Waiting on Wednesday

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings

Your mind is not your own...

20-year-old Lindsay Cummings' debut novel, THE MURDER COMPLEX, is described as an action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birth rate, and follows Meadow Woodson, a 15-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, kill, and to survive in any situation, and Zephyr James, the orphaned boy she falls in love with, whose sole purpose is to keep her from discovering the haunting truth about her family, even if it puts them both in mortal danger.

How long have I been eyeing this? Oh, you know...not that long. Also, I'm just saying, since I preposted this in December, if there's a cover now...whoops! But I thought to go safe and chose a 2014!!! I LOVE the premise of this! It does sound a bit cliche...but come on. A 15 year old murderer? Trained by her FATHER?  Who else is desperate? *looks around* ANYONE?

Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Goodreads Blurb

He can grant her wishes, but only she can save his life.
Margo McKenna has a plan for just about everything, from landing the lead in her high school play to getting into a good college. So when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the chance to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Why should she put her life into someone else's hands?
But Oliver is more than just a genie -- he's also a sophomore at Margo's high school, and he's on the run from a murderer. As he and Margo grow closer, she discovers that it will take more than three wishes to save him.
A whole lot more.

Going into this, I had a lot of iffy feelings. I mean, genies? It sounded very...fluff like. And the cover didn't exactly make me scream want. Yeah, I'm a horrible person, judging a book by its cover. I'M SORRY. But I did end up loving it! Maybe not as much as I'd hoped, but it was still pretty good.

While adorable, the romance felt a bit...quick. Okay, not a bit. Margo kisses Oliver maybe after their fifth conversation, and was really only spurred on by the fact that he granted her wish. Not to mention Margo knew almost nothing about this guy except that he was a genie, and fell so quickly. Also, Oliver literally fell in love at first sight. After getting that initial bump, though, I loved the romance, which was so sweet (though it did have some quirks, and a few uncommon love quarrels!)

The plot was less exciting than I was hoping for. Oliver keeps hinting that  the assassin will show up soon, but he stays just one day, just two days, just five days more, before he hides from this killer. I have no words for the stupidity of that. When we do meet the killer, the plot wasn't really as exciting as I'd hoped. Sure, there were a few thrilling scenes, but they were few. There were no plot twists that really shocked me and the ending was fairly predictable, and it was...easy. There was almost no hesitation and that was...like I said, too easy.

I adored the originality of this book though. Ribar creates her own unique lore that I loved reading about and it was definitely one of the most fascinating kind of world building (fiction building?) I've seen! It was definitely different from djinn books I've read. Totally different from genies by the way. At least, the lore was.
But it was well built so that (good) genies could grant the wish that people MEANT instead of loopholing like the fey we know so well. If you read those.

I loved Oliver. He may have molded himself to Margo's image, but still. He was sweet and endearing, a little cocky at times, and an all around perfect love interest! Though there is this one part where we find out he's bi and Margo seems totally at ease. Go Margo! Though its sort of unlikely.
Margo was a bit petty at first, but slowly became a relatable character that was fun to read about! Her snark gave a humorous touch to the book, which I loved. She seemed a little flat to me, but it wasn't really that big a deal as it usually is, which was weird...

Pages: 314
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Series: Art of Wishing #1
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 21, 2013
Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

Taken by Erin Bowman

Goodreads Blurb

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.
They call it the Heist.
Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.
Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

I was so scared going into this book since some of my bloggy friends rated it less than 3 stars or just DNF'd it (I'm looking at you Eileen). On the other hand it sounded SO good and there were still a number of good reviews! And...me? I'm in the latter section!

I absolutely loved Taken! It was...well. I don't know how to explain it really! This book flew by and when I realized I was more than halfway through, I couldn't believe it! I thought I was maybe a quarter in at most...I have absolutely no idea how she did it, but Erin Bowman wrote a book that made me desperately dread the ending that was coming all to quickly.

My absolute favorite part of the book though, was definitely the first half of the book before *minor spoiler* Gray climbs over the wall. It was fascinating seeing how this society worked out--which, it turns out, was pretty surprising...(whatever am I saying?). What I do want to warn you about is that there's more to the story than what the synopsis above hints at. That's only half the story! The rest really does sound like your typical dystopian (lies fed by the government, rebellion, deaths...whoops! did I just spoil that? Nah...but now you know what to look out for!), but it was still different in a way I can't really...get. It was an aspect that I enjoyed, but it's actually really hard to pinpoint why!

Romance...hmmm, I honestly felt it could do a little better without the, you know, love triangle, but it honestly isn't that big an issue since the "other" seems to be there just as revenge and we don't really go in depth with it, but it could also be simply annoying since there's absolutely no development whatsoever. One of the girls doesn't seem interested, then all of a sudden loves Gray, then the second seems to be just...there.

My only other complaint for this was the worldbuilding--the biggest question, for me, was how did the Heists work? And how did Gray not realized something was up when he found out that all the Hesited boys....well. I can't spoil that.

This book was a fast paced book that, while I wouldn't call it "Action packed", had enough action to keep readers satisfied and reading! I could not put this down and read it in 2 sittings (i.e. 1 sitting with a half hour break to eat.), flipping page after page of amazing writing! While it was actually a bit predictable in some cases (I could guess at a few!) I could still find myself surprised by a sudden turn of events!

While I wouldn't really recommend this for people already getting tired of YA dystopia, I will say that it's definitely a great book if you're in a reading slump or if you're searching for another amazing dystopian!

Pages: 352

Genre: Dystopia

Series: Taken #1

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release Date: April 16, 2013

Rating: 4.5--->4 stars

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

I didn't really get much! I got some swag and a surprise package! (Btw, the font may be bigger since I'm trying out a new app.)

Publisher

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch (ARC and hardback)

     Read and finished! Review should come in April!

Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon (eGalley)

     Not sure how this ones going to turn out! Excited though!

Gifted

Towering by Alex Flinn (ARC)

     THANK YOU SO MUCH NICOLE @ PAPERBACK PRINCESS! She knew I was aching for these! I love Alex Flinn! And, well, retellings.)

Spellcaster by Claudia Gray (ARC)

     I love Claudia Gray! That is all. 

Swag

Let the Sky Fall Swag Pack (sticker, little book...thing, bookmark, and bookplate!)

Scarlet Book plate (from A.C. Gaughen because my mom threw out my last one!)

Weekly Recap

birthday Hijack

Waiting on Wednesday

Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Opposite Ends of the Spectrum 

Yeah sorry about lack of posts. O_O I somehow got two reviews short this week. 

Opposite Ends of the Spectrum

Opposite Ends of the Spectrum
If I Stay vs. Shut Out

(This is probably a once in a bloglife thing, but I thought it'd be fun--reviewing a cute fluff at the same time as an apparent emotional rollercoaster!)

These two were honestly completely different, but I found myself giving them a near-same rating--3 and 4 stars. I know I know, If I Stay, only 4 stars? The scandal! But...I think I just had higher hopes for it. I've read Just One Day (hello! You've seen my review!) and it was simply amazing while, If I Stay...paled in comparison. I'm not saying it was bad. I'm just saying I would have loved it a lot more if I'd read it before Just One Day. On the other hand, for Shut Out, I just didn't like have any expectations so it was surprising, though I think I'd more likely give it a 3. It just wasn't...It just wasn't.

The heroines were completely different to. While Mia (IIS) could understand things easily and was a true character with flaws, one I could understand, Lissa (SO) was completely...ugh.She drove me crazy with her COD and her need to control everything. I wanted to slap her a lot and soon she became practically OBSESSED with winning the "war" Also, I found the school society a bit sex-crazed. I mean, I know it happens, but like...not that severely. I hope. The shallowness of some of these characters really annoyed me while the characters in IIS I loved and wanted to cry for at times. They really did twist my heart at times.

I really loved Mia and Adam's slow romance which I found sweet and warm! I honestly sometimes loved the flashbacks more than I did the present because of Adam. I really really really loved Adam and wanted to smother him in hugs sometimes. When I said there were characters I wanted to cry for, I was really just talking about Adam...I just...sigh. Their's seemed like a true love that had me sighing happily throughout the book...well, until the end. On the other hand, Lissa's and Cash's relationship made me feel like a year after the happenings, they'll start growing apart. Basically, I didn't believe their relationship. It seemed more out of convenience to the story line than something that'd actually happen.So there was an *SPOILER* almost kiss...but...it just left me highly unsatisfied.

If I Stay, I think, was supposed to be a highly emotional read, but honestly I felt disappointed by it. I, mostly, had no emotions at all throughout the book and was actually a bit bored. The only times I felt something was whenever Adam was involved or when Mia was looking for answers. It was just...beautifully sad. But I don't think it was as emotional as people claim, which is why it's just a star less than 5. It wasn't strong enough for me. 

Shut Out was definitely a cute fluff that had me reading despite it's many flaws. It was fun and I was excited to see each new plan the girls and guys had to beat each other and the idea was definitely...interesting. I mean, what other book focuses on a sex strike? Yeah...that sounds weird out loud.

Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Goodreads Blurb

A heart-stopping story of love, death, technology, and art set amid the tropics of a futuristic Brazil.

The lush city of Palmares Tres shimmers with tech and tradition, with screaming gossip casters and practiced politicians. In the midst of this vibrant metropolis, June Costa creates art that’s sure to make her legendary. But her dreams of fame become something more when she meets Enki, the bold new Summer King. The whole city falls in love with him (including June’s best friend, Gil). But June sees more to Enki than amber eyes and a lethal samba. She sees a fellow artist.

Together, June and Enki will stage explosive, dramatic projects that Palmares Tres will never forget. They will add fuel to a growing rebellion against the government’s strict limits on new tech. And June will fall deeply, unfortunately in love with Enki. Because like all Summer Kings before him, Enki is destined to die.

Would it be completely horrible of me to say that this is one of the worst books I've ever read? Because it really felt like it. As much as I wanted to love it (I mean, this was one of the first 2013 debut did HEARD of that had such an amazing synopsis) I really couldn't. I just...couldn't.

So I didn't realize until I was 3 chapters in that everyone was homosexual. And, I do mean everyone. Our love interest, the guy best friend, the mom, the ambassador, etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against it, but it would've been nice to get a warning. I could also see how it advanced the plot, but couldn't they just have changed a gender and have it work the same? We never got why everyone suddenly disregarded gender and why everyone was suddenly very...loose. I guess it does play on that "wild side" of Brazil, but...well. 

I also had a giant issue with the characters--they felt so flat to me, especially Gil. And Enki...he would be so mischievous then suddenly very serious and a tad morbid, making his character a very...complicated, changing one. June was definitely one of the worse characters I've run into. She was pretty egoistical. She thought herself as the best artist in Palmares Tres and felt like she deserved the Queen's award (think of it as the Oscars, except only one) when there were others CLEARLY better than her. 

The romance...oh man. Where do I START with this. It was all very insta lovey. Very. Gil and Enki kissed pretty much a few minutes after they saw each other, the 5 minutes in between 

used up for a very...insinuating dance. And then Enki is apparently very in love with Gil, and June very attracted to Enki, at first because of his darker skin color. A bit shallow? I thought so, at least. And then there starts this weird dance in which Enki and June are...weird. They kiss,it doesn't mean anything, the kiss more, and stuff, but they still don't really fall in love. And, using the delicate phrase of the book, Summer Kings screw like mayflies. Oh man, was that true. Weirder still, Gil who was in love with Enki was fine with sharing him with June. Ummmm...

Honestly, I didn't really understand anything happening in Summer Prince. Everything was happening so damn quickly, then we'd have a time skip and never find out what happened between then and now. The writing may have been lush, but it was definitely confusing to me. I got the main gist of it, but other than that...or maybe I was just so bored of this book, I unintentionally skimmed it? I know I definitely skipped the last 75 pages at least. To read about an ending I predicted since the beginning. I hate to say it, but saying I'm disappointed is an understatement.

My ending statement? It may have been a idea with a great potential, but the way it was executed just didn't meet up.

Pages: 304

Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopia

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Scholastic

Release: March 1, 2013

Rating: 1