Series Love #2: The Angelfire Trilogy

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million.Include authors name and the covers of the books
My pick this week is the Angelfire trilogy by Courtney Allison Moulton.

                   
Why I picked these books:
I read Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked back to back earlier this year and I absolutely fell in love. With the characters, the mythology, the plot, the action and especially the forbidden romance. Wings of the Wicked was so angsty and had some of the cutest parts ever. I already miss Will. I cannot wait for Shadows in the Silence which is supposed to come out January 29th, 2012. Also I got to meet Courtney at one of the stops for The Dark Days of Supernatural tour and she is one of the funniest authors I have ever met. Her humor is definitely reflected in her books.

-Marissa

Author Love #2: Sophie Jordan

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many authors and books out there that we love so much and want the world to know about them. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick one of your favorite authors. Write what you like about them and/or their books. You can also include an author bio and synopsis of their book if you want.

 

My pick for this week is Sophie Jordan.

From her website: Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she's not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

Why I picked her:

I absolutely adore Sophie Jordan's Firelight series. I've read all three and I think they are so incredibly original. The romance isn't bad either ;). I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I got to meet her last year at Austin Teen Book Festival before I had read her series and she was so nice. Then me and Jasmine met her at ALA Midwinter and TLA. Despite the fact that we've both met her multiple times she is always super nice and has never once asked us if we're stalkers. We're not we promise.  

Me, Sophie and Jasmine at TLA.

-Marissa

Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Moonlight Publishing
Source: Author
First book in Spellbound series
*this was gifted to me by author for review*
Thirteenth daughter. Heritage witch. Demon slayer.They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.
When sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan. But Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list, and Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?
After receiving cryptic messages from a creepy wraith and frightening threats from a demon, Shiloh finally begins to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist. Now Shiloh must decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.
Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.


Review
This book is intense in the most amazing way. I could not put this down. When I did it was all I could think about. I can honestly say I wasn't sure if I was going to like this. Throughout the first half my feelings were kinda mixed. The second half made me wonder what in the world I was thinking. This book is so amazing. It left me dying for more.


This has AMAZING characters. I understand why it's called Beautifully Broken. Shiloh and Trent are both broken in their own ways. Both have very bad family issues. I think they are both using each other to feel better. They really needed each other. I'm sure some would say they were insta love. I don't agree with that at all. They were flirty friends then they were a couple.


I adore Shiloh. She's an incredibly heroine. I love her snarky geek personality. She is a very unique character. I like how she doesn't care what people think about her. She really came into her own throughout the book. She grew into herself and her magic.There is two sides to Trent. The pushy cocky annoying side and the sweet adorable side. Personally I like the sweet side. I found myself screaming at him all the time. I was always wondering what he was thinking. He finally found someone who made him feel alive I guess you could say. Then he pushed her away and shut down. There were two things that bothered me about Trent. One he's very pushy and two he thinks a kiss can fix everything. Sometimes a kiss doesn't fix everything and you actually have to talk to each other. This book had some great secondary characters. I loved Mr. Evans and Ari.


The storyline is hard to describe. Suspenseful isn't the word even though it had its fair share of suspense. I felt like I knew something was going to happen and I just had to wait for it. I found myself waiting a lot. There would be action and some major twist and then nothing for a long time. It was kinda back and forth. It worked for this story but it took some getting used too. Overall I am so glad I got the chance to read this. I loved it with all my heart even though I had my doubts. I can't wait for the sequel so I can see where this story is going to go. I'm curious to see what other people thought. I highly recommend. 5/5 stars


Jasmine <3

Waiting on Wednesday: Unravel Me + Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

This week is going to be a double feature of the books I desperately need in my life and those are:


Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi
Expected release date:  February 5th 2013
from HarperCollins

*flails* I can't even explain how much I want
this book is my hands so I can read the beautiful
words. I need more Adam-y goodness and the tag line
makes it seem like Juliette is going to kick
some butt.



Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Expected release date: October 2nd 2012
from HarperCollins

I'm insanely curious about this book.
Even though Warner creeps me out I can't
wait to get inside his head. If only it came out
in paperback so I could stroke the pretty cover.

Here's a link with all the covers together
Oh my gosh. The gorgeous. The tag lines. The font. The eyes. The season change.
aghskbuhsdiuthykhdohrhohgsah
 I can't even put into words how much I love the new covers.                             TROY MEUNRAVEL\\ MEHerTheher;oet

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Little Brown
Source: Bought
Stand Alone
"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?"
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.
A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?
Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Review
I have been dying to read this for a very long time. It wasn't really what I was expecting but I loved it. I feel like it was more about the Hadley's background than Oliver and Hadley. This has a really unique concept and I like what the author did with it.

I love Hadley( isnt that the most adorable name ever?). I feel like her personality fit so well with the story. She really grew throughout the story. I'm glad she ended up mkaing the right choice. I love Oliver with all my heart. He reminds me so much of Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. He's just adorable. I like how condiserate he was. He is a perfect gentleman. I feel like there wasn't enough cute. I wish Oliver and Hadley had been cuter. They had their moments but there was only a few closer to the end.

Other than the charcaters my favorite part was the concept. I loved Hadley's crazy London adventure. It was really relateable. I could see myself in her position. It really shows that just a few minutes can change your life. There is two reasons I couldnt put this down. One I was waiting for it to get cute and two it was to good to put down. There was a lot of adventure in the storyline and I couldn't wait to see how it was all going to end. I love how the author ended it. Everything tied up and worked perfectly. Overall I really enjoyed this. It helped with my branching out more into the contemporary. I can't wait to check out some of this author's other books. I highly recommend this one :). 4/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Teen
First in the Starcrossed trilogy

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

First things first: the covers. Seriously they might be my favorite covers ever. I don’t know how much of my life I wasted staring at them and making the rainbow-y effect shine. *Sigh*


Anyways let’s get back on track. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again-you know just in case you weren't paying attention- I absolutely love Greek mythology. It's one of my favorite things to read about and I'll never get tired of reading the many different versions of it. So the first time I read Starcrossed I completely fell in love with Josephine Angelini's version of it. The gods weren't really present, the demigods-called Scions- were more like decedents and with the Furies, the Fates and all the different Houses warring against each other it was one of the saddest ones I’ve read. Now that I read it again I can say that it’s one of my all time favorites. Re-reading books that I love is like reuniting with and old friend.


When I read this I always sympathize for the characters want to give them all a big hug. In this book the gods don’t have any part in the Scions lives and pretty much let the Fates and the Furies take control. And believe me they’re cruel. So they got the Furies who make them want to kill people-especially people who they love and then they have the Fates and this is what I imagine the Fates do: “Hey what is the saddest story you can think of (preferably from the brutal Trojan times)?”…”Oh I love that one. Now lets make it happen to these innocent demigods who already have enough on their plates. Sounds like a fun time right?” (I’m not really sure if the Fates are like the gods or more like the sands of time or something but if they are like the gods I’m sure they have twirly mustaches) Don’t you want them deciding your fate?


I felt especially bad for the main character Helen. She starts having these strange dreams where she feels like she’s walking in the desert for days and then she wakes up with aching muscles and sand in her sheets. She also starts seeing these three ladies-when she’s asleep and when she’s awake. As if that’s not enough one day at school she sees the hottest guy on the island of Nantucket (possibly the world) and immediately tries to kill him in front of everyone for no reason she can think of. Honestly in Helen’s situation I would be curled up on the floor rocking bath and forth until I was put in the loony bin but throughout the whole book Helen handles it all and doesn’t get all whiney. I really liked that especially since it doesn’t get easier for her after she learns the truth. I really liked her relationship with her dad and her best friend. She would do anything to protect them. Now onto possibly the hottest guy in the world Lucas Delos. He’s one of my favorite book boyfriends ever. He’s sweet but sarcastic and he would do anything for the people he loves. He’s like a superhero with the powers and the abs to match (:. I loved the whole Delos family. But I think my favorite (other than Lucas obviously) would have to be Hector. He reminded me of a big teddy bear oddly enough.

The romance between Lucas and Helen is so freaking adorable it’s unhealthy for me. It takes forever because she keeps pushing him away and he keeps pulling her back only to keep her at arms length. It’s for very good reasons of course that’s why the book is called starcrossed but I didn’t care. They are to perfect for each other to not be together. As soon as they had the smallest chance to be together it got completely crushed. I’m not going to even go in to that because I’ll get all ranty and worked up and spoil something.


I loved this book as much as I did the first time. Josephine Angelini’s writing style is so addictive and even though I knew what was going to happen I couldn’t put it down. I was constantly checking how long the next chapter was and how late it was seeing if I could keep reading. If you haven’t read this already love mythology, romance and a whole family of hot boys I would definitely recommend this. It’s amazing. Go read it.

Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen
Second in the Starcrossed series

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out--a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies' cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen's sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling "Starcrossed" delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.



Dreamless was my first Waiting on Wednesday ever. It was also one the first book I ever added to my 'to-read' shelf on Goodreads. So of course I was incredibly excited to add it to my 'read' shelf along with the 5 star rating I knew I was going to give it. But at
*This is a review for the second book in a series if you haven’t read Starcrossed you should definitely go do that. If you need convincing here’s my review. Oh and go check out Josephine’s FB page for some very convincing pictures* the same time I was a little scared about starting it. Not that I didn't have complete faith that Josephine Angelini was going to write another amazing book but I was scared that after all that happened at the end of Starcrossed this one was going to be depressing. Ultimately I was scared for all the characters that I fell in love with in the first one what more could happen to them? Sure there was some sad parts (more on that later) but it in no way has ''the second book curse' and just like the synopsis promised it exceeded my expectations. Which is pretty impressive since my expectations were pretty high.


I’ve always been amazed by how strong Helen is. In this one she’s going through twice as much as she was in Starcrossed. Every night she has to descend into the Underworld and the only way out is getting hurt and she feels it even after she wakes up, there’s even more people after her now and they are creeptastic and on top of that she can’t be with Lucas not even as friends if his family has anything to say about it. So yeah she’s got a lot on her shoulders and she was constantly getting crap from all sides and didn’t have anyone to turn to. I think that’s why I actually liked Orion even though I was set on not liking him. I first heard his name when I read the synopsis and it was like the Furies but he took me by surprise. I liked how he was there for Helen when all she needed was a friend and as long as he stayed that way he was fine by me. There was a few close calls but in the end I loved him. Oh, Lucas. There wasn’t enough Lucas in this book well that isn’t true there was plenty of Lucas just not the happy, always hopeful Lucas from the first one. He wasn’t all gone but the bad stuff that happened to him changed him. Even though not all of it was for the best somehow the more determined, tortured him was even hotter. I ended up loving characters that I thought I would hate, pitying characters that I hated in the first one and loving characters that I already loved even more.

Now onto the Helen/Lucas situation. If you’ve read Starcrossed (don’t worry if you haven’t I won’t go into detail but you still might want to skip this paragraph) then you know that towards the end someone tells Lucas and Helen something that means they can’t be together. And for a reason that they can’t fight. But then that person tells someone else that it’s not really true and then gets rid of that person. So for the reader it kind of feels like you’re the only person who knows the truth and you would think that would make it better right? No. It makes it worse because the whole time there were these parts when they were so depressingly cute and they got so close to figuring it out that I just wanted to shake them and tell them that their instincts were right and that it’s not really true and that they needed to go be cute already. But of course I can’t because they’re fictional characters. Josephine Angelini is a genius for working it that way and making me so invested in these characters lives that I was almost crying. Seriously I haven’t wanted two characters to get together so bad since Ren and Kelsey and if you know me at all you know how badly I want them to get together. Despite all that I thought that the love triangle actually worked. I didn’t really see it as a love triangle actually more like a fate triangle. If you have read it you know what I mean.

Wrapping up this incredibly long review I’m just going to say that this book was even better than the first one. The writing was just as addictive (and less calories than chocolate!), there was more Greek mythology tie-ins and I was constantly surprised. Especially with that ending. Like the first one it didn’t end on a huge cliffhanger but the story is in no way wrapped up. I cannot wait to for the next one to see how this story ends even though I’m of course sad it’s going to be over. Really I just can’t wait for Lucas and Helen to find out the truth. If you haven’t this series yet then you need to right now. I don’t care what you’re doing go read it. It’s one of the best Greek mythology YA’s out there.
5/5 stars

-Marissa

The Possession of Cassie Quinn by Kathryn Knutson Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud, Inc
Source: Author
First book in a possible series
A long, dark driveway towards an old farmhouse. A new stepsister with a nasty streak. A little sister who runs off. Something sinister lurking in the woods. Cassie Quinn's new home comes with . . . complications. Cassie never believed in ghosts before. But now she is receiving strange messages, telling her to stay out of the woods. Are the messages just a ploy by her stepsister? Or are they warning her of an evil that stalks the shadows of the woods beyond her home?

Review
You could call this a ghost murder mystery. It had a pretty interesting concept. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this book is creepy. Its insanely creepy and suspensful. It kept me reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen. The ending was a little abrubt so I'm curious to see where this series is going to go.

I liked Cassie. She was easy to like because she had a good personality. One thing I kept thinking was how hasn't she figured it out. I guessed what was going to happen fairly early. Ashleigh was just annoying. She didn't seem all that important to the story.  I feel like later in the series she might have a bigger part to play. I loved how it was like good ghost against bad ghost. Normally there isn't a good ghost only a bad one. I also loved all the secondary characters. They kinda reminded me of Nancy Drew's friends. Everyone trying to help solve the myserty. Some more helpful than others.

The stoyline is so suspensful that it makes this really hard to put down. At times I had to take breaks because I was so creeped out. The I guess you could call it the evil ghosts little snippets were insaely creepy. The night I finished it, I couldnt stop going over everything. Then I was too creeped out to sleep. But I loved being so scared because its rare that I read books that make me so scared. This ended so fast that I'm dying to know what is going to happen next. Overall I really liked this. I loved how it wasn't something I would normally read. I cant wait for the sequel. I recommend if you love being creepy out. 4/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Review: Amira, Immortal Daughter of Penglai by Lon Dee

Reading Level: Young Adult
Self Published
Standalone
*This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*
Amira, a young, self-centered, and lonely immortal from the mythical island of Penglai, rescues a handsome mortal, Raiden, from angry sea spirits and returns with him to Dragon Hollow in the mortal lands. There she learns the hardships and dangers mortals face as warlords and bandits battle in unending warfare. Powerful dragons have protected Dragon Hollow for millennia, making it the only safe haven in the land, but Amira's arrival upsets that balance as she slowly learns the dragons' secrets.

Confronted with perilous choices, she struggles to understand what it means to live with and trust other people. Are others befriending her only because they need her help, or because they find her beauty alluring, or is it because they truly care for her? Can she trust and even love Raiden, or is he deceiving her to achieve his selfish dreams? In the end, she must decide whether or not to risk her own destruction to save her friends in Dragon Hollow, and she ultimately discovers hidden powers and passions, long dormant within her.

Honestly, at first I wasn't sure about this book. It didn't look like my kind of book and it seemed a little weird. And it was but in a good way. I was pleasantly surprised. I loved it.


When we meet Amira in the first chapter she is an immortal and around five hundred years old. She seems old but in a more aged by the world kind of way. We learn that the world she lives in is damaged because of her. She has a lot of regrets and the Spririt Mother gives her the chance to go back in time three hundred years and do it all over. But without the worldly knowledge she has now. When we meet her the second time she lives with only animals to keep her company on the secluded island of Penglai. When a flying turtle named M'lan* comes to her island and says that the Spirit Mother wanted her to come with him and help a shipwrecked crew. Even though she loves her safe home she wants adventure so she agrees. They only manage to save one person from the wreckage. A young man named Raiden who was the leader of this expedition to Penglai to get a famous fruit said to heal to save his father. They set off to take Raiden to his home in Dragon Hollow. On the way there they run into a lot of trouble and Amira learns that the mortal world is angry, warring and a lot different than where she comes from. Most mortals would do anything for money. Amira decides to say in Dragon Hollow one of the only safe places and face her destiny. Along the way she learns there's many different kinds of love, the meaning of friendship and powers she didn't know she had.


Despite being two hundred years old Amira is very naive. She doesn't know much about the mortal but she acts like she does and it gets her in trouble. More than once it seemed like she was making the same mistakes and blaming other people. I know she was supposed to learn but she annoyed me at times. But I still liked her. At the end you could really see a change in her. She was brave and made smart choices. I really liked Raiden he was always there for Amira and he was very responsible. There was times when his loyalty was questioned but I always knew he was a good guy. I didn't want to wait for Amira and Raiden to get cute because I knew it was going to happen. She had a big crush in him she just didn't know what to call it. I loved all the other side characters. All the ones in Dragon Hollow and the ones that showed Amira that the mortal world wasn't all bad. Especially the twins Lotus and Lily.


The last 50 pages or so were action packed. There was a huge battle and a ton of twist and betrayals. I didn't know what was going to happen on the next page and I couldn't stop reading. I wanted everyone to have a happy ending but I was afraid they wouldn't.


Overall I loved this book a lot more than I tought. I would it was cute and funny and I never knew what would happen next. The characters went through so much and grew a lot. I'm sad to see them go.
5/5 stars

-Marissa

*Yes I said flying turtle. He's made of awesome. I love animal sidekicks. This is kind of what I picture him as:

The baby turtle on his back is Amira obviously :)

The Unwanteds by Lisa Mcmann Review

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Publisher: Aladdin
Source: Conference
First book in The Unwanteds series
Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.
Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.
In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.
But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.


Review
Ah I loved this book with all my heart. I miss middle grade. I hardly ever read it. This was a good change from what I normally read. On the cover it says The Hunger Games meets Harry Potter. Normally I don't like when people compare books but that really is true. This book is a perfect mix of those two amazing books. It's a magical dystopian that's very unique.


I really love all the characters in this. Alex is my favorite. He's sweet and adventerous. I like how hes humble about his magic and how friendly he is. I hated Aaron. He's incredibly anoying and rude. I have a feeling we will see more of him in the future. This book had a lot of great secondary charcaters. My favorite was Lani. She was adorable and I like how she was always reading. Some of the secondary charcaters reminded me of Harry Potters charcaters.


This book has the coolest magic. Each type of magic is so different and suits everyone differently. Another cool part was the animals and the mansion. I love the setting. I really loved the difference between the two worlds. The plot wasnt extremely fast paced but it wasnt boring either. It had a fair share of action and suspense.  Overall I really enjoyed this. I cant wait for the upcoming sequel. I'm excited to try more middle grade and I highly recommend this one. 5/5 stars


Jasmine :)

Freak by E.K. Henry Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Self Published
Source: Author
First book in a possible series
*this was gifted to me by author for review*
Being a lower-class human born into a world where vampires rule sucks. No matter how hard Juniper Rayne tries to fit in, she's labeled a freak. When her dad signs the family up to take part in a reality television show, Juniper hopes that it'll give her the edge she needs to shed her freak label.
Unfortunately for Juniper, vampires aren't that accepting.
She decides to take control of her life and become a vampire hunter, instead of continuing to live in her own personal hell any longer.
She will regain control or die trying.


Review
This book is incredibly intense. I'm not even joking I was screaming then walking around my house freaking out. Then I had to explain why I was freaking out to my family so they could know that I was still sane. This book is like the most amazing roller coaster. At first I wasn't sure about it but I ended up loving it with all my heart.


Juniper annoyed me in the beginning. She seemed very bratty and annoying. She grew on me. I ended up liking her character a lot. I like how she was always standing up for herself. I love Brandon. I like his personality and his protectiveness over Juniper. I also like how he didn't take any crap from anyone. Their relationship was a little insta love but I have never minded insta love. I know a lot of people don't like it but I like all kinds of love. Once Brandon came into the story I liked it the story more and I started reading very fast. Brandon and Juniper are a perfect couple and are the reason I loved this so much.


The TV show didn't really make a lot of sense to me. It was a good way to get the story going and it was important but I think the story would have been just as amazing without it. I really liked how it was more humans against vampires. That's different than most vampire books. As I said earlier this book is very exciting. The plot is fast and there is lots of twists. It was impossible for me to put down once I started it. Overall I really enjoyed this book. In extremely happy I got the chance to read it and I highly recommend. 5/5 stars


Jasmine <3

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
First in The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?


This was my first real flesh eating, mindless zombie book. The only other zombie book I've read the zombies were good zombies if there can be any good zombies. I think this was the perfect jump into this genre. It was a creepy, edge of your seat roller coaster ride with tons of action and romance. I feel like the last person to read this and I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner.



This book started off with a bang. In the first couple pages or so Mary's mother gets turned, her brother abandons her and she has to live with the Sisterhood. Which is almost like a nunnery and she's treated like a slave. I felt really bad for her. She's also caught between Harry who is willing to take her away from all of it and his younger brother Travis who she wants more than anything and who dreams about a life outside of the fences just like she does. It was like a love square because her best friend was betrothed to Travis but wanted to be with Harry and Mary was betrothed to Harry but wanted to be with Travis. I wanted it to switch but of course it wasn't that easy. I was surprised by how quickly I was invested in these characters story. I wanted them to all be with who they wanted to be with and to have a happy ending. I think it was because they had such sad lives and lived in such a horrible world and in a society where their choices were taken away before they even knew they had a choice. I just wanted to take them out of the bleak, scary world they lived in. This book was all about surviving and finding hope and beauty in a terrifying world and it was so interesting to see how people reacted to it and who they became in certain situations. Weather it made them stronger or made them fall apart.

The romance was so sweet and realistic. It wasn't rushed at all. Travis and Mary were so adorable and would do absolutely anything for each other. They argued but it made sense. They are both flawed people, living in a destroyed world, trying to survive and make a relationship work at the same time. I just wanted them to be happy.

I would not want to live in the world this book is set in. It's very post-apocalyptic and terrifying. The village that the characters live in in the beginning of the book is controlling and surrounded by fences. It made me claustrophobic just reading about it. Outside the fences isn't much better though. 'The Forest of Hands and Teeth' definitely deserves its name. Are they the only ones in the world and all that's left out there are the 'Unconsecrated' or is there people out there struggling to survive just like them? No on one knows. But these characters are going to find out.

I thought this was a beautiful, realistic book about surviving in a dying world. There were scenes so intense I felt like screaming. I didn't know what would happen next and it was constantly changing with every turning page. The writing was descriptive (almost too descriptive at parts but it's zombies what do you expect) and gorgeous without slowing the plot down. Be warned though: this book made me cry. Hard. Something happened towards the end that I never saw coming and I actually had to go back and reread the scene for it to really sink in but once it did I started crying immediately. And it took me a while to stop. It made sense for it to happen but it still made me heart feel like an Unconsecrated ate it and then put it back in my chest. Despite how much that hurt I still absolutely loved this book and I can't wait to read the next one.
5/5 stars

-Marissa

Summer Reading Competiton!

So my awesome friend Aneeqah from My Not So Real Life emailed me recently and asked if I wanted to do a reading competition over the summer. I said yes immediately. I'm super competitive and I want to read a lot this summer so I knew this would be the perfect push to get me to read faster.

         Here are the rules even though they're really more like guidelines*:

• It's called The Reading Games (get it?) and there will be an awesome button up soon.
• It starts today June 23^rd and end the same day in August
• There will be updates every Saturday with the books we read that week, how many pages they were and if we put reviews up for them links to the posts.
• Loser buys winner a book of their choice (unless the loser thinks that book is horrible and persuades the winner to get something else).
• We will both have a Goodreads shelf to keep up with the books we read.

Sounds fun right? I'm super excited!

Some books I'm planning on reading are:
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Finishing of Lady Amelia by Scarlett Rains
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo
As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Freak by E. K. Henry
Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule
Rift by Andrea Cremer
In Honor by Jessi Kirby

 Those are just the next 10 books I want to read this summer. I actually have two big to-read stacks that I want to read before school starts. If you've read any of these books be sure to let me know what you thought and keep an eye out for reviews.

I just want you to know that me and Aneeqah really do like each other. Even though there will probably be a lot of snide comments on how I'm going to beat Aneeqah's but on Twitter and the weekly wrap up posts she's one of my best blogging friends.

See?

I hope you all have an awesome summer and check out my weekly wrap up post a week from today. And to Aneeqah: May the odds be ever in you favor ;)

*Pirates of the Carrinbean reference :)

Review: Have Book-Will Travel by Kfir & Yonatan Luzzatto

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Pine Ten, LLC
First in a possible series
*This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Max fears that his family will disapprove of his friendship with Darla, a common girl from the village outside his uncle’s fortress walls. That's why they meet secretly to read together from an old book, which she has found in a dusty room near the fortress laundry where she works.

They read about a lost lake and feel adventurous when they slip out of the fortress to go swimming there; but the trouble begins when they find that, in the meantime, the fortress has been sealed and they can’t get back in. It’s lucky that they have the book with them, to guide them through the many dangers that await them on their way back home…or perhaps it is the book that is the source of their troubles.

In the end, it is the power of the friendship that Darla and Max have forged, and their courage, that see them through a series of breathtaking adventures.

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book I wanted to read it. A boy and a girl on an adventure with a book that can transport them to wherever the book describes? Sounds like my kind of book. This book exceded my expectations and was exactly as it promised to be.

In the beginning of this book we meet Max a thirteen and a half year old boy who is moving into a fortress that his uncle is the commander of. The fortress is dreadfuly boring and he doesn't want to do his studies. He entertains himself by wandering the vast fortess. That's how he finds a huge room full of random junk and a girl. With a book. They get to know each other and bond over reading the book together despite their very different lives. They decide to go find a lake the books says is not far from the fortress. From there the plot takes off. Almost as soon as they get to the lake they get into to trouble and are transported some place else. After that they are constantly getting in trouble, captured and nearly killed and have to constantly move somewhere else in an instant. I loved reading about their adventures and they were always moving and trying to get back home and it kept me on my toes.

Lucky for them they had plenty of allies on the way that made up for all the enemies they made. I really liked the people they encountered. Max was a really cool character to read about. He was brave and changed a lot through out the book. Darla was cool too. I liked how she was always there for Max and likewise. They made a really great duo and I hope they become more than friends ;).

The ending was very open-almost a cliffhanger-and I seriously hope there's a sequel. I'm hoping for more world building. It seemed very fantasy-like and I want to learn more about the world. I also am hoping for more of the side characters from this book to make an appearance. All in all I though this was a fun, fast paced book. It seemed a little rushed at times but that just helped keep the plot moving.
4/5 stars.

-Marissa

Series Love: Caster Chronicles

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesnt matter if it only has one book or a million. Include authors name and the covers of the books.

This weeks pick is:
The Caster Chronicles Series. This series is by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This is one of my most favorites series. I adore the books. They are so well written and I love the characters. I am eagerly awaiting the last book in the series titled Beautoful Redemption due to come out October 23rd of 2012. The 3rd book had the biggest cliffhanger ever. The wait for Beautiful Redemption has been killer. If you havent read this series I recommend you do so. Now onto the amazing covers :).





Jasmine <3

Author Love: Tahereh Mafi

Author Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many authors and books out there that we love so much and want the world to know about them. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick one of your favorite authors. Write what you like about them and/or their books. You can also include an author bio and synophesis of their book if you want.

This weeks author love is Tahereh Mafi author of Shatter Me.

Author Bio from authors website:
Tahereh Mafi is a girl.
She’s 24. She was born in a small city somewhere in Connecticut and currently resides in Orange County, California, where she drinks too much caffeine and finds the weather to be just a little too perfect for her taste. When unable to find a book, she can be found reading candy wrappers, coupons, and old receipts. 
SHATTER ME is her first novel.
Foreign rights have sold in 22 territories
to-date and film rights have been optioned by 20th Century Fox.
Her work is represented by
Jodi Reamer of Writers House, LLC.

My thoughts:
I absolutely adore Shatter Me. Its one of my favorites. Tahereh Mafi is hilarious on twitter. I am dying to meet her. I cannot wait for her upcoming books (Unravel Me and Destroy Me). Shatter Me and Destory Me have amazing covers so I'm going to include them in this post. If you havent check out her books I recommend you do so. If you chose not too there is a very good chance I will hunt you down and force you :).




Jasmine <3

Eve of Destruction by Patrick Carman Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Conference
Second book in Dark Eden series
Will Besting and the other teens whose phobias were "cured" at Fort Eden have been summoned back by Mrs. Goring. Her dying wish is to see them together one last time. Or is it?
Ensnared in a dangerous, ever-deepening mystery, Will must lead his friends through a perilous underground trap masterminded by two devious souls at war with each other. It's a game of cat and mouse, and not everyone will be alive when it's over. Can Will outwit both Rainsford and Goring, ending their reign of fear forever?
Patrick Carman's"Dark Eden: Eve of Destruction" offers a harrowing journey into the depths of fear, love, revenge, and--ultimately--redemption.


Review
I adore this book. I loved it even more than the first one. It was so exciting amd I loved that all my favorite characters were back. This series never fails to surprise me. It wasnt what I was expecting and I loved that I couldnt guess what was going to happen.

I feel like the characters were going through a tougher time in this. It was a lot more intesne than the first. The original 7 were basically locked in a torture chamber under Fort Eden and they had to find their way out. My favorties are still Will and Marisa. They are a perfect couple and their super adorable. I liked how the rest of the characters were featured more. They each played their own part. One thing I didnt like about the first one was that I didnt get a chance to know them. That was fixed in this and I'm very glad about that. I really love all these characters.

This book was impossible to put down. The suspense was killer. I loved all the action. There was so many twists, it was impossible to guess what was going to happen next.The ending seemed very closed. Like everything was tied up. I hope theres another book because I'm really enjoyinh them. Overall I really loved this. I have my fingers crossed theres another book and I highly recommend :). 5/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Bought
First book in Dark Eden series
Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?
Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality


Review
I read this so slow. It hasn't taken me so long in a very long time. I'm not sure why it took me so long. I really liked it. The concept is so fascinating. It somewhat reminded me of The Maze Runner by James Dashner. It was really hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.


Out of the 7 Will was my favorite. It seemed like he played the biggest part. All 7 had their own part to play but the book wouldn't have been the same without Will in it. I really liked his personality. He was shy but not boring. To me Marisa and Avery were the only others that seemed to play a bigger part than the rest. Avery was just kinda confusing. I loved Marisa because she was the love interest. It took awhile but Will and Marisa ended up being very adorable. I hope their together in the next book.


This book has a very interestingly creepy storyline. The concept was what drew me in(along with the cover). It wasn't really what I was expecting. I really liked the setting and all the characters. The fears were very interesting and the artwork was impressive. I'm super excited for the next book. I highly recommend this because I loved it. 5/5 stars

Jasmine :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Nevermore by James Patterson

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

 

Nevermore by James Patterson

Expected Publication:August 6th 2012

Publisher:Little Brown

 

One last chance...
For Max, Fang, Angel, Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy.
Before it all ends.

Are you ready for the final chapter? Are you ready for the ultimate flight? Because THIS IS IT. One last incredible, explosive adventure with an astonishing ending that no one could have seen coming

 

I am so excited for this book. Its sad that this amazing series is ending but i know its going to be an amazing conclusion. The wait for this book has been killer and I cant wait to read it. If you haven't read this series you should. Its one of my favorites. Plus that cover is gorgeous just that should make you want to read it.

 

Jasmine :)

 

To Read Vlog

This is my first to read stack. The video is in the order I plan on reading the books. Almost everything included has already been read so keep an eye out for all my reviews. Soon I'll post the video for my second to read stack. Also eventually Marissa will post videos of her to read stack too. Ignore all the little distracting things and I'm sorry its long :). 

Review: Into the Mist: Silver Hand by Steve Finegan

Reading Level: Young Adult
Self-published
First in the Into the Mist series
*This book was gift to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Thirteen-year-old Gabe Wrenn has always taken refuge in his imagination. Refuge from his hovering mom and bullying brother. Refuge from the smirks and stares of his classmates. Refuge from his epilepsy. But now his imagination seems to be running wild. And he can’t stop it. And the only person Gabe can confide in is a girl who thinks his "weird brain" is the key to unlocking the secret of the Brynmor Witch.

I didn't really know what to expect when I started this book. I was pleasantly surprised when I finished it. This was a nice story about a damaged boy with a crumbling family, a girl and a witch.
It was a nice mix of fantasy and real life.

When Gabe Wrenn was six he had an accident and was diagnosed with mild epilepsy. Ever since then his mom has kept him at arms length. His epilepsy means he has these things called 'auras' every once in a while and he has a talent for drawing. He draws the story of a character named Corvus. He never though his drawings were anything but a story in his head. Until he moves to a new house with an mysterious forest behind it, meets a girl named Ellie who tells him the legend of the Brynmor Witch who is buried in the forest and his auras get more frequent and longer. From there the plot just takes off. There's drama with his family, a new school and he starts wondering if his auras are really just in his head. With the help of Ellie he learns more about the Brynmor Witch and starts making connections between real life and his auras of Corvus' story. I really liked how both stories were intertwined and I couldn't wait to see how they came together.

I liked Gabe. He had a hard life but he tried to stay a positive person and didn't want anyone to pity him. Ellie was a really cool character. I loved how she stood up for herself and for Gabe she didn't care if he was different. She liked him better that way. I loved reading about their friendship. It kind of reminded me of Bridge to Terabithia. Though a lot less sad in the end. Gabe's mom annoyed me. I understood why she was so protective of him but she needed to let him go a little bit. I liked how his dad was always there for him. His brother was a jerk but by the end I liked him.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a little slow at times and it felt like a lot of build up and the ending was less epic than I thought it would be. But that just gives me high hopes for the next one. Which I want very badly.
4/5 stars.

-Marissa

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:Tor Teen
Source:Publisher
First book in Anna series
Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Review
This book was so amazingly epic. I'm not joking it was amazing. I never read books that scare me but this one did. It was insanely suspenseful and a little gruesome at times. It left me dying for more. I can't wait for the sequel.


I love Cas. He reminded me of Cassel Sharpe from the curse workers and that's high praise. He has that sarcastically strong personality. I liked how there was two sides to Anna. The good and the evil. I liked how she was shy at first but then kinda came into herself. I like how innocent the relationship between Cas and Anna was. They really got to know each other first. I also like how much faith Cas had in Anna.


I really liked the secondary characters in this. Thomas was my favorite. He's adorable. I hope he gets with Carmel. I liked that Carmel was the popular girl who was hanging out in the not popular crowd.


This book has a really exciting concept. It's also very creepy. All the deaths freaked me out. I was screaming and my parents had to come check on me. When I finished this I went insane. I need more. I don't even have that long to wait and I'm going crazy. Overall I adored this in case you can't tell. Also the red print was very cool. I can't wait toe the sequel and I highly recommend. 5/5 stars


Jasmine :)

Review: Surrender by Elana Johnson

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Second book in the Possession series

Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque....

*This a review for a sequel. If you haven't read Possession yet you need to go do that right now because it is amazing and there will be spoilers*
I read Possession the first book in this series last year and absolutely loved it. There was a ton of action, the world was fascinating and I fell in love with the characters. It's one of my favorite dystopians and dystopian is one of my favorite genres. I love reading about a futuristic world with an overbearing government that controls everything and everyone. It makes me grateful for the world I live in. Because I would not want to live in any of the dystopian worlds I read about. Especially not this one. The one that the characters live in in this book is very futuristic. There's a ton of technology. There's these things that are basically like smart phones in your head that tell the government what you eat, drink, what you say, what you do and basically every move you make. It was terrifying.


Like I said I fell in love the characters-especially Vi and Jag-so I was a little apprehensive going into this knowing that it was about different characters. But the characters in the first one played a big part in the second one and I adored all the new characters just as much as the old ones. Surrender is told from two perspectives. Gunner a mamas boy with a power for tech and Raine the daughter of the Director with a very special and mysterious power. I really liked that it bounced back and forth. It kept the plot moving and it was interesting to hear from two people in completely different lives put into the same situation. I absolutely loved Gunner. He was so sweet and strong and I loved how he was always there for people. I thought Raine was a very strong character despite her situation. Her father was incredibly controlling and used her power against her will to hurt people. I liked how in the beginning Gunner and Raine liked each other but it wasn't called love. They were just more aware of each other than they were of everyone else :). There wasn't any insta-love and that was refreshing. When they got together they were so freaking cute. They balanced each other out perfectly. Surprisingly I actually liked Zenn. He annoyed me to no ends in Possession-he brainwashed his girlfriend for goodness sake-but I felt so bad for him. He got to be with Vi in a way when she was brainwashed even though she wasn't herself. You could see that he really loved Vi and would do anything for her even if that meant letting her go. I really hope he gets a happy ending. Even though I did feel bad for Zenn I wanted Jag and Vi to be reunited so badly. They're meant for each other. She didn't remember him but he still remembered her and it made me so sad. All the characters in this world did little things to rebel. Like eating a ton of toast, not cutting their hair the right way or putting gel in it, kissing someone they're not supposed to. Even nail polish was a little rebellion and I loved that.

The alternating perspectives kept me turning pages and the plot moved so fast that I flew through this book. I had to seriously force myself to stop reading in the middle of the night because it was so late and the battery of my phone (which I was using as a reading light) was dying. The writing style pulls you in and doesn't let you go and I read it in huge chunks and had to force myself to stop reading again and again. There was so many characters and it was so hard to figure out who to trust because their actions and motives kept changing.

Overall I thought Surrender was a fantastic sequel to a fantastic book. Possession is pretty hard to top but this one did. New characters mixed in with the old, there was betrayals, twists and an adorable forbidden romance. This book ended on a huge cliffhanger just like Possession did and I am dying for the third book. Even though I'm afraid it's the last one I have huge faith in Elana Johnson and I have no doubt she will amaze me.
5/5 stars.

-Marissa

Once by Anna Carey Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:HarperTeen
Source:Conference
Second book in Eve series
Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?
Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet

Review
The ending of Eve left me going insane. That doesn't really make sense because I had an ARC of Once. I thought that cliffhanger was bad. The end of Once left me screaming and sadly I actually have to wait for the next one.


I really love Eve. She was like a whole new person. I didn't see that twist coming at all. I liked how it seemed like she was just acting. The whole time she was looking to help people and for a way out. I love how big a part Caleb played. I loved him even more in this which I'm surprised is possible because I loved him so much in the first. He is quite the romantic. Eve and Caleb are absolutely adorable. Their the reason I love this book so much. They have grown closer but I like how it's still innocent.


This book had a lot of secondary characters. They go in and out. I'm really curious if we're going to see more from them in the future. I hope we do. I can't say too much about the storyline without spoiling. It was fast paced. There was tons of twists and action. I seriously couldn't put this down. I read it in like one sitting. Now I miss it. I'm not looking forward to the wait for the third book. Overall I adore this series. It's so so so good. Everyone needs to read it. I highly recommend. 5/5 stars


Jasmine :)

Eve by Anna Carey Review

Reading Level:Young Adult
Publisher:HarperTeen
Source:Bought
First book in Eve series
The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Review
This book has a very different world. I love how unique the world building is. It really is u like any other dystopian. I devoured it. I never wanted to put it down. I fell seriously head over heels in love with this book.


Throughout most of the book I loved Eve. She had some moments when I wondered what she was thinking. At first she seemed a little snobby, really she was just in an unfamiliar environment. Caleb is my favorite character. I'm in love with him. He's such a sweetheart. One thing I really liked was how innocent Eve and Caleb's relationship was. They were super adorable but they weren't rushing. There was a few secondary characters. By the end of the book most weren't still around. I'm curious to see if they will show up later in the series.


To me the plot felt like two stories fit into one. Both were interesting and fast paced. They fit together perfectly. I liked all the suspense and action. I also like how I couldn't guess what was gonna happen next. Overall I really loved this. I should have read it way sooner. I'm excited to see where the story is going to go and I highly recommend. 5/5 stars


Jasmine <3