Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pages: 305

Genre: Suspense/Drama

Series: Prep School Confidential #1

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 2.5

The Boy on the Bridge by Natalie Standiford

Goodreads Blurb

Laura Reid goes to Leningrad for a semester abroad as Cold War paranoia is peaking in 1982. She meets a young Russian artist named Alexei and soon, with Alexei as her guide, Laura immerses herself in the real Russia--a crazy world of wild parties, black-market books and music, and smuggled letters to dissidents. She must keep the relationship secret; associating with Americans is dangerous for Alexei, and if caught, Laura could be sent home and Alexei put under surveillance or worse. At the same time, she's been warned that Soviets often latch onto Americans in hopes of marrying them and thus escaping to the United States. But she knows Alexei loves her. Right?
As June approaches--when Laura must return to the United States--Alexei asks Laura to marry him. She's only nineteen and doesn't think she's ready to settle down. But what if Alexei is the love of her life? How can she leave him behind? If she has a chance to change his life, to rescue him from misery, shouldn't she take it?

Oh, I had such high hopes for The Boy on the Bridge. It sounded like something I would absolutely love and something that would break my heart at the same time. And while I did enjoy it, it just wasn't something I really loved. 

There was definitely something about the writing, though, that just captivated me. I was just drawn into this so-different world, both fascinated and horrified by the conditions of a 1982 Russia. Standiford does a wonderful job recreating the world with little seemingly insignificant details that make the writing stand out.
And the writing! It's simple yet beautiful in a way and just pulls you in more. It's an intriguing story that just makes you question everything.

Like did Alexei (or Aloysha) really love Laura? I was pondering that the entire story. It was undoubtedly suspicious, but I felt like he really did love her. On the other hand...well, like I said. It was suspicious. You have to love a love story you're unsure of!

But, the love story? It was sort of horrible. It was so rushed and pretty much insta-love. Laura risked so much for someone she barely knew and she snuck him into a foreigners-only place. When they'd only met twice before. It was ridiculous! Laura was so naive, saying Aloysha loved her after only a few meetings, when already, as Laura's best friend said "half our group are already half engaged" (or something like that. I did it from memory!). She stuck up for Aloysha when she should've been suspicious and just trusted him way too much. It was just really rushed and I hated how ignorant Laura was, how she just fell so quickly in love with just a few glances and meetings.

I couldn't really connect with Laura either. She was a bit of a flat character and we never get to really know her, and it didn't seem like Standiford understood her own character that well either.
I did love seeing the other characters and how the interacted with Russia and its locals. I enjoyed reading about Karen and Dan, Ninel and "Binky". They added a sense of humor to this book that was definitely needed.

All in all, The Boy on the Bridge wasn't a terrible read, but it wasn't the best either! I'd recommend trying it out, but it wouldn't be on the top of my list.

Pages: 256 

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

The Last Academy by Anne Applegate

Goodreads Blurb

What is this prep school preparing them for?
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? 

The Last Academy was...disappointing, let's say. I had such expectations because, a) the cover?GORGEOUS and b) it sounded absolutely mysterious and thrilling! But...it wasn't. Not really.

My first problem was that it was actually a bit boring and I couldn't finish after 2 weeks even though I typically finish a book in 3 days tops, 1 day usually. I couldn't get into the book, so, eventually, I skimmed maybe 25 pages in the last half. So I guess I didn't see the "She is suddenly plagued by odd memories" part. So unless I missed something in the first half (totally possible. I couldn't really get into it and forgot most stuff besides what's in my notes), there were only maybe 3 odd memory scenes--not really plagued by them.

And the insta-love. Oh my gosh, the insta-love. It annoyed me to heck and I was not happy. The romance was based on...what? Looks? They barely knew each other! It was like, a small crush, but the L word came out. I didn't understand. They went super fast as a couple, that's all I'm saying.

Ah. Characters. For me? They were a bit flat. I couldn't like them at all and, to me, Camden was annoying. She was so...stupid sometimes, so easily led! And, also, who talks to teachers like that? She pretty much said, to a teacher "You are a dork." except, she said it like "You two/guys are dorks to the level of ten" or something. Mmm...mmmm...no. But she was definitely witty. My favorite? "She usually seemed so...I dunno. Southern. It was like watching Scarlett O'Hara scratch her armpit."

This book really redeemed itself with it's complete originality, though it only really showed up at the end. The very end. I loved it and, honestly? I never would've expected it. How come I never expect these kind of plot twists?! I loved how it was explained and how everything clicked into place--it was the perfect ending! But things never really got interesting until well into the book--maybe two thirds in. The first two thirds? A bit typical high school except with a disappearance--and barely any snooping on Cam's part.

I wouldn't really recommend Last Academy, sadly. Loved the cover and the synopsis sounded thrilling! But it just fell way flat.

Pages: 320
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Point
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Rating: 2.5-->2 stars

Nameless by Lili St. Crow

Goodreads Blurb

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.
Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.
New York Times bestselling author Lili St. Crow thrilled legions of fans with her dark paranormal series Strange Angels. Now she has crafted an evocative update of Snow White, set in a vividly imagined world and populated by unforgettable new characters.

Nameless was so disappointing for me. It sounded absolutely fascinating and I imagined a stunning world filled with intrigue and danger. What I got was actually a pretty typical YA world with shoddy worldbuilding and not much originality. And that was actually one of the better parts.

The writing was super confusing and just horrible. It was all over the place and I was always confused as to what the HECK was going on. The sentences were awkward and choppy at best sometimes and I just wanted to take a red pen to the entire thing. The fact that it was written in third person made it even harder to connect to the story and the character. Then there are several elements mentioned, but we never really understand exactly what the Waste is, what Potential was and why it could be described, etc. We also never really learned much about the world.

Nameless was so slow too. I couldn't get into it at all and it was, as much as I hate to insult, pure willpower that made me finish the book. It didn't get interesting until at least 75% in and I also had only a vague understanding of what was going on.  The last 25% was rather enrapturing, but it didn't make up half of the negative stuff. It was also rather predictable.

Cami was a pretty emotionless character for me, but whiny and not that smart otherwise. She did the most stupid things sometimes and I wanted to whack her over the head. Our other characters weren't so good either, but her friends Ruby and Ellie definitely had more defined personalities than Cami. I also loved how Ruby was the Red Riding Hood in the story and Ellie was Cinderella. Well, I guess we know what the companion novels will be about (I think.)

The romance...was...I'm confused as to whether or not ___ had a romantic attraction because then it'd be incest, but I'm still unsure whether it was romantic or familial. Heh. 

Anyways, I'm on Team Nico (love triangle, yep. Annoying one too) because Tor was just so random. Cami just couldn't stop thinking about Tor, Tor showed up in the most random of places...it was all typical YA. Not to mention a betrayal. somewhere in the love triangle. A predictable one.

Also, what did the apples represent besides the fact that it was a Snow White retelling?

Pages: 304

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy

Series: A Tale of Beauty and Madness #1

Publisher: Razorbill 

Release Date: April 4, 2013

Rating: 1.5--->1

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

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Goodreads Blurb

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.
Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

Unremembered was a bit...weird for me. It's one of those books that was so sweet when you read it, but when you start thinking, it loses it's beauty. Which, I guess, is now a natural reaction after reviewing pretty much everything I read. I am now off topic.

So my initial thought after finishing was how amazing Unremembered was! The romance was beyond adorable, first of all! I loved their romance especially since Shakespeare happened to play a rather big role in it and that definitely scored brownie points! 

The plot was skillfully written so that little actually happened (well, compared to other books) through a short period of time, but you never get bored! It was hilarious when our main character didn't know some words, though, and I definitely loved it when we met new characters along the way! It was definitely a fun read that kept me reading! It was a bit typical sometimes, though, and was awfully predictable at times. 

The sci-fi was definitely light on this book, which I appreciated since it usually confuses me, but somehow it still managed to slightly confuse me and leave a ton of plot holes too. There were key pieces missing and most of our questions which I felt should've been answered, weren't. It was pretty disappointing since I really wanted to find out more about all the...stuff going on. 

In case you haven't noticed, this is possibly one of the most vague reviews ever. If I spoil one thing, I spoil everything.

But Unremembered was pretty typical. Evil company, a science project, forbidden, unexpected love, escaping...pretty typical. It sort of saddened me though, since the premise was so exciting and I love Jessica Brody's contemporary works! But even the tag line didn't really fit. "The only thing worse than forgetting her past...is remembering it." We never really got why remembering it was so bad. But that cliffhanger! Literally!

Pages: 320

Genre: Sci-fi

Series: Unremembered #1

Publisher: Farrar, Strauss, and Girroux BYR

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 2.5--->3