The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux
Release Date: March 29th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He’s finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can’t quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that’s what he thinks.

But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?

Review

The Winner’s Kiss was one of my most anticipated reads of 2016 and it did not disappoint. The Winner’s Kiss picks up right where the Winner’s Crime ends, in the mist of war. This book is a very action and war heavy, especially compared to book one.

While I did enjoy all the war strategy and war scenes there were times where I did wish for a bit more romance. Kestrel is a fighter, she conquers her fears and is very clever and smart. Her strengths shine in this last book, she is faced with terrible circumstances and must overcome them. Arin is one of my favorite male leads. His love for Kestrel is a driving force that pushes the plot forward. As far as pacing goes, The Winner’s Kiss is a steady fast-paced plot. The story never lulled and the stakes remained high all the way up to the very last pages.

The only thing that I was not the biggest fan of was something pertaining to Kestrel (trying to avoid spoilers). Because of this thing, certain events did not transpire the way I was hoping. I will say it was unexpected and ultimately kept me on my toe; so it was not a deal breaker but it was a bit of a bummer at first. The Winner’s Kiss was an action heavy war driven romantic end to this wonderful trilogy. I highly recommend the entire series, it is one of my favorites! 

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Title: Love Letters to the Dead
Author: Ava Dellaira
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: April 1, 2014
Pages: 323
Source: ALA Midwinter

Summary from Goodreads:
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Review

Love Letters to the Dead reads very easily. At times it was young, shy, or even poetic. At times there was so much emotion that it overwhelmed me. At times, I knew I could only pretend to understand.

It was not easy to be in Laurel’s head. She has suffered so much and has lost herself somewhere along the way. She tries to emulate her sister May – the way she saw her before she died – wild and brave. In truth, reckless. She tries to forget all the wrong that has been done to her – unspeakable truths that we don’t fully understand until the end. She tries to hide all the grief, guilt, betrayal, confusion, need, desire that she feels but at times it just forces its way out. But as hard as it was, and as rough of a start as it was, I was glad that I went on it with her. And I am glad of the point at which Laurel and I part.

I think the letter idea was wonderful. I loved how Laurel told her story to someone. I loved how she reflected on their life – the things they did, said, or were done or said to them – and how she spoke to it, made it her own, weaved it into her own story. And as Laurel changed, so did her impression of these people she was writing to, and so so did the letters. Rockers who may have been idolized at the beginning, didn’t seem so perfect in the end.

I don’t know if this book will work for everyone. And I don’t know if I loved the story so much as I am in a little in awe of it. It’s like this delicate thing that I don’t know how to handle or what to think. But I by no means regret reading it.

I end with an excerpt from the beginning of my favorite letter.  I don't think it's spoilery, but read at your own risk.

"Dear Kurt,
In the second sentence of your suicide note you said, This note should be pretty easy to understand. It is and it isn't. I mean, I get how it goes, what the story is and how it ends. Becoming a star didn't make you happy. It didn' make you invincible. You were still vulnerable, furious at everything and in love with it at once. The world was too much for you. People were too close to you. You said it in one sentence I can't get out of my head: There's good in all of us and I think I simply love people too much, so much that it makes me feel too fucking sad. Yes, I understand.
I feel it, too, when I see Aunt Amy rewinding the answering machine, playing a Jesus-man message from months ago as if it were new. When I see Hannah running over in her new dress to meet Kasey, all the while looking over her shoulder at Natalie. When I see Tristan, playing air guitar to one of your songs, when what he wants is to write his own. When I see Dad, coming over to kiss my head before bed, too tired to worry about where I go at night. When I see the boy in Bio who fills the always-empty seat beside him with a stack of books. Everything gets in. I can't stop them.
So yes, in a way, it's easy to understand. But on the other hand, it makes no fucking sense, as you would say. To kill yourself. No fucking sense at all. You didn't think about the rest of us. You didn't care about what would happen to us after you were gone."

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Curse
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Pages: 368
Source: ALA Midwinter

Summary from Goodreads:
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

"'The Winner's Curse is when you come out on top of the bid, but only by paying a steep price'"

What I Liked

Kestrel

"'A kestrel is a hunting hawk.'
'Yes. The perfect name for a warrior girl.'"

Kestrel was awe-inspiring. She was strong-willed, passionate, keen. She was a survivor. The perfect protagonist.

Arin

"'You are the god of lies'"

Arin was trouble. He was unforgiving, unsympathetic, deceptive. He was out for revenge. The perfect antagonist.

Kestrel and Arin

"'You might not think of me as your friend,' Kestrel told Arin,
'but I think of you as mine.'"

What an interesting and intense dynamic. They used one another, betrayed one another, protected one another, loved one another. I loved the slow build of their affection for each other. How they resisted it and failed. How it simmered between them. How it was forbidden. How it tore them apart. They were the perfect pair.

The story

"'Do you think I care how you won?'
'You won. Your methods don't matter.'"

What a beautiful, tragic, engrossing story. This one is filled with emotion of all sorts and had everything I could ask for. I loved the fight for freedom. The strategizing. The undermining. I loved the stories of those who were playing the game, and those who were caught in the middle. I loved how I sympathized with both sides. It was unputdownable and nerve-wracking. It was defiant, unexpected and hopeful. I've never read anything like it. I loved it to pieces.

The writing

He knew the law of such things:
people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark"

This book was magnificently crafted. The words and sentences just flowed together and pulled you under. Everything was that much more impactful. It was so easy to fall in love with this story.

The pace

"'Plot away, Kestrel.'"
"'Survive.'"

This is not a book that makes you wait until the end for the good stuff. The good stuff is constant throughout. The plot is solid and unwavering. I was apprehensive from the beginning, but straight anxious from page 64 onward. And shit hits the fan on page 210.  This book had my undivided attention every step of the way.

Bottom Line

Trust me (and so many others), you need to read this book. Treat yourself. It lives up to its hype in every way and it is the start of something wonderful. I loved every second of it and I am confident other readers will too.

"Happiness depends on being free, 

and freedom depends on being courageous"