Review of Remember by Eileen Cook

Title/Author: Remember by Eileen Cook
Publisher/Date published: Simon Pulse, February 24th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Harper is used to her family being hounded by protesters. Her father runs the company that trademarked the "Memtex" procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn't be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend.

When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories.

Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life...

I was really excited to start Remember, because the brain and memory are fascinating to me. I however did not really appreciate the execution of Remember.

The concept of softening your memories so you retain them but they don't hurt you anymore. It's both scary and something I can imagine in the treatment of PTSS patients. So I was a bit disappointed that while it's a factor in the story, there's not really an explanation for how they found this and how it all works and everything that I was wondering about. So that was a bit of a let down.

I didn't much care for Harper, she was an ok main character, but I was just not connecting with her. I never really got a good feel of her personality and she was both taking action and being a damsel in distress and I just wasn't really feeling it. And I get that she needed a reason to get the treatment, but I didn't like that she would rather not feel anything about the horse who'd her best friend for years than work through the grief. I appreciated that she was this devastated by the loss of an animal who'd been close to her since she'd been a child, but it felt a bit like a lack of character to go ahead with the procedure.

I also wasn't feeling the romance, I mean, I didn't get why they liked each other and there's some telling instead of showing me they developed a relationship, they'd apparantly met for coffee multiple times off-page. I mean, I get that they could be attracted to each other, but there was an I love you straight out of nowhere and I was like WTF??? I didn't get why they would risk all of what they did for each other.

I did like the whole intrigue with Harper's parents, that was interesting, but all of it feels a bit unresolved. I mean, Harper finds out what's been going on, but they don't really do anything about it except for that and her dad just seems awful and UGH! I felt that in the end the only thing that was resolved was Harper getting together with the new guy and everything else was still blah.

All in, I thought this was an interesting concept, but the execution failed to impress me.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Review of Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Title/Author: Soulprint by Megan Miranda
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, February 1st 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Alina Chase has spent her entire life in confinement. With the science of soul-printing now a reality, she is 'protected' for her own safety - and the safety of others - because her soul has done terrible things... or so she's told. When Alina finally breaks out of prison, helped by a group of people with unclear motives, she begins to uncover clues left by her past life that only she can decipher. And she may not be as innocent as she once believed. Can Alina change her future, or is she fated to repeat her past and face the consequences?

There is just something about Megan Miranda's writing that resonates with me. It's always a bit dark and gritty and she doesn't shy away from hard subjects and it really just works for me. I'm right there in the moment with the characters and just feel part of the story. And I love it!

And Soulprint was not an exception to this! I really got sucked into this world with all of its scariness that is souls transferring to another person upon death and science having found a way to actually identify your soul and thus being able to know who you were in your past lives. And to me that's REALLY scary. I mean, wow, something like that HAS to have major consequences, like Megan Miranda shows us in Soulprint, you could be judged for the actions of your soul's past lives. So much for innocent until proven guilty, right?

I really liked Alina. She's smart and brave and flawed and beautiful because of her flaws and it was easy to relate to her in her insecurities and her tentative forming of a friendship with the people who break her out of the island she's been kept in since childhood. I could understand how she was trying so hard to not be anything like June, her soul's previous identity. I mean, people are judging her for June's actions, so why would you want to give them another reason to think you're like her? I also loved how in the end she embraced her identity and learned to work with it and accept June.

The two teens who broke Alina out, Casey and Cameron were SO my kind of people! They're kind and smart and know some slightly less than legal tricks and I loved the relationship between this brother and sister! They're really willing to do everything for each other and are a true family. Casey's computer hacking skills are pretty badass, but I'm particularly drawn to Cameron and his awesomeness. I loved the easy chemistry between him and Alina and how he just seems to get her and doesn't judge her and just FEELINGS OK?

This whole thing with June and what she's done and just all of it is a WHOLE LOT more complicated than it seems at first and OMG the intrigue! I totally loved it! Every time you think you know what went down, there's just this little thing niggling at the back of your mind that it doesn't quite add up and then there's a big reveal and I was like MIND IS BLOWN. It was amazing. And I loved how Alina doesn't go for the easy choices and the ending left me with a smile on my face, so yeah. I pretty much just loved this!

If you haven't read Megan Miranda's books yet, I'm saying you should get a start on checking them out! Fracture and Vengeance are a lot darker than Soulprint is, so this might be a little more accessible, but they're all amazing, so just go forth and read any of them!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd

Title/Author: A Cold Legacy (The Madman's Daughter #3) by Megan Shepherd
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, January 27th 2015
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet — along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward — has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation — and her own intended role in it — forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST 2 BOOKS IN THE SERIES***

So I was a bit hesitant about starting A Cold Legacy, cause I didn't really enjoy Her Dark Curiosity all that much, but I'm happy to say that this was definitely a WHOLE lot better! I mean, seriously, while I didn't feel the urge to keep on reading with Her Dark Curiosity, A Cold Legacy definitely brought that 'don't-put-me-down' feeling that I love while reading!

So Her Dark Curiosity ended with the gang running away from London so as not to get caught because they'd murdered 3 influential men, and Edward had poisoned himself because he wanted to kill the Beast and took a whole load of cyanide, which has no antidote, so it should have killed him in seconds, right? RIGHT? But as there are a whole lot of medical miracles in this series, it doesn't and everyone arrives at Elizabeth's mansion in the middle of nowhere. And there they meet a whole new set of interesting characters and remember this is based on Frankenstein, so there's something brought back from the dead walking around and OMG IT IS SO CREEPY!! Seriously, I don't want to give away just who/what is the undead object, but I WAS FREAKING OUT BECAUSE HOLY WOW I CANNOT HANDLE THE CREEPINESS OF IT! There was this sense of dread and doom and just inevitable disaster and I LOVED it!

And seriously, I LOVE that Juliet is a scientist and with Elizabeth we have another no-nonsense female scientist and just YES! One thing that bugged me was that there were some inconsistencies with what I know about science, mainly that dead people don't bleed. Seriously, they just don't. Because if blood isn't being pumped around anymore, it stops flowing and when blood stops flowing, it clots. So if you've been dead for a while, you really just don't bleed anymore and it bugged me that they did in this book. Also, there's no point in giving a dead person an injection with medicine, cause again with the no blood flowing, it's not going anywhere and thus not doing anything. But that's just the medical professional in me talking and I felt that this was a mistake that could have easily been caught and edited out.

But aside from this detail, I was REALLY enjoying A Cold Legacy! I loved how there kept being twists and turns and things got even more complicated and Juliet really needed to look into her soul to decide what direction she was going to go with all of it and there was such character growth and she was just a lot easier to relate to than in Her Dark Curiosity. She was treading a fine line between scientist and mad scientist and it was an egde of your seat experience to watch.

So I obviously don't want to spoil anything about the end, but I'm happy with it. It gave me closure and it fit the series as a whole and I just couldn't put it down till it was finished, it was SO good!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

Title/Author: Her Dark Curiosity (The Madman's Daughter #2) by Megan Shepherd
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, January 28th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: To defeat the darkness, she must first embrace it.

Months have passed since Juliet Moreau returned to civilization after escaping her father's island — and the secrets she left behind. Now, back in London once more, she is rebuilding the life she once knew and trying to forget Dr. Moreau’s horrific legacy — though someone, or something, hasn’t forgotten her.

As people close to Juliet fall victim one by one to a murderer who leaves a macabre calling card of three clawlike slashes, Juliet fears one of her father’s creations may have also escaped the island. She is determined to find the killer before Scotland Yard does, though it means awakening sides of herself she had thought long banished, and facing loves from her past she never expected to see again.

As Juliet strives to stop a killer while searching for a serum to cure her own worsening illness, she finds herself once more in the midst of a world of scandal and danger. Her heart torn in two, past bubbling to the surface, life threatened by an obsessive killer — Juliet will be lucky to escape alive.

With inspiration from Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, this is a tantalizing mystery about the hidden natures of those we love and how far we’ll go to save them from themselves.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES***

So, I remember really liking The Madman's Daughter, it was creepy and unique and I loved how there was something off with all the characters. So I was expecting a similar experience with Her Dark Curiosity. I'm sad to say that I didn't really get that.

So Juliet is back in London and obviously both boys turn up at some point, because hello love triangle, you are back too. I felt that Juliet was a little too woe-is-me in Her Dark Curiosity and not really the strong girl I'd gotten to know in A Madman's Daughter. And she really wasn't appreciating the things she had in her life that were really good. I mean, the professor who took her in seemed wonderful and I know she's not like other girls and she doesn't really fit in with society, but just, I don't know, I was just unhappy with her attitude.

The creep-factor was definitely back, as Edward is back as well and his dual personality, the Beast and the boy, is WAY eerie. Also, the whole setting is gloomy, and it's probably also due to my need for fluff and fun reads lately, but it was kinda depressing. I had to push myself to read on and it's really not bad writing, but it just didn't get me excited like The Madman's Daughter did. It could also be that I wasn't a fan of Juliet's choices regarding her love life. I mean, I was going NO WTF ARE YOU DOING??? at one point, which is never a good thing.

But that I even cared enough to yell at her in my head, does mean that I cared. I did care. I do. These characters have wormed their way into my heart and the ending left me like WHOA. Towards the end, I started recognizing Juliet as the girl I'd met in The Madman's Daughter and that's when things picked up and got REALLY CREEPY and also HORRIBLE, but it was way more interesting.

I guess I'm just a little bit disappointed that I didn't like it more, but the ending saved it in a very disturbing way. It was sort of a weird point to end a book though. But I'll pick up A Cold Legacy soon, cause I do need closure.

My rating: 3 stars

Review of A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

Title/Author: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Gray
Publisher/Date published: Harper Teen, November 4th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer — her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul — escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt — and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

Ok, so I liked the concept of A Thousand Pieces of You, because hello fascination with parallel worlds, but I had a couple of issues with the way it was executed.

But first let's go with the stuff I liked: I really liked how every universe was different and how one of them was alike except for some crucial details. I loved seeing what new things they would stumble on next and especially the one where Marguerite was Russian royalty. That was awesome. Her older brother was one of my favourite characters, he's awesome, like a brother should be.
I also liked Marguerite's temper, she's quick to jump to conclusions and it was a rather interesting flaw, cause it sets things in motion. And I definitely liked the science of it all, I would KILL (not literally, obviously) for a Firebird of my own. I mean, come on, how cool would it be to travel to other dimensions and get answers to all my WHAT IFs. Seriously, get me one of those things.

So the overall concept was entertaining, but like I said, I do have some issues with it as well. I was REALLY annoyed at the love triangle. I mean, COME ON. One minute she's almost having sex with one of the guys and then she's realising she's actually in love with the other one? I mean, are you kidding me?? It's cruel to the guy and I did not like it at all. I get you can be confused, but seriously, that was a step too far for me. And also: if you tell one guy that 'every Marguerite' loves him, how can you justify not knowing how you feel about him in another dimension? At the moment it was really sweet, but after she has these doubts about her feelings for the other version of him I was like, ok, did you just say that to get him to sleep with you? Also, how do you go from having a non-physical relationship to having sex in basically 5 minutes after you've kissed for the first time? I'm not slut-shaming, it was just all up in my face all of a sudden and I was like WAIT, WHAT just happened???
I'm just not a fan of the romance, and it was a pretty big part of the story.

The other thing that doesn't add up in my mind is that when you use the Firebird, the body you have in your own dimension disappears. HOW? And where does it go?? The Firebird is only meant to take your spirit, so why does your body vanish? I get that it's handy, cause else you couldn't be gone for months and all, cause you know, a body doesn't survive well without someone to feed it and everything. But it makes no sense. I know it may be a minor detail, but it really bugged me.

There's this creepy corporate intrigue going on and I'm not really sure how I feel about it, but I'm interested enough to maybe pick up the next book and find out what the heck's going on.

My rating: 3 stars

Review of The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Title/Author: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
Publisher/Date published: Delacorte Press, April 8th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Follow the rules. Remember what happened. Never fall in love.

This is the story of seventeen-year-old Prenna James, who immigrated to New York when she was twelve. Except Prenna didn’t come from a different country. She came from a different time — a future where a mosquito-borne illness has mutated into a pandemic, killing millions and leaving the world in ruins.

Prenna and the others who escaped to the present day must follow a strict set of rules: never reveal where they’re from, never interfere with history, and never, ever be intimate with anyone outside their community. Prenna does as she’s told, believing she can help prevent the plague that will one day ravage the earth.

But everything changes when Prenna falls for Ethan Jarves.

So I read 2 or 3 of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants books and I loved them. So obviously I was excited when I heard about this new and completely different book by Ann Brashares! But I'm sad to say that it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

I'm always fascinated by time travel and creepy diseases wiping out most of the population, it's what I read about when I want to freak myself out, because I can imagine this happening in the future. And I thought the part about the mosquito-borne illness was really well done. It's awful and made me chase all the mosquitoes in my home and kill them.
I'm still a bit confused about how the whole time travel thing worked, it wasn't really explained.

At times I liked Prenna. And at other times I was just REALLY annoyed by her. REALLY annoyed. I mean, she catches on REALLY slowly and if her mom hadn't sat her down and gave her a decent talking to, I think she would have risked the fate of the whole planet for her crush. I felt that for someone who's seen the world basically end, she's way too naive. But then there are the moments when she takes charge and sort of threatens the powers that be and how she cared for her little brother when he got sick and those are the moments that I respected her. Those are the moments when she made a change.
But she had a serious case of too-stupid-to-live going on when she walks right into a trap from the powers that be eyes wide open and then Ethan gets her out way too easily. SO ANNOYING.

I wasn't really convinced by the romance either. Though they do share some sweet moments in the beginning and I could see how they could be friends and maybe have that develop into something more. They jumped to the something more awfully fast and there was a love bomb I wasn't prepared for and just UGH. Also, I didn't really like Ethan. I felt like he was pressuring Prenna to have sex and that's just not ok. And while he did so jokingly, it's still not ok.

I felt like the powers that be were making things difficult just because they could. Also, there's one pivotal moment that Prenna and Ethan are trying to prevent from happening and they have to save someone, only they don't actually KNOW who they're supposed to save and one person knew and told them they had to save SOMEONE but now WHO that someone was. WTF?? I mean, seriously, the fate of a lot people is riding on this and you're deciding to keep this a secret? WTF??

So I did like the whole background for the story and them finding out what actually caused the disease in the first place, but I had a lot of problems with other things in the book and it wasn't what I had hoped when I started it.

My rating: 2 stars

Review of Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

Title/Author: Uninvited (Uninvited #1) by Sophie Jordan
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, January 28th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS) - aka the kill gene - she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

So you guys may or may not know that I love Sophie Jordan. Or at least, I love her historical romances, as I haven't in fact read her Firelight series, I should get on that... BUT I know she writes amazing ALL the feels historical romance, and Uninvited totally triggered all my GIVE IT TO ME impulses, so we were off to a good start.

And Uninvited totally gave me what I wanted! The whole genetic testing thing was tickling all my science geek parts, I'm fascinated by this and the possiblities for the future, I guess it's a side effect of being a doctor, but I could just talk about this all day. Seriously. I'm actually kinda creeped out by what we can already find out about someone by their DNA, and don't even get me started about the genetic testing done on babies while they're still in the mother's uterus. I mean, there have been some amazing discoveries and some that I think we might have been better off without.

Erm... I'll get off my soap box now.

SO. What I meant to say was that I could completely see how society would be distorted by finding a kill gene. I can SEE people reacting to it the way they did in Uninvited, the whole mass panicking and putting these people in camps and just generally not being welcome anymore. I mean, doesn't it reflect how some people deal with people infected with HIV? I thought Sophie Jordan did an amazing job portraying the atmosphere and just the sheer madness of it all.

And I have to say that I really liked Davy. I could really connect with her and shared her disbelief at finding out she was a carrier and watching her life fall apart was heartbreaking. I mean, man, that is a lot to loose. Seriously. And how bad did I want to punch some of the people in her life! Ugh, her boyfriend and her dad! Just UGH! And her so-called best friend. I HATE that girl. Triple UGH! The hypocritic way in which people were constantly pushing people with the kill gene and then they'd go all righteous if they lashed out. I mean, SERIOUSLY? What did you expect?
Davy learns the hard way that she has to toughen up, but she does it. She fights for her place and I loved watching her go through all of it, though it often wasn't pretty.

There's a romance. And I knew Sophie Jordan wouldn't disappoint me in this area and guys, I really liked it! It wasn't the thing that impressed me most about this book and that is just as it should be. But I do love the boy.

Guys, basically what I'm saying is: you need to read this book. It is full of scientific brilliance, a whole lot of madness and an easily believable world that has gone crazy, paired with a main character that I could relate to and a good romance and JUST GO READ IT OK??? I've been trying not to go all caps on this, cause I want to convince you and not just go ALL THE FEELS, but seriously, if you're even the teensiest bit interested after you read the summary I'd say GO FOR IT. You will not regret it.

My rating: 5 stars

Review of These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Title/Author: These Broken Stars (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, December 10th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder — would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Guys, this book slayed me. In the best possible way. I just finished reading it and I'm still a bit bleary-eyed staring at the computer screen, trying to make sense of the fact that I finished it and it's over. My heart is in this book.

I almost passed up on this book because I'm not really a fan of stories set in space. I know. I KNOW. I'm so glad I listened to the gushing I heard about These Broken Stars and decided to read it anyway! And it was a good life choice! Also, it's not really set in space, only a little, so I was good on that part as well :)

Where do I even start... These two characters made the book. Lilac is amazing and brave and tough and not the spoiled society princess she appears to be and man, I just loved her! I love that she knows so much about mechanics though it's not a normal hobby for a girl from a rich family. I love that she's stubborn and doesn't complain and that she's smart!

But guys, nothing can beat Tarver. I ADORE HIM! I loved reading the chapters from his POV even more than I did the ones from Lilac's and I'm usually more drawn to the girl's voice, but this amazing man just stole my heart! He's strong and kind and capable and just my kind of good guy! I loved his voice! And I loved how much he cares about his family and that he writes poetry and just how he cares for Lilac and GAH, he's just amazing ok??

For pretty much the whole book it's just Lilac and Tarver and I didn't mind for one bit. I didn't need anyone else interfering with this perfect partnership and their dynamic and just EVERYTHING! I so wanted to shake them at first and sit them down so they'd TALK TO EACH OTHER! So they'd clear up the things they thought about each other that weren't true and would just see how perfect they were for each other and GAH JUST KISS ALREADY!!! OMG, all that tension was amazing, but at one point I just needed them to be together because my heart couldn't take it anymore!

And then there was this twist that was awful and made me cry and made me wonder how this could ever be fixed. And it made my happy feelings turn a whole lot darker. I really don't want to spoil anything, but wow, that was incredible and made me read the last part of the book in no time at all, because I had to KNOW!

You guys, These Broken Stars was a rollercoaster of feelings and I think I left a piece of my heart between its pages. Please just go read it when it comes out, because you don't want to miss this book!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of False Sight by Dan Krokos

Title/Author: False Sight (False Memory #2) by Dan Krokos
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 13th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: All Miranda wants is a normal life. She's determined to move past the horrible truth of her origin as a clone so she can enjoy time with her boyfriend, Peter, and the rest of her friends at school. But Miranda quickly learns that there's no such thing as normal - not for a girl who was raised to be a weapon. When one of her teammates turns rogue, it begins a war that puts the world in jeopardy. Now Miranda must follow her instincts - not her heart - in order to save everything she's fought so hard to keep. with the image of a terrible future seared into her mind, what will she have to sacrifice to protect the people she loves?

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FIRST BOOK IN THE SERIES!***

I very much enjoyed False Memory, the first book in this series and after that ending I was dying to find out what would happen next for Miranda and the rest of the Roses! So I totally squealed when I get my hands on an e-arc of False Sight! And while I didn't like it as much as False Memory, I'm still very much into this series.

In False Memory we discovered that Miranda is actually a clone and that she's the replacement of another Miranda that died recently. She's part of a team of teens trained to fight and they also have some really creepy supernatural powers. False Sight pretty much picks up where False Memory left off and we see the four of them trying to have a little bit of a normal life, going to high school. Which turns out to be a BIG mistake. Oh man, there was no easing into the story, it was BAM IN YOUR FACE because shit just got real! Something that was really shocking to me and that made me REALLY sad happened early on and it set the tone for the rest of the book.

Miranda is still a really strong character. She knows what she wants, but she also knows that you can't always have everything you want. I liked that she's not really ready to sacrifice herself for the greater good, she wants to live and that's ok. It makes her more human, I'm always amazed at anybody plunging themselves into danger seemingly without a care for their lives, because hello, you (usually) only have the one! That said, Miranda does make some rash decisions and she pays for some of them dearly.

I loved seeing the bond between the Roses become even stronger and there's such a strain on Miranda's relationship with Peter because he's also the group leader and has to do what's best for the group, but they're in love and UGH! They didn't have enough sweet moments, but they did have one towards the end and that broke my heart for them!

I wasn't really feeling the part where it turns out there are different worlds and the traveling between them and the CREEPY BEINGS that EAT PEOPLE. I mean, OMG, I could SO have done without meeting them! They were awful and I really think that they'll be in my next nightmare, because let me see this again: THEY ARE SO CREEPY! And they EAT PEOPLE!

AND THAT ENDING!! OMG!! I'm so happy I found on Dan's website that there will be a third book because it cannot end like this!! Though I'm slightly creeped out by how they are probably going to try and fix it, but still. So yeah, while I wasn't feeling False Sight as much as I was False Memory, I'm still invested in this series and am looking forward to finding out how it will all end!

My rating: 3 stars

Made me crave: FRIES, lots of FRIES

Review of Mind Games/Sister Assassin by Kiersten White

Title/Author: Mind Games/Sister Assassin (Mind Games #1) by Kiersten White
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, February 19th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley and bought a shiny finished copy :)
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her — except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways... or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

So I'd heard some mixed things about Mind Games before starting it, some people seem to love it, others REALLY didn't like it. I'm glad to say I fall into the first category!

Confession: this is actually my first Kiersten White book, though I do own the whole Paranormalcy series... I suck.

I'd expected Mind Games to be about the world where girls can have mental abilities outside of the normal awesome things girls can do with their brains, and while it's about that, I felt that it was mostly about the bond between Fia and Annie. And I LOVED that! I loved these two girls who were true sisters and were truly looking out for each other and had the unconditional love going that SHOULD be there. This is what family should be like, sticking together no matter what.

Both Annie and Fia are strong in their own way and incredibly vulnerable and I loved that we switched between their POV and get a full picture of what is going on and what this means exactly for each of the girls. They definitely had a distinct voice and I never once forgot who I was reading about, though the switching back and forth in time meant I had to pay attention at the start of the chapter as to where exactly in the storyline we were. But seeing these flashes of their past years really added something extra to the story, so I was good with it.

What's happened to Annie and Fia is heartbreaking and they've been through so much, but they haven't given up, which I completely respected. Annie can't see, but she's dealing with it. Fia has had to do some horrible things, and while this has left her a little broken, she's hanging on and holding herself together. And they are so protective of each other! I'll say it again: I loved the bond between these two! LOVED!

I did prefer Fia's chapters, her bit of brokenness lent for some really interesting stream of thoughts and it actually reminded me a bit of Shatter Me in writing style. And I totally loved Shatter Me, so this worked very well for me :)

And OMG, THAT ENDING!! EEEE! I did not see that coming and I'm so happy that I already have the e-arc of Pretty Lies loaded onto my ereader, because I can seriously not wait until February 2014 to know what happens next!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Made me crave: fresh mint tea with honey

Review of Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell

Title/Author: Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, July 23rd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: A shadowy figure. An intense roar. The sensation of falling — fast.

That’s all Callum Harris remembers from his tumble over the waterfall. But when he wakes up in a hospital bed and finds his best friend trying to kill him, Callum knows something is seriously wrong. Unfortunately for him, the mysteries are just getting started.

Why are his parents acting like he’s some big sports star all of a sudden? And why are all the buildings in town more run-down than Callum remembers? Worst of all... what happened to Callum’s brother? Either Callum has gone seriously crazy or something happened when he went over the falls. Something impossible. Callum needs answers, and now. Because in this twisted new version of the life Callum knew, his former best friend isn’t the only one who wants to see him dead.

Filled with mind-bending suspense and unsettling thrills, Undercurrent is a grippingly paced teen debut that will pull you under and never let go.

I was really excited to start this book, it sounds like my kind of creepy supernatural occurence with the whole alternate universe and such. And I'm sad to say that it didn't work for me.

There was such amazing potential, I mean, landing in an alternate universe where everything Callum knew is upside down? And why did he go over the waterfall in the first place? But I never felt excitement or that edge where you're dying to know what'll happen in the end, turning the pages to find out. Instead I was kinda... bored.

Callum is supposed to be this likeable boy in his own universe, but I never really could relate to him. I mean, all the memories are of him being a bit of a nerd and unpopular and hanging out with two pretty nice kids, of which he was secretly in love with the girl. And it sounded nice. But I never warmed up to him in his alternate universe. I mean, I don't know if it's his changed environment or anything, but he's having anger management issues and being a jerk to his mom and to other people in general. It seems like the Callum from the alternate universe was a psycho who for some reason was really popular, but the story-Callum isn't such a nice guy himself.

I was really annoyed by the fact that he claims to be so in love with one girl and then goes off and fools around with another just because she's hot. I mean, seriously? If you're the nice guy you claim, you wouldn't be doing that. I felt like we never really go very deep into other characters either, they're the superficial people acting like scenery to the events.

Which brings me to my next issue: not much of anything really happens. Callum isn't trying all that hard to figure out what happened and I was seriously worried this would be one of those unexpected series books because I couldn't figure out how Paul Blackwell would wrap this up in 10 pages. Turns out you can do that, it just wasn't very satisfying for me. And it definitely didn't solve all that many problems aside from the obvious one. Nothing real got fixed. The Callum from the alternate universe is still as much of a jerk as he used to be and his life a big mess and that's about it.

I did like the parts where Callum is bonding with his dog Jess and I really appreciate that she didn't die somewhere along the way, cause at one point I was REALLY worried about this. I also liked that Callum didn't magically become good at sports like his alternate universe self was, just because he went over the waterfall.

But all together this book wasn't for me. The summary sounded really exciting and like something I would love, but the execution fell flat for me.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Made me crave: cheese

Review of Gameboard of the Gods by Richelle Mead

Title/Author: Gameboard of the Gods (Age of X #1) by Richelle Mead
Publisher/Date published: Dutton Adult, June 4th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

So there's been a lot of talk about Richelle Mead's new series. Some good, some bad, a lot of it just mostly disappointed it isn't like Vampire Academy. And it's not, like Vampire Academy I mean, but for me that was pretty much ok.

I haven't yet finished her uber popular VA series (don't throw things at me, I swear I'll get to the last 3 books soon!) and though I am a fan, I knew from the summary that this would be something else. And I like that. I mean, why would an author pretty much write the same book over and over again?

I admit that it took me a while to really get into the story, mostly because there's just so much to this world you don't know and while I thought her writing style is as engaging as ever, it did take a little bit longer for me to connect to the MCs here than it did with Rose, I really liked both Justin and Mae! They are both very strong, very well fleshed out main characters, flaws and all, and I love that! They're complicated and human and just full of character and though I didn't necessarily always agree with their choices, I could root for them and for me that's really important. I loved that Mae is actually the strongest physically of the two.

This world that Richelle Mead has created in Gameboard of the Gods is fascinating! There's a whole set of rules and intrigue and I loved all the religions that were mentioned! It's fascinating that with religion pretty much being banned, all these little cults pop up and Christianity isn't really all that big anymore.

And seriously, I LOVED the paranormal twist on all this! The book definitely got more excited once that part started creeping into the storyline and I was amazed by how much I was enjoying reading it then! It was a bit slow to start, but in the end it was so worth sticking with this book! It probably helped that I had a lot of time on my hands and could just read a huge part of it at a time.

If you're expecting VA, you'll be disappointed (just like so many people were that The Casual Vacancy wasn't Harry Potter), but if you go into Gameboard of the Gods with an open mind and heart, I think you can definitely come to love this new series that Richelle Mead has crafted! It's a bit dark and mature and I really enjoyed it!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway

Title/Author: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
Publisher/Date published: Dutton, April 23rd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: “You are now a member of the Guild. There is no return.” Two hundred years after he was about to die on a Napoleonic battlefield, Nick Falcott, soldier and aristocrat, wakes up in a hospital bed in modern London. The Guild, an entity that controls time travel, showers him with life's advantages. But Nick yearns for home and for one brown-eyed girl, lost now down the centuries. Then the Guild asks him to break its own rule. It needs Nick to go back to 1815 to fight the Guild’s enemies and to find something called the Talisman.

In 1815, Julia Percy mourns the death of her beloved grandfather, an earl who could play with time. On his deathbed he whispers in her ear: “Pretend!” Pretend what? When Nick returns home as if from the dead, older than he should be and battle scarred, Julia begins to suspect that her very life depends upon the secrets Grandfather never told her. Soon enough Julia and Nick are caught up in an adventure that stretches up and down the river of time. As their knowledge of the Guild and their feelings for each other grow, the fate of the future itself is hanging in the balance.

I am a bit unsure of how I should review this book. There were some really good parts and some stuff that didn't make all that much sense to me. Let me try to explain.

I thought the writing was really good, it was engrossing and Bee Ridgway really managed to make me excited about time travel again. The only problem was that she got me all wanting to know EVERYTHING and we barely got answers. Nd while the writing was good, I did still feel like barely anything happened. The plot was SO SLOW. I was still entertained, but looking back, there were huge stretches of the novel in which nothing actually happened to propell the story onward.

I liked Nick, he's a truly good guy. I liked that he adjusted to the 21st century and how he at first had trouble accepting that he couldn't go back and then that he could in fact go back! I mean, I can totally understand the doubts and hesitation that comes with something like this! Julia was a bit too passive for me to truly connect with her. I wasn't completely sold on the romance between her and Nick either. I mean, his sorta obsession with her is based on one moment. It felt a little too much like insta-love too me and while I do think they had a connection, it wasn't enough to fully convince me.

But oh my lord, I absolutely ADORED Arkady, Nick's Russian companion! He is the most quotable of the characters and says things like "Because it's beautiful and romantic to do so" and I LOVED it! He may not always be a good guy, but he's such an interesting, passionate character that I can forgive him for this.

I think what bothered me the most is that the plot was moving along at a turtle's pace and then all of a sudden it just ended. And I just have all these questions! It doesn't say anywhere if there'll be a sequel! And I'm... confused. I hate it when endings are like that! It makes me reconsider the whole book because it leaves me with a bad feeling.

So I'm a bit unsure about The River of No Return. While it was an entertaining story, the plot dragged a bit and then the ending just threw me completely off! The whole time travel concept Bee Ridgway introduces us to is fascinating, but I still have so many unanswered questions. I really hope there'll be a sequel!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Review of The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Title/Author: The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter #1) by Megan Shepherd
Publisher/Date published: Balzer & Bray, January 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London — working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward — both of whom she is deeply drawn to — Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius — and madness — in her own blood.

So this book has been ALL OVER the blogosphere the last couple of months and people whose taste in books I trust completely have been RAVING about it. So yes, there were all these expectations. And I have to say that most of them were met!

I've never read The Island of Dr. Moreau and so as not to accidentally read about plotlines/spoilers, I didn't google it before reading The Madman's Daughter (ok, so I know it was there first, but I wanted to experience this story just as it is). And guys, The Madman's Daughter totally makes me want to read The Island of Dr. Moreau!! I love how these retellings make me excited to read the classics!

I really liked Juliet. She's a tough sixteen-year-old and I totally respect her for learning everything she knows about anatomy, because girls were definitely not allowed to know stuff like that back then. I love that she uses this knowledge to defend herself against someone who assaults her. LOVED it. I also loved that she was a little off.

Actually, I loved that there was pretty much something off with ALL of the characters! I never knew who to trust and it was all just SO CREEPY! Oh my gosh, Megan Shepher really brought the chills and shock and sometimes openmouthed horror. And I loved it! It's slightly scary that I can understand what the doctor did on a scientific level, yet it horrifies me at the same time.

The only thing that I didn't really feel was the love triangle. I was firmly fixed on one boy, who turned out to be the right pick after all (am so not telling you who it is though ;) ) and I LOVED the moments between Juliet and this boy.

I was so swept away by the storytelling! I was constantly at the edge of my seat wanting to find out what happens next! And seriously, the ending near broke my heart!! I cannot wait to find out what happens in the sequel, because OMG, how are they all ever going to recover from this??

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Every Day by David Levithan

Title/Author: Every Day by David Levithan
Publisher/Date published: Random House Children's Books, August 28th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with — day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day."

I must confess that I've never read anything by David Levithan before. I know, I'm a bit ashamed myself. So with everyone raving about his other books and this one being hyped as well, I was trying so hard not to have high expectations. And I succeeded, though I don't think it would have been a problem otherwise, because this book was really good!

The writing style sucked me in immediately. David Levithan made me connect to A right from the start, even before I knew he called himself A. It felt like sitting down with an old friend, reconnecting and curious to find out what's been going on with the other.

I know there's some discussion going as to whether people think A is male or female. I'm not really sure that it matters, but I've been picturing A as a he, his character felt male to me, I don't know why that is. So I'm gonna go with that, because I can't call A an it and otherwise it's kinda difficult to talk about him (read her or it, whichever you prefer instead of him).

I liked that through A we experience a million different stories in one. A is in a different life every day and must adjust to it and use the knowledge of the body he's inhabiting to get through the day. I LOVED the days when we got to know more about the person whose body he was in for the day. I loved that there was this huge diversity in them and their circumstances.

The problem for me was that I wasn't really feeling A's relationship with Rhiannon. I thought it went a little fast on his part with the whole falling in love thing. I mean, I absolutely get the wanting to belong to someone for more than just a day and the attraction to someone you've just met, but for someone who never forms attachments, who is actually actively trying not to, it all progressed very quickly.

Instead of it being so focused on the relationship, I'd have liked more answers on WHY A was constantly switching bodies and didn't have one of his own. And HOW do you stop this? The whole idea of this happening was endlessly fascinating to me and I wish I could have learned more about the mechanism behind it.

Also: SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ: THAT ENDING! Seriously, I KNOW it couldn't have possibly ended well, because A would have had to betray everything about himself to effectively murder another person, but it tore my heart out! There was such a sense of hopelessness and despair and I was just staring and going NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS! Poor A...

The writing itself was SO GOOD and engaging and made me kept turning the pages, wanting to find out what would happen next! What life would A be entering in today? I really liked both A and Rhiannon, I think they're good people and I love the message this sends of falling in love with a PERSON and not a gender, while you might be sexually attracted to a gender, it's the person you come back for.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Title/Author: The Rise of Nine (Lorien Legacies #3) by Pittacus Lore
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, August 21st 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others...

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others - including John.

But so are they.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They caught me in New York - but I escaped.
I am Number Six.
They want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first."

**WARNING: SPOILERS LIKELY FOR BOOK 1 AND 2**

As actionpacked as The Rise of Nine was, it wasn't by any means a 'quick' read for me. I'm not sure why I've been struggling with this one and The Power of Six, cause the series does have a lot of the things in it I usually enjoy. There are just some things that annoy me as well.

I like that we're slowly getting to know all the 'numbers', I just felt that we don't really get to know the new additions, it felt superficial. Other than the fact that they're Loric, I don't know what drives them and that bugs me. I didn't really like Nine, Eight however would probably have stolen my heart if I'd gotten to know him better. He's a VERY promising character and I love the little budding crush he and Marina have going on.

To me, Six lost some of her kick-ass-ness. She really owned The Power of Six, but in The Rise of Nine, she's lost some of her spark. I still love her, but slightly less than I did in The Power of Six.
John was being a bit whiny and I strongly dislike his tendency to just go for the girl he's with and switch his affection between Six and Sarah. It's annoying and since I'm firmly Team Six, I'm not liking this one bit. And seriously, I'm still waiting to hear a GOOD explanation for Sarah turning them over to the FBI at the end of The Power of Six, cause I'm not satisfied with "But I didn't do it".

I was hoping we'd find out more about the big bad guy, but while he does appear, he's still shrouded in mystery. And he's CHEATING. I know if it'd be my life or cheating, I'd cheat, but I don't like it when the villains do it.

I think this book suffers from it being the build up to the no doubt EPIC BATTLE that will go down sometime soon. At least I hope it'll be sometime soon. I do still like the general storyline, but I just wish we'd get more information about their background and abilities and the the villain and get to know the new characters a little better. Maybe the fourth book will solve all this!

My rating: 3 stars

Review of The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Title/Author: The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) by Pittacus Lore
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, August 23rd 2011
How I got this book: own a copy.

Goodreads summary: "I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me... he's one of us.
Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us — if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another.. but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio — and failed.
I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight."

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR I AM NUMBER FOUR**

So it's been a while since I read I Am Number Four, about a year I'd guess. And I really liked I Am Number Four, and was DYING to know what would happen next and then totally spaced on actually reading The Power of Six. Yeah, I suck.

The part that kinda bugged me in the first book, the romance between John and Sarah, was luckily pretty absent in this one, as we don't see much of Sarah herself. We do have John angsting over his love for Sarah and his male hormones picking up Six's femaleness, but we don't have loveydovey scenes like in I Am Number Four. Usually I'm all for the kissing, but these books don't really need that in my opinion.

There's a lot of action and it was really good! I liked that we got to know another 'number' and how it showed just how loosing your faith can change your circumstances. I loved Marina, she's such a strong girl and I loved that she took another girl under her wings when she was having enough trouble of her own as it was.

But seriously, who really stole the whole novel was Six. Six is awesome. She kicks butt, she's a no-nonsense kind of girl and she's always willing to help. She knows what everything they're doing is about and it was nice to see her being kickass as well as letting her guard down and showing her more vulnerable side. And seriously, if I'd been her, I'd have ripped John apart towards the end because he was being such a jackass and just irresponsible and GAH! But yeah, Team Six!

And I still can't help but smile any time Bernie Kosar's in a scene, it makes me wish I had a pet. Especially one as awesome as this little guy.

It's mostly John, Six and Sam on the run and getting to know Marina a little, and while that was pretty entertaining, I would have liked to learn a little more about the how and why of things and I'd expected to learn a little more about their Loric background and everything surrounding their Legacies. There was some of it and I think that was also my favourite part of the novel.
I did like that John seemed lost without Henry. I mean, Henry was such an important part of his life, so if he'd just continued on without a backward glance it would have been odd.

It took me a week to read this, and it's not that big a book. I think it was a combination of me being really busy and the book not being all that exciting, I could easily put it down and then pick it up again sometime later and not really feel bothered by this. I didn't feel fully immersed in the story. I really hope that'll change with The Rise of Nine, which I'm reading soon!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Review of False Memory by Dan Krokos

Title/Author: False Memory (False Memory #1) by Dan Krokos
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, August 14th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.
Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically - altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy — especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.
Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future."

Guys, I went in knowing that an author who has a similar reading taste to mine was completely in love with False Memory. So of course I expected to at least like it a lot. And I'm happy to tell you all that False Memory totally lived up to my expectations!

The pace in False Memory never slows down! I was kept on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put it down, because there were all these things happening and I HAD TO know what was going on! I read a large part of it during my 24-hour shift at the hospital and let me tell you it was a good way to stay awake! I was VERY tempted to stay up and read through the night.

I liked that we're just as clueless as Miranda is after her memory loss and discover everything along with her. It took a while for me to connect to her, because her personality developed as the story progressed and she got more memory flashes. The only thing that somewhat bothered me was that if, like Miranda, I discovered someone had cause my memory loss on purpose, I'd be SO ANGRY! Seriously. And I'd want to know right away what possessed them to do such a thing. She sorta gets a lame explanation early on, but nothing beyond that. I don't think I would have accepted that.

There's a HUGE love traingle going on, while it slightly annoyed me at times, I could understand being torn between the two guys, because they both have their endearing qualities and she has memories of both of them. I know who I'm rooting for though ;)

Guys, I did not see all the twists and turns coming. Some of them left me staring at the screen of my ereader going 'SAY WHAT??'. It was SO GOOD! It got creepier and creepier the more we were told of what exactly was going on and I just loved it! False Memory was killing me while reading it, but in a good way. A VERY good way! (Side note: when I told Dan Krokos this on Twitter he responded with: If it starts to kill you in a bad way, set the book on fire and RUN!)

There's so much creepy still left unexplained, though I do feel that the storyline in this first part of the series got wrapped up nicely. After finishing False Memory I'm left NEEDING more, so the wait till August 2013 will be a looooong one...

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Title/Author: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, April 24th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed — as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows — with every fiber of her being — that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.
But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened — the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life — points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets — and keep from falling in love with him in the process."

You guys, as I'm writing this review I've only just finished Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris and it's left me feeling a little shell-shocked. And not because it ends on a cliffhanger, but because things that happened in the big finale were devastating and it totally tugged at my heartstrings. I need to read a happy book after this...

Ok, so let me talk more about Unraveling: I hadn't expected this to be so much science fiction as just maybe paranormal or something. But it definitely is and though it's not usually my thing (I'm more of a paranormal and fantasy kinda girl) I ended up really liking it.

Janelle is for lack of a better word badass. She is. After she's come back from the dead she realises what's important in her life and isn't afraid to make certain choices in order to 'better' her life. By badass I don't just mean she can kick butt, cause she can thanks to her dad, but she's also fiercely loyal and isn't afraid to get in touch with her emotions even if they're ugly or she'd rather not admit to them. And I loved her for that.
And I liked Ben. I wasn't head-over-heels in love with him like I would have wanted to, but he's a good guy.
The romance between them felt a bit weird at first, because you know, even though he's been staring at her for 7 years, she only just acknowledged he even existed and it's all happening a little too fast. The insta love was a bit strong, but the teenage hormones I could understand ;)

Also, I thought the FBI were giving Janelle a LOT of room to operate in when at least one of their agents knew she was keeping things from them and had even stolen files at one point. I mean, sure he'd been a friend of the family forever, but still, it just didn't seem fully plausible.

I LOVED the science fiction part of all this and without wanting to give anything away: the explanation for everything was crazy good!
But even so, I wasn't going to give this book an above avarage rating, but then THE END HAPPENED! OMG, the last couple of chapters were like crack and I just kept reading and holding my breath and it was just amazing! And it was pulling on my heartstrings like crazy and because of that I need to get something out and it's a HUGE spoiler, so do not light up this next part if you don't want to know!

***SPOILER! Light up to read:***
OMG! Alex died! And Ben LEFT! And I LOVED Alex! His death hit me harder than anything happening in the novel so far, even worse than Ben leaving. Alex was such an amazing guy and I would have fallen in love with him instead of Ben. *sob*
***End of spoiler***

So this was an ok book with an amazing ending and whole lot of science fiction not just for the fans of said genre! And I've already checked Elizabeth Norris' blog: there will be a sequel! HOORAY! I was a little afraid when I didn't see any info about it on Goodreads, but now I'm cool :)

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Tempest by Julie Cross

Title/Author: Tempest (Tempest #1) by Julie Cross
Publisher/Date published: St. Martin's Griffin, January 17th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is... until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit... or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly... and possibly the entire world."

I really, really like the idea of time-traveling. It makes for some amazing storylines and if done right it can be absolutely wonderful. And though I wasn't as in love with Tempest as I would have liked to be, this was an extremely well-done tale of time-traveling!!

The scientist in me gleefully cackled at the actual well, science, that was involved in all of it! Jackson is smart and he works together with another even smarter guy to try and figure out how it's all happening and I loved that! The science did slow the storyline down somewhat, but I didn't really care about that, cause it was just so awesome! I love understanding how things work! I also really liked that Jackson didn't always have complete control over his time-travels, no instant-skills and all that. Also, there are consequences if you push yourself too far and I liked that as well.

The thing that did bother me about all of it was that when Jackson time-traveled back to 2007 and couldn't find his way back to 2009, he seemed more concerned about his love-life in 2007 then the actual getting his life back and learning more about why the hell he and his girlfriend Holly were attacked in the first place. And stopping it from happening again. But Jackson gets his priorities straight after a while and when that happened the story REALLY picked up for me! I LOVED the last third of the book! I mean, I really enjoyed the first part too, but after that I just couldn't stop reading until the end!

There were some major things being revealed and there are still some things that have left me going: WAIT! There HAS to be more!! I'm really curious about Jackson's sister and the little girl that appears towards the end (weren't the scenes with both these girls amazing?? I LOVED them!). So yes, I am most definitely picking up the next book cause I'm dying to find out where Julie Cross will take us next with her storytelling! Also, the end was kinda heartbreaking, but I've never respected Jackson more, I don't know if I could have done the same thing. The wait for the second book will feel like an eternity I fear... (I wish I had time-traveling skills and could just jump to the time when it was already out, read it, and come back, that would be awesome).

My rating: 4,5 stars