Shadow and Bone: Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
(Goodreads)

So let me begin by saying that I technically started this review THREE years ago.... And I never finished it because I couldn't remember the book as clearly as I wanted to.
So here I am in 2019, rereading all of Bardugo's books because of King of Scars.

Sooo lets get started.
When I first read this way back when, I honestly did not like Mal. Like AT ALL. I found him annoying and bland and just, I was so frustrated with Alina for liking him. When the Darkling was literally RIGHT THERE. Since rereading the book, Mal isn't that bad, he's not perfect. And I like that.
Considering this is Bardugo's first book, it is incredibly well written the way she created this world. The way she describes it, how immersive it is, without being over bearing.
Honestly the book starts off slow, the book has a lot of information to get there so at times it feels a bit dense, but the plot flows so well.
We see Alina grow and honestly face a lot of things in a short amount of time. Everything regarding the Darkling is just so perfectly execute. It doesn't seem fake, it's realistically done.
And Bardugo just has a way of writing that truly captures the audience with her dark and amazing characters.
Honestly this "review" is a mess... But I'm trying
Anyways!
Until next time readers <3

Love Kat 

Between the Lines: Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.
And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.
A romantic and charming story, this companion novel to Off the Page will make every reader believe in the fantastical power of fairy tales.
(Goodreads)

 I loved this book even though it took me forever to read becasue I kept getting distracted. I found this such a unique story! The concept of the book being a sort of play and the characters are the actors? Absolutely wonderful, made me think that maybe the book characters in certain books aren't suffering nearly as much I'm looking at you A Court of Mist and Fury.. And Empire of Storms, literally killed me. I've only read one book that was similar to this and that was the Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen, and the characters just leave the book.. 
Anyways I found this book so flipping cute!! Maybe William Herondale will come for me! Please? Book boyfriend come to life? Oliver was just so fun with his will to live a life outside of their "script." His love for Delilah was just so cute and adorable.
Seriously my favorite part of Between the Lines was Oliver's desire to leave the book be with Delilah. And every time it didn't work out it just made me cheer them on more!
I really did like the story line, it was just so sweet how many times have I said that now? and adorable. 
I think the only problem I had with this book was the ending because Oliver obviously made it out I mean come on, it has to have a happily ever after they kiss and that's the end... But! I found out today that there is actually a companion novel! So yay! :D 
Until next time
Kat
 

Six of Crows: Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. 
(Goodreads)

So I am going to admit that I totally bought this book because of the cover and the book itself. I mean the book is literally black! Like how cool is that?! So I bought it and didn't read it until the second one came out... 
Anyways it was actually a pretty good book, it had a pretty interesting plot, and a diverse set of characters. My biggest problem with the book was how slow it was in the beginning. 
It's a whole new world with different politics, different social systems. And it was hard to understand, it was kind of complex at times and I felt it drag. But everything changed when they went to go free Mattias which was the start of the action.
The diversity and complexity of the characters is what kept me most interested. All the characters were flawed in one way or another, and instead of just brushing off the flaws, they were all incorporated into the story in a way that didn't seem forced but natural. I love how, even though they all have problems, but they don't let that inhibit them.
Everything gets better, story line wise, with the escape of Mattias. On their way steal a Ravkan prisoner. 
Overall I actually really liked the book even though it was pretty slow in the beginning. The story was rich of impossibilities that ended up turned out alright. 
Until next time 
Kat
 

Never Never: Brianna R. Shrum

James Hook is a child who only wants to grow up. When he meets Peter Pan, a boy who loves to pretend and is intent on never becoming a man, James decides he could try being a child - at least briefly. James joins Peter Pan on a holiday to Neverland, a place of adventure created by children's dreams, but Neverland is not for the faint of heart. Soon James finds himself longing for home, determined that he is destined to be a man. But Peter refuses to take him back, leaving James trapped in a world just beyond the one he loves. A world where children are to never grow up. But grow up he does. And thus begins the epic adventure of a Lost Boy and a Pirate. This story isn't about Peter Pan; it's about the boy whose life he stole. It's about a man in a world that hates men. It's about the feared Captain James Hook and his passionate quest to kill the Pan, an impossible feat in a magical land where everyone loves Peter Pan. Except one.
(Goodreads)

 I thought it would be better... It was good and very interesting especially the first two parts. But let me begin at the start.
The book starts with a young 12 year old James Hook who cannot wait to grow up and become and Elton boy, something I don't understand... Dude growing up sucks. Anyways things at home are good and happy but he becomes rebellious becasue his dad can't go to the gardens with him. I admit to doing this when things didn't go my way... Not a good idea. And that night he decided to go to the gardens by himself and meets a boy that's a little older than him. That was obviously Peter and he introduces him to the Faeries and its all very middle grade and whimsical. Until they got to Neverland and Peter changed and he wasn't all fun and games and he had all these pointless rules. I think the part that is most sad is when James realizes that he can't go home and he fights with Peter and demands to go home, but Peter being a brat said no he's a lost boy now and if he mentions his parents again he's going to get hurt. Hook runs away and cries in the forest with a six year old Tiger Lily. Pretty sad
Then part two starts with Hook getting older. And it was around here that the book started getting weird. Hook is taller than Peter so he tries to kill him, quite gruesome. And Hook returns to the pirate ship he was destined for. Literally since he's the one who dreamed it up at 12 
Everything is fun and games until Hook falls in love with Tiger Lily who just so happens to be growing up like James...I wonder why;)
Anyways this is when James Hook starts hating the Pan with every fiber in his being... It's a little much, but the plot itself is still very child like. It's as though they are just playing a game. 
Things take a turn for the worse when Captain Hook looses his hand and officially becomes "Captain Hook most feared pirate in Neverland" 
Kids are killing adults with no remorse, Tiger Lily and Hook have sex... I had a lot of mixed feelings here. It's a book that started out middle grade then young adult, and then sex... I dunno it just felt off. Especially when Hook started sleeping around, and having sex in caves with Tiger Lily...
The plot was weird, Hook's hatred for the Pan was... Pretty intense and I can understand parts of his hatred: ruining his childhood, kidnapping him from his loving parents, refusing to take him back home, trying to kill him multiple times with absolutely no remorse, ruining his love life with Tiger Lily see I'm confused with this but whatever... The list goes on. 
The book lacked a good plot with a good ending. I had hoped the entire time that this was all going to be a dream, or he would find a way to make it back home whether as a child or as an adult. Something for this poor pathetic man. But no, thing like that. We get a brief encounter with the Darling children.. And it's just like the 2003 Peter Pan... The whole ending was just lack luster and very dull. I had deluded myself into thinking that Hook could have a happy ending with Wendy.. But alas no such luck
It was interesting to say the least. And I truly have no way to really explain how I felt about this book
Until next time 
Kat

To all the boys I've loved before: Jenny Han

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.
(Goodreads)



I'd heard a lot about this book saying that it was very good and that it was super cute... Well it wasn't. It was actually really annoying. It could have been worse it wasn't necessarily good, or bad. It was just annoying. Lara Jean was so vain and annoying and everything was about her... 
I guess it was a simple read and if you really like teen contemporaries then this would be a fun read.

Unwind: Neal Shusterman

Blurb from Goodreads:
The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state, is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.
Review:
Well I read this book because of a book trailer I saw in my English class, and oh my goodness that was such a haunting trailer. It ensnared me, and the book was just incredible. It was a haunting dystopian that made me think. What if someone thought this was a good idea? A good compromise for those pro life and those pro choice. I found I liked the way it was written in different perspectives, that it took time to really introduce you to the characters without boring a person to death with the details. I think the best part was how it showed the accident on the freeway from all their perspectives. 
The teens, were just teens, he didn't make them into adults or have Connor's head inflate because of his new reputation... He kept them children for as long as possible. He showed the selfishness of adults. The selfishness of the poachers for CHILDREN, who would find children and strip them of their parts and sell them. He showed harsh realities of the world disguised in a book for teens. This is a powerful book that will forever hold in my heart because it showed parts of reality disguised as a book for teens, but even for adults this book will be interesting. 
The most haunting part of this book was how he described the process of unwinding, if nothing else interests you read it for that moment because it is just described in such way that it'll stay with you for a while.
Until next time
Kat  

These Vicious Masks: Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.
(Goodreads)
You know It was a lot better than I thought it would be, on Goodreads it just has 3 and a half stars and some of the review were very negative. But I, myself, found that I really enjoyed it. I loved the story itself sister is kidnapped, elder sister come to the rescue with two handsome men vying for her attention. Kind of swoon worthy. 
What was the best part though was that Evelyn was actually pretty likeable, she wasn't nearly as annoying as other female leads. I liked that you also found her growing more as a person throughout the book, growing more comfortable with her power, more confident with herself, that her acceptance of her healing was an acceptance of herself. Evelyn wasn't easily swept away with the prospect of romance, even with a tall brooding, prideful male. She cared more for her sister and Roses wishes to be a nurse.
The book had great witty moments, for example:

“Rose,” I said, turning to my younger sister. “In your esteemed medical opinion, is it possible to die of ennui?”
“I . . . can’t recall a documented case.”
“What about exhaustion? Monotony?”
“That could lead to madness,” Rose offered.
“And drowning in a sea of suitors? After being pushed in by your mother?”
“It would have to be a lot of suitors.”

This is just one of many, but it fit the book, it didn't feel forced. It was just a natural part of the characters personality. 
Most of all I loved the ending, it wasn't sunshine and rainbows. It was sad and kind of expected, but still had hope in the end that everything was going to be fine.
Overall I would recommend this book to those who want a mix of Pride and Prejudice with X-Men with witty comebacks. It seemed accurate in the historical sense. But what do I know.
Until next time
Kat

 

Trouble's Brewing By: Juli Alexander

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has managed to turn her crush into a boyfriend without using any magic at all. But can it really work with Jake when Zoe’s father is dating Jake’s mother? Talk about a dysfunctional family.

After the Frog Fiasco, the Council is watching Zoe’s every move but studying under renowned Potions Master, Martin Finnegan, fulfills a lifelong dream of Zoe’s, even if the ninety-five-year-old man looks like a teenager. Zoe can’t juggle friends, school, potions, and dating without letting something slide, and Trouble’s Brewing as her tutor is forced to reveal deeply hidden truths about her experiments and those of her ancestors.
(Goodreads)

Meh, I thought it was better. At least I hoped, but alas, it didn't turn out as good as I hoped. Zoe is now so flipping annoying. THE. ENTIRE. TIME. Ok, so I understand, she wants everyone to be happy. Especially her mom, but the way she shows it is just so dumb. "Oh she can't like my teacher, I'll just zap up a potion and hope it works." Absolutely annoying, and the whole not-standing-up-to-your-friend gets old really fast. And then there was the ending. The ending was just so abrupt, they go to a dance and kiss. The End. HOLD IT!! Was that it. I put myself through that for nothing? Really... There was absolutely no closure to this book it just went on, and then suddenly ended. I think it might have been better if I had read it when I was younger, it seems to appeal to a younger audience. Meh 

Alice in Zombieland (The White Rabbit Chronicles) By: Gina Showalter

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….
I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.
(Goodreads)

So my beloved mom recommended this book to me because of the author, Chibi (my mum) is always telling me about the other (adult) books she's written and how awesome they are. I have no idea how I could have doubted her. This is a one in a kind book. I'm always saying that the books I've read are different from others but this; this was a whole new category. Truthfully this book had nothing to do with Alice and Wonderland, and that is absolutely okay. Gina Showalter brought the very used zombies and completely changed them, and for the better. These zombies were of the spirit, and I had never thought of that, but it was really very interesting. Since these zombies were more like ghosts no one could see them unless you were special… and so Ali the entire time thought that her dad was crazy, all because he could see these monsters that one else could. Gina Showalter created something new and amazing, and very modern. I actually screamed for happiness when she mentioned the Iron Fey series by Julia Kagawa, and the band Skillet. It was very modern and very teenage, absolutely perfect for us teens :3 Now the characters, oh my flipping gorsh the characters !!! Dear lord Cole is tall dark and handsome with violet eyes but he is just a great character, he's complicated and mysterious. Sarcastic and sweet. So awesome. Of course he had the common characteristics of a possessive boyfriend, that didn’t want Alice to do anything on her own. And that was very annoying at times, but luckily Ms. Showalter kept that to a minimum. Also!! I absolutely loved that Cole was a bass, with a sexy low gravelly voice. In most books they have boys with deep tenors… or baritones… that really doesn’t happen !! Get it right ladies. Now Alice, Alice is such an Independent girl. She does what she wants and is so flipping awesome. I have a feeling she won't go Bella on us :3 I also love how she kicks arse, most female characters are not like that. And Ali was just so amazing! Her spirit was poison to the zombies making her a perfect weapon. Not that she should always be bitten. But she is just so kick arse and is always trying to find a way to figure things out, instead of just waiting. Now the plot is so unique and different, I say that a lot, but I mean it this time (like always). It has been such a long time since I stayed up to READ. Most books I'm like "meh I can keep reading tomorrow" with this I was all like "heck no I am not going to bed !! I need to finish !!" I dreamt about possible outcomes, once I had finished the book, this book just had me flipping pages, anticipating what would happen next. Absolutely loved it, and have read it about three times since the first time, and every time I notice more things. Absolutely recommended for everyone, adult and teen alike.

Nameless (Tales of Beauty and Madness #1) By: Lili St. Crow

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.
Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

(Goodreads) 

This is the tale of Snow White, in a modern but twisted way, mixed with a healthy dose of paranormal. I thought I would have liked it more, because this is my cup of tea, I love books like this but this one was just a bore. I truly expected more. Now the story was interesting, I thought it was interesting how Ms. Crow twisted the story to fit that of Snow Whites. The seven dwarves were the seven clans of weird Vampires… yes vampires. But they’re not normal vampires, they are the mafia vampires that no one wants to mess with. Cami is 16 and weird things are starting to happen, she hears voices coming from the mirror, apples are a BIG no-no, and the snow is melancholy. The romance was sad, because of the sole reason that it was almost none existent. I thought it would have been more romantic, I mean come on! This is the story of Snow White; it should have had at least a little more romance. The main love interest was her adoptive brother, Nico, who was an annoying possessive boy that was just so annoying and macho… lord he was annoying. Now Cami wasn’t that bad, she wanted to learn how to protect herself, what her past was. What her scars mean. But no one in her family would let her do so. And it annoyed me, because they could have avoided many of the conflicts by telling her what she needed to know.

Anyways, later in the story a new boy arrives, Tor, and Cami sort of starts liking him leaving Nico in a fury (again annoying). Now Tor is different, he knows things and is willing to tell Cami these things IF (there is always an if) she hangs out with him (not that bad). But turns out he’s her brother and this psychotic Queen is after Cami to eat her heart and be pretty once again. Tor is helping the psychotic Queen, but feels bad because Cami is a good girl and he doesn’t want her to die, so he helps her. Then the end comes and all is well.

BORING. It has a lot of explaining and leads you up to something amazing, to at least a better ending but none of that happens, Cami goes home and cuddles with Nico (who at one point in the book tried to eat Cami {well drink her blood}). I truly expected more from this. Still really enjoyed the way Ms. Crow twisted the story around, but I wish it had been better. Because I think it had much more potential to be such a great book.  

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices: book two) By: Cassandra Clare

In magical Victorian London, orphan Tessa found safety with the Shadowhunters, until traitors betray her to the Magister. He wants to marry her, but so do self-destructive Will and fiercely devoted Jem. Mage Magnus Bane returns to help them. Secrets to her parentage lie with the mist-shrouded Yorkshire Institute's aged manager Alyosius Starkweather.

(Goodreads)
 I love this series. That’s all I have to say about it. This is one of the best books I have read, and have reread it many times, and every time I think “WHY?!?! LORD Cassandra Clare why must you try to kill me with your cliff hangers!! OH the ending it breaks my heart so” :’(

Anyways… I believe Tessa is more of a Marry Sue in this one, trying to take everything on especially when it involves her beloved brother. And very giving, I mean she gave up her love for Will just because Jem had proposed to her…. Well that is a good reason, BUT right afterwards Tessa had burnt her hand badly because of the pain in her heart. I always thought she should have told him no, that she loves Will and save the rest of us all the pain and tears TT^TT. Now Clockwork Prince deals more with the threat of Mortmain and that threat becomes a reality when they face betrayal. There is plotting, lies, and the love of Will and Tessa J but there is also Jem, sweet, sweet Jem that is going to die and loves Tessa. And Tessa belongs to Will. Oh love triangles how much I love/hate you. So we have our dilemma, we have our evil, we have our heartbreak. And this is one of the happiest. Everything is still very happy nothing too serious has happened yet, so everyone is still happy (EXCEPT Tessa and Will. Except those Will and Tessa), they have won the bet against the Lightwoods, Charlotte is pregnant (with sweet little Buford), Tessa and Jem and engaged. All is well… For now. 

Now what I noticed from annotating the book what how hard Cassandra Clare tries to use old English, I mean at times it was ridiculous, it was just so funny! I didn’t notice this before, but now I just can’t help but giggle at times when it was over used. Also I noticed that this was all about Jem and Tessa’s relationship, with the occasional Will interference (except the ending! D’:). But I found it sort of sad that Tessa almost had sex with Jem at this spur of the moment kiss that went too far. I mean, at that time there virginity was sacred

and she almost lost it… I always thought that it went too far, but… meh -__-”

 

Matched (Matched #1) By: Ally Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.
The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
(Goodreads) 
Well I really liked it. It took me forever to get through the book though, but it was very interesting. I was very quick to judge the book, because at first I thought it was very similar to Delirium. Girl is at the test to decide her future, what her career will be, her husband, everything. Then her test was interupted but a handsome boy. She is then intrigued by this boy and soon falls in love with him when she meets him. Now Matched started with the perparing of the Banquet. She gets there is matched with her best friend, all is well. The next day Cassia puts her mirocard with all of Xanders information to see what the Society thought was important for her to know. What she sees instead is a boy that is NOT her matched. And Cassia knows him, he is Ky Markham. She is then intrigued by him to soon fall in love. So because of this big similarity (in my eyes) I had delayed reading Matched. And when I finally did I found that it is VERY different to Delirium. The similarity ends at the falling in love part. Everything else is completely different. The book was odd. There are no other words for me to describe it. Matched was very odd, how the world worked all the new advancements. But I loved it. And since this is a dystopian book I could see parts of this book happening. Things that could become a reality. I absolutely loved the way Ally Condie described the world, how everything had to be 'fair.' The Society controlled everything, from the things they ate, how much they could exercise, who they married, what they could do in their free time. It was interesting, every well thought out. Now I do admit to being bored at times because it was very VERY slow, but it was still very good. I just wish that at times it were faster. Because it dragged a bit. But there was a lot to explain. The characters were amazing. In this world of perfection, there were some cracks, some imperfections. My favorite of all was Cassia. I think Cassia was a great hero. She seemed so perfect at first but slowly as she fell in love with Ky, she became greedy, something that is not allowed, she wanted to choose what she wanted to be, who she could love. The one thing that did bug me at first about Cassia was how fast Cassia fell in love with Ky. It seemed to me that right when she saw his face on her microcard, instead of Xander, it was love. But it was not so, and as she explained, she did not love him until the moment she saw him on the hill they hiked. At the moment when Ky was free from the burdens of the society, and could be himself. That was the moment Cassia fell in love. So after that explanation I was more ok with it. Xander wasn't very important it seemed to me. At times he was just there. But he is Cassia's official match, and that was all. Near the end Xander became more important
Now since I thought it was like Delirium I had not wanted to read it, thinking it would be a repeat. But I was utterly wrong. It was better than I had ever expected, completely different from Delirium. The similarities ended with them falling in love with someone they should not and I loved it. The book was amazing, but it was slow. Very slow, and at times it dragged. But it was still very good. It was also interesting how the world is. How technology runs everything, how they have destroyed very thing and have only left the 100 songs, lessons, paintings, etc. Also since the society was so “perfect” it is imperfect, trying to hide things that they didn’t want the people to know. I loved it. Other than that, I absolutely loved the book. It was an odd, yet compelling book. :3

Endure By: Carrie Jones

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .
 
So this is the final book to the Need series, and I really didn't like it, the first three were amazing, but  I don't know, this one was sort of disappointing. Nick was a jerk the entire book, all because Zara turned pixie to SAVE him!! And then he goes all jerk on her... Meh. Now Zara, she was just awesome, she wasn't like other female leads, that have others do everything for them. Even when Zara was depixied she was still kick-a and tried to do things. She lead an army, went to Hel and back, freed Loki, then sacrificed herself to save the world from the apocalypse. Overall the book wasn't bad, it just took me forever to read. And I found myself skipping pages, and paragraphs. I just expected more from this book.

Witch Ball (The Seer series book 3) By: Linda Joy Singleton

"Someone who loves you will cause your death. In five days, you will die."

Strange things are happening to Sabine again, and this time it's not her predictions that are coming true. In the last book Sabine was given the Witch Ball, and in this one you find out it is haunted by  vengeful spirit. And the three predictions before Sabine has happened, now it's  time for Sabine to save herself from her death.

I think this one was great. Slowly but surely Sabine is becoming more open with her seer ability, and I like that she is becoming more confident. The main high school problem for Sabine in this one, is the threat of Evan telling Josh about her past, and I was hoping he would, and that Josh would be horrified and then Sabine would realize her love for Dominic!! But, alas, it did not happen so. But it was close enough. Dominic told Sabine how he felt about her when she was pretty much, almost, dead. Causing Sabine to realize her love for Dominic. Which made me super happy!! :D But then there's Josh, who, just so happens to not believe Evan in his stories of Sabine's past, believing it to be lies. Idiot. Anyways, the series is slowly getting better and more interesting, as the story progresses and Sabine slowly realizes her powers are not bad. And as Nona gets worse, the stakes are higher and Dominic and Sabine are more desperate to find the cure.
Now the ending.. Oh my flipping gosh!! I absolutely can not believe that her mom wants her to move back to San Jose, after all her "anti-seer stuff/anti-daughter" actions!!

Croak By: Gina Damico

Fed up with her wild behavior, sixteen-year-old Lex's parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape.

But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach Lex the family business.

She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. But Lex can't stop her desire for justice - or is it vengeance? - whenever she encounters a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again.

Will she ditch Croak and go rogue with her reaper skills?
 (Goodreads)
It truly was good. But... It lacked details in the characters. I didn't know what any of them looked like, except Lex and uncle Mort. And it sucked !!! For everyone else I just sort of imagined blurs of people. The story line was good and I loved the mystery was amazing. I truthfully never guessed who was the bad guy... It just REALLY lacked detail, and it left you in the dark at many moments. Also it was annoying how they never told Lex anything, they just evaded the question. If they has told her everything she needed to know. NONE of this would have happened -__-" It NEEDED DETAIL!!! It lacked detail in everything but the story, the story was absolutely perfect and hilarious, my favorite part in the book: 

"...What happened next was an odd conglormeration of each of them moving in to give each other a hug, each thinking  that the other was moving in to do something more, a subsequent dual retreat in the form of an awkward, octious-like limb flailing, and a grand finale of something that could only be described as a clumsy, platonic chest bump.                            It wasn't pretty." 

This part was absolutely perfect, that I laughed for 5 minutes straight, then read it to my mom to laugh with me. :) Another thing I didn't really liked how it switched point of views so randomly, then went to the random narrator thing...  It was confusing when it would randomly change. Also I ABSOLUTELY LOVED that Lex was sort of evil. I love evil, semi-evil, or dark lead characters. The ending was a shock (as I already said) but it was an awesome shock, I never expected her to be the bad guy, though I should have.

Chain Reaction By: Simone Elkeles

The final book to the Perfect Chemistry novels... It was perfect. This one is about the last son Luis, the final Fuentes... Anyways, the book starts off with the wedding of Alex to Brittany (I died from happiness) and Luis is 15. The love interest is Nikki Cruz, a Latina girl that denies her Mexican heritage (this made me sad... I mean come on. Embrace your heritage). They hit it of... By Nikki kneeing Luis in the balls. Perfect... It then flashes two years in the future, Luis is now 17 and is living in Chicago again. Luis Fuentes is the good boy in the family, not expected to do anything stupid, he has hopes and dreams, everything is good for the youngest Fuentes. Now Nikki is very bitter, she at 15 got pregnant with your boyfriends child, whom broke up with her making her bitter, then to top it all off, looses the baby. So she's bitter and really mean... And she is Luis's love interest. Now that Luis is back very thing is going smoothly, the Latino Blood is gone because the  main guy, Chuy is in jail because of Alex. But Luis being an idiot, ends up joining the Blood stuff happens, and turns out his REAL dad was Hector Martinez!! That was a huge shock... Anyways, everything turns out ok in the end.  :3
I loved this book!! It was the perfect ending to all the Perfect Chemistry novels, and this one was a bit of a shock at the end, but absolutely perfect. Why must the Fuentes boys be so sexy !!! :'(   So this one was just amazing, Luis was just so loveable and cute, as it said in the books with was the more "innocent" one... Not really... ;)  Nikki on the other hand really REALLY annoyed me. I understand that she got pregnant at 15, lost the baby and her boyfriend on the same day, but she took her bitterness way too far. I mean she was waiting for her friend to break up with her boyfriend saying "All boys are the same... Boo hoo for me my first and ONLY boyfriend left me pregnant... Then dumped me..." She really truly annoyed me. And how she judged Luis right away, for him being Mexican, living on the poorer side of town, and being friends with some of the gang bangers, sucky... Other than that I loved the series, and this one was the best. It had more background on the Fuentes family, and showed Alex and Brittany as parents, Carlos as a military man getting ready to propose to Kiara. And the epilogue was just perfect, it showed all of them together when they were older, with their own kids. It was just adorable.

One thing I noticed, all the boys had a different thing to call their girl. Alex: mamacita. Carlos: chica. And Luis: Chava. It made me melt.. :D

Rules of Attraction By: Simone Elkeles

Now this one is about Carlos, the middle child. As a kid he always admired Alex, him being in a gang and protecting the family, being a kick-arse... All that awesomeness. So... At the end of Perfect Chemistry, Alex's family moves back to Mexico. And there Carlos gets involved with some gangs... Again!! WHY?!?! Anyways, him Mama found out and shipped him off to Boulder, Colorado, to live with Alex. Carlos is not happy, he gets in trouble and then starts living with a friend of Alex's who helped Alex when he needed the help. Dr. Richard Westford. Of course he has a daughter, Kiara, and they slowly but surely fall in love.
Again, I absolutely loved this book, I loved the Spanish they spoke, and since I speak Spanish it just made it that much hotter :3 Anyways, I really liked this book, it was very similar to Perfect Chemistry, except that Kiara wasn't uber rich... More normal, and that her parents approved of Carlos. The romance was steamy-er... If possible and I just loved it ;3 Story wise it was great, it was still very interesting with whole new twists and turns. Kiara was a more head strong girl, and was perfect for Carlos. The epilogue was absolutely PERFECT!!! It made me laugh at the irony, and I just love how Ms. Elkeles wrote about their life afterwards...

Perfect Chemistry By: Simone Elkeles

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK!!! There are no other words to describe how much I loved the book. :) The book is about a Mexican boy named Alejandro "Alex" Fuentes... Shexy :3 Anyways... He is sort of the classic Mexican boy, he is in a gang, is going to drop out of high school, lives on the wrong side of town, would do anything for his family. and all that stuff. He then makes a bet with his friends that he is going to get the rich "white" girl to sleep with him. This rich white girl is Brittany Greene. She has a "perfect life." Perfect grades, perfect boyfriend, rich, head cheerleader. Everything. But, in reality she has a hard home life. Her sister is mentally challenged and needs help. Her parents are always working, or when her mom is there all she does is criticize Brittany. In this bet, they start to fall for each other. Slowly but surely. Alex shows Brittany what he is like, his hopes and dreams. And Brittany opens up to Alex, and they fall in love.
I loved this book so much. I absolutely devoured it :) it was fast paced and detailed sort of, at times, lacked details. I sort of had to guess what the characters looked like. Also I loved that the characters were human and imperfect. I love imperfect characters, and this just made the story much more realistic. Another thing... I loved that is was in both their point of views, it told both sides of the stories and made it that much better.

"Mamacita I have already lost control..."

Alex just made me melt with happiness :3

What I found sort of annoying was how fast they moved. The book starts at the beginning of their senior year in August, and then the main event happens in October 31st. Just one month of getting to know each other and falling in love, it was very fast, but I still absolutely loved it. Also the epilogue almost killed me!! From happiness!! It was just so sweet and a perfect ending, reveling more of their future together. : )

The Fallen Star (Fallen Star series book one) By: Jessica Sorensen

I'm not even going to post the book summary.... I really didn't like this book
Well. Why can I say... I hated it. And the only reason I finished it was because I thought it would get better near the end.... It (for me) just got worse. It started out really slow, and went on like that for several chapters. It got good around 35% (on kindle) but then it sucked again. Alex with all his secrets just bugged me. 'Oh sorry that's classified' screw that !!! And at the end when they were wiping Gemma's memories he just say there like 'oh I'm sorry I'm just gonna look at you all guiltily because I love you, but I'm not supposed to, and because I can't tell you anything.' Absolutely annoying. I have read two other books by Jessica Sorensen and they were amazing!! So I expect this one to be the same, boy was I wrong!! I was so excited to read it because it sounded interesting but it was such a let down. :'(
All the characters... Sucked !! There was no depth to them no detail... DETAIL!!! D: It's supposed to be a romance and romance always has a lot of detail. The most romance was when Alex and Gemma where near each other and there electrical stuff started. But this, this was just sad. I expected more from this book because of the two other series I've read and they were AMAZING, so I expected this to be good. But, it didn't start out like this. At first, the book was very interesting, a little slow for my taste, but still very interesting. But once Alex and Ailis (something like) showed up the story just went down hill. It had great potential, and I think that is what put me off most, it had great potential to be a really great book series. But as a first book of the series it didn't start out good, first books set the story up and leave you with questions and all but nothing like this! As the story went along it just got more confusing. Over all... I really didn't like it, as you can see.... But meh -___-"