Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan

Emma is invisible. Okay, not really, but sometimes she wishes she could be. All she wants is to keep her head down and disappear until she graduates high school and can escape the ruthlessness of her aunt. Ever since her mother dropped her off at the front door four years earlier, Emma has been struggling to breathe in the house, around her so called family, she can barely make it day to day.

This is a dark book. It addresses the very serious issue of child abuse, and to be honest it was fantastic. At what I believe to be around 400+ pages, it's long, but I wouldn't give up a page of it. The length enables true character and relationship development, something that is often missing in so many YA books these days.

Emma is a great main character. For the first time in my life–or at least in a long time–the heroine didn't bother me. She's smart, strong, and a grounded person, and her reactions to things are perfect, so great I wish I could be more like her. When she's first being pulled into the social realm she navigates it with her sharp personality easily, and it's great to see her remain strong under the watchful eyes of her peers.

The storyline is interesting, and not once did I get bored. The scenes are fun and exciting, and you never know what's going to happen next. Emma is a kind person, but she doesn't let anyone walk all over her the way a lot of book girls do these days.

Emma and Evan's relationship is one of the best I've read. He isn't in any way abusive, he's just a nice guy that recognizes something in her. They start out as friends–though he wants to be more–and they develop a real connection, this ain't no love at first sight nonsense. Their time together is funny and really sweet, so when the plot twist strikes a little more than halfway through the book, I warn you–brace yourself!

I'm not certain whether or not this is a self-published indie series, and if it is, the editing is fantastic. I did not find one mistake, and that hasn't happened in what feels like forever. This book is the quality that all authors should strive for, indie or otherwise.

The one thing that could have been done a bit better was the actual abuse. While her aunt was clearly cruel and it was sickening to read what she does to Emma, there was something lacking. A big part of abuse in households is often the psychological aspect of the terrorization. That wasn't addressed here as much as the physical part was, and I wish that had been dealt with, because while bruises heal, the psychological warfare is permanently scarring.

A dark story about a girl lost, only to be found by a boy she never thought even knew her name, Reason to Breathe is a breath of fresh air. Get out of that self-published reading slump, hike up your adult pants, and settling in for a stay-up-all-night read.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Reason to Breathe on Goodreads

Taken at Dusk by C.C. Hunter

With Derek gone Kylie can finally investigate her feelings for Lucas, but that doesn't mean they can be together. With his pack, and his grandmother, both against her, their relationship will be far from easy. On top of that, animals are saving her from death, and someone is trying to kill her.

The problem I had with this book is that it's really full of non-action. I think as the third book in this series it really stalled as far as plot goes, because really nothing happens. All the development happens in the last few chapters. Kylie has really long conversations with everyone she talks to, and nothing ever comes out of them. They talk in circles about the same problems over and over again, and it gets hard to stay interested. Even the big climax is pretty bad, because all the excitement happens when Kylie isn't there, and she just rolls in later. Then the confrontation leaves her completely unscathed, and someone else dead.

I had a lot of hope for this series, and absolutely loved the first book. But at this point I'm losing interest. The little progress Kylie makes as far as finding out who she is leaves you wishing the author would just tell you already. The love triangle is annoying because Kylie ends up not being with either Lucas or Derek for most of the book, and then when she finally is with someone, she expects him to be perfect and judges him for every little thing he does wrong. Newsflash, Kylie, you were ridiculously judgmental when you first showed up, so what if he's not perfect all the time?

All in all this installment left me frustrated, and not exactly dying to read the next book in the series. I'm afraid to wait though, because I feel like I've lost all my enthusiasm, and will end up never finishing the series. Either way, I really didn't like this book in the series, which bums me out because I loved the series at the beginning. The plot is too slow, and Kylie whines too much.

Two Stars

Rosalie Williams

Taken at Dusk on Goodreads

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Britney has a perfect life. She's beautiful, popular, and has a hot boyfriend. It's also all a lie. Alex is a member of the Latino Blood, a gang he joined to keep his family safe after his father was murdered in front of him. Alex doesn't back down from a bet, so when his friend bets him he can't sleep with the perfect Britney Ellis, he of course starts pursuing her right away. But as they become closer, and Alex starts to see the girl behind the perfection, can he keep his feelings from growing between them.

Perfect Chemistry takes place in a town called Fairfield just outside of Chicago. Born and raised in a small town in Montana, I can admit to being mostly ignorant about things that go on the in the night in cities. Gangs? Yeah, right. Not a single one in the entire state, so to say this book was shocking is an understatement. From the first page I was drawn in to the lively narrative, and the compelling stories of the two teens. They both have basically a separate plot going on during the story, until they become interwoven. It was exciting, and impossible to put down. This was a "stay up until four in the morning to finish in one night kind of read." As a perspective University of Chicago student, this book made me want to go more than ever.

Britney and Alex are both great character. The development in the book is fantastic, told from both their points of view. It's really fun to see Alex start to break down Britney's walls, and especially great when you know he's falling for her, even if he doesn't know it himself.

The issues in this book are very serious. It's not the normal teenage drivel. Alex is in a gang, and Elkeles doesn't hold back in showing the brutality of that life. As I mentioned before, I've only ever heard of gangs in places like California, so reading what goes on was enlightening, and the motive behind joining, and the impossibility of getting out all fascinated me.

The romance is fun because at first of course Britney keeps him at an arms length, and she doesn't let him push her around. After they get together, it's not all hunkey-dorey. They aren't perfect, and their lives don't match well, so the dating thing isn't easy for them. But they have chemistry, so how are they supposed to resist each other?

I did anticipate the ending, I'm not going to lie. I knew what would happen, but that didn't make it any less fun to read, or any less intense. I did cry at the end, so brace yourself. The final few chapters gave me deja vu to my brother reading The Outsiders aloud to me while we were on vacation when we were little, and that feeling isn't unwarranted. Just saying, be prepared to shed a few tears, because it's impossible not to.

This wrong side of the tracks romance was realistic, intriguing, and intense. I couldn't put it down. I literally laughed out loud, and I cried at the ending. A fantastic look into the life of a gang member, and a beautiful cheerleader who is more than a blonde bimbo, I would recommend this book to just about anyone.

Four Stars

Rosalie Williams

Perfect Chemistry on Goodreads

Under Different Stars by Amy A. Bartol

Author of the The Premonition series, Amy A. Bartol introduces us to her heart-pounding new series a little farther from home than her past books. Kidnapped from earth and taken to another world, Kricket is thrust into a society that she knows nothing about, and that knows everything about her. A lost priestess born from two people who never should have been together, everyone wants her working for them as the world crumbles into war. But with hands pulling from every side, Kricket's only hope is to stay with the man she loves, the only one she can be sure is truly fighting on her side.

Amy's books have always had stunning plots that warrant an extremely fun read, but prior to this novel her writing has been insufficient to support the action of the plot. Without warning Amy has transitioned to a colorful author with the experience and skill to create, and transport us to an entirely new world. Fast-paced and exciting, this was a one-sitting read that I couldn't put down. I was hooked by the first chapter, and was never let go.

The cover art for this book has also graduated to a new level. From amazon-author chic, to a real marketing cover. This is the kind of book I would see on the shelf and buy just for the cover. Because who are we kidding? Everyone judges books by their covers.

"I'm stone...nothing touches me...nothing."

Kricket is a down-to-earth (pun intended) heroine who grew up fighting against an abusive foster system. In all the excitement we just barely get a glimpse into Kricket's past and what she's gone through, but it's enough to develop and attachment to her, and really appreciate her character. While she does fall for a guy, she also doesn't put up with him being stupid. Since she can tell when people are lying, she gets fed up with him denying what they are to each other, and I really respected how she put a stop to his evasion.

"You know–stop right there, because you can't say stuff like that to me. You can't just kiss me in the fountains and then say you only want to be my friend."

The world that Amy creates is as imaginative as all her other plots have been, and I'm in awe at the little details she thinks of that never would have crossed most people's minds. From the creatures to the technologies, once you get used to all the new words used to describe what she sees, you are in a world as colorful as Avatar.

"You could never be a temporary situation for me, Kricket. I know that once I have you, I'll never be able to let you go. I want you as my consort...until death do us part, and than forever after that."

Trey is dreamy and I know that in the next books that a deeper look into his character will make the reader love him more than we already do–it's impossible not to. He comes to care for Kricket for her personality as they travel through the forest to Rafe, and while they do spend time apart, it's like they're always just on the edges of each other.

"My heart has found its way back to my chest and now pounds in it like it had never been torn apart."

A stunning beginning to a whirlwind new series, we will all be waiting breathlessly for the next book. If you think you know Amy Bartol as an author, think again, because this blows away her past novels, and rockets her writing into a galaxy as far away as Kricket's home.

"The sky bleeds above me like tears of black and the pinpoints of light streak horizontally with the speed of eternity."

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Under Different Stars on Goodreads

 

Fall From Grace by Christine Zolendz

Grace has had her heart broken. Not by men, but by God. The people she loves have died endlessly as she is continuously shoved into the lived of dying women, as punishment for loving an angel. She doesn't feel anything for men, until Shane. A tattooed, guitar playing rock star, not to mention a man-whore (pardon my language), Grace doesn't know why she takes notice of him. She has to find her angel, because she'll never love another.

First of all, all that talk about witty heroines, wipe it from your mind. I thought I knew witty and strong heroines. False. Grace is level-minded and hilarious, two traits I love in a main character. She likes Shane, she doesn't deny it, but she also doesn't fall all over him to be used and abused. Unlike most girls in books these days, he falls in love with her first, and she remains funny and charming the whole time. I really liked Grace to be honest.

Shane is hot and intense. He doesn't always say the right things, but in the end he comes around. Most of the time he tries to deny his attraction to Grace, but everyone can see how he feels. There is another book that tells the story from his point of view, and I cannot wait to read it.

Grace is beautiful, and because I'm a sucker like that, I love it when guys hit on her. It's amusing, I know, shame on me, but I can't help it!

There are a few mistakes, as any amazon publisher will have, but all in all it was really good. The writing is much better than what I'd come to expect from amazon writers, and best yet–the books aren't expensive and don't raise in price further down the series (I loath that)!

I very much enjoyed this, and it should probably be on the top of the amazon free books list. It has some adult content, while no actual sex, things get pretty heated (wink wink) so evaluate your maturity before reading this, it's not a young adult book.

Bravo

Four Stars

Rosalie Williams

Fall From Grace on Goodreads

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

The world gone in a flash, Evie and Jack band together in search of something neither know is alive. Constantly fighting with each other and the terrifying new world around them, Evie must accept that she is not who she thinks she is, and just when she and Jack may have a chance together, that secret might tear them apart.

I'm going to do something I've never done before in this review. Because of the intensity with which the book started, I had to begin the review only a few chapters in. I will end with my parting thoughts, of course, but I don't want to lose my opinion of the beginning.

The prologue is absolutely chilling. As with many of the books I review I'm listening to this on audiobook, and the reader is stunning. He speaks with a barely suppressed mania, which paired with the disturbing words, is enough to make you look over your shoulder. My skin literally rose in response to the scene, a chill shaking my spine. I've never had such a robust response to the beginning of the book, and it left me shaken. Arthur, the opening POV, is insane in a way that is hard to capture in the sentences of a book. His thoughts appear almost normal, save for the things he lusts after. I couldn't have imagined the mind of a serial killer better, and I know his thoughts will be trailing me next time I walk down the street in the dark.

Evie's world before the flash is bright and vivid. Kresley Cole does a fantastic job of immediately building the characters, their personalities, and their place in the world. The way she writes brings everything to life, without being overly descriptive. I love a book that is more like watching a movie in my mind, and this is exactly what I have found here.

The interactions between the characters have been witty and engaging. There are no long monologues that leave you bored and mind drifting, but make you cling to every word like it's the twist that I can feel building. After the introduction of new characters like Selena and Matthew, the dialogue can get a tad laborious, especially with her long and confusing conversations with Matthew. But all in all it does not take away from the book.

I'm not going to lie, this book is weird, and entirely heartbreaking. The characters are intense, realistic, and you fall in love with them so subtly that you don't even know it's happening until you are wrecked. They stick to their personalities, which can be so frustrating sometimes, and yet they are compelling an intriguing. For originality, characters, an exciting plot, fantastic writing, and breaking my heart, I award the first five stars of the summer.

Oh, and my opinion for hottest accent on a male has officially changed from British to Cajun French without a doubt. I'm moving to Louisiana holy hotness.

Five Stars

Rosalie Williams

Poison Princess on Goodreads

Indebted by Amy Bartol

The third book in The Premonition series, Evie is struggling to find her place in the violent world of angels and demons. Pursued on all sides for different reasons, Evie must discover who she can trust–before it's too late.

The writing in this book is eons beyond the previous two books. The first two, while the plot, dialogue and characters were strong, the writing made me feel like I was reading a self-published Amazon book that I should have gotten for free or $0.99. But this was a 180 degree turn around as far as the quality of writing, and even the editing seems to have been stepped up for this novel, as there were far fewer errors. This leads me to believe that the second book was a bit rushed, and she spent more time on this one.

I loved the plot in this. I came to actually really likes Brennus, and I feel bad for him because he really does love Evie, but she can never love him. He is fiercely protective of her–a trait that I totally love–but also treats her as an equal. He fills her in on plans and while he wants to keep her safe, he allows her to participate. He's also startlingly compassionate, and the funeral scene was particularly moving for me. I love how Amy wrote their accents into their words, and I very much look forward to seeing what roll Brennus and the Gancanagh will be playing in the next book.

Reed really isn't in this book too much, but I liked all the scenes he was in. I do feel like his character may be slipping a little, because I don't feel the same chemistry between him and Evie that I did in the first book. To be honest, I was leaning a little more towards Evie and Brennus by the end of this.

Here's the thing though. People are always coming after Evie, and I love the plot, because it's exciting and fresh. But nothing really bad ever seems to happen to her. It's always red-shirts that are dying, and I feel like that makes it unrealistic. She's always crying about how awful her life is, and yet compared to most people (especially other people in the group) nothing terrible has happened, and yet they all treat her like she's survived worse things than them. Shall we recap? She hasn't been physically tortured (Russell, Brownie, Reed, Zephyr and probably Buns, though it doesn't mention it). She hasn't been raped (every girl in the Gancanagh castle). She hasn't had the love of her life turn on her (Reed, Brennus and Russell). So I just don't understand why Amy is making it out that her life is so bad. Sure she's always running, but she seems to have escaped the worst of it.

I'm very interested to see where the plot leads. I'm not completely sure if the fourth book is the last, but I think it is. The story ended with a lot of potential, and I hope that the ending lives up to the excitement of the rest of the series. I can honestly say I can't predict the ending, which is very new to me. I just hope that it's a good one, and doesn't ruin the series for me.

Four Stars

Rosalie Williams

Indebted on Goodreads

Intuition by Amy Bartol

Taking place right where Inescapable left off, Evie is living with Reed and still trying to survive. After being attacked by non-Fallen angels, Evie realizes the risk that protecting her Reed faces, and decides to take matters into her own hands–even if it means leaving the man she loves.

The second book in this series is strong on plot, just as the first one was. There was one lull in the story that was a little boring, but for the most part it kept me invested. The narration switches to Russell at one point, which is interesting to see another perspective on everything that's going on. I do like reading from Evie's POV more, but it was a nice change.

While the writing did improve some, I noticed a lot more little issues with this one, like missing quotation marks at the end of a spoken sentence, or a word in the wrong tense. It didn't bother me too much though, and the writing was a little better so it makes me even more optimistic for the next book.

There's an introduction of a new "villain" in this book, and I really like his character. Brennus is intriguing because he loves Evie and will do anything to get her back, but unlike Reed's love for Evie, he wants her because she makes his life better, not so that Evie's life can be better. This dichotomy really shows the difference between Reed and Brennus' love.

The time Evie spends with Brennus is interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat. The slow shifting of her thoughts and feeling toward the Gancanagh is really intriguing, and while I didn't want her to become one of them, it was just a really good part in the story after things got a little boring with her and Russell up in Canada!

I liked that Reed, even though Evie left him, doesn't hold that against her and try to push her away. He's upset that she did it, but realizes why she did, and accepts the blame for his part in her leaving. All in all I think it made them a better couple, and once they were together again it was like breathing a fresh breath of air after drowning.

I very much look forward to the next book.

Three Stars

Rosalie Williams

Intuition on Goodreads

Inescapable by Amy Bartol

Inescapable is about Evie, a young girl's first year at college. She leaves her adoring uncle to pursue her dreams at a nice college on a full academic scholarship. She is greeted, however, by a hostile sophomore named Reed, and a warm-hearted Russell, whom she suspects there is more to than meets the eye. Though she feels like her relationship with Russell has more to it than is apparent on the surface, Evie can't deny her attraction to Reed, who is quickly warming to her to.

I would like to preface this by saying that I read a negative review about this book before buying it. I saw how high the ratings were and since the only option I had for reading it was to purchase it myself, I wanted to get an insider's look at what I was spending my money on. I honestly wish I hadn't because the review tainted my reception of the first half of the book. The beginning of a book is the hardest part for an author, because they have to begin building unfamiliar characters, while simultaneously hooking the reading with an exciting plot. I think if I hadn't been so pessimistic to start off, I would have let myself enjoy the beginning more.

So let's start with the bad things, so that I can get them out of the way before highlighting all the great parts of this book. Most blatantly is the issue with writing. Most of the writing isn't terrible. It isn't These Broken Stars good (thought that's a high standard to compare things to) but it also isn't terrible. The biggest issue Amy Bartol has is with those little tag sentences at the end of dialogue. She uses them far too much, and doesn't understand how not to make them repetitive. "She said (insert adjective here)" was used far too many times. But keep in mind this is a debut novel for Amy, so my hope is that her writing will improve throughout the series.

The other issue I had was her repetition. These seems like a book that wasn't edited by someone who knew what they were doing. Amy would use a fancy new word, and then use it again in the next sentence, then we would never see it again in the rest of the book! It's easy to fall into that trap, because the word sticks in your brain and as you're writing since you just used it, it's convenient to just put it back in again (See! As I was typing this sentence "easy" came to my head immediately, and I had to pause for a moment and settle on "convenient", so as not to do exactly what I'm critiquing.) Another repetition I saw was in Buns' speech. She uses "sweetie" in literally every sentence. This really bothered me at first, but it isn't something I couldn't get over.

Now on to the good stuff!

The storyline was very exciting, and so much was happening I never really got bored. The secret at the beginning wasn't hard to guess, but there's a twist to it that I didn't see coming. I like also that as she began to gain power she didn't just become some super-ass-kicking-ninja-girl overnight as so many girls do in YA novels these days. She gains power, but it's "young", the way it should be.

The romance is really great. I hate the love triangles these days where the girl can't make up her mind and it ends up pushing both the guys away. Evie is very clear in what she wants, and doesn't tell anyone otherwise. Reed is beyond sweet, but also fierce and protective, which is basically the perfect male lead. Russell is great, but I think his character got almost handicapped due to the strange way Amy chose to write his dialogue. Usually when a character has an accent the author will simply introduce the character that way, and write their words in proper English. But nope! Amy chose to literally sound out is accent, and I did find that annoying and it detracted from his character. Besides people with southern accents do know you to say "you" they don't always say "ya". So all in all I am team Reed, but I'm hoping to see better development of Russell's character later in the series.

Evie is a good character. She's supposed to be smart, and all the allusions the author uses does make her appear very well read. The only downfall with this is that Amy chose to explain EVERY allusion to make sure the reader realized how very smart Evie was in understanding this or inferring that. I think it's safe to say that most intelligent people can understand the allusions without detailed explanations, because they didn't seem like Evie, they seemed like Amy trying to make us understand how great Evie was. If she'd left well enough alone, I think I would have liked Evie even more. In the end I did like Evie, she didn't annoy me to death, but I didn't love her either. Like I said, hopefully she'll be fleshed out a little more in the following books.

The ending is surprising and I can honestly say I did not see that coming. I'm usually very good at predicting endings and plot twists, but absolutely not this one!

Most of the worst aspects can be chalked up to writing inexperience, so I'm going to maintain faith that the series will get better as it progresses and her writing matures. Why am I not putting it on my favorites shelf? The plot certainly deserves to be there because I can honestly say I did really love the story. I think reading it again without the pessimism so fresh in my brain because of the review will make me like it even more. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the book because there could be a really good world here. But it doesn't make the shelf individually just because of the poor writing. It's not the descriptions, it's not the dialogue (Because that was pretty good) it's basically just the tags on the dialogue that really took away that last star and a place on the favorites shelf. I wish a better writer had written with storyline because it is absolutely fantastic, and this book could have been so vivid.

I have hope for the rest of the series, and look forward to reading them. I just pray that the writing improves and the plot keeps being fast-paced and exciting.

Four Stars

Rosalie Williams

Inescapable on Goodreads

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

The Last Princess is a novel about the royal family after the devastating Seventeen Days destroy almost all of England. After the annual Roses Ball is attacked by Cornelius Hollister's army, only Princess Eliza escapes, thanks to mysterious help from a Sergeant. Siblings taken captive, Eliza sets out on a journey to avenge her murdered parents and captured siblings.

This was a one sitting book, and not in a good way. I knew that if I put this book down I would not pick it back up again, and since I own it, I wanted to have it read (I hate owning books that I haven't read). Reviewing my notes it's very difficult to decide what to say about this book. So let's start at the beginning.

The characters never become multi dimensional. Eliza sometimes shows courage, but then there is never a connection with her. She makes stupid yet valiant decisions, and it makes her an unrealistic heroine. Sergeant Wesley is innately kind, but as with Eliza, there is no connection with her character. Their romance is flimsy and practically nonexistent, when she suddenly declares she loves him.

There are a lot of inaccuracies in this book. Some mainly being the way the wild foxes acted in the forest. Wild foxes are extremely aggressive when they're starving. Living just outside of Yellowstone National Park, every year we get a story about a starving fox attacking a tourist. They don't snuggle into your hand. The other main one was the horses and more specifically the travel. Eliza travels 380 miles in less than a day on horseback. That's nearly impossible in a car, much less on a horse. Also, horses can't run flat-out for very long. Contrary to what John Wayne movies lead you to believe, you can't run a horse for very long or they die, and yes, True Grit got that part right, horses will run themselves literally to death.

So I will wrap up this short review by saying this: There is no connection with the story whatsoever. The writing is two dimensional and the characters are flat. The story lacks those things that make it seem realistic and draws the reader in. I considered abandoning it halfway through, but decided that it was necessary to read it to its conclusion. Unfortunately it was a waste of my day, and I wish I'd spent it reading a better book, or hiking, or cleaning, or baking, or doing classwork. Honestly, I'd rather do about anything than read this book again.

One Star

Rosalie Williams

The Last Princess on Goodreads

Born at Midnight and Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter

 

Born at Midnight is the first in a series of five books. Narrated in third person by the main character Kylie Galen, the story takes place in a Texas summer camp called Shadow Falls. We first meet Kylie as her father leaves her with her icy mother, and are told that she has a mysterious stalker who no one else can see. After being arrested at an underage party, her mother ships her off to a summer camp with all sorts of strange people, who do very strange things. Derek, a boy who resembles her ex-boyfriend (but even more attractive) takes an instant liking to her. We also meet Lucas, a boy from Kylie's past who she isn't sure remembers her or not, but still has a pull on her.

A quick disclaimer, I'm doing the first two books as a single review because I read the second before I wrote about the first, and unfortunately it did change my feelings, and I can't give the first quite the glowing review it deserves.

Therefore, the first book was very good. It held my interest and I instantly liked Kylie. Unlike many heroines these days, I found her reactions to the male protagonists to be better than most. She isn't overly clumsy (for some reason YA writers think this is an endearing trait to teenage girls, let me tell you, it's not) and she's beautiful, but doesn't flaunt it (that bothered me especially in the Vampire Diaries books). But the best thing was she was nice, without being a pansy. She cares about her friends and makes good decisions by them, but doesn't act like a wimp, or pretend to be nice to everyone no matter what.

So what, might you ask, changed my mind about liking Kylie so much? Well, I'll tell you, the second book did. The storyline is good and interesting, and so in that aspect I really enjoyed the second book. I listened to it on tape and managed to finish it in two days (that's about ten hours of listening). But like so many unfortunate heroines of YA these days, Kylie couldn't make up her mind about the boy she likes until it was too late, and he couldn't be with her anymore. It's unfortunate because in the beginning I liked that she didn't lose her head over the two boys, but in the second book she falls into the trap of every other YA love triangle out there.

SPOILER ALERT!

I can't write about the part where my feelings are the strongest without getting into details, so if you don't want to know, skip this paragraph! So here we go. Lucas is gone for most of the second book, which honestly didn't bother me that much, because I liked Kylie's relationship with Derek. But, like I said before, she couldn't stop thinking about Lucas, and eventually that came between her and Derek. When she finally chooses him, he is leaving the camp and says he can't be with her until she has her feelings for Lucas sorted out! Don't get me wrong, I like both Derek and Lucas, but Derek was there for her the entire time, and so I really wanted them to finally be together! To no avail I'm afraid.

END OF SPOILERS!

The end was very good. The finale of the second tied into the finale of the first, and I can see a sort of string stretching between them, and the overall storyline of the series is beginning to be flushed out. If you're wondering, no, Kylie does not find out what she is in the second book, but we do get some more clues. I've been grappling with whether or not to google what she is, because to be honest, the suspense is killing me and the third book is currently checked out from my library. But here's what's held my hand thus far: the mystery is really keeping me interested in the story. If I find out I'm afraid I'll just get frustrated because I know, and Kylie doesn't, and that's such a big part of the story I know I'd get angry.

So there you go. I liked everything in the first book. but Kylie really lost brownie points with me in the second. Hopefully she can redeem herself in the next book, because I'm not sure I can handle more of these cliche, overprinted YA love triangle mishaps.

Born at Midnight: Four Stars
Awake at Dawn: Three Stars

Rosalie Williams

Born at Midnight on Goodreads
Awake at Dawn on Goodreads

Kindred by Erica Stevens

Kindred is a self-published series by Erica Stevens. It is available free on the Amazon store for your Kindle.

Cassie is a beautiful vampire hunter who wishes to be normal. Devon is one of the oldest vampires in existence, and they feel an immediate pull towards each other. Both are desperate to keep each other out of the world of death and violence that each of them are firmly entrenched in.

Stevens is a good writer. Her other series have been some of my favorite self-publishers, and I did follow the Captive series to completion. But first, I must start with the bad. Like most self-publishers, there are quite a few editing mistakes. Some of the worst are the improper uses of "then" and "than." Alongside those are the basic misspellings, mis-placed punctuation, and awkward wording that doesn't quite make sense. Although these may seem minor, the writing is what makes a book, and the editing errors detract from the plotline, and make it seem much more amateur, unfortunately. The last thing I have to mention is how short they are. Barely above 200 pages, the books go by in a flash. Like most self-publishing series, the rest cost around $3. I was dismayed to find that the next is also only 200 pages. This detracts a lot, in my opinion, from the author themselves. It feels like buying mini-stories, and she's doing it to stretch out the series and make more money from it.

Aside from my revision rant, the storyline was interesting and fun. The characters aren't a total bore, and the dialogue flows nicely. Although it is another of those instantaneous love/infatuation stories, I'm a sucker for those, so I did enjoy it. Unfortunately there isn't much substantial to say. It isn't the most original story, but it's still good, like a retold classic.

Three Stars

Rosalie Williams

Kindred on Goodreads

Evertrue by Brodi Ashton

Evertrue is the final installment in the Everneath trilogy by Brodi Ashton. This much anticipated finale had a lot to live up to, especially after the surprising ending to the second novel. So the question is, did it live up the the high standards? That's debatable. 

Let's start with the characters. This is the first book where Jack and Nikki are together the entire book. In the first two they were separated by something for nearly the entire book, so we finally get to see them as a couple. I'd say that overall they are good together. They know each other, and you can almost believe the intense commitment they always profess to each other. Heres my issue. I don't feel like the emotions were real. Nikki's attachment to Cole seemed more profuse than her loyalty to Jack for some reason. 

Cole. Quick spoiler, he loses his memory about of a third of the way through the book, and all he can remember is how much he loves Nikki. I think this was a bad choice for Brodi Ashton to make. Having Cole lose his memory turned him into a different person, and it was like a new main character was introduced in the final book! Readers have grown attached to Cole, despite his scheming, and taking him out of the picture was a bad idea. I can see how Ms. Ashton thought it was necessary for Nikki to forgive Cole, but in the end, it was Cole that Nikki still loved, not the version that had lost his memory. It was distracting to the plot of the story, and I didn't enjoy it. The first book is the story when the characters are scrambling around, trying to figure everything out, not the third. This book felt pretty frantic, and didn't provide the closure that should have been there after all the build up.

If you don't want to read a spoiler about how the book ends, stop reading now.

The final scene was far too short. You want my to believe that this hundreds of year old queen is defeated by Nikki in a matter of minutes when all Nikki could conjure up was a straw? Nope, I don't think so. The climax was extremely short compared to how long they spent dithering about the Everneath and the world, trying to figure things out. Like I said, there wasn't the relationship development that I needed to feel like the story came to a good end.

So Cole dies. I'm not sure why, but I always root for the underdog, for the guy you're pretty sure the girl won't choose. But so what? I didn't connect with Jack the way I connected with Cole, and I honestly think that Cole was better for Nikki than Jack was. But I still can't decide if this was a good ending or not. My heart tells me no, but my brain tells my yes. The lack of closure with Cole is what really throws me off I think. He (or at least the version of him with his memory) isn't in most of the story, and when he finally comes back, he saves them all and helps them destroy the Everneath! Cole is a really good person, and I wasn't happy with him dying like that in end. 

Not the ending I was hoping for, to be honest. I don't know if I wanted Nikki to choose Cole, or what should have happened, I just know this wasn't it.

After all the months of waiting, I hate to say I'm disappointed.

Three Stars

Evertrue on Goodreads

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

Into the Still Blue is the final book in the Under the Never Sky trilogy by Veronica Rossi. It is one of the best written Young Adult series I've ever read, right alongside the Shatter Me series. The plot is so well devised, that everything flows into something else. The actions and events are so natural, the world seems almost more vivid than reality.

This finale was perfect. I can honestly say I've never read a more outstanding summation to a series. The author didn't try to startle the readers with shocking ending, but finished the series the way it should have been finished. With hindsight being 20 20, I couldn't have assembled a more perfect sequence of events.

The book is filled with action, but more seriousness than the other books. Perry is the leader of the Horns now, and Aria is the defacto leader of the Dwellers. There is much more responsibility on their shoulders, yet they don't yield to it. Both rise to the occasion and develop not only as characters, but as people, and as a couple.

The only complaint I'd had with Through the Ever Night, the second book in the trilogy, is there wasn't much time that Perry and Aria spent together. It seemed as if they'd just become a couple and stolen our hearts, when they are whacked hundreds of miles apart from each other. However, the redeeming feature of that installment was the never wavering loyalty they had toward each other. The second book allowed Perry and Aria to develop separately, and then more together as a couple in Into the Still Blue.

I won't mislead you, this is a roller coaster of action and emotion. The book covers a lot in a very short amount of time, but it never feels rushed. There is sacrifice, and I doubt you'll make it through the pages without shedding at least a few tears–I know I didn't!

For me, this was a highly awaited finale, and it was definitely worth the wait. If all YA series came to a close as cleanly, and as well as this one did, I would be much happier with the current YA genre.

To put this into perspective, Divergent is all the rage right now in the YA literature, and cinematic world. I would rank this series above that one in a heartbeat. Not only above it, but miles ahead in terms of plot, characters, and the overall writing.

It is an honor to award this book:

Five Stars

Rosalie

Into the Still Blue on Goodreads

Promise by Kristie Cook

As a foreward, I would like to preface this review with a quick mention of my thoughts. Despite the review, I was drawn to this book from the beginning. I was hooked immediately, regardless of all the flaws, and couldn't stop reading. The only reason it's getting such a low review is because of the ending. It was a five star book and probably my next favorite save the ending, which destroyed all my positive emotions for the plot, and the characters, and especially the author.

If you've read Twilight, you know exactly what the plot is, minus the love triangle, and replace the vamps with angels and demons. Despite that, I liked the story a lot more than Twilight. Why? I honestly can't tell you. So let's break it down.
1. The writing wasn't great, definitely a self-publisher.
2. The plot moved very quickly, and lacked substantial development.
3. The romance was superficial, and Alexis and Tristan seemed very awkward together despite their constant confessions of endless love.
4. This was such a big deal I have to say it twice, this literally was Twilight.

They fall in love (though there isn't much development, it just happens), and get married. The girl is special even before she becomes a vampire–oh! Excuse me, an Amadis, my mistake–and they know she will have awesome power. Tristan is afraid to hurt Bella–Alexis! Sorry! I'm not sure what's wrong with me today–and so refuses to have sex with her until they're married. Alexis gets sick but no one considers she might be pregnant even after all the unprotected sex! It's ridiculous, honestly.

This read very much like a bad young adult novel save for the poorly written sex scenes.

Tristan was definitely my favorite character, though that's not saying much. The only other character with good development was Alexis, and she was immature and annoying. She most definitely didn't seem like she was nineteen, and most definitely not ready to be married and having children! None of the other characters became substantial or even played a big role. Her mother and grandmother were carbon copies of each other, and were completely interchangeable throughout the story.

While I won't ruin it for the readers, the ending ruined the entire story for me. Like I said, I was completely planning on buying the second book and giving this a five star rating until the last thirty pages destroyed everything. Trust me on this one, it's bad. I no longer have any intention of reading the next installment in the story.

Two Stars

Rosalie

Promise on Goodreads

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The immortal rules is a dystopian vampire novel about Allison Sekemoto, and her struggle to survive in the harsh world.

Firstly, I must mention that Allison is Asian, and the girl on the cover is not. This shouldn't bother me as much as it does, but covers matching the story and characters is very important to me. The marketing of a book can make or break whether or not it becomes a best seller, or even if a reader chooses to pick it up off the shelf. I would recommend a reprint of this book with a different cover.

Now to the story. Initially, I had a hard time getting into the story. I'm always on the lookout for a love interest for the main character, and the only possibility was killed in the first few pages. The character Stick really bothered me, but upon reflection I think that was probably his purpose in the story. There was a lot of action pretty quickly, and I liked that. It set up the story well, and established Allie as a character.

I really liked the way Allie became a vampire (it's not a spoiler, it happens in the first hundred pages!) and I liked Kanin. Of course I thought they would end up being together, so imagine my surprise when they are separated early on! But in the end I really appreciated this choice, as it left an opening for a second book. The way this story progressed reminded me a lot of the Graceling series, but better. There was a lot of distance covered throughout the book, and a lot happened without it feeling rushed. The sequence of events moved smoothly and I was thoroughly entranced in the book.

About halfway through Allison meets up with a traveling gang of humans, which I really liked as a plot twist. The rest of the book is eventful and fun, though sad at times.

I don't want to give too much away because this really is a book I'd strongly recommend reading, as it wasn't the same as modern vampire books, and had an aspect of reality that a lot of them lack. I will tell you this, there is a love interest, and it end in a bittersweet kind of way. For once I really liked the ending of the book. There were other ways it could have gone, but I liked the direction it took in the end. I'm excited to read the second, though I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to read it. I really liked Julia Kagawa's writing style, and I will be looking in to other books by her as well, so prepare yourself!

I strongly recommend this book.

Four Stars

Rosalie

The Immortal Rules on Goodreads

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Fire is the second book in the Graceling series by Kristin Cashore. I'll admit to having reservations when it comes to the series, because I found myself unsatisfied at the end of the first. You can take a look at the review on my blog to read for yourself my exact thoughts. But nonetheless, the description intrigued me and I eventually relented, listening to the entire book on a long road trip.

Fire is about a young monster girl with the power to bewitch men and women alike with just the power of her beauty. She has mystical fiery hair and mental power enough to read and control minds which are not guarded against her. Admittedly, she is in love with her childhood friend Archer, but also feels an incessant need to keep everyone at a distance. Eventually she becomes entangled in a web of conspiracy with the king, his brother, and Archer himself.

This book is long, and just like the first, a lot happens across those pages. To be honest, the first probably third isn't very interesting. It's a lot of set up for the action that occurs in the second half of the book, and while it's appreciated, you must struggle through it to get to the end.

Fire's final love interest is predictable, and I was abet to anticipate it from the very beginning. Knowing this, however, just made the book seem to drag even slower. It seemed like the characters were always getting so close to being together, and then suddenly they would just turn away.

Cashore has a remarkable gift when it comes to establishing characters, because all of them are vibrant and realistic. Yet she is almost an anti romantic. She sets up these incredible scenes that you can visualize perfectly, unfolding before your eyes, and then she'll bluntly end the chapter by having one of the characters walk away, seemingly at the crux of the moment! This bothered me as well in her first book, that the main characters don't spend as much time together as they should.

Despite these issues, I liked Fire more than I liked Graceling. Fire is more mature than Katsa was, and I appreciate that immensely. I also like the male characters in this book more, because they seem, well, more manly. The plot of this is also more interesting than that of Graceling. I appreciate the contrast between Katsa (who never wants kids) and Fire (who does but knows she can't have them) and that Cashore didn't write two different women who are really the same.

The romance was also better in this book, because the characters were more devoted to each other. A big issue I had with Graceling was how easily Katsa left Po behind, and while she said she loved him, it just didn't seem like it. Fire and Brigan, on the other hand, were very devoted to each other, and didn't lash out with angry words all the time. They also made a lasting commitment to each other in the end, even if it did take the majority of the book for them to even admit they loved each other!

With a lot of anticlimactic moment and frustrating exchanges, Fire was a difficult read. But in the end the world Cashore painted was brilliant, imaginative, and fun, so much so it was hard to tear myself away. While I'm unsure if I'll read the third book in the series, I did enjoy this one more than the first.

Three Stars,

Rosalie

Fire on Goodreads

Absence

Hello!

Long time no posts! I apologize immensely for my long absence from the blog and my previously quick reviews. With finals week in school and an increasing work load plus state for my debate team coming up, I've had my hands full!

Currently, I am working on three books. I'll admit that I've read a few since I last posted, and yes, they were great. My favorites, however, I plowed through so quickly that I could never have reviewed them without giving away things from the sequels, so, my apologies. As I finish the immediate books I'm reading I'll be sure to review them, and I promise to work on getting back to regular postings!

Thanks for baring with me!

What am I reading right now?

Across a Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars, #2) by Diana Peterfreund

Fire (Graceling Realm, #2) by Kristin Cashore

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1) by Julie Kagawa

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

After finding out her father created the plague that destroyed most of mankind, Araby has a lot to deal with. That, and the three groups fighting for control all want her for some reason or another. Betrayed by her boyfriend and proposed to by a slightly crazed revolutionary, she's having a rough month. Yet somehow, she deals. Bravo.

Masque of the Red Death was a very good book. It set up very well for the sequel, which I think was a main focus on it. While Masque was a little slow, Dance was fast paced and exciting through and through. There was never a dull moment, and I read it in one sitting. It was a rather short book, and I think some parts could have been elaborated on a little more. I think there were tons of fun elements to the plot, as well as some really great scenes, which could have been extrapolated to make the book a little bit of a higher level, while intoning those darker themes which are hinted at, but left relatively unexplored.

One thing I really did like about this book was the love triangle. Bethany did a wonderful job of establishing three very different characters that you do feel a connection to at one point or another. I enjoyed the multidimensional parts of Elliot. You got to see his crazed side, his sensitive side, and also his cruel side all in one book.

Will annoyed me for the first half of the book. After betraying her he was rather shy and tentative, a huge contrast to the dark and mysterious Will we met in the first book. He did redeem himself though. He continued to persue Araby even while she seemed to be with Elliot, albeit more subtly than before. He's always there for her, and in the end he cares for her more than Elliot does, and Araby realizes that.

Araby and Elliot's relationship is complicated. At some points she seems very into it and appears to really like Elliot. Then the next scene she's pushing his away. Eventually they really do seem like a couple, but Araby bases that relationship on them both being bad people. She even says that they "really do deserve each other". I think this added to the plot, that her and Will's relationship was more pure than hers and Elliot's. Once Elliot really gains control of the revolution, he does change his stripes. He becomes bossier of Araby, and publicly tries to claim her as his. I think this aided Araby in realizing who she really should be with in the end, and it didn't feel like she was changing her mind for no reason.

The end was good. Like I said before, some elements of the story could have been elaborated on, and since I did enjoy the characters so much I wish they had been. In the end everyone got what they deserved. While Bethany doesn't tell you exactly how the world turns out, she ends on a happy note that gives hope for the future.

Bethany did an amazing job with creating her characters. They were all very down to earth, realistic, and individual. There were no copies in the story, and I really appreciate that. Unfortunately her plot skills do not share the same ground as her character building ones. If this had been a collaborated duo with an author really good at making a clear and concise plot, it would have been much better.

I really enjoyed this series, but do to the short nature of the second book and amateur plot line, I'm left feeling like there's a lot more to the story that wasn't told.

Three Stars.

Rosalie

Dance of the Red Death on Goodreads

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Intertwined, as suggested by the title, is about the lives of four teenagers, who all seem to be mysteriously linked. Aden, the main character, has four souls trapped inside of him, who can do numerous paranormal acts such as time travel, raising the dead, body possession and seeing the future.

Unfortunately I cannot give a plot summary because this book was highly complicated, as well as deceptively long. But basically Aden falls in love with vampire Victoria, Mary Ann falls in love with werewolf Riley, and Aden and Mary Ann feel a strange connection like they are siblings. Aden is a troubled teen being kept at the D and M Ranch because of his diagnosis of schizophrenia, and violent history. That's about as basic as I could possibly go, because there are so many elements in this it would be impossible to explain the book without giving away the ending and the two climaxes.

So let's start with Aden. Overall I liked him as a male lead. He recognized Victoria's strength as a woman and a vampire, but also felt it was his duty to protect her. He was very selfless throughout the entire book, and apart from an extremely awkward beginning, he was a good friend.

Mary Ann on the other hand, was beyond annoying. Not only is she self-centered, but she's obsessed with being a goody-goody and grades and school and her job. The amount of times she said "I want to be a clinical psychologist, so I know blah blah blah" made me want to scream. Really, I'm sorry, but she was the weakest link in the story. Sort of like a Bella character, everyone feels drawn to her and love her oh so very much, but to the reader she just seems awkward and self-absorbed.

I'll take Riley and Victoria together, since Riley is Victoria's bodyguard. They were fun characters, but still didn't seem to have as much substance as Aden did. Riley was super fantastic, and deserves way better than Mary Ann. Victoria was cool, but didn't really do anything to stand out much throughout the book. Mostly Aden just obsesses about her, and then she shows up and says some things, then leaves and Aden goes back to obsessing.

As far as the plot goes I'll say it was a little predictable, but not completely. I can say I guessed one of the climaxes, but not the other. However, the story seemed really long. It took me forever to read, when I've read much longer books in a shorter time. I'm not sure why this is, but it could have had to do with how many elements were in the plot. It just felt like it would never end! And it doesn't, by the way, most of the big mysteries are left unsolved, which makes it clear Ms. Showalter was planning on making a few sequels.

Gena mostly writes adult novels, a few of which I have reviewed on this sight. Normally I really love her stories, but I think this attempt at Young Adult was a little weak, to be honest. I think it got too complicated, and there was so much plot mixed in that there wasn't time for character development. There was a lot of internal conversations going on that weren't really necessary, and that made it really drag. I'd say I definitely like Gena's adult books more than this one.

So in conclusion I'd have to say I don't recommend this very highly. I don't think I'll be finishing the series, and to be honest I'm really glad I'm down so I can move on to something better. The world and characters all just seemed blurred and grey to me, though I wish I could say otherwise.

Two Stars.

Rosalie

Intertwined on Goodreads