, remember how excited I was for this? So much that I sent in an ARC request the DAY the cover was released? And then I put Nightmare Affair TWICE without knowing? Yeah.

The Nightmare Affair definitely lived up to my expectations!

I loved Dusty! She was such a smart alack and I loved her recklessness! Most of the time! As fiery as her red hair, Dusty was definitely one of those headstrong characters you just had to love--those she does act impulsively often. But she definitely made up for it with her wisecrack jokes that made me LOL (no seriously.)

But, my favorite character by far, was Selene. And no, not just because I ALWAYS wanted to change my name to that. She was a Siren who was against the "objectification of sirens as sex objects" which was so AMAZING. I loved her! Seriously. 

The romance was seriously amazing. It wasn't slow at all and you could just feel it coming! Not to mention, Eli was perfect for a YA love interest! Though he did have his moments. You know when you want to shove two people who you KNOW like each other, but won't admit it, together? Yeah. It definitely made things interesting though! And made for some hilarious moments.

The plot was a bit predictable though, and I desperately wanted to point out the obvious to Dusty. She seemed to have a habit of trusting the wrong people. Although, admittedly, I wasn't even close to discovering who the biggest antagonist was. I was too caught up in...other things.

The first half of Nightmare Affair was a bit slower than I'd expected, but still enjoyable! We learn about the world of the paranormal and it was so much better than typical werewolves and vampires, faeries, and the regular ones. Mindee Arnett manages to mention Sirens, Psychics, Wizards, Hags, Faeries, Mermaids, Demons, and more! I loved the world she created with the world split into 3 different magickinds based on how they get their power--it was fascinating to learn! The author manages to twist the usual typical paranormal school/camp and turn it into something original which, by the way, is super hard to do considering all those books! Not to mention--hello? Nightmares?

Absolutely, I'd recommend this for fans of the Shadow Falls and the Hex Hall Series! The Nightmare Affair is a perfect read for readers who are looking for an original paranormal mystery and it definitely has me waiting for the next one! (I promise that's not just because of Eli and Dusty though.)

Pages: 367

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Arkwell Academy #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: MArch 5, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->4 stars