Sea of Stars by Amy A. Bartol

"This, Brothers, is our declaration of war." 

The war on Ethar has begun, and the only thing that Kricket Hollowell can do is fight to stay alive as every side guns for her powers. The second book in the Kricket series picks up right where the first left off, plunging the reader back into Ethar with a vengeance. This action packed sequel takes place in the first battle of the war, and sets the stage for a supernova of a series.

"'You killed Kenny,' I groan with my lips chattering, 'you bastard...'" 

Kricket has lost none of the rambunctious personality that enthralled readers in the first book. Her clever quips are paired perfectly with an emerging sensitivity as she allows people to grow closer to her. She's lost the ability to act without consequence, and has surrendered her heart of stone for one of paper, though not nearly as fragile. It's easy to see the conflict in her personality as she struggles with having people be dependent on her for the first time in her life, and the fear of losing them. But despite the slightly heavier plot in the second book, the depth of her personality is really shown as she fights for what and who she loves. Don't worry, there are plenty of laugh out loud moments timed perfectly to break the tension as well. In another review I read there was concern expressed that Kricket is too much like Evie from the Premonition series. After giving it some thought I've come to the conclusion that they do share similarities, but mostly it's the goodness in them that is alike, not necessarily their actions or their words. Therefore the similarities in the characters are not an issue because they are two story about good people, which is what people want to read about.

"I promise that it'll be you and me from this moment forward–whatever happens." 

The romance also expands much more in this book. While the first book in the series could easily pass for YA, this book definitely crosses into New Adult territory. I don't know that I would call it adult because of the youth (or appearance of youth) of the characters, but I wouldn't recommend this book for younger teens, because things do get pretty steamy. Despite this book being packed with nonstop action, that doesn't mean there's a lack of romance. In fact, being a reader who gets bored without romance, I was never able to put this down. Ingrained in every moment of the fighting there is something that anchors the character's actions and motivations, providing a perfect line to keep the reader hooked.

"There'll be no martyrs here, Kricket. I'll tear your heart off your sleeve and bury it deep in my chest. Your savage heart will beat for me. Run if you think you can–I'll hunt you down." 

There is no shortage of Kyon in this book either. While the first focused on Trey and Kricket coming together, this book begins to expand the politics of the world and some of the other characters. We are introduced to some of the other priestesses, and from just their few short scenes, it's clear there's a lot going on behind the scenes in the Alameeda clan. I was delighted with Kyon's character in this book, and I can tell that this was setting up for a lot more to come in the third.

"Stealing oxygen while being tethered to the sky, that's what it feels like to be loved by Trey." 

There are too many amazing quotes from this book to include in one short review. I'm pretty sure my kindle version is almost completely highlighted. I'm excited to read this again, because with the speed at which I devoured it, there's certain to be even more beneath the surface waiting to be found on the second pass. 

"You made me love you! You're not allowed to give up, do you understand? No surrender to death. Whatever happens, you have to survive it." 

As a fan of the Premonition series, I can honestly say I'm glad Miss Bartol wrote those first. They allowed her to hone her skills and practice literary techniques so that she could produce this incredible–and in my opinion, better–series. This is going to be a whirlwind of a series, and the only regret I have is that it's going to be a long wait for the rest of the story. 

Read it, you won't regret it. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/996433574

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

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

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles series. Told from the point of view of almost every character in the story, the complicated storyline begins to solidify. Cress fits seamlessly into the fold of the story, just as Wolf and Scarlet did. Any reservations about another character being added should be cast aside, because the almost 500 page book doesn't leave anything out. Cinder even gets a little romance *wink wink*.

Anyone who's read my reviews about the first two books will know how much I adore this series. Even with those high expectations, Cress absolutely did not disappoint. In fact, this is probably the best book in the series so far. There is a lot of action, and each character goes through a different part of the journey, so it never seems tedious. The twists are nonstop, but it isn't ridiculous. Loose ends that are all but forgotten from previous books jump into place, and resolve themselves perfectly. The planning that must have gone into this series is incredible, because not only does it have a creative and original storyline, but it ties in the traditional fairytale stories as well.

The romance is subtle, but that's something to be appreciated in itself. Since most of the original fairytales consist of the protagonists falling hopelessly in love with each other at first sight, it's important to reserve the reality factor in retellings. Thus while the romance may seem slow, it's a subtle undercurrent throughout the entire book, and is just enough to keep you satisfied. While the characters all mirror their ancient origins, Meyer has managed to thoughtfully bring a new dimension to their actions and words that brings them to life more realistically than the original stories.

Since this is the third book in the series I'm trying to be very careful about not revealing andy spoilers, because a lot changes in this book from the second. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who has the time to dedicate to really sitting down and reading this series. The only thing that I find a little disappointing is that because of the complexity of the storyline, I imagine it will take more than a year for the next book to come out. A quick search has revealed a late 2015 release date on November 10th. The title is Winter, without an illustration yet. It will be interesting to find out if there will be another princess added to the story, or if the main cast will remain the same. Based on the title, I believe we will be seeing more of Queen Levana's stepdaughter, the frail princess who we were briefly introduced to in Cress.

Four Stars

Rosalie Williams

Cress on Goodreads

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

The final book in the Across the Universe trilogy, Shades of Earth takes place on the distant planet once thought to be far from reach.

The series began with Amy awakening to be trapped on a space ship where corruption and secrets abound. Initially, she is told that they are fifty years from planet landing, and will be an old woman before she ever sees her parents again. Through numerous challenges and discoveries, her relationship with the future leader, Elder, strengthens and weakens. Though they clash on many ideals and even fight over the death penalty, in they end they come to love each other.

Shades of Earth was by far the best book in the series. Beth Revis did a fantastic job of describing the new planet, and the world both in space, and on the planet is colorful and intriguing. It is fantastic the way all the loose ends and mysteries from the first two books wove together to finish off the series. There is enough of a world here to write an entire new series based on the planet, and I sincerely hope she decides to do an extension series.

The first two books really established Amy and Elder as characters, but it isn't until the third book, when they are faced with the most dangerous decisions, does their character really come to fruition. As a couple they gain a lot more substance, and they no longer seem so immature.

This is definitely the best book in the series, and I enjoyed it immensely. The claustrophobia of the space ship is finally alleviated, and made the finale much more meaningful.

Four Stars

Rosalie Williams

Shades of Earth on Goodreads

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

The second book in the Across the Universe trilogy, I was very apprehensive about this installment, but it did not disappoint.

Anything about space is truly enthralling, but also it is terrifying. The thought of being trapped in a ship, hundreds of years from its destination and knowing you will never step outside again is a huge fear for most of us.

The first book ended with no hope that they would ever reach the planet, which worried me. How much can happen on an enclosed ship hurtling through space? My claustrophobia kicked in, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to read the next to books. Luckily for me, a lot happens in this story.

There is definitely character development, which I really liked. Elder grows up some, and his and Amy's relationship matures some. However, they still seemed immature to me separately. Their conversations felt like high school freshman talking to each other about something way over their heads, not two young adults debating something very important. This aspect made the book very difficult to get through.

Fortunately, there is a lot of plot. Amy spends most of her time searching for clues, and Elder spends his fighting a revolution. But despite the immaturity of their actions and words, I liked the turn this book made. It was definitely a bridge book, as the second book in trilogies often are, but it was an exciting one for sure.

I look forward to the third book, because I think if the author does it properly, it will be the most exciting of the series yet, and I can't wait for that.

Three Stars,

Rosalie

A Million Suns 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

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

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

What makes a human being? Is it their memories, things they've done throughout their lives? Are we made up of tiny moments absorbed from other people, not really ourselves but a million faceted reflection of the world around us? Or is there something more? Are our thoughts, feelings, and desires driven by our memories or do we have souls, individual and precious to each of us? I'd never thought this through too deeply until I read the spellbinding tale of the Icarus, and it's two passengers, Lilac and Tarver.

After crash-landing on an unknown planet, Lilac and Tarver are thrown into a race to survive far more taxing than either could have ever imagined. Led across the land by mysterious beings called the Whispers, they find that the world is nothing like anything they've ever seen before. They each find something in themselves they never thought could exist, and in each other find a reason to keep on living. Both driven by the desire to signal for help, each with a different reason.

This is the best book I've read in a very long time. From the writing, to the characters, the plot and the setting, it is a rose in a briar patch of young adult novels. I'd forgotten what a good book really read like until I picked this up, and set it down not hours later, gasping for breath after finishing it.

The writing is incredible, some of the best I've ever seen. The world is painted in such bright clarity that not once was it a struggle to picture what was happening. Though not overly descriptive to the point of being tedious, I was so swept away it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. Had I known how amazing it would be, it would not have sat on my shelf for the week it did.

This book as changed the parameters for which I rate things, and now I feel like I should go back through every book I've rated in the last year and take away a star. This book has raised the bar for literature, rivaling some of the best books in history.

Lilac and Tarver are wonderful characters. Not only are they great to begin with, both outsiders in their own worlds, but they grow too. Not just though their love for each other, but also within themselves. Lilac goes from a complaining, eager to aggravate princess, to a hardworking and stubborn fighter. She grows from a child to an incredible woman throughout the book, and you don't even feel it happening. Tarver, a war hero and self-appointed guardian also grows throughout the story. You don't realize it at first, but looking back it's easy to see that finally loving someone the way he loves Lilac allows him to truly grow into his potential as a man. Their personalities are distinct, and don't falter throughout the story.

In an attempt not to spoil the heart-wrenching action of the last seventy pages, I'll try to keep my next sentences as vague as possible, while still getting my point across.

The writing in this book is so good, they tell you things without having to say them. Feelings and emotions practically pour from the pages without you reading a word. Your mind changes with the story up until a point, and then you feel like you've been snapped out of a coma, the bleak world snapping back into brilliant, colorful focus. As a reader it was a tantalizing experience, one I can say I am grateful to have been given the chance to read.

Five Stars.

Rosalie Williams

These Broken Stars on Goodreads

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

This was an enormous book. From beginning to end there is so much in the plot that I feel as if I've read multiple stories in one. While I very much appreciate the skill of an author that can create such natural flow and extended story lines, it also makes for a very difficult review.

So I suppose I shall start at the beginning.

Katsa. She is an incredible heroine, and I very much appreciate the struggle she has with her Grace as well as the jobs she is given. However I will admit sometimes she's too volatile for me to like. There is a lot of character development with her from beginning to end as far as her interactions with other people, however, there are some aspects in which she doesn't change at all, and those are the ones that bothered me the most.

Po. Let's start with the name, shall we? It bothers me, I'm not going to lie. Initially Cashore tries to paint this strong boy who is a worthy opponent to Katsa. He's big and powerful and has startlingly intense eyes. But this image wavers throughout the book, and I wish she'd put more effort into his character. In different parts of the book it felt like I was reading about a different person. Sometimes he's strong and manly but also a good friend to Katsa, and the next he's weak and kind of pathetic. I think if Cashore had put as much effort into Po's character as she did Katsa's, I would have appreciated him a lot more in the story.

There's a lot of introduction and then disappearance of characters. Most the the characters you meet at the beginning of the book aren't in the majority of it, and then when they're brought up again later you've forgotten who they are!

The world building in this was fantastic. Katsa travels all over the place, and you get a very good sense of the world she's living in. Most of the people she encounters are given good depth and many of them are quite interesting. However, I feel like a lot of them should have played larger roles, and developed stronger ties to Katsa. This tags along with the character introduction and then disappearance that I mentioned before.

The romance in this was interesting, to say the least, and not always in a good way. Po really gets into Katsa's mind, but she's a huge baby about it. I don't think their relationship was dealt with in the right way, however once accepted it was very fun. But there's also something serious about it that I hate to bring up but I really have to. There's a lot of casual sex, and Katsa even says she's fine with Po loving other women, which I don't think is a good base for a YA romance. To my dismay, upon reading the reviews of the next book, Fire, it seems this is a theme with Cashore. While I don't have anything against people having sex before marriage, this is marketed to young children, even middle school age, and I don't think that's the morals that they should be reading.

All that aside, I really did enjoy the book. It had an exciting plot with lots of action, and never a dull moment. While I wish Katsa and the characters hadn't been separated for so long, it wasn't hard to stay interested.

The next book, Fire, has some extremely mixed reviews. I have a few things on my plate currently, but afterwards I do think I'll make an effort to read it. The ratings are either five stars or one star pretty much, so it would be nice to get my own take on it. From what I've read it seems significantly darker than this book, which I think could be good, because a lot of aspects of this world were left unexplored.

Three Stars

Yours Truly,

Rosalie

Graceling on Goodreads

Countdown by Michelle Rowen

I am going to begin this review rather bluntly in saying that I would not recommend this book. Honestly, I'm not quite sure how this got published. I've read amazon books for free that are better than this one, and I must say I despise the poor writing and slow story lines in free ebooks. So you can imagine this must have been pretty awful for me to say such a thing.

Let's start from the beginning. The writing style? Nothing particularly interesting about it. It's not bad, though maybe a bit lacking, but not godawful. The cover? A little cheesy, but it caught my attention! Then in the summary promised a Hunger Games-like book? Sold! If only it were that easy.

Rogan, the main boy of the story I will admit to liking very much. I'm not sure why, but something about him was really fun. Kira on the other hand? I did not like her, not at all. She was trying way to hard to be like Katniss, and honestly I think the author was just trying to hook people on this story because of their love for the Hunger Games.

I wanted to like this, I really did. In fact, for the first one hundred pages I really did like it! I'd read a few poor reviews about it, and up until that point I was wondering what could have spurred such negative thoughts! Then the games ended, and there was still one hundred pages left in the story! The story line started getting really weird, and at that point I couldn't take it anymore. There were conspiracies, and hidden houses and all sorts of things that I just could take.

As for the romance, it progressed way too quickly. For people supposed to hate each other, they sure fell in love quickly! Rogan almost seemed to go into the games with his mind set on falling in love with her! From the first seen he seems ridiculously devoted to her! Honestly while I adore a love story as much as the next girl, it has to feel genuine, and this was anything but.

Another thing that really bothered me was the way it was obvious the author was setting everything up. Unlike a good story, things didn't flow. I didn't become lost in the story. Normally you can emerge yourself and feel like you're there with the characters. They make their own decisions, and the story flows in a way that seems real. This had none of those qualities. Especially when it got to the part where Kira was dressed like slut, it was just too much. Unfortunately I felt like the author was literally telling me the story, and begging me to believe that these people and actions are real.

The world building in this story is truly terrible. I cannot even picture the world because there is so little to go off of! It feels like this story is occurring in a white box floating in the nothingness of space, and for a dystopian novel, that is a very bad thing.

I'm not sure if there is a sequel, and if there is I am not interested in reading it. If you're looking for a good book to read, I strongly encourage you to steer clear of this one.

One Star

Yours Truly,

Rosalie

Countdown on Goodreads