The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray

Goodreads Blurb

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.
At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.
The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.
If they play it right, then they'll be safe.
But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

Woah, guys, woah. I'm definitely impressed with The Dollhouse Asylum and my mind is kind of blown.

The Dollhouse Asylum got off to a pretty rocky start because Cheyenne just irritated me so much. She created all these excuses for Teo when everyone kept telling her, warning her, about him. She was so lovesick and naive I wanted to slap her out of her love induced stupor, but I have to hand it to Mary Gray--she sure knew how to write a character infatuated. Thankfully Cheyenne wised up pretty early on though. She drove the story on and was clever enough to dissuade Teo from...well you'll see. She grew on me as a character, though she was still moldable and pretty easily distracted.

Teo was definitely my favorite character, as psycho as he is. He's a complex character with layers upon layers, and it was fascinating watching him come undone. He loved in a sick and creepy way, but he didn't know any different. He did what he did for Cheyenne and it was a sort of a twisted sweetness. And in the end...well he broke my heart and I sort of cried for him. In the end, he just wanted to love and be loved by Cheyenne, build a perfect world for her--with his own dark desires mixed in.

I didn't really understand Cleo's part in all this though. Her personality, the "slut" of the story, didn't really drive the plot on in any way, except to be that typical mean girl with the gorgeous face. She made Cheyenne jealous when she flirted with Marc...but that was about it.
And speaking of Marc, the romance between him and Cheyenne was a bit ridiculous and I feel like the story would've been so much better if they'd stayed friends without the underdeveloped chemistry between them.

But the plot was...wow. My favorite part of the entire book, it was unexpected, shocking, and wonderfully horrible. The story just hooks you in and traps you in it's web of deaths, realizations, and revelations. It was fast paced and didn't let you breathe at all until the book finished and, like I said, I sort of teared up at the end. Stop looking at me like that! I honestly didn't expect it at all and it hurts every time I think about it.

While a bit awkward in the beginning, The Dollhouse Asylum gets better and better until it's full-blown amazing and a book I have to recommend for fans of psychological thrillers, dystopians, and basically anything that'll break your brain. It's one you should definitely read and one I can't stop recommending!

Pages: 296

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: Oct 22, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.
Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she's struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn't easy -- not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real, and when her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she's really safe. 
Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She's sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. And unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she'll lose everything, not only her role as Keeper, but her memories, and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?
With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Unbound delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin.

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVELOVED The Archived! Plus, hello? THE ROMANCE? I totally need to see more of it! EEP! Plus Mac is one of my favorite heroines EVER! Plus the gorgeous covers. Plus VICTORIA SCHWAB. *PLUS THE MYSTERY IN THIS*  Oh I am UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED

Hero by Alethea Kontis

Goodreads Blurb

Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance.

You know what surprised me the most about this book? How much I absolutely adored it. I haven't read Enchanted, but now I have to because I just love Alethea Kontis's writing so much!

I am a sucker for retellings guys, especially when they intersect with about a dozen more of my favorite fairy tales and when they're written in E.D Baker esque! I grew up with Tales of the Frog Princess series, so it's really no surprise how much I loved Hero, in hindsight. Actually, more than I did The Frog Princess!
Ten pages in and already we see intersecting fairy tales--it's absolutely genius how enchanting she makes the story and how deliciously magical the world is. The sisters are the base of basically all my freaking favorite fairytales. I have fallen in love with a new series. And now you guys have to too.

Because from what I've seen, all the sisters, all the characters, are pretty kick-ass. Some are fiery, independent, and headstrong, while others are more mellow, but just as smart and brilliant. Saturday...well you can rightly assume she's in the first bunch. She made me laugh out loud and want to cry at the same time, but mostly? I just wanted to hug her. She's sassy and stubborn and I loved her witty remarks. Saturday's made it to my list of Favorite Heroines with her adventurous nature and her hilarious personality.

I loved the romance which was so absolutely cute and silly! It's insta-love, but in a fairy tale story like this, it makes things all the better and all the more adorable. It really was sweet how much Peregrine loved Saturday and I just couldn't help but fall in love with these two just as quickly. They're endearing and their interactions just made me giggle with glee.

The adventure was pretty action packed and just as exciting as the rest of the book. Saturday's destiny is to defeat the lorelei (water witch) while pretending to be her older brother and discovering a way to do so--without killing everyone on The Top of the World, including herself. You can bet that's going to be a bit hard. And absolutely fun to read. The plot is fun and definitely exciting and I can't wait for the sequel!

Absolutely enchanting, Hero was a fabulous read from a great author I can't wait to read more from! I loved every aspect of this story and definitely recommend this to everyone!

Pages: 301

Genre: Retelling/Fantasy

Series: Woodcutter Sisters #2

Publisher: Harcourt Books

Release Date: Oct 1, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

Thin Space by Jody Casella

Goodreads Blurb
Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side. 
But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.
As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

Thin Space, while absolutely wonderful and making me tear up at the end, made me have a lot of rather...mixed feelings. It did get off to a rather rough start, but it only got better from there! In fact, I absolutely loved the second half.

The main problem I had in the beginning was Marsh's personality. He was just obsessed with thin spaces, neglecting everything. He was just so desperate and while I understand that it'd be the way anyone would be, it just irritated me. He was such a tool, using Maddie just to get in the house. And then...he just gave up. After all that.
But I absolutely loved Maddie. She was such an easy character to relate to. Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with a dad, but I could definitely identify with her. She was a strong character and I loved her attitude and her perseverance. And, well, she sort of reminded me a little of myself. Just a little.
Both characters were fabulously broken (I feel a bit sadistic here) and I loved reading about them, more about their pasts and, for Marsh, the night that changed everything.

The writing was absolutely gorgeous and I loved the voice of Marsh. It was powerful and it was realistic, bitterness and guilt mixed into a desperate and sad atmosphere. Marsh was sort of an outcast, not that he was trying. He'd basically pulled away from society looking for thin spaces to do one last thing for his brother. It was sort of heartbreaking.

And the plot and pacing was absolutely amazing. I loved how the story progressed and the twists! I was not expecting them at all and I had no idea whether a thin space was just a wish or real in this story. I loved the ending and I teared up a lot (surprisingly!) You can slowly piece together everything from the hints dropped around and the result was...not what I expected.

Thin Space was an enjoyable read that definitely got better as the story progressed! With beautiful prose and flawed characters, it's definitely a great read! While the main character did annoy me, the mysterious atmosphere kept me reading and I ended up loving it!

Pages: 256

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal (or is it)

Series: Standalone 

Publisher: Beyond Words/Simon Pulse

Release Date: Sep 10, 2013

Rating: 3.5

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales

Goodreads Blurb

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Honestly, going into this, I wasn't really sure I would love this. Yes, it sounded awesome and yes, it sounded like my kind of book. But I was in a giant book slump at the time and wasn't particularly loving anything I'd read. So of course This Song Will Save Your Life managed to break that funk!

The first chapter absolutely broke my heart and I swear there was something in my throat. Not only because I couldn't help but hurt for Elise, but also because...well. There's a scene in which Elise joins a group of friends for lunch and they...well they have all these inside stories, inside jokes and don't really bother to clue Elise in. And at the end of lunch? They do an inside thing and Elise, clueless, ends up being the one that picks up the trash. Literally. And honestly? This can almost perfectly reflect last year--and I was one of those friends. One of those that neglected this girl who sat with us at lunch. (I don't think she was bullied, but I know she was avoided because...well, she was obnoxious and started rumors about herself. I'm not trying to justify myself, but now...I think she just wanted attention. Just. Like. Elise.)

So I can pretty much vouch that the voice in this story is real. Everything that happens? I'm sure it's been played out somewhere. It's heartbreaking, but something that you can't help but relate to.
Because you can relate to the story, or at least Elise. She's alone, she doesn't belong, and she feels outcasted, lost. And I'm sure everyone's felt that way one time or another. I have a core group of friends--but there are so many times when I felt like Elise, like no one understood me and never would. And I'll admit I've thought about suicide once in a while. And now...I'm getting personal. So on with the review!

It was easy to feel for her and easy to understand where she came from. I may not be playing her role in the story of my school, but I can't help but hurt for her and cry for her. She's such a real character and one that just hits close to home. She's annoying at times, you can't help but love her other times, and sometimes it's just a mix of both. And that's the beauty of her. She's so flawed and I'm almost a hundred percent sure that there's a bit of her in everyone.

And we got to see her grow as a character, as a person. We see her on her new adventure, her new life. It's uplifting and, once in a while, hilarious. We meet the people who help her along the way, and the ones who'll try to tear her down. And in the end, we get an ending that's just...perfect.

This Song Will Save Your Life is an absolute must read for anyone and everyone. Even if it doesn't sound like your book--you have to read it. Somehow Leila Sales manages to reach into you and twist your heart. It's just...one of those books everyone has to read.

Pages: 288

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Standalone

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Release Date: Sep 17, 2013

Rating: 10/5 stars

Scorched by Mari Mancusi

Goodreads Blurb
Trinity 
Don't leave me here... It starts with a whisper. At first Trinity thinks she's going crazy. It wouldn't be a big surprise--her grandpa firmly believes there's a genuine dragon egg in their dusty little West Texas town. But this voice is real, and it's begging for her protection. Even if no one else can hear it...
Connor 
He's come from a future scorched by dragonfire. His mission: Find the girl. Destroy the egg. Save the world.
Caleb 
He's everything his twin brother Connor hates: cocky, undisciplined, and obsessed with saving dragons. 
Trinity has no idea which brother to believe. All she has to go by is the voice in her head--a dragon that won't be tamed.

Scorched was a bit disappointing for me. It was sort of Eragon meets Terminator and almost anything with dragons had to be good, right? Right?
Not necessarily.
The idea was absolutely intriguing and I loved the dragon parts and the worldbuilding, but the rest of this story just wasn't executed as well as I'd hoped.

The storyline, while absolutely genius at first, got a bit cliche and predictable in the second half. It was still very action packed (there's no doubting that!) but there were no unpredictable twists, nothing that made me wait with bated breath, wondering what would happen next. Honestly, it was like a rollercoaster you've already ridden one too many times. You knew where it would go, where the bumps would be, and what would happen.

The romance and love triangle in here were...not really romantic. Connor's feelings seemed insta-lovey since he was sent to kill her, basically, but instead he kissed her within maybe the first two hours they knew each other. Caleb's feelings were more like hero worship--infatuation, rather than actual love. And Trinity's feelings just popped out of nowhere, really.

Not to say I didn't love the boys--I did! (Gotta love twins.) They each had their own story, stemming from the same event, and they both so fiercely believed in what they were doing, that what they did was saving the world. They were both protective of Trinity (for some weird reason) but I loved their loyalty to her and how they put her above their "duties". They were each swoony in their own ways, but I always lean towards the bad boy, so hello Team Caleb!

I couldn't, unlike our dragon, connect with Trinity (see what I did there?). I found her annoying a lot of times and she was just so indecisive and ungrateful sometimes.
I loved Emmy, our dragon though. Actually, I loved pretty much all of the dragon scenes. They're magnificent creatures brilliantly described in Scorched. I wished we focused less on her relationship with the boys and more with the dragons.

While Scorched was a fun read, it had so much wasted potential. It was a wild ride with the dragons and the epic worldbuilding, but the characters and the romance brought it down. I still may read the sequel, but it's a small chance. I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't work for me.

Pages: 352

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Scorched #1

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: Sep 3, 2013

Rating: 3 stars