Review of Notable by Marni Bates

Title/Author: Notable (Smith High #3) by Marni Bates
Publisher/Date published: K-Teen, October 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: I take no prisoners...

I'm Chelsea Halloway and I will happily destroy your social life if you mess with me. Just ask anyone. There is no situation I can't handle. Divorcing parents? No problem. An ex-boyfriend who wants to date Smith High School's biggest geek instead of me? Just a matter of time before I can make him see reason. At least, until my parents decide to ship me off on a study abroad trip to Cambodia...

Now instead of being admired as the queen of the Notables, I'm stuck with a bunch of college students who don't take me seriously, and a professor who accidentally landed himself on the wrong side of a drug lord. And it's up to me to get us all out of the country alive - even the annoying jerk with the green eyes who won't stop calling me "princess."

Oh yeah, what could possibly go wrong?

So I really liked Invisible, the second book in this series and was really excited to see what Chelsea's side of the story would be! And while I liked Notable, I wasn't as invested as I was with Invisible.

Chelsea is the Queen Bee of Smith High and now she's being shipped off to Cambodia of all places. I'm still not entirely sure how her parents figured this would be a good idea... I mean, it's not as if she ever expressed any interest in something like this. And Cambodia doesn't seem like the safest of places to ship your teen who easily gets into trouble to. There's a serious case of bad parenting going on here and I didn't like it.

I like Chelsea. She's no-nonsense, smart and doesn't take crap from anyone. And I hated that her parents made her feel unsure about herself and mostly that her mother made her believe that she wasn't intelligent. Because you know what, she may not be a rocket scientist, but Chelsea is smart. And nobody, especially not one of your parents, should ever make you feel otherwise. So boo Chelsea's mom!

I liked that Chelsea slowly learns to work with the group and realises not everything that annoyed her at first was so bad in the end. I like that she really grew throughout the novel and used her strengths to the advantage of the group.
That being said, I thought the events with the drugs and the dealings with the druglord were unlikely. I mean, seriously, I was kind of rolling my eyes at how they got into the whole mess. And I didn't really see why they wouldn't call for help instead of trying to make it all better themselves. So yeah, ridiculous events, but satisfying character growth for the main character.

I thought the love interest was such a pompous ass at first, but later he grew on me. And I was rooting for them to get together! It was nice to see Chelsea's relationship with Logan from Chelsea's POV and see what happened and not just what the rumor mill had been circulating about them. And I liked that we got to see a little of Jane again, cause I love Jane!

All in all, this was a cute, quick read, but with slightly ridiculous events. It made for light reading and I enjoyed it, but I liked Invisible a lot better!

My rating: 3 stars

Blog Tour! Review of Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow

Title/Author: Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow
Publisher/Date published: Arthur A. Levine Books, October 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

This book took my breath away. Seriously. And I don't say this lightly, so pay close attention!

I've always, always loved fairytales. I used to make my mom read them to me as a kid and after I learned to read myself, I devoured the whole book. And I still love them. So when I tell you that Sorrow's Know reminded me of a fairytale, I'm giving it one of my highest forms of praise. It actually reminded me of The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab, and I LOVED that book! There's a similar quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on.

The ease with which the story flows was AMAZING! I just wanted to live in the moment and slow down and really appreciate the storytelling, but at the same time I wanted to find out WHAT HAPPENED NEXT! I loved that the power of stories is explored and appreciated!

And there are some amazing characters for me to love! Otter, our main character, is a girl that I just want to hug tight and make everything alright for. She has two amazing friends: Cricket, who is a storyteller and if he hadn't been amazing in other ways, I'd have loved him just for that; and Kestrel, who is strong and loyal and a true friend. I would have wanted these three to be my friends, as young as they are, they are good people.

But this isn't a Disney-like fairytale. It's dark and hard things happen and the White Hands are SO CREEPY! White Hands sort of reminded me of zombies, and I HATE zombies, but the White Hands didn't freak me out as much. Mostly because they don't eat brains, which is a bonus point for any creature. And because this is more like the original Grimm's fairytales, people do actually die. And I teared up! It was unexpected and I was so hoping everything would be alright and then it wasn't! And I'm still mourning...

There's a little bit of romance mixed into the story, towards the end. And while I'm a big fan of all the kissing usually, I didn't miss it here. The romance that was in it fit into the storyline and I was happy with it and with the love interest!
I could easily imagine myself going on more adventures with Otter, because there are exciting sounding places in her world that we haven't seen, but I saw that Erin Bow mentioned on Twitter that she thinks of Sorrow's Knot as a standalone. And that works too, the story is wrapped up. But I can't help wishing for more ;)

Stories like this are my kind of stories. Dark, fairytale-like and utterly entrancing! If you're looking for a perfect Halloween read, this is it! And even if you're not, just go and read it anyway!

My rating: 5 stars

Made me crave: chicken madras (my comfort food)

Review of Keeping Her by Cora Carmack

Title/Author: Keeping Her (Losing It 1.5#) by Cora Carmack
Publisher/Date published: William Morrow, August 13th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Garrick Taylor and Bliss Edwards managed to find their happily-ever-after despite a rather... ahem... complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?

But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.

As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it.

So I really liked Losing It, which started this whole series. I thought the romance between Bliss and Garrick was sweet and quirky and it was just a really fun read. Of course I was interested in seeing what happened for them after the events of Losing It!

In Keeping Her we meet both of them again, they've been together for a year now and got engaged and are now travelling to London to meet up with Garrick's parents. And Bliss is basically a basket case because of it. She's nervous and awkward and just generally not really presentable at the end. And really, I mean, how did either of them think it would be a good idea to arrive at Garrick's parents' after they'd had a drink? Or rather, LOTS of drinks? I mean, that drunk doesn't make for the best first impression.

But I really disliked Garrick's parents. I mean, his father is basically a pompous ass and his mother is trying to make Bliss feel inferior. And these are people who are supposed to love Garrick and want what's best for him and that usually means that they'd try and make a fiancée feel welcome. Yeah, not gonna happen here. His mother even invited ex-girlfriends. So. Not. Cool.

While I liked reconnecting with these two, I didn't really thought this novella added much to the general storyline. I mean, it's cute to see them be all lovey-dovey, but that spark that was there in Losing It was just a little lost here. I did like seeing Garrick's home turf so to speak and it was a really quick read, but I would have liked a little more. It ended rather abruptly after some big drama got resolved and I was just a bit like: that's it?

My rating: 2,5 stars

Made me crave: over too quickly to make me crave much of anything

Mini-Review of Fire With Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Title/Author: Fire With Fire (Burn For Burn #2) by Jenny Hand and Siobhan Vivian
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, August 13th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Lillia, Kat, and Mary had the perfect plan. Work together in secret to take down the people who wronged them. But things didn’t exactly go the way they’d hoped at the Homecoming Dance.

Not even close.

For now, it looks like they got away with it. All they have to do is move on and pick up the pieces, forget there ever was a pact. But it’s not easy, not when Reeve is still a total jerk and Rennie’s meaner than she ever was before.

And then there’s sweet little Mary... she knows there’s something seriously wrong with her. If she can’t control her anger, she’s sure that someone will get hurt even worse than Reeve was. Mary understands now that it’s not just that Reeve bullied her — it’s that he made her love him.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, burn for a burn. A broken heart for a broken heart. The girls are up to the task. They’ll make Reeve fall in love with Lillia and then they will crush him. It’s the only way he’ll learn.

It seems once a fire is lit, the only thing you can do is let it burn...

Sorry about the mini-review eons later than it should have been up, but I read Fire With Fire while I was on vacation, then when I got back this happened and it left me unable to write anything, let alone form a coherent opinion.

Basically my reaction to Fire With Fire:

-I loved seeing more of all three of the girls and watch their friendship develop further.

-I was SO confused by all the Mary chapters! But don't worry, it'll make sense in the end.

-I wasn't a big fan of the romantic developments in Lillia's life.

-There was this dark, creepy feeling to the whole of the book and I'm STILL shocked by things that were revealed at the end and seriously, now I just want to go read it again WITH that knowledge because holy batman, that is CRAZY!

-Fire With Fire suffered a bit from second-book-syndrome, but the ending totally made up for it and I can't wait for the final book!!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Review of When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

Title/Author: When the Marquess Met His Match (An American Heiress In London #1) by Laura Lee Guhrke
Publisher/Date published: Avon, October 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: What happens when a carefree, disreputable, stone-broke bachelor is forced to find a wife in a hurry? He hires a matchmaker, of course. What happens when the matchmaker doesn’t want to help him? Well, that’s when the fun begins...

Nicholas Stirling, Marquess of Trubridge, loves his life just as it is: dissolute, scandalous, and deuced good fun. His father, the Duke of Landsdowne is not amused, and when he cuts off Nicholas’ trust fund, the fun-loving marquess is forced to find an alternate source of income — in other words, he has to marry an heiress.

Every new-money American heiress knows Lady Belinda Featherstone is the key to social acceptance. Once a new-money nobody herself, Belinda discovered first-hand how heartbreaking the game of love and matrimony could be after a reprobate British earl married her for her money. Now a respectable widow, Belinda has become England’s most successful matchmaker, guiding young American heiresses through the hazards of the London season and helping them to find husbands worthy of them. To her mind, the Marquess of Trubridge is nothing but a fortune-hunting scoundrel and she has no intention of allowing him to charm his way into any American girl’s heart, including her own.

Guys, I really enjoyed Laura Lee Guhrke's Trouble at the Wedding, so I was excited to start When the Marquess Met His Match! And I was right to be excited! I do so love me some good historical romance :)

I like that both of the characters here are more mature. There's not a doe-eyed 18 or 20 year old making the 30-something rake fall to his knees and reform his ways. While I do enjoy that sort of plot, I also sometimes roll my eyes at it and it's nice to have the two people in the relationship be more equal. They've both experienced love, or what they thought was love, before. Both have dealt with hard things and it has shaped them. And I like it!

I love that Belinda is so protective of the girls she's trying to match up for marriage! One of them in particular, but she really does want what's best for them and I like a girl who cares about what she does! Her first husband was a douche and it's made her wary of fortune hunters and rakes and I totally get it. And I like that she doesn't fall for the first pretty face that comes along, but wants to really respect a man!

So Nicholas at first appears to be all that Belinda doesn't want. But he's a good guy at heart, he just has to find a way to prove it to her and to himself. I was so rooting for him! He definitely grows as a person throughout the book and I just have a soft spot for good guys! Especially if they're learning how to be their own person and just *SWOON*! I love that he has his nervous-quirks and isn't afraid to own up to them to Belinda!

And there are just sparks! And funny moments! And OMG NOOOOO! moments and there were tears! And then there was the happily ever after that brought a smile to my face and led the way to sweet dreams. So yes, good historical romance right here!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Title/Author: Across A Star-Swept Sea (For Darkness Shows the Stars #2) by Diana Peterfreund
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, October 15th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction — the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars — is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo... is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1***

Guys, I ADORED For Darkness Shows the Stars, I think it'll be one of my favourite reads of 2013. So of course I was excited to read this companion novel!! And seriously, I'm now convinced I'm going to need to read Diana Peterfreund's full backlist! Because her writing just makes my heart happy!

And you know what? It was SO interesting to learn more about the science part of the Reduction! The people on Albion and Galatea are eons ahead of the Luddites and Posts as far as technology and science goes and it made the geeky part of me do little happy dances! While I didn't get all the answers I wanted, I'm still pretty satisfied with the things Diana Peterfreund did tell us. One thing I'm really curious about is how exactly the society formed, because they branched off from the Luddites and Posts and that was never fully clarified.

I really liked Persis, she's willing to sacrifice her own reputation for what she believes in and I like that! She doesn't make things easy for herself and even when she knows she's in danger herself, she puts her friends' safety first. I've always been told that it takes a really intelligent person to believably act stupid (you know, like Rowan Atkinson is really smart, but he plays Mr. Bean, who is really not smart) and in this book it's definitely true! And really, being an infamous spy at 16 is just impressive.

I could relate to Justen. I mean, we share the medic-thing and I can remember times where I've forgotten to eat because I was just so busy at work! I get it. While I wanted to shout at him to @#$& OPEN HIS EYES and see Persis for who she really is, it wasn't really his fault. I mean, she had everyone fooled, how does a guy who knows her for only 2 weeks figure it out if other people can't? And I respect that he's devoted to his work and figuring out a cure for Darkening, which is seriously horrible and reminds me to pray that they'll find a cure for dementia in the real world.
I did at times think he was a bit of a snob for thinking Persis was beneath him because he thought she wasn't as smart as he was.

There was a lot going on and at times I could only stare in horror at the cruelty of the Revolution, it kinda reminded me of the French Revolution in a way. It made me wonder how people justify those acts and I was glad this was actually adressed in the novel, because the logic is just faulty! And really, to take someone's mind, I just, I can't even... There are no words to describe how wrong this feels for me.

And through everything, I was just rooting for Persis and Justen to get together. They had moments in which I was just swooning and waiting for Justen to see what was really going on so they could be happy together! And seriously, one of the only things I want to complain about is: at the end, not only Persis wanted a real kiss, I wanted it as well! And the book ended before I got it!
I did love the guest appearance of the crew from For Darkness Shows the Stars!

I can in all honesty say that Diana Peterfreund has made me fall in love with these characters and their world and her storytelling in general! This is me begging for a third book, PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, which will hopefully include a cure for Darkening! I have never read The Scarlet Pimpernel before, but I now feel like I should!

My rating: 5 stars

Made me crave: chicken tikka massala with mango

Review of For Darkness Shows The Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Title/Author: For Darkness Shows the Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars #1) by Diana Peterfreund
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, June 12th 2012
How I got this book: bought a shiny copy :)
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth - an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret - one that could change their society... or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Guys, people kept telling me that I needed to read this because I would love it and guess what? THEY WERE SO RIGHT!!! I can't believe I waited this long to actually read it!

It is no secret that I'm a fan of Jane Austen and a retelling of Persuasion should have triggered the MUST. READ. NOW. respons, but somehow I skipped over it the first time around. I mean, I love Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth's story and OMG, THE LETTER! SO much love! So to see this be based on that made my little heart happy even before starting it.

And guys, it was SO GOOD!

I feel like gushing all over the place and smacking myself for never before reading anything by Diana Peterfreund, because holy batman, I'm a fan now! Better late than never, right? I totally love the world she has created in For Darkness Shows the Stars and the amazing background that hosts this lovestory that is so dear to my heart! I mean, it's so intricate! And the only thing that I was kinda bothered by is that we don't really learn much about what exactly happened and HOW and WHY and all of those science-things I want to know about it, but in a letter at the end of the book, Diana Peterfreund explains why this is and I can accept that. As long as I get my answers in Across a Star-Swept Sea!

I loved Elliot! Life hasn't been easy for her, especially since her mother died and Kai left and she's had to do a lot of things alone and grow up and take care of other people. And I respect her for picking up the pieces and doing the best she could for the people on the estate. She didn't take the easy way out and it made me want to strangle Kai at first, because GAH! Why can't he see why she didn't go with him?? I mean, hello, responsibility and all that?

I really, really very strongly dislike Elliot's father! I mean, what a douche! That is one bad parent. It sounds like he's always been a failure and has been relying on first his wife and then his daughter to do his work for him and he's not grateful. At all. He's trying to hurt Elliot in every way he can and I still can't figure out why. I mean, WHY would you try to deliberately ruin everything for your daughter? I just don't understand this kind of behaviour.

Kai and I didn't get off to a good start. I mean, the whole wanting to strangle him thing and all. BUT he does redeem himself and OMG THE LETTER! TEARS! And Kai and Elliot definitely had sparks flying! And I totally loved that Diana Peterfreund put in the letters that went back and forth between Kai and Elliot when they were children growing up on the estate. It really shows how strong their base is. They've known each other for a LONG time and have been through so much together and though there have been misunderstanding and falling out and everything, I was so rooting for them to work it out, because they make sense together! I love when a couple makes sense!

I actually resented having to leave the house on Saturday night because I was so absorbed in this story and wanted to finish it, but *sigh* social obligations and all that. But seriously, I just want to hug this book and all the characters in it because they've totally stolen my heart and I will now put Diana Peterfreund on my auto-buy list because I am mesmerized by the beauty that is her storytelling!

My rating: 5+ stars

Made me crave: vanilla yoghurt