How to Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller

Goodreads Blurb

A meth dealer. A prostitute. A serial killer.
Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.
Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?

How to Lead a Life of Crime surprised me. In all honesty, I was anxious to read this, but I definitely didn't expect anything so conniving!
This book was...wow. A bit of romance, a bit of acting, a bit of betrayal, a bit of sacrifice, a bit of lying, a bit of stealing...well, a bit of everything really! Even a little scientific theory that this entire plot is based on.


There's really no good place to start this review. But let's start with the originality of How to Lead a Life of Crime, because I love its idea. The way Miller pulled this idea off was stunning and original with an engaging plot that captivates you from the first theft. There's a lack of original plots in the YA market, so the fact that I haven't read anything like this is definitely a shock in itself!

Because of the unique idea, the plot ultimately had me twisted in knots. I couldn't predict anything, and these characters' actions were so unpredictable and cold. My heart was beating furiously and if a fire was burning down my house, I don't think I'd really notice; I'd be too busy trying to figure everything out! There were so many complexities, and no question was left unanswered. There was a cause and affect for everything that happened and nothing happened for no reason: that's what happens when you deal with socio/psychopaths.

The characters...I can't even describe how manipulative, cruel, and calculating they were. Miller created the perfect criminals and they were terrifying. They made you realize just how deceiving and cruel criminals could be, and how some criminals may just be pretending to be as cold. The characters weren't lovable, but they were amazing and seemed real, albeit a bit intimidating. Flick, our narrator who had a great, compelling voice, was smart and sneaky, but not necessarily cruel—just desperate, in the way that a lot of people are capable of. He brought a lot of dry humor into the story and was a strong believer in sarcasm which made me smirk, despite of whatever situation he was currently in. However, Joi was by far my favorite character. Her abilities were shocking, to say the least. She could see what Flick couldn't and knew what was wrong and what was right and, unlike many other characters, acted on those instincts.

What was beyond different with How to Lead a Life of Crime was that enemies were allies, allies were enemies, and you never knew whether a friend was a real one or one who'd stab you straight in the back. It was a game of cat and mouse, but you never knew who was in what role. And, while fictional (for all we know!), there's something about this book that just makes you realize just how evil the world can be and how the people we look up to, how almost everyone, has a secret they're willing to kill for. 


Pages: 358
Genre: Thriller/Action
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Razorbill
Release: Feb. 21, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

Senshi by Cole Gibson

Goodreads Blurb

After learning she is a reincarnated samurai, nearly getting killed (several times), and reuniting with a past-life soul mate, Rileigh Martin decides to put her warrior life on hold to focus on her senior year of high school. But a reincarnated kunoichi (female ninja) has other plans--including destroying the world if Rileigh doesn't stop her! When evil ninja assailants nearly kill Rileigh and kidnap her best friend Quentin, she must choose between saving the world and saving him. Rileigh's only ally in this impossible quest: the spirit of a man who killed her in a past life.

if you've been with me for a while, you know that I absolutely loved Katana, so when I hear that book 2 was on NetGalley? Of course I rushed to get it! I admit, I had my doubts. Would it go through the Sequel Syndrome? Here's the answer: It really didn't. Senshi was just as intriguing and hilarious as Katana and I loved every page of it!

Rileigh (or as I like to call her, Riley) is probably somewhere in my Top 10 Heroines list somewhere! She's hilarious to the nth and she has some seriously awesome comebacks. I'm pretty sure she can shock anyone into speechlessness! I loved her sassiness and how she could make light of most situations. But at the same time, she was more than just a girl who knew words. There are tons of things in Katana that I think would've broken her, but she stayed strong. Poised at the edge, but still strong. I'm extremely glad to say that Rileigh hasn't changed a bit since Katana!

The romance. Heh, that was about half the plot and instead of being annoyed by it like I usually would, I kept waiting for more of the romance bits to show through the actual plot. Not that it wasn't good! But in Senshi, Sumi (you remember her?) has awakened and she turns out to be Yoshido's old fiance, the one who supposedly died before he met Senshi. Things got even more complicated when Kim says that he's honor bound to Sumi and can't see Rileigh anymore. And when I say complicated? I meant heartbreaking. There were so many times when I could literally feel a pang in my chest and I wanted to strangle Sumi for doing this to Kim and Rileigh. If she were real...

Plot-wise, can any story with samurai in it be boring? Definitely not. Senshi was filled with ninja attacks, brainwashing, new concepts (Healers and soul mates) discovered and it was just so fun! I actually read this, entirely on the computer, in less than 3 hours. Of course, that has something to do with how fast paced Senshi was. And I loved it! Ri was a seriously awesome fighter and I, personally, love reading detailed fights. I know, I'm weird! 

If you felt a bit iffy about Katana, I'd still give Senshi a try! and if you just haven't read Katana...READ IT! It was one of my favorite books of the old year, and you know you can't resist the Nikki Puppy Dog eyes. Please? I can promise that it'll be sassy, fun, and insanely filled with action! 

Pages: 408
Series: Katana #2
Genre: Fantasy(?)/Romance
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: March 8, 2013
Rating: 5 stars

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

Ummm so I broke the last laptop. My mom broke mine and heroes desktop so I used hers and broke it. Smart eh? So I'm now posting everything via iPad, which YOU GUYS, takes foreeeevvvveeeerrrrr.

also it means no pictures. Ever. Until I get a new laptop...

So I got mainly ebooks this week, and some pretty EPIC ones. I'm missing a whole bunch o packages and I have no idea where they are. It's been 2 months for Summer Prince and That Time I Joined the Circus and I'm missing a few others. I'M GETTING WORRIED.

Anyways

Edelweiss
Life After Theft by Apprilyne Pike
Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
Born of Illusion by Teri Brown
End Games by T. Michael Martin
Severed Heads, Borken Hearts by Robyn Schneider
Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon

Blog Tour
The Collector by Victoria Scott

SQUEEEE. IM SO EXCITED FOR ALL THESE BOOKS. I finished 2 of the ebooks and WOW. That's all I can really say! So excited for all of these!


Weekly Recap
Bruised by Sarah Skilton
Hysteria by Megan Miranda
Waiting on Wednesday
Hooked by Liz Firchera
Legacy of the Clockwork Key by Kristin Bailey

Blog Tour: Legacy of the Clockwork Key

It's been a while since I've done a blog tour!

Goodreads Blurb

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.
Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy. 

I had very, very mixed feelings about Legacy of the Clockwork Key! As much as I wanted to love it, I couldn't really get into it until we're well into it--about halfway maybe?

My biggest issues with the book: the main character and the romance. 

But in order to understand why Meg was such a big issue, I'll start with the romance: It was basically insta-love at it's finest. Will is supposed to be cold and dangerous, but somehow he warms up to Meg almost immediately and suddenly he's risking almost everything for her--after knowing her for only two weeks. That's where I started to cringe a bit. And then, suddenly, Will is using the l-word after one kiss, and maybe three weeks of knowing her, tops. When done right, I'll fall in love with the romance, but the way it was written just irked me.

Bringing me to Meg. She was...well. She acted like a DID (Damsel in Distress) throughout the first 75% of the book until suddenly becoming a half-decent character. She's described as clever and witty, but in all honesty, it felt like she was more reliant and dependent than anything else. She was so easy to trust someone and maybe that's okay, but what definitely annoyed me was how she was (mostly) always right: she would get a "bad feeling" about this character and then "In my heart, I knew(...)", etc. She trusted basic strangers when there was a murderer out there! What's also annoying is that she almost killed herself, Lucinda, and Will because she was jealous and wanted to prove something--then had the nerve to say it wasn't her fault! Oh, my rage monster is rising!

But this was a clever book at least. One clue led to another and I was surprised by how complicated these machines seemed to be--and how familiar others were. Night vision goggles, a hidden passage behind a bookshelf, and a few others were invented--a century before though! The Amusementists were definitely clever people and I loved how Meg's grandfather laid out clues so nicely--and convenient. Her grandfather really thought of everything! 

I loved the dialect that was so convincing. It definitely felt like I was back in the Victorian era and I loved seeing all these plot twists just jump out at you. The ending was what really shocked me even though I'm pretty sure I should've expected it. It's a fantastic book that's creative in the most subtle ways.

I'd recommend this for people who are just getting into steampunk since it introduces you to the world nicely (this is probably only my second steampunk book!) and isn't as confusing as some of the steampunks sound! 

Pages: 403

Genre: Steampunk

Series: Secret Order of Modern Amusements #1

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 2.5--->3 stars

Author Bio

Kristin Bailey grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. As a kid she enjoyed visiting the beach, camping and skiing with her two brothers. 

Now she is a military wife and mother of two young children. She is also terrible about spoiling her pets. She has one fluffy mutt, two cats who think they own the world, and a fish tank with some really plump little fish and a pair of snails who are secretly ninja assassins. 
In the course of her adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, balloon artist, and substitute teacher. Now she enjoys writing books for teens who enjoy mystery and adventure as much as she does. 

Find Her
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hooked by Liz Fichera

Goodreads Blurb

HE said: Fred Oday is a girl? Why is a girl taking my best friends spot on the boy's varsity golf team?
SHE said: Can I seriously do this? Can I join the boys' team? Everyone will hate me - especially Ryan Berenger.
HE said: Coach expects me to partner with Fred on the green? That is crazy bad. Fred's got to go - especially now that I can't get her out of my head. So not happening.
SHE said: Ryan can be nice, when he's not being a jerk. Like the time he carried my golf bag. But the girl from the rez and the spoiled rich boy from the suburbs? So not happening.
But there's no denying that things are happening as the girl with the killer swing takes on the boy with the killer smile...

Meh. That's really all I can say. The beginning had me pretty pissed off, and, if you followed me on twitter when I read this (in December...according to Goodreads, Dec 17), you would see my tweets about my irritation at how cliche this was, how racist and sexist it seemed (I know, I know, that's the point, but still. Irritation? Plus, I have friends in the US who have friends on the "rez". Doesn't sound very accurate...maybe?) and how perfect Ryan seemed. It was just...meh. Not to say it wasn't good! I'd read an insanely good book right before starting this, so I think it just raised my standards!

Bad things first, like usual:
Ryan seemed like a perfect guy, and, as someone pointed out on Twitter, looks like a human Ken doll according to the cover. So he was just a bit messed up in the beginning, but there were only really 2 or 3 incidents where he didn't seem perfect, or, as perfect as a literary character gets. I mean, he was rich, his family was a bit broken, he was dating possibly the most popular girl in school, he was the best on the team (until Fred came), etc. and as much as I hate to admit it, he was pretty much the epitome of perfection. And...it really bothered me. I love real characters and if you haven't caught that by now...well, then.

Also, how does golf make you popular? At least, in my area, only football and basketball raise your social status here. Is it different somewhere else? Anyone? Curiosity calls!

I wanted to smack a lot of these characters' heads, no joke. Fred was so optimistic and judging sometimes, that I wanted to shake her. Seth (Ryan's best friend) was so racist and sexist, I wanted to run him over with a car, and Ryan was so hurtful sometimes, he's the only one I actually wanted to smack. Not to sound rude. I mean, besides these it was a pretty decent book, of course!

So what was good?

The romance. It was cliche (the outcast with the popular?) but I do enjoy fluffs! Also? those hate/love relationships make me giddy and squee, and even though it's cheesy, I always love when a guy rescues a girl. Even though sometimes, if it's done wrong, I hate the girl looking like a DID (Damsel in Distress). But in this case, Fred was good enough! In the end, I did love her.

It was unique in the way of backgrounds and I didn't have a problem with it--what I did have a problem with was how prejudiced the characters were! But I loved how they were so different, but so alike, and it made sense to me that'd they'd fall in love. Even if I was a bit indifferent at first.
And I did like how Fred felt--lost and alone, but determined to do what she loved. THAT'S the kind of character I'm talking 'bout!

Hooked was a book I was excited about, but definitely fell flat of m y expectations. It was okay--just not one I really liked or loved. It went uphill in the second half, but by then, my interest was barely there and the only thing keeping me reading was the review I'd be writing. Thankfully, I did finish, and I did enjoy the ending which wrapped up the book perfectly!

Pages: 368
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Standalone
Publisher: HarlequinTEEN
Release Date: Jan 31, 2013
Rating: 2.5 stars (exactly)

Waiting on Wednesday

Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

Elizabeth Caldwell has perfected the art of pretending to feel emotion, but it’s always a lie. After a near-fatal car accident when she was a small child, Elizabeth lost the ability to feel any emotion, but along with that loss she gained bizarre abilities: she can see the personified Emotions she cannot feel. Fury, Resentment, Longing—they’ve all given up on her, because she doesn't succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one. Fear. He’s consumed by the mystery of Elizabeth’s past, consumed by her.

And then there are Elizabeth's cryptic, recurring dreams, in which there’s always love, and there’s always death. Haunted by these dreams, Elizabeth paints them, knowing that they somehow hold the key to the mystery of her past. 

But a shadowy menace is stalking Elizabeth. Her survival depends on uncovering the truth about herself. And when it matters most, she won’t be able to rely on Fear to save her.

This is long, long overdue. I totally utterly fell in love with the cover, the creepiness of it all! But what honestly got me? The emotions personified thing. This sounds totally original, totally creepy, and just amazing! Flux also happens to produce some of my favorite books so this is high on my priority list! Sounds SO GOOD.