The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: April 26th 2016

Summary from Goodreads:

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.

Review

I am still quite bummed out by this review and my reading/listening experience with this book.  I wanted so much to just love and devour this book but unfortunately it did not work for me.  I opted to listen to the audio book version of this book.

Ultimately what did me in was the fact that at about the 50% mark I just still did not care what happened to the characters.  I could not immerse myself into the world and I just was not feeling any emotions towards Maya or any other character.  It was not until the last 75% of the book where I started to feel like I was interested in the plot.

The narrator felt rather monotone and just lacked the spark I felt that was necessary to get me into the Otherworldy realms.  There is a lot going on in this book and I can see why other readers did enjoy it, but for me, it just was rather slow and uneventful.  The fantasy aspects and unique world definitely provided promise and could be enjoyed by other readers.

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Title: Ash & Bramble
Author: Sarah Prineas
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: September 15th 2015
Source:Copy provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review (Thanks HarperTeen)

Summary from Goodreads:

A prince.
A ball.
A glass slipper left behind at the stroke of midnight.
The tale is told and retold, twisted and tweaked, snipped and stretched, as it leads to happily ever after.
But it is not the true Story.
A dark fortress.
A past forgotten.
A life of servitude.

No one has ever broken free of the Godmother’s terrible stone prison until a girl named Pin attempts a breathless, daring escape. But she discovers that what seems to be freedom is a prison of another kind, one that entangles her in a story that leads to a prince, a kiss, and a clock striking midnight. To unravel herself from this new life, Pin must choose between a prince and another—the one who helped her before and who would give his life for her. Torn, the only thing for her to do is trade in the glass slipper for a sword and find her own destiny.

Review

Oh, what to say, what to say.  Ash and Bramble has a beautiful cover with an interesting and unique twist on a classic fairy tale.  Unfortunately it just was not a book for me.  I immediately struggled with the word building, I felt like I was dropped right into a world that I just did not understand.  The writing style did not help the lack of world building.  The point of views change randomly, sometimes by chapter, sometimes within a chapter, something I could never really adapt to.

Aside from the story building and writing style, there was immediate insta-love.  While sometimes I am okay with that because it does happen in fairy tales, this felt a bit forced.  Then we are introduced to the dreaded love triangle, at that point I debated just not continuing but I was far to curious in how the story was going to end.

Not many aspects of this book worked for me except for the overall concept.  The book has a unique take on a classic fairy tale with some cameos from other fairy tales.  Ash & Bramble had a different and intriguing premise that kept me going through the entire book even though other aspects fell short. Ultimately, Ash & Bramble had high potential and came up a bit short.

Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall

Title: Signs Point to Yes
Author: Sandy Hall
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Release Date: October 20 2015
Source: BEA15

Summary from Goodreads:

The author of A Little Something Different brings you the most adorkable romance ever.

Jane, a superstitious fangirl, takes an anonymous babysitting job to avoid an unpaid internship with her college-obsessed mom. The only problem? She’s babysitting the siblings of her childhood friend and new crush, Teo. 

Teo doesn’t dislike Jane, but his best friend Ravi hates her, and is determined to keep them apart. So Teo’s pretty sure his plans for a peaceful summer are shot. His only hope is that his intermittent search for his birth father will finally pan out and he’ll find a new, less awkward home. Meanwhile, at Jane’s house, her sister Margo wants to come out as bisexual, but she’s terrified of how her parents will react.

In a summer filled with secrets and questions, even Jane’s Magic 8 ball can’t give them clear answers, but Signs Point to Yes.

Review

Well, color me surprised. I don't think I could have had a more opposite reaction to two works by the same author. Having LOVED A Little Something Different, I went into Signs Point to Yes with eagerness and an expectation to finish this book feeling just as smitten. However, as you can tell by my rating, that is not what happened.

Signs Point to Yes was, sadly, not what I would consider a strong contemporary. The story itself - the search for Teo's father being a central theme - erred on the side of predictability and even ridiculousness to such an extent that I am actually shocked that I read what I did. As for the characters, they were very much one-dimensional and unmemorable. I found it a little disconcerting that Jane was considered an idiot by almost everyone around her, including herself, and that her character arc involved several moments of "see, you are smart after all!". And when it came to the dialogue, it was in large part, tiresome and uninteresting. The amount of time these characters spent thanking each other is akin to the amount of staring that happens in the Twilight movies.

There were a few cute moments here and there and a small amount of swoons but overall, I was just not impressed by this story. I wasn't really feeling the romance. I thought the overabundance of Magic 8 ball usage was a little childish and outdated. And I was troubled by Jane's relationship with her mother without really getting resolution there. I DID, however, enjoy Jane's relationship with her sister, but even that was not executed to its full potential.

I don't know what happened with this one. I am befuddled and sad. I can see a MUCH younger audience having more success with this one but I don't know how much.

But hugs to Danielle @ Love At First Page for buddy reading this one with me!

Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George

Title: Silver in the Blood
Author: Jessica Day George
Series: Silver in the Blood #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Source: ARC provided by Publisher in exchange or an honest review (thanks Bloomsbury!!)

Summary from Goodreads:

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate . . . or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

With a gorgeous Romanian setting, stunning Parisian gowns, and dark brooding young men, readers will be swept up by this epic adventure of two girls in a battle for their lives.

Review

Well, as you can tell by my rating, this wasn't really my kind of book.

For starters, it took roughly 170 pages before Dacia and Lou discover their power and the story to even really start. I can't really tell you what filled those 170 pages except uneventful travels, thinly veiled hints, and the musings of two extremely un-curious society girls. Oh, and lovesick boys kept popping out of the woodwork. After they did find out they were shape shifters, Dacia and Lou switched personalities. Dacia, who always put on a brave face and challenged the world, was suddenly drowning is self-loathing to the point of catatonia. And Lou, who was always quiet and meek, was suddenly taking charge and ordering people about. I am all for characters growing and changing, but not so abruptly. And they didn't embrace their powers at first but instead ran from them. This, I was OK with, I only mention it because it led to more inaction. By the time things did finally get going (in the last 75 pages or so), I was unfortunately already exhausted beyond the point of caring. But I can recognize that it was a good ending.

I think Silver in the Blood would be better suited for readers who are able to connect with Dacia or Lou, although they don't have much depth yet. Or for readers who don't mind a slow start to a series. I do think the world and premise hold a lot of promise, it's just that the things that didn't work for me overshadowed that. That being said, I might give the sequel a shot if I hear really good things. But  sadly this book did not pull me in and was not suited to my interests (though that cover is GORGEOUS). I'll leave it at that.

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon

Title: Illusionariumm
Author: Heather Dixon
Publisher: Greenwillow
Release Date: May 19, 2015
Source: eARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review (thanks HarperCollins!)

Summary:
From the author of the acclaimed Entwined, a wholly original fantasy starring a dashing young apprentice scientist drawn into a world of adventure, fame, rebellion, and illusion. A dazzling journey that combines the evocative atmosphere of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus with the sparkling wit of Gail Carriger’s Etiquette & Espionage.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—those magic words at the beginning of every good adventure—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he’s a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, he’s knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that is breathtaking and wholly original.

Review

I’m just going to dive right in with this review – the world building in this book is seriously lacking. Readers are thrown right into this vastly different - and to be quite honest, confusing - world with absolutely no introduction. From the start, there were words I didn’t recognize and backstories that I didn’t understand and it didn’t get much clearer as the story progressed. And I couldn't picture anything. It was overwhelming and frustrating and significantly impacted my reading experience.

And what world building I could grasp just didn’t make much sense to me. Like how was illusioning for entertainment supposed to save Nod’ol, especially since breathing fantillium created monsters out of people? And how could you jump between worlds in the first place, if everything to happen in an illusion wasn’t real? Basically, the entire concept of illusioning and how you could create and interact with things that were real but not real was lost on me. But let's say I understood al of this, it's not like my confusion ended there. I struggled with little things too – like why the characters did what they did - if you can call that a little thing.

BUT to highlight some positives... this book was very fast paced and full of adventure. If you don't need a book to make perfect sense then you may be easily swept up in this race for the cure and illusion madness. And these characters did have their moments, specifically Lockwood, whom I enjoyed.

At the end of the day, the potential was there, it was the execution that was the problem.

Wild Hearts by Jessica Burkhart

Title: Wild Hearts
Author: Jessica Burkhart
Series: If Only... #4
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review (thanks Bloomsbury!!)

Summary from Goodreads:

Brie Carter's father's land development business has taken her family all over the world, but as soon as they arrive at their new home in Lost Spring, Wyoming, the town turns out to protest. They don't want a new hotel if the resident mustang population will be displaced or hurt as part of the deal. Then Brie meets Logan, a gorgeous local who has a special connection to the mustangs, and she is immediately drawn to him . . . and the horses. However, with Logan's father leading the protests and Brie's father refusing to budge, it's clear that their parents are heading towards an all-out war. Can Brie and Logan find a way to save the mustangs and be together? Or is their love doomed from the start?

Review

My biggest problem with Wild Hearts was the writing. The flow and storytelling itself was not the greatest – it lacked depth and everything was just too easy - but it was the dialogue that really got me. These characters spoke in long winded sentences that were way too mature and considerate to feel natural. I couldn’t get past it.

My next biggest problem was with the characters. I didn’t connect with Brie or Logan, who were both a little dull. There was a certain cowboy lure to Logan but I didn’t completely buy into it. And since I didn’t care either way for them, I didn’t care either way for their relationship. It lacked passion and I didn’t feel what connected them. I guess you could say it was cute on a very superficial level, but that is about it. Otherwise, it was too vanilla.

I liked the Country aspect – which was what initially drew me to this book – and I did get into the story of the Mustangs – Logan and Brie saved them from an “uncertain future” and hosted a great event to raise money to care for them - but there was still something lacking here. Drama? Tension? Feels? I don’t know. It saved the book from being a total bust but it didn’t overcome the rest of my issues with it.

Honestly, all of my problems circle back to the first one – the writing. It was subpar in my opinion and that impacted how I experienced everything else. I haven’t read any of the other stories in the If Only series, so I can’t say how this one compares, but I imagine that they were better than this.

Every Breath by Ellie Marney

Title: Every Breath
Author: Ellie Marney
Series: Every #1
Publisher: Tundra Books
Release Date: October 14, 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

When James Mycroft drags Rachel Watts off on a night mission to the Melbourne Zoo, the last thing she expects to find is the mutilated body of Homeless Dave, one of Mycroft's numerous eccentric friends. But Mycroft's passion for forensics leads him to realize that something about the scene isn't right--and he wants Watts to help him investigate the murder.

While Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den--literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again... 

Review

I don't know why I didn't care for this book. Well, that's not true, I'm about to tell you why I did't care for it. Rather, I don't know why I didn't feel what everyone else felt for this book. Every Breath EXPLODED onto my radar not too long ago and all I've seen since are 4 and 5 stars from some very trusted people. I thought to myself, "I NEED this book!" and quickly got my hands on a copy and moved it to the top of my TBR. And yet here I am, having had a very different experience than seemingly everyone else.

I just didn't feel anything for these characters or this story. Nothing about Mycroft or Watts pulled me in. In fact, I found their personalities to be rather bland. Mycroft didn't hold a flame to Sherlock Holmes. He wasn't as eccentric or as amusing or as charming and so I failed to be impressed. And I already forgot about Watts because there really was nothing special about her IMO. I also did not feel whatever was supposed to be brewing between Mycroft and Watts. This OTP had none of the characteristics that I usually love and therefore, this is one ship, I do not care whether or not it sinks. Overall, I just felt bored and uninterested and I considered not finishing on a few different occasions but decided to power through because I hate not finishing books, especially books that everyone seems to love.

I also felt the writing and dialogue to be a little jarring. There is a lot of Australian lingo that I struggled with and so this didn't read seamlessly or naturally for me. I understand this is a personal-thing but it is a reason why I didn't love it. And just for the record, I've read books based in Australia and written by Australian authors and have never had this problem before.

While I am on a role, I will also say that I felt indifferent towards the mystery and there were quite a few things I found to be unbelievable - such as the idiocy of the murderer and the willingness of so many people to talk about things they probably shouldn't, whether because it was illegal, incriminating or what not.  I've definitely read better.

Now, don't get me wrong - this book wasn't bad or painful to read. I just don't understand all of the fuss. And because I had such high expectations, my disappointment was all the more disappointing and is why I am being so critical. I honestly don't know whether or not I will read Every Word. And I'm just going to leave it at that.

I Was Here by Gayle Forman

Title: I Was Here
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: January 27, 2015
Source: ARC borrowed from Katie @ Polished Page-Turners (thanks Katie!!)

Summary from Goodreads:

Cody and Meg were inseparable.
Two peas in a pod.
Until . . . they weren’t anymore.

When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question.

I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

Review

It upsets me to say this but this might be the first Gayle Forman novel that I am not impressed by. Collectively, it just didn’t really work for me.

Cody’s best friend Meg commits suicide and Cody can’t get over the fact that she had no idea her friend was suicidal, especially when she saw her as so full of life. The two of them were growing apart and Cody blames herself for not being there for Meg. Out of guilt and a desperate need to make sense of the situation, Cody starts looking into the suicide support group that Meg was involved with, specifically the individual that played a central role in encouraging Meg to take her life. Her plan is to confront him and make him answer for what he did and to flesh him out, she reveals the small part of her that would consider death as a way to ease her pain.

I imagine I was supposed to feel impacted by Meg’s death, sympathize with Cody’s troubles, contemplate all of the thought-provoking quotes about embracing death, but I felt none of that. I felt oddly distant from it all as if I was just an observer. I was interested in her confronting the man that is encouraging others to commit suicide, but I don’t even know if I am completely content with how that whole thing played out. And as for her relationship with Ben, I definitely wasn’t feeling that and know that I am not happy with some of what happened. I get that grief and guilt brought them together but I didn’t witness any other emotions forming between them and I was surprised by a big move that Cody made. I guess they found comfort in each others presence but their connection didn’t feel strong enough to me and all I could keep thinking was that it felt like too much of a betrayal to Meg.

I won't say nothing worked for me. But what I think what it comes down to is that these characters mean nothing to me. I don’t feel like I knew Meg very well, or Meg and Cody’s relationship, to be moved by her death and Cody’s grief. I never warmed to Cody or Ben to sympathize with either of them or to jump on board with what was brewing between them. There were some secondary characters with potential but they didn’t get enough of a spotlight to make much of a difference.

I’ve read some great books on the topics of suicide and best friendships and grief and guilt and I can’t say this fits the bill. And again, that makes me really sad because Gayle Forman’s other books rank among my favorite Contemporaries. But I guess you can’t always be in sync…

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Title: The Duff
Author: Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Poppy
Release Date: September 7, 2010

Summary from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Review

Hi there, black sheep here. I guess this is another episode of "It's not you, it's me". The Duff was just not my kind of book. So I am going to make this real quick. Like ripping off a band-aid to ease the pain. And then I'll go hide my black sheep-ness in the corner and we'll never speak of this again.

I think the main problem I had with The Duff was that I didn't like Bianca's constant negativity and condescending attitude about everything. She was Judge-y McJudgerson and although I know girls are like this, it wasn't something I found myself enjoying. I  also didn't like all the slut-shaming and I am not usually one to jump all over this in books. I guess the fact that Bianca was being a huge hypocrite is why it bugged me. And I mean a HUGE hypocrite about EVERYTHING. She did call herself out on most of it, but still. Come on. And she was also the WORST friend ever, and then had the nerve to call her friend a bitch and a "preppy cheerleader snob" for caring. I think that was point of no return for me. I also usually get sensitive about books that kind of condone girls using sex as a distraction, as well as girls who give asshole boys the time of day, and this book has both. Actually, that is pretty much the plot of this book...

The end did sort of make everything all better, but at that point  the damage was done. BUT I did REALLY like the message that The Duff sends in the end - that we are all Duffs, that we shouldn't judge others, that we should accept ourselves the way we are. I think Kody Kiplinger handled the bullying topic well in the end. 

Despite how it might sound, I didn't detest this book. It just wasn't for me. But I know this book is a fan-favorite, so please don't hate me.

Atlantia by Ally Condie

Title:Atlantia
Author: Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release Date:October 28th 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 298 pages
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:
Can you hear Atlantia breathing?

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths.

Review

I have not read any of Ally Condie's other work; there are quite a number of mixed reviews so I have stayed away but Atlantia peeked my interest so I thought I would give it a try.  Atlantia was not for me.  By a quarter of the way in, I was already struggling and starting to really lose interest in the characters.  I actually decided to listen to the audiobook since the narrator is the same person that reads The Lunar Chronicles which are FANTASTIC audio books.  Even her awesome narration could not save the book for me.

The world building was rough, there is the below where most of the story takes place and the above is the mysterious, desirable place. (A bit like Little Mermaid) Though the details of how exactly they were living underwater, walking/swimming I seemed to have read right over them or they were not there because I could barely visualize the below.  On top of the rough world building, you have predictable characters.  The lack of originality in some of the plot points just had me losing more and more interest as the story progressed.  The pacing was slow and boring until the last couple chapters which then brought on more predictable scenes.

Unfortunately, Atlantia's promise of a unique underwater world full of sirens and politics just fell incredibly flat for me.  The world, the characters, the supernatural aspects, and even the love story were just mediocre and boring at times. 

After the End by Amy Plum

Title:After the End
Author: Amy Plum
Series: After the End #1
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date:May 6th 2014
Pages: Hardback, 322 Pages
Source: BEA 2014

Summary from Goodreads:
"I have no idea what is truth and what is fiction. I'm all I've got now. I can't trust anyone."
World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past.

Review

After the End took me almost two months to finish.  It was a book I actually thought I was not going to finish; I would put it down for a week then pick it up again and read about 30 pages and just lose interest and put it back down.  It was not until the last 100 or so pages that I powered through until the end.

"One of the first things Whit taught me was how to connect to the Yara.  In order to Read --to make your will known to the Yara and receive an answer, if the Yara decides to grant you one -- you must go through nature."

One of my biggest struggles throughout the story was the 'magic/supernatural' aspects of the story.  I just could not get behind the connection with Nature.  I felt like there was just not enough explanation and when the connection, the Yara, was referenced I wanted to roll my eyes. Not to mention, the main character's name bugged me.   While later in the book there is some explanation about the connection with the Yara, it felt both weak and underdeveloped.

Another major issue I had with the book was the plot.  The plot was slow, about two weeks transpired throughout the book, it felt like it was just going on and on yet nothing was happening.  Along with the dragging plot, the romance between Juneau and Miles was rushed and seemed rather forced.  The POVs alternated between both Miles and Juneau giving the reader both perspectives of the slow moving events.  I am struggling to put into words the actual struggle I had with the book.  Below is an example of the awkward and heavy handed description of the budding romance.

"The touch of our skin sets off a reaction in me.  I am immediately awake... 100 percent present. And it feels like a whirlwind of thorns is whipping around in my chest, stinging me all over from the inside.  That makes it sound painful.  It isn't."

The worst part is that even though it took me about two months to read and I did not like a lot of aspects about the story, I am still curious about what is going to happen in the next book.   

Bottom Line

Unfortunately, After the End is not a book I am jumping to recommend, even though I really enjoyed the Revenants series.  Even with the slow-moving plot, eye-rolling magic, and weak story line, the story had just enough intrigue to keep me from giving up - yet it was a difficult read.  If you are really into being "one with nature," After the End may be for you, but otherwise I would pass on it.  

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

Title: Truth or Dare
Series: Truth or Dare #1
Author: Jacqueline Green
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 14th 2013
Pages: 389
Source: Audiobook, Library

Summary from Goodreads:
When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.

It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t eventhere; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?

Review

I have to agree with the masses that this story is very Pretty Little Liars esque, except in Truth or Dare fashion. A group of High School girls start getting mysterious notes that dare them to do one thing or other else a horrible truth about them will be shared. Of course these girls have all kinds of skeletons in their closets – plastic surgery, pyromania, therapy sessions, you name it – so the dares were always less threatening than the truths.

It’s not that I got bored with the story, the premise itself kept the plot moving, but I was hoping for more. I wish the girls would have tried to find out who the darer was, rather than occasionally point fingers based on little to no evidence. Or at least show a little resistance. The darer kept setting these girls up and leaking the truths anyway and yet the girls kept playing along with very little fight or whit. I was just hoping for something more to the story to make it less repetitive.

And despite the dramatic ending, I just feel very ‘meh’ about this one. The girls all read very similarly and lacked much by way of a personality. This was all very stereotypical high school. I think I’m just too old for this one *le sigh*. I would recommend it to a younger audience who like Pretty Little Liars.

Renegade (MILA 2.0 #2) by Debra Driza

Title: Renegade
Series: MILA 2.0 #2
Author: Debra Driza
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 13, 2014
Pages: 448
Source: ARC, ALA

Summary from Goodreads:
There is no one left for Mila to trust. Except for a boy she barely knows.

But Hunter has no idea who—and what—Mila really is. She can’t bear to reveal her secret, even though he’s unwittingly joined her search for Richard Grady, a man who may know more details of Mila’s complicated past.

Yet the road to the truth is more dangerous than ever. With General Holland and the Vita Obscura scouring the earth for her whereabouts, Mila must rely on her newfound android abilities to protect herself and Hunter from imminent harm. Still, embracing her identity as a machine leads her to question the state of her humanity—as well as Hunter’s real motives.Perfect for fans of I Am Number Four and Divergent, this action-packed and heart-wrenching second installment of MILA 2.0 will leave readers breathlessly awaiting the series conclusion.

Review

I really enjoyed Mila 2.0 because of the nonstop action and because of the internal struggle Mila had over finding out she was an android, neither of which are present in this latest installment. This sequel was a total snoozefest. And for a 448 page book, that is a lot of snooze. Talk about middle-book-syndrome. 

The first 300 pages are pretty much uneventful and full of annoying thoughts circulating around  Hunter. If you had a problem with the “relationship” in the first book, you will have a problem with it in this book. I can almost guarantee it. I never want to hear the name Hunter again. Do yourself a favor and start reading at page 305.

The last 133ish pages are where things pick up and why I gave this book two stars. The story from this point forward is more exciting and interesting and reminiscent of the first book. Not quite as good, yet still a vast improvement over the first 2/3 of this book. If only it came sooner.

But then the ending came and the cliffhanger almost undid all the progress that was made. It was SO STUPID. I am so disappointed. I am really not sure if I am going to read the final book because I don't see it being any better than this one. I will most likely wait for others to review it and make my decision then.

ARC-REVIEW: Unbreakable (The Legion #1) by Kami Garcia

Title: Unbreakable
Series: The Legion #1
Author: Kami Garcia
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: October 1st 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 320 pages
Source: ARC from BEA

Summary from Goodreads:
Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

---

• Unbreakable was a pretty fast read, there is a whole lot going on.  The chapters were suspenseful and full of action.  
• Legion.  The entire premise was interesting and enjoyable.  As mentioned above, you can see the parallels to the Da Vinci Code like plot.  While I did enjoy the similarities I felt it was still lacking in development.  

---

• Unbreakable was a little bit out there.  I can accept supernatural books and even would consider it one of my favorite genres but I like it to be well done.  The execution of the plot was weak and I felt like the supernatural elements lacked substance.    
• The romance felt forced and unnecessary.  
• Lastly, I felt that the story line was rather forced.  The drama/main focus in the story was a stretch.  Now I am not a huge mythology person so it may in fact be following the actual myth but Awaken just seemed to be a book there to simply end the character's story.  
• The characters had a young and sometimes immature voice that I just could not overlook.  It just dragged my opinion of them down and made it hard to truly root for the characters. 

---

Unbreakable was a blend of crazy spirit/ghost hunters and secret societies. Parts reminded me of Tomb Raider.  The whole idea is definitely intriguing but I felt the characters were mediocre and the romance and supernatural aspects were lacking.
  

REVIEW: One (One Universe #1) by LeighAnn Kopans

Title: One
Series: One Universe #1
Author: LeighAnn Kopans
Publisher: Self-published
Release Date: June 11th 2013
Pages: Paperback, 374 pages
Source: Bought

Summary from Goodreads:
When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.

It makes you a One.

Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.

If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.

Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.

Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.

Never have I encountered such an emotional character.  I was about 1/4 of the way through the book and I started to notice how often the main character, Merrin cries.  ALL THE TIME.  I started to highlight how often she cries, I know I missed a couple in the beginning before I realized it was a trend but she cried at least 11 more times after I started counting.  

This made it very hard to enjoy the story.  I just found the main character to be a bit over the top with roller coaster emotions, one minute she is kissing her crush the next she is sprinting away in tears.  I just wanted to shake her and tell her to stop crying. The other characters were nothing special either.  

The development between the friendships and relationships was quite insta-love and insta-friendship.  Merrin was a bit hesitant actually noticing the instant friendships and relationship but that seem to be a quick fleeting thought.  It all felt quite forced which made the plot seem forced as well.  The supernatural aspects were mediocre; while the idea seemed to somewhat original it just lacked execution.

Overall, I could not give One more than 2 stars due to the over emotional main character, forced relationships, and average supernatural plot elements.  It felt like Alex Mack (the old TV show) gone wrong.  Unfortunately, I won't be picking up the next one unless I see some raving reviews. The super powers were not as awesome as I was hoping and crying teen drama is not for me.   Emma Stone portrays how I really left most of the book.

REVIEW #155: 45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson

Title: 45 Pounds (More or Less)
Author: K.A. Barson
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Release Date: July 11th 2013
Pages: Hardcover, 272 pages
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:
Here are the numbers of Ann Galardi’s life:

She is 16.
And a size 17.
Her perfect mother is a size 6.
Her Aunt Jackie is getting married in 10 weeks, and wants Ann to be her bridesmaid.
So Ann makes up her mind: Time to lose 45 pounds (more or less) in 2 1/2 months.

Welcome to the world of infomercial diet plans, wedding dance lessons, embarrassing run-ins with the cutest guy Ann’s ever seen—-and some surprises about her NOT-so-perfect mother.

And there’s one more thing. It’s all about feeling comfortable in your own skin-—no matter how you add it up!

Unfortunately, 45 Pounds predictability really put a damper on this short, easy to read book. Just short of 300 pages, the story flew by but ultimately left me disappointed.

A lot of topics and scenes in the book seemed stereotypical and cliché. My biggest headshake/eye roll moment was when Anne went to a party and had her drinks spiked…. Guess what happened…. If you guessed she got sick all over the cute guy she liked, you win!

I completely understand and can see the parts of the story where she feels made fun of at school by mean girls and then struggling with her mother’s skinniness. The rough relationship with her dad, his transgressions, and divorced parents felt a bit forced into the storyline. I also felt that the humor was not great. Not to say some parts of the story were not funny, they were funny; it is just they were not laugh out loud funny or at the level of humor I was expecting.

I did like the friendship aspects of the story. Anne’s personal journey allowed her to better connect with a new friend and her mother. I think it gave a good message of allowing Anne to see that there is a right kind of friend, the supportive friend who can help you through struggles and does not judge you.

Overall I think my biggest issue was this story was geared toward a younger YA reader and was very predictable. The humor was forced and felt a bit juvenile. I felt that the main character was all over the place and the true message of the story was buried under a whole lot of drama and unnecessary side stories.

ARC REVIEW #150: The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Title: The Infinite Moment of Us

Author: Lauren Myracle

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: August 20, 2013

Pages: 336, Hardcover
Source: ARC obtained at BEA

Summary from Goodreads:

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .

Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

I'm just going to come right out and say it - this love story paled in comparison to many others that i've read. The tagline claims "Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life" but I am regretful to admit that I wasn't really feeling any of that.

I couldn't connect with Wren or Charlie and I didn't fully believe in their connection to each other. At the book's beginning, Wren and Charlie already have an interest in each other, but one created from a distance and based on very little substance. It wasn't strong enough to support a love that came very fast. But there wasn't much else that happened that could explain their sudden and complete fall for each other so I am at a loss.

Their conversations were awkward and foreign to me. I did not find them "oh-so-true to life". But this will obviously be different for everyone. The majority of their conversations were existential, spiritual or philosophical in nature. Not your average topics of discussion for  two 18 year olds falling in love. But hey, that's just in my experience. But it wasn't just the content, it was in the delivery of the dialogue too. I don't know, I just didn't totally buy it. I wasn't feeling what was pulling them together. 

Also, there were two events that transpired that I also didn't find believable. The first happened when Wren did something completely out of character, which ended in a fight. The second had to do with a crazy ex girlfriend. Something that happened but was never really addressed (another source of frustration). I think both were included to add drama. Obviously I know that drama happens in real life, especially in high school. Things are blown out of proportion. But each occurrence would have been uncommon on their own and for both to go down, unlikely. Especially for two people like Wren and Charlie.

And I was frustrated with the ending. It's hard to say more without giving anything away. But I think it would have been a stronger ending and sent a more important message if it had ended differently. But what I disagree with, some might find romantic. So again, a matter of perspective.

Usually I grow to love characters over the course of a book. I found the opposite happening here. I liked Wren at the beginning. She was finally standing up for herself and taking risks. But when it came to her relationship with Charlie, I found her to be extremely selfish. She expected too much from Charlie without giving enough in return. She was also super needy. But Charlie was no prince charming either. He he had his own mistake he kept making over and over again. And even though he was saying one thing, he was doing another. As I always say, actions speak louder than words.

So, I've obviously spent this entire time ranting probably leading you to believe I hated this book. That's not true. Even though I had more problems with the story than I realized, I want to keep my original rating of two stars because their was something honest about the story that kept me reading. And I can definitely see readers experiencing this book differently. My problems may very well not be yours. 

REVIEW #144: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

\ Title: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Author: Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: February 21st 2012
Pages: Hardcover, 359 pages
Source: Audiobook from the Library

Summary from Goodreads:
A lyrical novel about family and friendship from critically acclaimed author Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common. But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a slow moving novel about two unique boys sparking a one of a kind friendship that both saves their lives and changes them forever.  I chose to listen to the audio book. The narration was well done; the story was told from Aristotle's, who goes by Ari, point of view.  The two boys seem to be quite the opposites yet Dante is determined to keep Ari as a friend in spite of an accident, a move, and family issues.  Dante is the only true friend Ari has.

The friendship was something rather incredible.  Ari saves Dante's life without hesitation not thinking about the consequences. Even though Ari tries and tries again to push Dante away, Dante is relentless and will not give up.   Both characters are extremely well developed and very unique.  Saenz does a great job of explaining the history and background of each boy and how it has made them the people they are today.

My issue with the book was not the characters, nor the family dynamics, nor the friendship; it was the plot. The book truly is a story about how these two boys conquer and overcome the hurdles they are faced with in life.  There was not a lot of action, mystery, or love simply a lot of teenage boy angst and confusion.

Overall I had to give the story 2 stars, not because it was not well written simply because it was not for me. The story moved at a pace far to slow for my liking.  There were some important events that changed the dynamic of the story but nothing that I really enjoyed.  Others may enjoy the book especially if you are looking for a deeper more lyrical story about learning and not being afraid to be honest with yourself.