A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

Goodreads Blurb
Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

While I'd enjoyed Something Strange and Deadly, I wasn't exactly fangirling crazily about it. But, you guys, I think I just fell in love with the series.

The writing is enthralling and captures the atmosphere brilliantly. The world is vividly described and wonderfully imagined and you can't help but be drawn into this steampunk-ish zombie-filled world! The worldbuilding is absolutely genius and incredibly creative. We delve more into the paranormal aspect of the world than we did in Something Strange, and I loved learning more about Eleanor's necromancy powers and about the "spirit realm".

The plot was completely unpredictable for me and I had no clue what was going to happen next! I was shocked one chapter after another and absolutely giddy with excitement. I finished this in just under two hours in the middle of the night (and no it wasn't a good idea) and almost immediately wished for the third book. Because the ending? Oh my God. 

My heart absolutely ached for Eleanor, but I couldn't help but become a little irritated by her. I hated how much she kept hidden and how she seemed to trust Oliver more than she trusted the Spirit Hunters despite barely knowing Oliver. She lied to her friends a dozen times and I just wanted to shake her!
As for Oliver, I'm not quite sure if I love him or hate him. He's witty and I love how he seems to care for Eleanor, but at the same time, I love the Spirit Hunters and hated how much he despised them.

I absolutely love Daniel and I couldn't help but want to shove him and Eleanor together. I giggled at their interactions (or wanted to gasp and cry.) and wished that they would talk for a minute or two! The romance isn't a big part of the story, but there was enough in it that sated the romantic in me (and the fangirl besides.) And the last chapter? Well, let's just say my feelings erupted.

A Darkness Strange and Lovely is an absolutely breathtaking sequel to Something Strange and Deadly, and even more amazing than the first! It made me fall in love with the series and with Susan Dennard's work and you can bet I'm anxiously awaiting the third book!

Pages: 416

Genre: Steampunk/Paranormal

Series: Something Strange and Deadly #2

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: July 23, 2013

Rating: 4.5-->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

Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads Blurb

Kylie Galen's life hasn't been the same since her world was turned upside-down in Born at Midnight, Shadow Falls #1, and now an epic conclusion to her journey—not to mention a tough choice between two guys!—is brewing in Chosen at Nightfall:
When Kylie Galen left Shadow Falls, she thought it was the hardest decision of her life. Heartbroken and separated from everyone she loves, she has to embrace her abilities and what it means to be a chameleon. But as Kylie's journey comes to a close, she must return to the camp that started it all...and she must finally chose between the two boys who love her. The werewolf who broke her heart when he chose his pack over her, and the half-fae who ran from their intense attraction before they ever really had a chance. For Kylie, everything will finally be revealed and nothing will ever be the same.

For one of my well-liked series, this was a rather disappointing conclusion. 

We still have all of our gloriously hilarious and fun characters who I absolutely love to read about (Perry? My favorite character, ever.) and we meet a few (not many) new characters who I loved meeting! C.C. Hunter is wonderful with her characters and they're usually my favorite part of the books! Especially Kylie's fellow campmates and supernaturals!

Our love triangle was definitely done well in my opinion! I was so worried that Kylie would immediately forgive him once he showed his face, and I am unbelievably relieved that she didn't! If you've read my other reviews, I'm pretty sure you know how hard it was for me to choose a team on this, and I'll just say I was definitely happy with the outcome! (But seriously. Boy next door personality wise or bad boy turned sweet?)

Kylie's still talking to the ghosts and this time, we meet one who plays a rather...significant role in our final conclusion. I really love how C.C. Hunter always focused most of the plot on the new ghost, but this time, it was a bit of a bad point. 

As a final ending book, I expected most of our story to focus on stopping Mario and discovering more about Kylie's chameleon heritage, but we never really see him until maybe the last 50-100 pages or so. There wasn't as much tension as I'd expect considering, and I was definitely disappointed by that. 

Another thing was how *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* the entire thing ended in a HEA (Happily Ever After) where literally everyone ended up happy and didn't lose. It was basically a win/win/win/win/win/win situation. Everyone ended paired up and I was beyond frustrated by that. Not to mention the cheesy sayings which definitely had me groaning a bit. 

While Chosen at Nightfall wasn't completely horrible, it wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped and expected! I definitely recommend the series as a whole though! 

Pages:400

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Shadow Falls #5

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->3 stars

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Goodreads Blurb

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.
Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

Well, before I got into the book, I was a bit unsure. SURE, there were tons of great reviews, but I'm usually the black sheep. And maybe (possibly?) it was because I was expecting such great things from it at first, that I started worrying that it wouldn't meet any of my expectations.

But it did. It so did.

I can not tell you how lush the worldbuilding was! The Archive, The Narrows, Histories, Librarians, Keepers, and Crew, oh my! Everything that Victoria wrote was so vivid and fascinating that I immediately wanted to learn more about it! Which is another thing that I found unique about this book. Instead of info-dumping you (new reviewing word for me lol), you learn things slowly and gradually--enough to keep you intrigued and eager for one more nugget of information, but not so slowly that the happenings confuse you. 

The writing was also one of the highlights of The Archived. We change tenses every so often, from present to past, and it was fascinating to see how Mackenzie was trained and what she learned from Da. Not only that, but there was something about it that made you feel everything so clearly and in sync with Mac. Being transported to another world? That saying's never been more true!

This book was definitely filled with action and mystery. With a place like The Narrows and zombies like Histories, it's really not that surprising! But what happens definitely is. There's a panicked feeling when we find out what's happening in The Archive and a thrill of excitement when we're fighting Histories alongside Mac. And of course, a suspicious glance towards Owen. Who just appears like that?

Speaking of, characters. I absolutely loved Mackenzie! She had all the qualities of those heroines we love--headstrong, a bit stubborn, strong, and maybe a bit cold and alone. We all know those kind of characters make for a great story! But I'll admit, I really wanted Mac to warm up a bit to Wesley--in a more romantic sense I guess. Then again, that may have ruined the plot a little...so go you Victoria Schwab for making something I usually wouldn't like (lack of romance. What? I'm one of those sappy people) into something that enhanced the plot's greatness. ;)

By the way, Wesley. I lovelovelove Wesley. Seriously. If I ever have a boyfriend, I want him like that. Except, no guyliner. Wesley was hilarious and added a comic relief to this otherwise dark story and I loved his scenes! He made me laugh every time he was present and always managed to irk Mackenzie in an adorable fashion! Throughout the book I really did want to shove them together and chant kiss!

I never trusted Owen in the first place. NEVER.

The last thing: This is possibly the first time I teared up in a paranormal novel! It was heartbreaking, how much Mac loved her little brother and how much she was willing to risk. And then, near the end...well, I can't spoil that, now can I?

Pages: 321

Genre: Supernatural/Fantasy

Series: The Archived #1

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: Jan 22, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

Blog Tour: Undeadly by Michele Vail (Review)

Eep! I just adore this book, really! I'm so glad to be a part of this blog tour! Today's stop is a review and I'm more than happy to share my thoughts on Undeadly!

Goodreads Blurb

The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...
Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.
Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

The number one thing I absolutely loved about Undeadly? The world-building! In a parallel world, zombies are a usual sight, SEERs are things almost everyone has, and reapers are almost common! And all because of the battle between the Egyptian gods, Anubis and Set. The way that things were explained actually made sense (Which, trust me, is hard when you add grim reapers with Egyptian mythology) and I admit, it did bombard me with information in the beginning so I had a hard time keeping track of everything, but after a few chapters you start to understand it. Besides that, I had so much fun discovering this world where Egyptian gods were real and hey, it looks like a certain reaper is starting to fall for the champion, Chosen, and child_of Anubis. Huh.

Speaking of, the romance! The romance was…weird to say the least. I mean there was Rick, Molly’s crush from when she was 15, turning 16 and there was Rath. Either way the romance was pretty awkward. I mean, no this isn’t a spoiler by the way, Molly barely knew Rick and she brought him back to life, not finding it weird at all that Rick traveled all the way to her new private school (for reapers) and seems to be so madly in love and obsessive. Because that’s so normal right? As for Rath, I thought it was a bit forced. They didn’t actually get to know each other and yet they’re starting to “like like” each other?

Plot? LOVED. It was fast-paced and everything that happened wasn’t just for the heck of it. There were actually a lot of things that I could predict and while there weren’t many giant plot twists, the few there were…ugh. I think my jaw became unhinged! Shocking and out-of-the-blue? Understatement for sure. I think I reread a few things. You know, just to make sure that I wasn’t hallucinating!

Undeadly was a kick-butt sassy read that was so insanely fun and exciting! It’s definitely one to read especially for Egyptian myth/ Zombie/ Ghost/ Action lovers! Despite the romance, Undeadly was an amazing read that you’ll love! The voice actually, for once in YA, sounded like a teen’s thoughts! Trust me, that’s a pretty hard feat! Full of quips and soul-snatching (read it and find out) Undeadly is one you should definitely get your hands on!



Author Bio

Michele Vail writes young adult paranormal fiction about zombies and reapers.
She likes reading, dogs, cats, board games, ghost-hunting shows, and Halloween. She believes in magic, in the impossible, and in the restorative powers of chocolate.
Michele lives happily-ever-after with her Viking and their family.

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