Gated by Amy Christine Parker

Goodreads Blurb

Do the gates keep the unchosen out or the chosen in?
In Mandrodage Meadows, life seems perfect. The members of this isolated suburban community have thrived under Pioneer, the charismatic leader who saved them from their sad, damaged lives. Lyla Hamilton and her parents are original members of the flock. They moved here following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, looking to escape the evil in the world. Now seventeen, Lyla knows certain facts are not to be questioned:
Pioneer is her leader.
Will is her Intended.
The end of the world is near.
Like Noah before him, Pioneer has been told of the imminent destruction of humanity. He says his chosen must arm themselves to fight off the unchosen people, who will surely seek refuge in the compound's underground fortress--the Silo.
Lyla loves her family and friends, but given the choice, she prefers painting to target practice. And lately she'd rather think about a certain boy outside the compound than plan for married life in the Silo with Will. But with the end of days drawing near, she will have to pick up a gun, take a side, and let everyone know where she stands.

Gated was an absolutely fascinating read with an original concept and an absolutely brilliant villain!

Cults are always a fascinating thing, but I doubt we ever understand why they're so...crazy sometimes. Gated definitely gives us a first class look in on cults! Pioneer was an amazing villain and he was so suave with his manipulation and, honestly, I'm not quite sure if he was a psycho and really believed what he was saying...or if he was just a really good actor. But he was by far the most interesting part of Gated!

My only complaints was the romance and the plot. While there were a ton of twists, they were really just clumped in the end. The first half of the story was pretty slow, though it gave us an amazing look into Lyla's life and Pioneer's...methods. And, while sometimes I wanted to bang my head on a wall, I could definitely understand why these characters did what they did.

The romance was insta-love, definitely (and sadly.) My only relief about it is that, while it was completely insta-love, it didn't play a major major roll in the plot. We never really focused on it and Cole (our boy outside) was only mentioned a few times, really.

I really did adore this book though. It was a new idea and was definitely written well, I think, for someone who never got involved with a cult (err...I hope.) It was definitely a new perspective seeing this from the inside out! I sort of expected this to be apocalyptic and it definitely had a dystopian feel to it. I have to give it to Parker--she definitely knows how to make something like this creepy! (Those lasting words in the end...oh God. The shudders.)

Different with just the right touch of chilling, Gated is a must read for people who love dystopians and those who love those wonderfully written and different contemporaries!

Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary/Cult
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Random House Children's
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Rating: 3.5 stars

Parallel by Lauren Miller

Goodreads Blurb

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

Oh my God. That ending.

Parallel really surprised me with it's...thoroughness I guess. The worldbuilding/science of this was absolutely wonderful and well thought out. Miller obviously did her research, making this book so much more real, an added bonus with the contemporary feel this book had! And while it was confusing at times, it definitely helped explain a lot and the book so much more interesting, knowing why this or that was happening.

I really did love how we would switch between Parallel Abby and "Real" Abby throughout chapters, though I think it would've been just as amazing without the Parallel Abby parts! They were obviously completely different people, yet so similar. I was always guessing what Parallel Abby's actions were going to affect and my gut clenched every time she did something I knew would do something! It was really like reading two different scenarios, all stemming from one point--it was fascinating and completely well done.

The romance was definitely...interesting. While our love interests were decidedly different, they were also...similar...yeah, I don't make sense. But I definitely chose a team and did not like who Abby picked. Sure, he was sweet, but I liked the other guy so much better!
One of the other major romances was Caitlin (the BFF) and Tyler (the other BFF!). I felt like they were way too adorable with each other and honestly would love to get a story on their relationship!

And I loved our characters too--okay, maybe not Parallel Abby. She was so different from "Real" Abby , though it may just have been the situation. "Real" Abby was so headstrong and honest, and I loved how much she trusted Caitlin and how she wasn't dumb enough to figure it out on her own, like some YA characters. She knew she needed help, and she knew where to go--something that will always score brownie points.
Caitlin was an amazing BFF and absolutely lovable, in my opinion. Smart girls? Totally kickass. Like, seriously. She was kickass.

The plot was absolutely mindblowing. While it's a bit slow at first, it quickly speeds up and, strangely, made me tear up. I don't even know! There were so many things that made me cringe in expectation and honestly, scared me a bit! And the ending. Don't even get me started. That was...oh my GOD. I can't even. Just leave me alone in a corner to cry bittersweetly.

Dealing with the universal question of "What if" and touching on topics like soulmates and parallel worlds, Parallel is an absolute must read that I would love to shove in your face  honest-to-God think everyone should read. Absolutely mind bending, wonderful, and beautiful, Parallel is going to twist your perspective on life and the choices you make everyday.

Pages: 419
Genre: Sci-fi
Series: Standalone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

Linked by Imogen Howson

Goodreads Blurb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Slated by Teri Terry

Goodreads Blurb

Kyla has been Slated—her memory and personality erased as punishment for committing a crime she can’t remember. The government has taught her how to walk and talk again, given her a new identity and a new family, and told her to be grateful for this second chance that she doesn’t deserve. It’s also her last chance—because they’ll be watching to make sure she plays by their rules.

As Kyla adjusts to her new life, she’s plagued by fear. Who is she, really? And if only criminals are slated, why are so many innocent people disappearing? Kyla is torn between the need to know more and her instinct for self-preservation. She knows a dangerous game is being played with her life, and she can’t let anyone see her make the wrong move . . . but who can she trust when everyone is a stranger?

I have to say, as much as I liked Slated, I was definitely a bit disappointed too. With all the great reviews out there, I feel like the black sheep in all honesty! But as much as I tried to love it, it just face-planted a few feet from my expectations.  

While I was instantly captured at first, I found that Slated was a bit too slow for me and I quickly lost interest. I enjoyed learning about this world, of course, but it was just...how do I explain. It dealt more along the lines of how Kyla adjusted to the world (and being different than different) rather than having a captivating action packed plot which is honestly what I'd expected. It was a bit boring seeing a girl adjust to school and while there were many moments of excitement, they were brief (about one or two pages). I felt like you could condense all the exciting parts of this book from a 300+ book to a barely 250 and still gain as much...thrill, I guess.

The romance was super cheesy and I didn't really like Ben, our love interest. He was somehow perfect, even if he didn't really have his own mind. He didn't seem to have any depth to him whatsoever and their relationship in general didn't seem to be well written. They run together, they're both Slated--so they both fall in love? I honestly couldn't believe it, no matter how much I was hoping I'd end up liking Ben.

 I did love how a reader could have absolutely no idea who to trust. One moment I'd think we could trust Amy, then I feel like she'd betray Kyla like that, then back to thinking we can trust her. Then the same to her "Mum", her "Dad", Ben, Aiden, Jazz, all of them. Who to trust, who to trust? If you could forget everything/die just for trusting the wrong person...well, that's a lot of pressure! I was nervous throughout most of the book, wondering who we could trust and who would betray Kyla in a second. 

Pages: 352

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Slated #1

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Release Date: January 24, 2013

Rating 2.5-->3 stars