Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

 Summary: The second book in the Rebel Belle series. Will include spoilers. In the aftermath of the Cotillion incident which left Harper's best friend missing and her ex boyfriend back in to her life Harper, David and Ryan are trying to get their life back to normal.



3.5/5

??? WHat was tHat???? That ending?? BUt thEre's gonna be another book?? How? WHy??

Okay, the plot leading up to the climax, I feel like, didn't really match the climax. There might've been what could've been called a climax but it didn't seem like that big of a deal and I didn't really care. It wasn't very exciting and not much happen, unlike the last one. It also wasn't as funny (and by as I mean it wasn't even funny at all)  as the last one. Character choices annoyed me and i'm just so confused right now and will be for the next while until a synopsis for the next book will come out.

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider

Summary: When Lane is diagnosed with an incurable strain of tuberculosis he is sent to Latham House, a part hospital part boarding school. He runs into a person he used to know, Sadie who has transformed since he last saw her and for reasons unknown, is ignoring him. When he falls into Sadie's group of friends and falls into like with Sadie.

4/5

I really enjoyed this book. It it differnt from the other new "sick lit" genre.

If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Summary: Sahar has been in love with her best friend Nasrin since they both were little girls. Unfourtatley, in Iran, being gay is illegal but being transgender is not. When it's announced Nasrin is betrothed Sahar thinks a surgery may be the only way to keep them together. 

3/5

I had a few problems with If You Could Be Mine. The plot was lackluster, average, predicable, slow and strung out, and didn't really keep my attention. I think the trans storyline was more focused on and forced than it should've been. I don't think it should really be the marketing point. The writing, like the last book I read of hers, Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel, was average but my main problem with that one wasn't as big of a problem in this one. 

However, I did enjoy the characters and the culture and I must admit, I did cry a little at the end. 

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

Summary: Nicola is spending her summer at a Gifted Youth Summer Program to study archaeology. But what she digs up is a girl who makes her question her sexuality and a group of friends to last her a lifetime. 



3.5/5

I found this when I was looking for lesbian boarding school books (which the world is quite void of and this should be fixed asap) Good characters. Okay plot. A little annoying angst. Not very thought provoking. Didn't have many feelings on it. 

Everyday by David Levithan

Summary: Everyday A wakes up in a new body. Everyday A is trying to get back to their love. 

3.5


Didn't really have many feelings on this book. It was an okay read but i seemed kind of repetitive after a while. It was interesting, the magical or whatever, elements and I may look up what happiness in the next book to fulfill my curiosity on the reason but I'm not sure yet. It was just there and although I enjoyed it I'm not sure I'll be reading the next one. 

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley

Summary: Katie is a chef who runs a successful restaurants and is about to open another when everything comes crashing down and she needs a second chance. And she's given just that, but after the third and fourth and fifth bad things start to happen. A funny and sarcastic graphic novel which a main character not unlike O'Malley's other novels, Scott Pilgrim. 

3.5/5, 75%

Where it lacked depth it made up in snarky, smart, sarcastic humor. The main character, Katie, could get annoying at times and make bad decisions and the book could jump the shark at times but it was still a good read. I would recommend to readers or watchers of Scott Pilgrim. 

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Summary: Kestrel is a general's daughter in stolen land and in a stolen house. In a few years she will have to choose between getting married and joining the army, neither road seeming ideal to her.When she stumbles upon a slave auction she feels compels to buy Arin , a blacksmith who she will soon begin to have feelings for.

4/5, 85%

Good book that i'm for some reason really invested into but I can't quite figure out why. My negatives outweigh the positives but I can't bring myself to put it any lower than four stars. I was entertaining and grabbed onto my emotions.

I think this should've been two books or some of it shortened, the first and second half two different stories. It was also too long and then end dragged on. The world building could've been better, but it's made up for in the second book. One of my biggest problems, which is also a big problem in the second book is the angst that's annoying and they need to get over with.

Overall, good book but real long and dragged on.

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Summary: The second novel in the Winner's trilogy. Will Give spoilers to the first novel, The Winner's Curse. Kestrel is now betrothed to the Prince of Valorian and in between party after party she wraps herself in a blanket of spying and treason. Arin keeps himself busy with trying to enlist allies for Herran and battling with his mind over his thoughts of Kestrel's true feelings.

3/5

This was a typical young adult YA second in a trilogy book. A filler book where the couple is fighting and not much happens. The only thing different, and the only thing that kept my attention was the ending. Me, getting angry at the main characters for not just telling each other that love each other and getting over with it. It was slow and angsty as well.

Although I wasn't very fond of this book I am still for some reason really invested in this couple and want the next book. like, now. The ending killed me. Very Brutally.

Hold Me Closer by David Levithan

Summary: A companion musical (with a lot of stage direction that was more narration than directions) to the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson. A one man play with other characters staring Tiny Cooper, Will's best friend and will's friend in the novel. A musical about love, acceptance, and life.

Rating: 3 Stars

I think this is the first script I've read that wasn't for school, but it didn't really feel like a play at time because of the long bits of narration. I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson a while ago so I don't really remember it and felt like I was left out of a inside joke or some ting at times. It was really funny, laugh out loud funny.

I had a few problems with the play though. The sometimes disrespectful names and even slurs Tiny would say not directed at himself would occasionally make me uncomfortable. The music wasn't very good and repetitive, even for theatre. It was really long and a lot of things seemed unnecessary. I know this is more like a novel than anything and I shouldn't judge it like a play but it's hard not too. Also, although it doesn't matter, the budget for this play would be huge. 

Overall, it was a fun, quick, different read that was really funny but lacked depth and felt a little drawn out.

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan

Summary: Only three survived the attack on cruise ship, Persephone. Two of them are lying. Frances was set adrift with her best friend, Libby, after escaping the attack. When rescued, too late for Libby, Frances, now a orphan, takes the identity of her best friend. And now she's coming for revenge.

Rating: 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this book and am anticipating the sequel. A mystery, it had an original premise, good writing, and kept my emotions for certain things jump around, like Frances' did. Very suspenseful, very entertaining.

My problems with the book were mostly with the character and plot. The plot was a little predictable and cliche'. The characters a little flat and having only one trait.

In conclusion, good book. Would recommended

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Rating: 4 Stars 


Summary: Laia is out on her own after the Masks set her house on fire, killing her grandparents and her brother ending up in jail. Elias is a day away from graduating and becoming a Mask, and the hopefully successfully running away. When Laia strucks up a deal to get her brother out of jail by being a spy as a slave at the Mask school their lives intertwine. 

This is what I needed. The can stop reading you look up and it 5 in the morning kind of read. The edge of your seat can't tear your eyes away read. The blinking through your tears and snatching them away quickly so you can read on. The hitch in your breath when you think predicted something bad will happens. The stop in your breath when something bad happened.  

Pros: Kept me engaged from the beginning, a great set up for the following books. Plot and storyline great. 

Cons: World building could've been better and the dialogue sometimes got long, speech and peachy and cheesy. I would find myself zoning out and skipping. Most characters weren't that fleshed out.

Great read. Great set up. Would recommend to people who liked the Legend Series by Marie Lu and The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas or just fans of dystopians. 

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

3.5 Stars

Summary: Lucky is being bullied while his dreams are haunted by his POW Grandfather.

I read this a while ago and forgot to log it so this one is gonna be quick.

Pros: Feminist plays about vaginas, King's writing, funny

Cons:  annoying main character, not interesting magical realism,

I may add to this later.

Overall it was a pretty good read but not A.S. King's best. I have reviews fro every book of her's that I've read and I'll list them from best to worst. Glory O'Brien's History of the Future, Ask the Passengers, Everybody Sees the Ants, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz .

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: Everything changed when Cody's best friend killed herself. It changed when Meg swallowed a bottle of industrial strength poison in a motel room next to a 50 dollar tip fro the maid. When Meg's parents sent Cody to Tacoma to pick up Meg's stuff. After Cody met Meg's college friends and roommates. And when Meg's death gets turned upside down all the while Cody is falling for one of Meg's friend. 

It was average. The characters didn't stand out to me, the plot and mystery not as surprisings or out there as I wanted, and the writing not that great. It seemed mostly a reflection on suicide, which is great, but that wasn't what I wanted. I didn't really want to read this in the first place, as I feel like I've read so many books about it. There was also a section of online chatting I had to skim through because they were kinda triggering me. The characters were kinda flat and the romance unbelievable.  I It wasn't exactly insta love. It was we've known each other for an appropriate amount of time but I've never indicated the I love you but now I'm suddenly confessing my love for you - love.


tl;dr Okay read. Entertaining. Would recommend the other Gayle Forman books first.  

The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Summary: In a country where the young king marries a new girl everyday and then kills her the next morning Shahrzad wants revenge. After her best friend is victim to the king she volunteers herself as the next queen.
...

How am I suppose to go in with my life after that ending? 

How could Renee do this??? 

I'm so confused right now I have no idea what that ending was please send help. 

...

Okay, now with some sleep I may be able to piece together some thoughts. I liked The Wrath and The Dawn. I really, really, liked it. It was a 3rd person narration with switching focus of the character. After a while the sub plots would get annoying because I would just want Shazi's and I didn't care about anything else. The writing was beautiful and Shazi would tell stories, which were also great. The world building and magical elements in the book were really good too. Every character was so complex and great and wonderful and ohmigosh I love Khalid so much I might cry. My opinions and feelings of the King were so up and down it hurt, as was Shazi.

My only complaint was, even though I love the couple so so so much, it did seem a little insta-love-y but even by the end of the book, to me, it seemed they still didn't really know each other. I did love how they fought like a real couples (and more than once) , something most YA couples do. 

Read this now. Do yourself this favor. Please.

Me And Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Rating: 4 stars, 75/100

                                          

Summary: Greg is in his senior year and instead of being in a clique he chooses to be "friendly" with each of them and subsequently doesn't have any friends. When a fellow student, Rachel is diagnosed with leukemia Greg's mother forces him to hang out with her. This is the story of him, his coworker, Earl and the dying girl, Rachel fucking around and Greg being an all around ass hole. 

When I first finished this book I had good thoughts around it but now, a couple days later, its kinda angering Mr. Greg, was an annoying, problematic asshole. I'm not sure how much of that was the author's intent and how much of that was the author. All I'd heard about his book before reading it was that it was hilarious, but honestly I didn't think it was that funny.  Except fro Earl who cracked me up and one scene with Vietnamese food. The oh-this-isn't-your-usual-young-adult-book got annoying after the 10th time. There's a random conversation that's just pure biphobia and it doesn't fit in with the character at all. I think it was suppose to be a funny reflection on teenagers or to have the characters be  more 'real' or 'raw' but it was just untasteful. However I did enjoy how chill the writing was and there's a whole chapter that just in bullet points which i liked.

tl;dr: Kinda funny and entertaining but you gotta deal with asshole narrator

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Rating: 4 Stars
Summary: Dave and Julie are best friends. Their freshman year they made a list of all the high school cliches they would never do. A few month before graduation they find the list again and decide to do them all, especially rule number 7, Do not fall in love with your best friend. 

The last few books I've read haven't been outstandingly bad or outstandingly good. They've all been in that weird middle ground where I don't regret reading it at all, but I'm not like crying over how beautiful it is or no being able to sleep because Jessica Fictional Character might do this or that or... Maybe its because I've been reading romantic contemporary and i need to get back in my warm bed of science fiction fantasy...

Anyways, as you might've guessed Never Always Sometimes was mediocre. I enjoyed his other book, Let's Get Lost, a lot more. This one was slightly predicable, about thankfully didn't follow the typical romance book plot. I think the biggest thing that didn't make this book stand out to me was the characters. I didn't root for them, they were annoying and didn't have much depth to them. The writing sometimes seemed that there were holes in description/ narration and always left me a little distant from the book. It was difficult to fully engage myself in the book as well.

Overall, it was an okay read that was actually pretty funny. It's an fun, summer read that doesn't follow the usual romance book plot point but has lackluster characters.

Emmy and Oliver by Robin Benway

Rating:4 Stars

Summary: When they were seven Emmy's best friend Oliver was kidnapped by his father. 10 years later Oliver is found and brought back to southern California and everyone must readjust. (It's the TV show Finding Carter but a book).

I really enjoyed this. I start most of my reviews this way, I apologize. The characters were great, the plot steady and overall very very cute. I really related with how Emmy's parents treated her, as something similar happened to my parents. It was more then the usual surface level typical love story as well.

Overall great read, very relateable, very cute would recommend.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: Sydeny lives in the shadow of her brother. When she is greeted with open arms by a new family she starts to feel the sun.

I've read every single Sarah Dessen book out there. They re my guilty pleasure I'm not so guilty about. I was disappointed in her last book she released, but  it seems shes getting back on track with this one. It was definitely better than the last one she wrote, To The Moon And Back, but its not as good as her earlier books.

Overall this book didn't stand out to me in any way, the plot predictable the charters ordinary, but it was still an enjoyable read.

The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun Hutchinson

Rating: 3.5 Stars 
    Andrew Brawley killed his family and then hid. At night he sleeps in a abandoned part of the hospital where his family died and during the day wonders around with lies as excuses for being there. Then, he meets a boy and people start to get suspicious. 
      Really can't remember much about my feelings for this book. I've had this tab open for like a month now. Wow this is such a great review. It made me think deeply about my mortality though, that wasn't very nice. The writing wasn't the greatest either. I should leave. No one is reading this anyway. 

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan

Rating: 3 Stars
Leila is a Iranian american high school student lesbian. Thankfully, she has gone through high school without crushing on any girls. That is, until Saskia shows up.

Tell Me Again How A Crush Should Feel  at first glance I thought was a good read but then I realized it felt like this book was written for a 12 year old. I liked the characters and it was surprisingly entertaining.  The story was also slow and I wish it had more depth. My major complaint with this book though is, Leila the main character is on the, as they said, theater tech crew, and I, as some body who is also on theater tech crew, was just cringing a lot by how wrong the author got it.

Overall, this book was an okay story with okay writing.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Rating: 4 Stars

Simon is being blackmailed. He's also exchanging emails with a boy he goes to school with with the code name blue. When he leaves an email open, revealing that he's gay, things start to change. 

This book was one of the cutest things I've ever read. Like, can't stop smiling even when it's over , giggling out loud cute. I read it in one sitting, a few hours in a long car trip spent well. There's also some special about a book that just came out and all the references are super current that I always love. Some things did annoy me, but it was just characters being stupid. Still super super cute. 

This book wasn't groundbreaking or thought provoking or monumental but it was sure as hell cute and for that is recommend it immensely. 

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater: Re-read series review

Series Rating: 4.5

Series Summary: Blue Sargent is cursed to kill her true love if she kisses him. When Blue meets the Raven Boys, whom one of she is destined to fall in love with or kill, she becomes entranced. Both engulfed with the boys and the mission they are set on.  An urban fantasy which 


I did not plan this. Right now I should not be re-reading books, my slight reading slump does not need this. I had planned to re-read a couple book this summer and this series was no where near this list. Then, someone on my tumblr dash went on a Raven Cycle reblogging spree and  I got sucked in. 



This series is so much better than I remember. And I really liked it before. I guess this rereading was slightly good for me, as the final book comes out in September, I didn't really remember a lot of thing (especially major points in the last book like WoAh how did I not remember that man) and there's some things I think I missed reading the first time around. 



Steifvater's writing is beautiful but I can sometimes get lost in it. I can't really describe her writing, but you probably know what I mean if you've read it. She makes you fall hard for the characters, every single one, from the minor ones to even the villains. The romance(s) are so good, yet not even close to the main plot, it makes my heart melt ans eyes water. The subplots rarely feel like distraction or filler and fall into the main plot beautifully.  Each keep me at the edge of my seat. 


My favorite out of the three is the last one, Blue Lily, Lily Blue (which I have a review on) . After reading it for the first time, it was my least favorite but I think that is because I read it too fast. Each book is better than the last and I am highly anticipating the final book, The Raven King, which come out in September. This is a great series which I would recommend to anyone.  

Ask The Passengers by A.S. King

Ask the passengers. 

4.5 stars 

Girl is stuck an unhealthy family and in the closet. 

A. S. King is a goddess. I've heard for a while that her books are amazing but never picked one up, but after Glory O'Brien's History of the Future I can't stop reading her. This one wasn't as good as Glory but still definitely great. I was surprised by how she was gay, which is the best. One of the best things is to be reading a book and then the main characters turn out gay and you never saw it coming. I know this isn't particularly right, but it automatically makes the book a lot better (Except you House of Hades, except you). 

My only problem with Ask The Passengers was the fantasy, magical realism aspect. It was inconsistent and I think there should've only been one, not too battling fantasy aspects. There are two, Socrates who follows the main character around, and air plane passengers that have a connection with her. 

I really enjoyed this story overall, it was a great read. 

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

3.5 stars 

Summary: Vera was in love with her best friend. Then he ditched her. Then he died. 

So far, this is my least favorite novel by A.S. King. But that isn't saying much. I have also read Glory O'Brien's History of the Future and Ask the Passengers by her. 

I'm writing this really late so I can't really remember it. I thought the mystery was kind of weak and the story was dark in a weird way I can't describe. Wow, this is horrible I need to get out of here. 

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

3 stars. 

Summary: When the world learns Earth will be hit with a meteor, killing 2/3 of the world population, in two months four teenagers must get their shit together. 

This book could've been really good.

It has a great premise and a really nice cover and name. There was so much potential but sadly, it didn't follow through. The writing wasn't very good, the plot a little everywhere with questionable decisions, characters a little flat and cliche, and unfortunately, a little slut shamey. 

However, this did not stop me from enjoying the book. I am a sucker for the-world-is-ending-quick-lets-fall-in-love stories. Which this is. It was cute at points, funny at others and kept me on the edge of my seat. After the beginning, which was kind of slow and boring, I was at the edge of my seat. 

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Summary: When Emily's best friend disappears, leaving only a to-do list behind Emily has to figure out what to do with her life. 

I really enjoyed Since You've Been Gone.  It was a quick, cute, fun light read that was both engaging and interesting. I especially loved the theater aspect to it, something I don't think I've really ever read before.

 I only really had two problems with it, it's predictability (which is pretty much inevitable in YA romance) and the characters. They weren't really complex, with some having absolutely no flaws, while others would have one big flaw that was resolved. Also, now that I think about it, some sub plots were kind of useless, made a bigger deal than they should've, or didn't arise to be anything. This book wasn't anything that stood out to me, it wasn't amazing or thought provoking but I did get me out of a reading slump, which is always good. I also heard a lot of hype around this book, which probably affected my experience with this book too. 

The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi

Summary: When lesbian, Lexi, is outed to her mother she goes to a pray-the-gay-away camp and falls for someone she shouldn't.

Stars: 4

I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 for little reasons. The writing isn't the best, it's a little cheesy, but I went into it knowing that. The ending was a little rushed, the beginning a little long but it wasn't a huge deal.  Also, the romance trope- angst-for-the-entire-book-and-then-they finally-get-together-and-the-last-page annoyed me. I wanted a sneak off into the woods, making out behind the bible, and in the church attic, passing dirty notes when pastor isn't looking type of thing but alas, I was let down. 

Overall, it was a great read. It was funny, touching, and the characters were great. Every single one of them were fledged out and intriguing. It was a quick read too. I read it in one sitting, refusing sleep until I finished it.  Some of the figurative language was so unique I did a double take, but it seemed like that only happened in the beginning chapters. I would definitely recommend this to someone who doesn't read much, as it was quick and easy, yet still really good. 

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Rating: 4 Stars
Summary: Years after a sickness kills many adults but leaves some children with special powers. The main character, Adelina, has just joined The Young Elites, a group of kids with powers who wish to take back the oppressing crown.


Overall this was a good books. I am really excited for the next one, the set up looks really good. I think the reason I gave it four stars instead of five won't be a problem in the next one too. Since it is a first book of a fantasy series it wasn't the best, but it still was really good.

Some things I especially liked: The secondary characters were really fascinating, I wish I  got to know them better, and I hope they are in the next books. I also really enjoyed the world and the premise of the book. The romance was another highlight, it not being too focused on, but still satisfying.


However, the main character was annoying. She had secrets that didn't have to be secrets and could've been totally fine if she just asked for help.  But, also that trope always annoys me. I think that's not going to be a problem in the next book. That and some things that happened in the ending made it a 4 star book rather than a 5.

I would definitely recommend this and I am looking forward to the next one. I wouldn't say this was as good as her Legend series, but it was still good.

The Ruby Circle

Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary: The final installment in the Bloodlines series, which is a spin off of the Vampire Academy series. Vague Spoilers. 

Overall I really enjoyed this. I thought it did a good job of wrapping everything up, just maybe did a little too good of a job. Everything in this book seemed convenient. Especially the end, which was kind of rushed and there was a time jump at the end which caught me off guard and confused me. It also could've been longer. I felt the last 100-200 pages were rushed and some arcs should've been longer. 

This one wasn't as funny as the others. Or it might just be I don't find it as funny as I read this in the daylight

Thinking about this series what amazing me the most and one of my favorite parts of it is the character development both Sydney and Adrian has had. 

This definitely wasn't my favorite of Bloodlines, that having to be Silver Shadows but it also wasn't my least favorite as I found the first couple annoying. Comparing the two series, Bloodlines and Vampire Academy I honestly don't know which one I liked best. They seem so far away from each other and seeing Rose and Dimitri in these books kind of cloud my judgement. It's always weird seeing characters in a different perspective no matter what book or how much you love them. 

This book was also different from me to the others because I read all 8 VA and the past 5 Bloodlines at 3 in the morning bingeing them very, very fast. Before I was totally emursed in the world and this time I didn't remember a lot and couldn't really get into it. 


This review is a mess. Read this if you read the others. 

One Man Guy by Michael Barakiva

Rating: 3 Stars

Summary: Kid gets left alone for the summer and falls in love with someone he doesn't expect to.

There were parts in this that were really good. So cute I have to smile, laughing, my heart is swelling moments. But then there were moments where I moaned out loud and/or had to set the book down out of annoyance. This book would get so preachy and cliche and cheesy it made me wanted to throw up. It was such a up and down roller coaster my feeling are so conflicted. This is so short of a review because I dont know what to say.

Was this a bad book? No? Was this a good book? I don't know? Did I like it? Who knows??

We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist

Rating; 3.5
Summary: Post-college kid realizes he has never had a girlfriend. Kid wonders why. Science experiment ensues.

This book was just, eh, for me. Firstly, I  didn't think it was that funny when it was pretty obvious that is what it was striving for. The whole plot and pint of the book kinda put me off since reading the summary, I'm not quite sure why I read it at all. The stories got quite repetitive, which the author does point out I think. Also, the ending really turned me off. The style of it didn't really fit with the rest of the book. it was also really rushed, especially compared to how strung out the rest of the book was. I know it was a true story, so I get why the author would do that. Also, knowing it was true each story felt isolated somehow and they didn't really foot or flow well together.

Although I didn't really like it in the big sense of things I still found it enjoyable. It was a quick, fun read. This is a short review I know, I just didn't have that many feelings about it.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: A prequel of The Lunar Chronicles (Cinder, Scarlet..), featuring the evil queen, Levana.

I didn't expect it to be this good. I assumed it was going to be some quickly written, boring prequel that was just to sell another book. However, this one is actually worth the read. I didn't really reveal anything (as of yet) crucial to the overall story but I would recommend reading it along with the rest of the story.

My emotions from start to finish of this book were running high. At points it almost felt like my heart was going to slam out of my chest it was beating so fast. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the book, not believing what I thought Levana was going to do. One main thing I liked about this book was it didn't really make me feel bad for Levana, which is usually the intention 

I wished it had more world building, especially with stuff dealing with powers, when it didn't really have any. The ending felt a little rushed but the preview of Winter was really good and just makes me more excited for the finale book. Also, what's with the cover??? It doesn't match!!! It makes me so angry. At first I thought this was going to just be a ebook and I was okay with it but now having the book on my shelf it angers me so much. 

The Girl and the Machine by Beth Revis

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary: Short story about a time traveler. It's a short story, I can't say more than that without spoiling.

Beth Revis is my girl. I've loved everything she has ever written. (You can read my review of her latest book here btw). T]his is part of a bigger collection of stories I need to get to. I got this story for free from a giveaway on her newsletter a while ago and read it right after but kept forgetting to write a review until now.

It was definitely not what I expected. At all. I was sitting at lunch and gasped out loud and then I had to tell everybody the entire story. It's different from most sci-fi. I'm trying not to spoil anything I'm sorry I'm being so vague. The main character is so badass, I was rooting for her so much. This is actually the first anything I've read anything with a asexual main character (maybe any character). I recommend this to everyone and anyone and already have recommended it to a few.

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Summary: Glory O' Brien doesn't care about her future. When Glory drinks a dead bat's ashes she begins to see the history of the future and her viewpoint begins to change.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I've been meaning to read a A.S. King book for ages. I dont think I've ever seen anyone not like any of her books. This did not disappoint. It's so much different from anything else I've ever read. I've read magical realism before, but not this extreme. It was great, flipping the pages so fast and being shocked when realizing I was almost done.

The sub plot of the book she was writing was almost more interesting than the main story. I would love a whole book of just that story.  It was also the first time I've read a book where they talk about feminism and it not be the focus of the book. It's good to see it be mentioned as easily as saying you're favorite color is blue (and I have a shirt that says the same thing Glory's dad's bumper sticker which made me happy). There is romance in this, but it's a sub-sub-sub plot which I enjoyed.

The story was incredibly interesting. original, and entertaining. There was never a time where I got bored or thought the story was going slow. I would definitely recommend and plan on reading more of King's books.

In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin

Summary: The third and final book in the Birthright series.

The first book was good, the second okay and this one was just disappointing.

Everything was spelled out in long dialogue or narration that made you roll your eyes from the cheese and bluntness. A lot of repetition. The same things have been repeating for the past three books.  The ending was cheesy. Anya is annoying. She thinks she's grown so much since the first book but really hasn't. Choices she made and then complained about how horrible they were for a hundred pages I didn't understand. They weren't really that bad?? Or bad at all??Also, no world building. At all. Again.

This series confuses me. How can her other books I've read, like Elsewhere and Memoirs of A Teenage Amnesiac (and I've heard nothing but good things about  The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry) be amazing and this not be.

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

   Rating: 3.5 Stars
Summary: The second book in the Starbound series, although it does not focus on the same characters as These Broken Stars. As this is a sequel there will be SPOILERS.

This book didn't have a fair start. These Broken Stars, the first novel in this series was amazing. Because of that I had really high expectations which were let down. However, I did enjoy this book.

I didn't enjoy this story overall as much as These Broken Stars. It wasn't as interesting, wasn't as complex and wasn't as sci-fi-y. It took forever for the two to get together (then another forever after that for them to actually get together). I'm also not quite sure if I buy in to their relationship either. Another thing that really annoyed me (afterwards not while reading it) was their were too many deaths that didn't have any affect on the main characters but should have.

Other than that I think it is an entertaining book and a good addition to this series.

My True Love Gave To Me edited by Stephanie Perkins

Rating: 4 Stars
Summary: Twelve holiday themed stories, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, Winter Solstice, by some really talented and famous authors.


All together I really enjoyed all of the stories, even if some less than the rest. Unlike most short story collection I didn't hate any of them, or even completely skip any. They were all really different and not just Christmas themed, which I appreciated. Some of them were confusing or really really cheesy (they were all cheesy, they have to be), or just not that interesting, which is why I'm not  giving it a full five stars. really sure how to review this so I'll just make lists.


Favorites:

• Midnights by Rainbow Rowell
• It's A Yuletide Christmas, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins
• What The Hell Have You Done by Sophie Roth

These aren't very surprising though since I already liked these authors. 

Really Good But Not Enough Time To Explain The World So It Was Confusing: 

• The Lady and The Fox by Kelly Link 
• Krampuslauf by Holly Black
• The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

I think this would be a very good was to be exposed to new authors and find new books. I would definitely recommend this to people, even if it wasn't around the holidays. 

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Rating:4.5
Summary: The third and final book in the Mara Dyer trilogy There will be small spoilers, beware.

    Overall I thought it was a satisfying wrap up to the story, even if I thought the problems from the last two books could've have been more surprising and twisted. It was funny, even with the lack of Noah in most of the book. It was really good at the suspense and keeping me engaged for the entire book. It was action packed as well and I loved the dual perspective.

 However I did not think this was the best of the series. Mostly, because of the story, which I though could've been better. Some smaller things that bother me were also the reason for taking it down half a point. The pop culture references were weird. They made me uncomfortable and seemed out of place. Also, they've been stuck in that compound for who knows how long and before that they were in a mental hospital, How do they know about ebola? I also wish Mara acknowledged the visions/dreams whatever (the other POV) more.

All together this was a really good final book, better than most I've read. Would definitely recommend this series.

Top Books of 2014

These are my favorite books I've read in 2014. They aren't necessary books that came out in 2014, but ones I read during 2014. These also aren't really in any order.

• I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson.  I've talked about this books so much everywhere. I love it so much it's insane. It's definitely the best book I've read this year. The writing style is amazing and I love dual POVs.  I still tear up thinking about it. It's soooooo beautiful if you haven't read it, go now. Read my full review here. 

• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. I finished this book in the middle of my first period class and began to cry. This book broke my heart so many times. It's an Iliad retelling and knowing how the book would end just made it 10 times worse (in the emotional section). The writing is beautiful, the characters are beautiful. This book is beautiful. Read my full review here.

• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. I remember finishing this book, closing the back cover slowly and then just sitting there for a while in astonishment. I know I've described every book so far as beautiful, but this is the last one. All three of the books so far has had such beautiful writing its insane. 

• The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas. This is a fantasy series that has three books so far but I've heard it's going to had at least five. I'm kind of cheating by grouping these but who cares. Because of these books I wanted to be an assassin for a while. The main character, Celeana is so bad ass and cool and amazing I love her so much. This story is going to get so huge and dimensional I can't wait. I think I like the second books the most but was disappointed about the third one, but that was mostly my fault. My favorite was the novellas though. Read my full review of the third book here. 

• Cress by Marissa Meyer. Is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles. Although I liked the second one, Scarlet, more I still loved this one. They're science fiction fairy tell retelling, this one focusing on Rapunzel, who lives in a space ship and is a hacker. These books are great, they're funny and action packed, and I highly recommend. 

• Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. It's a series of graphic novel and the drawing style is amazing as well as the story. The story is so coll and weird and kind of creepy yet hilarious. It's funny and heart tugging and cute and the story is so big and getting so big it's going to be great.  I have a small review of the first volume here. 

• The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This series is laugh out loud funny. I would find myself laughing in the most serious situation which was just great. I binge read these so fast, knowing they aren't that good (as in contributive to the human race) but not being able to stop reading them. The main character doesn't take any shit it's great and I would be fine with the entire series being just dialogue the dialogue was so good. Although It did have some sore spots, like the first and last books being not that great, it still belongs on this list for how much joy it gave me. This seriees was also the inspiration for this blog. Read a review of all five books here. 

• The Vampire Academy and The Bloodlines Series by Richelle Mead. Grouping eleven books together I guess isn't that fair but *shrugs*. This was definitely a really rocky series, with some being five stars and others two, but all together they were really entertaining. Looking back at and while I was reading them I knew they weren't that good. Like the Lux series I binge read these, but this was worse. I finished all eleven books in about two weeks. It was over the summer and I would stay up to 5 in the morning reading, get up at twelve and then read some more.