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

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

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Goodreads Blurb

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.
In Walking Disaster, the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.
Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

Okay, so after my review of Beautiful Disaster, I'm not quite sure why I was so desperate to read this, or why I requested. I guess it was the "addictive" part! And yet, what I happened to like reading in Beautiful Disaster seemed to be completely gone in Walking Disaster.

So, I don't want to be mean, but Walking Disaster was so cheesy and so cliché. I cringed so much and had to roll my eyes. In the prologue, Travis is a little boy and his mom's dying. And her final words to her son? "Fight for what you love." and then he's told "she will always be with you, even if you can't see her." I guess that could be sweet, but it's just so overused and it was basically that. There was no originality, honestly, in this book (in the prologue and in general.)

Walking Disaster was, for me, more of a highlight of why Beautiful Disaster was so awkward for me. I always felt like Travis was a bit crazy, and seeing the story from his point of view pretty much confirmed it. He was such a horrible person and their relationship was definitely more dysfunctional in this version than the other. Travis had so many anger issues and it was so frustrating. I mean, I'd like my boyfriend to get a little jealous, but punching a guy who was just talking? I can see why Abby got angry at him. But Travis saw absolutely nothing wrong with his actions, which made me want to slam my face into my table a few times. I hate to be so snarky, but...

Anyways. Something I seemed to forget about Beautiful Disaster was how indecisive Abby was. She'd argue with him, yell at him, and then do a few dirty things with him. Awkward. I really couldn't get used to that at all and it was a bit disturbing. Meep.

So I'm really not a fan of this series, but if you are I guess you'd enjoy it. It was...huh. I have no words to describe it in it's fullness. Well, I really wouldn't recommend the series, though you may like it if you're into the whole break up thing. Similar books? I can only think Crash by Nicole Williams!  

Pages: 448
Genre: Contemporary/New Adult
Series: Beautiful #2
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Rating: 1.5--->1 star

Bruised by Sarah Skilton

Goodreads Blurb

When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else -- more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world -- full of dark humor and hard truths.

Oh my GOSH! Abrams publishes some of the best books, EVER.

Bruised definitely surprised me! At first I thought this would mainly be Imogen going through work and school, being comforted by friends, feeling numb, having a steamy romance, but it was so much more to my surprise!

This book, I think, is more about relationships and accepting that no one can change the past. It's about realizing your own strengths and weaknesses, and I don't thin I could describe it any other way! It was definitely a heartfelt novel that tugged at some strings. I didn't cry, but throughout the second half of the book, when things get deeper and darker, the entire time, tears were pushing to get out.

The number one thing about this book are the relationships between Imogen and all these characters. There was Hunter, her mom, her dad, Ricky, Shelly, Hannah, DJ, and so many other secondary characters. I really can't explain it but something about the way that these relationships were...they just managed to get to you! The ones that I felt stood out the most?  Hunter who didn't seem to know why his sister hated him and I did sympathize with him, but Imogen definitely had a reason to be pissed at him; her dad who was trying to do his best, and loved Imogen, who just missed the guy her dad USED to be--before diabetes, before it looked like he gave up; DJ, who left Imogen alone when she needed a friend the most. I can actually relate to this and can definitely say a friend like that? They don't DESERVE to be my friend and I loved Imogen for still fighting to stay strong.

Just wanted to give you a glimpse. :)

Now, the romance aspect of this honestly wasn't important. It was the finding someone who understood that was significant. And I loved Ricky! He was sweet and had his cute flaws (like laughing when he's nervous! Which isn't a flaw, but I still had to mention) and he put up with Imogen. Even when she punched him straight in the face. Ouch. He was honestly the perfect guy for Imogen! Talk about a match made in heaven!
As for Imogen herself, she was definitely one of those lovable flawed characters who still annoyed you sometimes. But hey, my friends annoy me sometimes but I still love em!

Throughout the book, Imogen struggles to not only come to terms that the gunman died, but also that she can't remember anything, and seems to think she and Ricky hid under the tables the entire night.
SPOILER.
That's not what happened.
But Imogen is definitely one of those strong heroines in a totally different way. She's out to prove herself and throughout the book, we see little bits and pieces of what made her her, and why she feels this way. The way that this is written is unbelievable because it somehow helps you connect with the plot more.

Like I said up top, this book gets a lot deeper and sadder in the second part of it. Something just sparks this hopelessness and it makes everything so much more raw. The first half isn't bad, but it doesn't seem as serious as the second half. (But when they say dark humor, they mean dark humor.)

Did any of this ramble make sense? Prrrooobbaaabbllyyy not. But here's the entire thing in short:
Read the book, buy the book. It's incredibly well written and I think everyone should read it, or at least understand what Imogen is going through. It's a hearbreaking book that you will absolutely love!

Also, ABRAMS publishes some of my favorite books.
*Just want to clarify that my love of this and for ABRAMS is not because they sent me free copies of books. They seriously publish good stuff. SPLINTERED and THE STORYTELLER, anyone?*

Pages: 288
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Rating: 4.5--->4 stars

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton

Goodreads Blurb

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?
Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

What I Liked

There were so many things I loved about What Happens Next but the one that stood out the most? It dealt with real problems, real insecurities, and real people. Our characters weren’t perfect—they were far from it, in fact. They weren’t gorgeous-but-didn’t-know-it. They just…weren’t gorgeous. And you guys, that is such a relief. Cassidy goes through real-life situations, ones that almost anybody can go through. It was…heartwarming and heartbreaking. Even Corey, our love interest isn’t perfect or liked. He isn’t the stereotype bad boy, cocky and handsome with a dark side. He’s sweet and even if he does deal in drugs…well, he has a good reason to. He wasn’t insanely hot either and he was far from cocky. He was just the outcast who had a few secrets of his own. That’s what I loved about him. His non-stereotypicalness. Which I totally just made up on the spot!

Pacing? It wasn’t too fast or too awkward—one problem after another. It flowed well and it wasn’t too crazy. One thing lead to another and even when some things surprised me, I realized that it really didn’t. I knew it was going to happen somehow. It’s one of those amazing books that don’t need a giant plot twist to make it good. I can’t explain why it was so good. It’s just…impossible! But it was just amazing the way it was written and all

What I Didn’t Like

The main character. I mean, she wasn’t annoying or anything, but she was a bit…not smart. I mean…going to a party with a guy who she barely met who’s older and already seems obsessed….ermmm…no. And when it turns out that no one is really there and letting him get you a drink? It’s just asking for trouble. Other than that I really don’t have many complaints. It was just great otherwise!

Pages: 320

Series:Standalone

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: October 9

Rating: 4 stars

 

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

Goodreads Blurb

Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven’t actually gone anywhere. Her former best friend is still around, as is her first boyfriend…and he’s much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses and the Edwards become more of a family, they’re more aware than ever that they’re battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance—with family, with friends, and with love.

You know, just as a warning: When you reach the last half, I advise you to grab a tissue or two (or three, or four, or—you know what? Just take the entire box.) Seriously. You’re going to need it. If there’s one word to describe Second Chance Summer, it’s heartbreaking.

Can I say heartbreaking again? Yes? Ok, it was completely, utterly heartbreaking. All these things were happening and you keep thinking “he’ll be okay. He won’t die. HEA right?” but I’m spoiling this now: it’s not a Happy Ever After ending no matter how much you want it to. It was just inevitable but somehow you ignore the oncoming tragedy with the romance, the friendship, and all things inbetween. But when it does happen, it strikes you completely unaware, even when you know it’s happening in the next chapter. It’s this dreaded feeling that builds up in you and when it happens…agh! A book filled with second chances, I loveloveloved it!

Second Chance Summer seemed more like an insanely descriptive diary rather than a book, and that’s a good thing. Actions seemed so real, not far-fetched. Reactions were probable and the characters reminded me of what my friends would’ve done if I had slighted them like that. Characters seemed real. I haven’t read Matson’s debut, but you can bet I will after reading Second Chance Summer!

As sad as it is, Second Chance Summer is definitely a great Summer-ends read. Not one you want to read at the beginning of summer, but definitely one that will end your summer with a bang. Seriously guys. Y’all have to read this!

Pages: 468

Series: Stand-alone

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Release Date: May 8, 2012

Rating: 5 stars

"Standing across from me, five years older, all grown up, and much cuer han I remembered him being, was Henry Cosby."