Severed Tower by J. Barton Mitchell

Goodreads Blurb

Holt, Mira, and Max have fled Midnight City with Zoey after watching her repel an entire Assembly army. Zoey's powers are unlocked, but who and what she is remains a mystery. All she knows is that she must reach the Severed Tower, an infamous location in the middle of the world's most dangerous landscape: The Strange Lands, a place where the laws of physics have completely broken down. But the closer they get to the Tower, the more precarious things become. The Assembly has pursued Zoey into the Strange Lands. Among them is a new group, their walkers and machines strangely bereft of any color, stripped to bare metal, and whose agenda seems to differ from the rest. To make matters worse, the group hunting Holt are here, too, led by a dangerous and beautiful pirate named Ravan. So is Mira's first love, Benjamin Aubertine, whose singular ambition to reach the Tower threatens to get them all killed.

Then there's the Strange Lands themselves. They have inexplicably begun to grow, spreading outwards, becoming more powerful. Somehow, it all seems tied to Zoey herself, and the closer she gets to the Tower, the weaker she becomes.

It's been a while since I read Midnight City, but I remember being so absolutely in love with the story and the characters! And guys, after reading the sequel, I can not recommend this series enough to sci-fi and dystopian/apocalyptic fans.

Yeah yeah, moan all you want about how alien invasion books are becoming typical and the norm for YA. This series, the worldbuilding, the plot, its all so original! I can't get over it at all.
So something that wasn't quite in the last book is that this series is seriously sci-fi. You don't see as much as you usually would in the first half of the book, but towards the end, the sci-fi makes a definite appearance. I'm still unsure exactly what happened, but I'm pretty sure Mitchell managed to weave together parallel universes, dark matter, and a whole bunch of other things I can't think about. (ALSO. There was totally a Doctor Who moment in this.)

I'm so in love with our wide range of characters too. They were all quirky, flawed, and absolutely badass, in their own ways. We're introduced to so many new characters, Ravan, Avril, Ben, Gideon, and the White Helex and Menagerie crews. Surprisingly, it wasn't that hard to remember all of them and their roles, and I couldn't help but love all these new characters as much as I loved Holt, Mira, and Zoey. Because they were unbelievably unpredictable and unbelievably scarred in some way. They were all brave, in different ways, and it's just impossible not to be touched by some of their sacrifices.
Also the White Helix? I love them. Is creepy, but is cool.

Surprisingly, even with a ton of POV's and in third person, I didn't mind it. Which, guys, that's an Anomaly (Pun intended.)

The plot was as unexpected as the characters. Because holy crap. I didn't expect any of that at all. Explosions are more than a few and with all the Anomalies and Artifacts, things are sure to be...mind blowing (My punny side has revealed itself.) The ending especially! I just couldn't believe it and I can honestly say that it's one of the better endings I've ever read.

Ah the romance. Honestly, there's not too much to write because the romance honestly didn't show itself, despite there being to exes brought back into the picture. Like I'd hoped, romance was kept to a bare minimum, though you could clearly see Holt and Mira's, Mira and Ben's, and Holt and Raven's dynamics. All three pairings made brilliant teams and, to be frank, I think I was more in love with Ben than Holt. For me, I feel like Ben sacrificed the most for Mira, despite his misgivings.

A sequel to die for (Oh hey, hello pun), The Severed Tower surpasses the first, which already blew my socks off! I'll definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a good sci-fi and a story where our narrator's not the only player in a game we don't understand. Yet.

Pages: 400

Genre: Post Apocaylptic

Series: Conquered Earth #2

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Release Date: November 19, 2013
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

Goodreads Blurb
They’re from two different worlds.
He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.
With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…

Racing Savannah is one of those books that I'm just...not quite sure how I feel about it. I haven't read Catching Jordan or Things I Can't Forget (but I plan to!), but I have read Stealing Parker. And it wasn't my style. So when I started Racing Savannah, I was a bit wary. And, apparently for a good reason.

Honestly, I almost DNF'd (did not finish) it because I just couldn't stand Savannah. Or maybe this just wasn't my type of book. I wasn't the biggest fan of Savannah, honestly. She assumed the most ridiculous things sometimes and she had such a giant prejudice against rich people, although we never really see what fueled it. She was a mostly flat, rather annoying character, and I couldn't really relate to her all that much. Except, perhaps, her passion for what she loved to do. And that was pretty much the only reason I tolerated her throughout the book.

Jack was a pretty cute love interest, but I just wasn't swooning over him as much as I wished. I hated how he kept backing away from Savannah for fear of his father, but what I found interesting was that Mr. Goodwin was actually really nice and seemed to really care about his staff, including Savannah. I just couldn't really see him all that angry if Jack wanted to date Savannah.

The romance did seem pretty rushed though--almost insta-love. Despite Savannah's prejudice, she was almost instantly enamored with Jack and he pretty much crushed on her almost as quickly. Surprising since he was supposed to be leading on a different girl and never had a serious girlfriend. They didn't really understand each other that much, I think.
But it was cute, the stolen moments, the secrecy, the teasing. If Kenneally hadn't rushed it so much, I'm sure I would've loved the romance wholeheartedly!

Since I've only read one other Kenneally book, I'm pretty sure there were a lot of inside jokes I didn't really get. (Hey, I read the teasers of the other books!) We do get to see some old characters and, even though I haven't read the books, it was hilarious to watch them! (And the siblings of two old characters pop up! And oh, one of our couples get married. And another are engaged. Fun, right?)

All in all, I was pretty disappointed, but it wasn't totally bad. Fans of Miranda Kenneally are sure to love it! (And I'll go get started on the other books, yeah?)

Pages: 304

Genre: Contemporary/Romance

Series: Hundred Oaks #4

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: Dec 3, 2013

Rating: 3 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

All That Glows by Ryan Graudin

Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.
When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

I have been absolutely needing this since I heard of it. And that cover! UGH! Love the font, love the covers, love her expression! It's absolutely perfect! Not to mention I'm a sucker for fae/fey. I will read anything with faeries in them. Plus, REDHEADS. GUYS!

Pawn by Aimee Carter

Goodreads Blurb

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 
There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.

After reading the synopsis for Pawn, I'll admit--I was intrigued, but a bit wary. I've had my fill of dystopians this year, and seeing another one that sounded a bit...typical? Yeah, I was definitely wary.
But Aimee Carter surprised me in giving me a completely original novel with chilling secrets and the question Which side is the right one haunting our character every page.

Being taken deeply in the government's embrace, Kitty manages to dig up all kinds of secrets and reveals twists that just shocked me one after another. I loved the story from the beginning, but with each surprise, I just fell more and more in love with the story even as Kitty fell more and more into a family filled with grudges and secrets.
I'm always a fan of political stories where strategy and betrayals aren't uncommon and it's possibly why I love this one so much over the Goddess Test series! While I didn't understand all of them, the amount of brainstorming that must've gone into this book is amazing and the number of tricks in each character's sleeve was...astounding.

Speaking of characters, I loved them all. THEM ALL. Antagonist or protagonist, Carter manages to give us a wide range of personalities and tricks that we all fall in love (or fall in hate) with. They were all so strong and weak in their own way, but all of them were so real and I could understand their reasoning for everything, which I don't think has happened that often before.
Kitty is where things were interesting. While I didn't necessarily love her, she was so perfect--book wise. She wasn't a matyr, but she wasn't selfish. She was brave, but she wasn't stupid. She didn't think she could save the world, but she didn't give up on it either. I'm not quite sure what to think of her except that she was so real. If I met her, I may not have become her best friend--but as a character she was absolutely amazing and unbelievably well developed!

Another worry of mine: Love triangles. When we first meet Knox, the original Lila's fiance, along with Kitty's boyfriend, I was on the edge, waiting for a love triangle to pop out. And...it didn't! The romance isn't focused on much in this, but is sweet nevertheless. Kitty's motivation throughout the book was always protecting those she loved--but trying to stay in control of her own life (which is actually pretty different from the sacrificial heroines we see sometimes--who I still love of course!)
I will admit, if it's possible at all, I'm Team Knox.

Definitely my favorite of all her books, Aimee Carter has amazed me with her originality in a genre where I thought originality was gone and her ability to write stunning characters and a chilling take on a secret family feud that went beyond a few spiteful words.
Recommended for sure, especially if you're dying for something new in all these look a like dystopians!

Pages: 346

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Blackcoat Rebellion #1

Publisher: Harelquin Teen

Release Date: Nov 26, 2013

Rating: 4 Stars

Waterfell by Amalie Howard

Goodreads Blurb

Nerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright—the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon—until her father's betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa's upcoming birthday—the day she comes of age. 
Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa's mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?

Going into this, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about it. The reviews I saw were mixed and my friends ranged from hating it to loving it completely. And I'm a mermaid girl, so I was definitely curious.
Before going in though, I was worried and already grimacing a bit. Lo Seavon. Lo SEAvon. And Nerissa Marin. Like Marine?

Oh this would be good. (I just wasn't sure if I'd meant that sarcastically or not when I'd though it.)

So first things first, I was actually a bit...confused by this book. There were a lot of contradicting plot lines that might have had to do with my copy being an ARC, but I digress. More than that, the actions and twists of the book were so...sudden. There was nothing leading up to it, no tension built or anything. The twists just jumped at you from the book and not in a particularly stunning way.

Nerissa...Nerissa wasn't my favorite character in the world of YA. She was whiny and, like Seipo brought up (and promptly apologized for) selfish. She did things however she wanted, pretty much regardless of the consequences and the toll it would take on those around her. She didn't seem to realize what people were sacrificing for her and she was...so naive. She believed that she was strong enough with very little training. She believed that she could take on the one person who managed to kill her powerful father. And she never thought once to suspect the people around her even though there were so many hints about it.
Bringing me to that little bit of information. Nerissa was also behind and oblivious. I figured things out three to ten chapters before her and I found it ridiculous that she herself pointed out things that should've tipped her off, but didn't. And now I wander into the plot discussion.

The pacing was actually quite fun and I loved the action bits, but the entire story was really quite predictable. While there were a few things that surprised me, the largest twist was something I'd seen coming a mile away and was actually pretty cliche and sort of made me want to bang my head on the wall.

And while the plot was pretty decent, the story focused mainly on the romance--insta love. Their relationship was so "electric" and insta lovey I cringed a few times as Nerissa described Lo's eyes as "matching the depths of the ocean" for the hundredth time and couldn't help but laugh every time she tried to deny her feelings for Lo. Which I honestly didn't understand. She didn't have plans to go back to her world, why would admitting she had a crush on him hurt her in any way? It was really ridiculous how much she tried to fight it despite her getting jealous and snapping at him when he talked to another girl for even ten seconds.

What is sort of fascinating, but weird, is that our characters...are not mermaids. No, they're alien water dragon-like creatures who resemble the Loch Ness monster, I'm assuming.That part was actually intriguing, and I do wish we focused more on the other aspects of the story besides Nerissa falling in love with Lo.

Pages: 360

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy

Series: The Aquarathi #1

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Release Date: Oct 29, 2013

Rating: 2 stars

Week of a Fiction Freak

Hey y'all! It's been a long long time since I've done a book haul (Over a month I think?) so, considering that time I didn't get that much, though this last week has had two rather large packages! So this is my study week because next week is exams and I am SO HAPPY. My exams aren't actually going to be that hard (except for Algebra ugh) from the past two years' experience, so I'm not stressing. I always finish my exam in 45 minutes or so and they give us 2-3 hours which leaves me plenty of time to read so YES. Last final exams I finished 4 books in a day and it was beautiful. ANYWAY ON WITH THE HAUL.

Review
The Lovely and the Lost by Page Morgan
Toxic Heart by Theo Lawrence
Acid by Emma Pass
Defy by Sara B. Larson
Avalon by Mindee Arnett
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd
Evertrue by Brodi Ashton (not shown)

Bought
World After by Susan Ee
Pawn by Aimee Carter
Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead

Traded/Won
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
Bang by Lisa McMann

I have finished ALL OF THESE except Her Dark Curiosity and most of them were so totally amazing, and The Lovely and the Lost, Cruel Beauty, Avalon, and Evertrue especially. Oh God. Well you'll see my reviews in 2014! 
LOVED Pawn so I traded my ARC and bought a hardback that is GORGEOUS. Haven't read the other two! 
FAKING NORMAL IS THE BEST DAMN 2014 BOOK I'VE READ AND I'VE READ LIKE 40 BY NOW. SO. YEAH. IS SO GOOD AND SO HEARTBREAKING AND SO REAL AND I JUST. 


So what did you get this week?