Review of The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Title/Author: The Burning Sky (The Elemental Trilogy #1) by Sherry Thomas
Publisher/Date published: Balzer + Bray, September 17th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning...

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation — or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family — even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life

This book, you guys, THIS BOOK!!! OMG! I already knew that Debby and Kelly loved this book, but still, I cannot believe how much I loved The Burning Sky!!

I don't even know where to begin! I read this over the space of 6 days and was excited EVERY TIME to get back to it! Know that it's not the book that made me take forever to read it, I've been SO BUSY lately that I hardly had time to breathe, let alone read. But let's get back to the part where I was EXCITED about this book! I've missed that feeling! I have read a couple of less than stellar books lately and it just felt so good to submerge myself in an amazing world again!

I totally adore both Iolanthe and Titus! They are both so incredibly strong and smart and charming and JUST LET ME HUG YOU OK?? I was rooting for them, even when Titus breaks Iolanthe's trust! They both want to do the right thing and OMG, I just, I cannot even be coherent about this! Iolanthe is awesome and powerful and brave and just generally my kind of girl! And TITUS! Did I ever tell you guys how much I love princes? Cause I do! And Titus is the right kind of prince, all swoonworthy and noble! He's created his whole life and the way he appears to the world around this task he's been given and I cannot help but admire his dedication.

AND YOU GUYS, THE ROMANCE!!! *SWOON* I wanted to shake them and just #@%& KISS ALREADY! These two definitely brought tears to my eyes and it was glorious! I loved that the romance wasn't the most important plot point, but it is there and it adds to the story and it made my heart happy!

I so love a good fantasy and Sherry Thomas really brought it with this debut novel! And there was so much for me to love! Two amazing main characters, solid worldbuilding, a romance that brought tears to my eyes and MAGIC! Be still my heart! And now the wait for the sequel will surely kill me... If you haven't picked it up already, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? GO READ IT!!

My rating: 5 stars

Made me crave: French toast

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 Linked by Imogen Howson

Title/Author: Linked (Linked #1) by Imogen Howson
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, June 11th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl — Lin — who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose — secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.

Seriously, I think this book was one of my most anticipated reads of Spring 2013 and I'm sad to say that it didn't really live up to my expectations.

The concept is GREAT. It is. It's creepy and fascinating and cruel and just what I come to expect from dystopian society that is well thought out. You can tell that Imogen Howson did a lot of world developing before she started writing this book and it's really interesting. I can't imagine anyone doing that to human beings (I really don't want to spoil anything, but it's awful). But maybe this is why they declared them non-human. It's a great solution when you think about it.

I liked Elissa. She's not immediately on board with the idea of having a twin and though she does the right thing, there are some bumps in the road and her behaviour isn't always the nicest. But I can understand this. I mean, it's pretty normal to not magically be ok when such a bomb is dropped on you and you're expected to just deal with it. That's just not how it works. I like that she's practical and is really trying her best.
Lin was in ways both harder for me to like and easier to like. She has her less than human emotionally moments and her awesome power moments and I think that in the end I liked her better than Elissa.

There are some things that didn't work so well for me, one big thing that put me off was Elissa's parents. They are awful! I mean, seriously?? They're ready to get their daughter into brain surgery even though they KNOW it's not her brain malfunctioning?? I mean, REALLY? That's some bad parenting right there. Along with Elissa's mom calling the cops on her. Her mom is probably the worst of the two, her dad redeems himself a bit, but just a bit. Hateful woman.

Also, the romance arc did nothing for me. Elissa and Cadan were constantly fighting and saying pretty harsh stuff and thinking the worst of each other and not in the Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy way! I couldn't imagine them caring for each other and then BOOM out of nowhere they're saying 'I love you' to each other and I'm like WTF?? I know they have history and all that, but I still call insta-love.

Reading Linked was much more slow going than I had expected. I'd expected a lot of action and excitement and not being able to put the book down and all of that good stuff. And while a lot is happening in a short time, it didn't really feel urgent or desperate or any of those things. I do think that the world Imogen Howson has created was fascinating and I'm interested to see how Elissa and Lin will handle the aftermath of the happenings in Linked, but it's definitely not what I had expected when I picked it up.

My rating: 2,5 stars

Review of Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan

Title/Author: Maid of Secrets (Maids of Honor #1) by Jennifer McGowan
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, May 7th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Seventeen-year-old Meg Fellowes is a wry, resourceful thief forced to join an elite group of female spies in Queen Elizabeth’s Court. There she must solve a murder, save the Crown, and resist the one thing that will become her greatest freedom–and her deadliest peril.

For Meg and her fellow spies are not alone in their pursuit of the murderer who stalks Windsor Castle.

A young, mysterious Spanish courtier, Count Rafe de Martine, appears at every turn in the dark and scandal-filled corridors of the Queen’s summer palace. And though secrets and danger are Meg’s stock-in-trade, she’s never bargained on falling in love…

Ok, so you may now how I'm a huge anglophile? And I'm slightly obsessed with anything to do with English royalty of the past. So this combined in a YA historical fiction made me all excited! And I'm happy to report I was thoroughly entertained by Maid of Secrets.

Though I did have to get over the fact that I was constantly thinking 'but WHY would the queen hire a group of young girls to do all these things for her???' It seemed slightly implausible to me and I kinda struggled with this a bit throughout the novel.

But I did very much like the girls in question, especially Meg and Jane. I must say that reading books like these made me thankful for my sheltered childhood and teens, because to already have learned everything these girls know by the time they're 17? Yeah, that's kinda harsh. They've really had to made a living for themselves and are frequently involved in live-and-death type plots. And then there's the threath of imprisonment when they don't obey the queen or her councillors, who may not always have the same agenda.

I loved seeing Meg navigate her way through all of this and I was genuinely rooting for her. I liked that she's smart and street-savvy and at least TRIES to do the right thing, even if it isn't always easy. And you guys, I loved the scenes with her and Rafe! Rafe is mysterious enough to intrigue me and seems to care enough to forgive him for the not-so-decent things he sometimes pulls on Meg. And I'd really like to see more of him in the next novel!

The murder mystery and the search through the castle with all the hidden passageways and danger lurking around every corner had me turning the pages, wanting to know out exactly WHO was behind all of it. I did figure out who it was before Meg did, which was mostly due to some seemingly random scene that had me thinking there had to be MORE to this person.

This was a strong debut for Jennifer McGowan and a good start to a series, which I expect to only become better with the next books! I still have lots of questions, most of them revolving around Meg's parents, but Maid of Secrets did wrap up the storyline nicely and I'm relieved it didn't end with a cliffhanger. Highly recommended to anglophiles like me!

My rating: 4,5 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 Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland

Title/Author: Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, April 2nd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Cory Graff is not alone in her head. Bound to a deal of desperation made when she was a child, Cory’s mind houses the Furies — the hawk and the serpent — lingering always, waiting for her to satisfy their bloodlust. After escaping the asylum where she was trapped for years, Cory knows how to keep the Furies quiet. By day, she lives a normal life, but by night, she tracks down targets the Furies send her way. And she brings down Justice upon them.

Cory’s perfected her system of survival, but when she meets a mysterious boy named Niko at her new school, she can’t figure out how she feels about him. For the first time, the Furies are quiet in her head around a guy. But does this mean that Cory’s finally found someone who she can trust, or are there greater factors at work? As Cory’s mind becomes a battlefield, with the Furies fighting for control, Cory will have to put everything on the line to hold on to what she’s worked so hard to build.

Guys, I love pretty much anything to do with mythology and the Furies fascinate me. So I was really excited to pick up Vengeance Bound, even though I'd heard a couple not so good things about it. And I was pretty disappointed...

I mean, it really is a fascinating concept that the Furies sort of get attached to a host and use said host to do their 'justice'. But this was exactly my problem, the '' around justice. The Furies in Vengeance Bound are not looking for justice, they're looking to kill as many men as possible, not even caring if someone is guilty or not. And that's what majorly put me off, but maybe more so that Cory actually goes along with this. I get that they don't leave her much of a choice, but it's scary how cold-blooded she is.

I couldn't connect to Cory. She's a little all over the place and she didn't seem to have much of a personality outside of being the Furies' instrument. But maybe it was just also because I just didn't like her. I felt no sympathy towards her whatsoever, so it was kinda hard to root for her in her struggles.

Several times I considered DNF-ing Vengeance Bound, but I kept going because I thought, but wait, this HAS TO GET GOOD, right?? But mostly it was just Cory bemoaning her fate and doing nothing to change it. And then there was this weird thing going on with Niko and one of Cory's new friends, who was seriously cuckoo-crazy. I mean, she pretty much had a sign over her head saying "HI, I'M INSANE, WHO ARE YOU?" and I didn't get how anyone can call themselves someone's friend if you don't try to get someone like this help. Really. LOTS of help.

I really wanted to like Vengeance Bound, but it was kind of a depressing book. I had no love for any of the characters and not even the Furies were interesting enough to keep me entertained.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Review of Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley

Title/Author: Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
Publisher/Date published: Katherine Tegen Books, March 19th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and bought a finished copy
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she's returned home... only to find that it's three years later and she's sixteen -or at least that's what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn't know.

But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren't locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her "alters." As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

OMG, this book was SO INTENSE! And I just loved it! It was so creepy! And I'm not really one for the creepy books usually!

It may be due to my profession, but I'm fascinated by mental health issues. It is simply amazing what a mind can do and this novel just goes to show how far self-protection mechanisms go.

So Pretty Girl-13 deels with a pretty heavy subject: child kidnapping and abuse and while this might not be suitable for every teen to read because of this, I did think that it dealt with all of this very well and doesn't get graphic. And it definitely feels like Liz Coley has done her research on the subject matter and I always appreciate that!

I really liked Angie, she's been through a LOT and even though she can't remember most of it at first, I thought she dealt with it pretty well. She's not supposed to be ok and she's not, but she doesn't give up. She's a survivor and is willing to really work on her problems. I like that, I can respect that.

And seriously, I was fascinated by the different alters and their stories. I loved that in between chapters from Angie's viewpoint we get fragments told by the 'gate keeper', who knows much, MUCH more and reveals snippets and I was just on the edge of my seat trying to figure it all out! There were times when I was getting this sense of doom and figuring out something based on the clues we were given and was like AAAH! THIS IS SO CREEPY! AND IT WAS AWESOME!

It's always mindboggling to me to imagine the extend of cruelty people are apparantly capable of and what a mind can do to cope with this and I was completely sucked in by Liz Coley's writing! I didn't want to put Pretty Girl-13 down and seriously, whatever Liz Coley writes next, I will READ IT! This is my kind of psychological thriller!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Poison by Bridget Zinn

Title/Author: Poison by Bridget Zinn
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, March 12th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley
Buy it at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction — which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart... misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Clearly I hadn't read the summary of this book well enough, because before starting it, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why their was a cute little pink pig on the cover. And now I do and she actually turned out to be one of my favourite characters!!

But really, let's start at the beginning.

In Poison we meet Kyra, we isn't your every day heroine, she's a potion-prodigy and is on the run from pretty much the whole kingdom because she tried to kill princess, who also happens to be her best friend. And then she missed. And I loved discovering bit by bit what exactly prompted Kyra to try and poison the princess. Mostly because there are also memories mixed in of their friendship and these girls are the real deal.
I loved slowly getting to know Kyra and I truly love this girl for her independance, her loyalty and her braveness. She may not have the best social skills, but she is a true friend when it comes down to it and I respect that.

Aside from loving the main character, there were also several other for me to love, mainly Fred and his giant hound and Rosie, the cute little pig. Fred is awesome. He is a bit of much needed sunshine in Kyra's life and I love how he just decided he would be her friend. He is just such a good guy and you know how I swoon for the good guys! And any guy who's an animal lover is extra swoonworthy in my book! And I kinda loved that he named Rosie.

Rosie is the little pig and I loved that without being able to speak, Bridget Zinn managed to really make her her own character and she was just so infinitely cute! I really want one of my own now! Well, until I remember a pig one of my friends in high school had who wasn't so cute...

The writing was wonderful and whimsical and just such a breath of fresh air! Every now and then I love to loose myself in a world where not everyone is getting killed or robbed or physically assaulted or anything and just have a fun time exploring a beautiful world. And Bridget Zinn did that for me and I loved every minute of it! And I loved that there was no cruelty to animals and I could just focus on the cuteness of them. I can easily see this being turned into a movie, and if so, I WILL WATCH IT!

Reading Poison felt like sitting down with one of my favourite fairytales and getting lost in the magic of it. It had all the things I want from a light fantasy: a strong heroine who has actual skills and is someone I could root for, cute animals to brighten the day (because really, what is better than a magical pig??), a good guy to roadtrip with, a little bit of sweet romance and a high stake puzzle to figure out.
I think it's a real loss for the literary world that Bridget Zinn passed away at such a young age because with Poison as her debut novel, I can only imagine what else she would have brought to the genre and I'm sure I would have devoured those books as well.

My rating: 5+ stars

Review of Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Title/Author: Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins Children's UK, February 28th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: Harriet Manners knows a lot of things.

She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves.

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did.

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Look at that cover! How could I not be all over this??
Guys, I was expecting a fun, cute read and that's exactly what Holly Smale gave me with Geek Girl!

I just wanted to hug Harriet, she's a sweet girl, if really naive and not fully connected to the world. She did come across a bit younger than her age in the way she acts, but not every 15-year-old is equally mature. I loved that she didn't let everything that happened with a new modeling career change her. She's caught up in the fashion, but she's still her own person and I like that. I love that she learns what it means to be a true friend and how you can unintenionally hurt someone.

A lot of the other characters are REALLY quirky and while I had a good laugh over it, I did think that her dad was kinda weird and irresponsible at times and he was actually the only one who annoyed me because of his antics. Harriet's stalker Toby was adorable in his cluelessness and I absolutely LOVED the agent who spotted Harriet, who is so out there and has all these crazy pet names for Harriet, is was FANTASTIC! Seriously.
And though we don't really get to see a lot of him, I really liked Nick as well.

Reading this book felt like a YA version of America's Next Top Model (only set in England and all) and I am addicted to that show, so of course I enjoyed this book! I love to read about the crazy of the fashion industry and this book made me laugh out loud several times! It was a lovely debut and I just saw there'll be a sequel, YAY!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Pivot Point by Kasie West

Title/Author: Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1) by Kasie West
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, February 12th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier...

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with — her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school — but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through... and who she can’t live without.

Guys, I'm the kind of girl who always plays out different scenarios in her head before making a big decision. I'm the master of the 'what if'. And I pretty much never get it right ;)
So a book centered around a girl who can actually SEE what would happen when faced having to choose between two paths has me ALL KINDS OF EXCITED! And I loved how Pivot Point explores the dilemma that comes with this ability!

Addie was a girl I could easily relate to. She's not easily impressed with people and I loved the friendship bond between her and Laila. These girls are true friends and Laila isn't just a random sidekick added for comic relieve or something. I loved all the different abilities everyone in the Compound has and that they're all mind powers and there's actual training going on to teach them how to use said powers.
I also really loved that Addie likes to read. With all the advanced technoly in the Compound, she's one of the only ones still reading books and graphic novels and I like that. I'm also a big fan of her way of making friends, by threathening someone with a zombie attack for insulting Charles Dickens.

The chapters switch between the two paths Addie can take: going with her dad or staying with her mom. And about halfway through I was starting to get this ominous feeling that I knew where it was headed and who Addie was going to have to choose between (yeah, I'm sorta cryptic, but it would be a HUGE spoiler). And I was right and it was DEVASTATING! Seriously!
I loved seeing Addie go through both storylines and I never once got confused about where we were in the story, so major brownie points to Kasie West for that, cause I don't think anyone could have pulled it off.

And most of all: I was so IN the story alongside Addie! I fell in love with her, was heartbroken with her, was angry, sad and betrayed and just wanted to give her a hug. I loved how invested in the story I was and how it was such an easy read! I didn't want to stop reading and lost some sleep over it. It was awesome.

And I wouldn't be me if I didn't mention the boys: Duke and Trevor. At first I switched alliances with every chapter, cause both guys were swoony, but I settled about halfway through, though I'm not saying which of them has totally stolen my heart which his amazingness, though I am gonna say that as usual I've fallen for the good guy.

The ending left me wishing for the sequel because I need to know what happens next! Because it was heartbreaking and I do understand Addie's choice and would have done the same probably, but GAH! It ripped my heart out!
Pivot Point is a strong debut for Kasie West and fans of paranormal romance should definitely pick it up!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Prophecy by Ellen Oh

Title/Author: Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles #1) by Ellen Oh
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, January 2nd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley and bought a shiny finished copy

Goodreads summary: The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

As soon as I read the summary for Prophecy by Ellen Oh, I knew I had to read it! I mean, a new fantasy series with demons and dragon kings and a kickass female warrior? Be still my heart!

Sometimes books keep being compared to other much-loved books and this isn't always fair in my opinion. Because while Prophecy for me was a great start in what I have no doubt will be an epic series, going in expecting it to be the next Graceling is going to leave you a bit disappointed.
Don't get me wrong, I really, really enjoyed it and think there's some amazing worldbuilding, but it doesn't rank in my all-time favourites, like Graceling does.

But focusing on the story: Ellen Oh has created a world in which demons are a very real threat and Kira is the only one who can literally sniff them out. Which is pretty cool. Aside from the fact that pretty much EVERYONE in the kingdom is scared of her and because of that hating on her, it really showed what happens when people don't understand something. Angry mobs are really scary to me and Ellen Oh showed the power of just such a mob on more than one occasion.

I liked Kira, though sometimes I would get so frustrated with her! I get that she doesn't really trust people, but she's also constantly shoving the ones who want to get to know her and be her friend away. I mean, to have someone like Kira guarding your book sounds like the perfect situation, but I don't know if I could be friends with her. I do admire how she puts the well-being of other before her own and I really liked her tiger spirit!

I kinda loved that Ellen Oh didn't write a traditional fantasy which usually has a more European-like setting, I'm really loving the Asian influences and how it adds another dimension to the genre. I would have liked to see a bit more of a difference in culture between the seven kingdoms (and seriously I have to ask: why are there pretty much always SEVEN kingdoms/realms??? Is it somehow a significant number??), the customs seemed pretty similar to me. I mean, sure a lot of things are the same in Holland and Belgium, but we each have are own culture, so I expect this from kingdoms in fantasy novels as well.

Of course there's an journey spanning a big part of the world Kira lives in, I really liked that we're shown different places and discovering more about the mythology of the world Ellen Oh has created and seeing some of it in live action. And because Kira is a young woman, though she may not always realise this herself, there are some boys to contend with. There is the unwanted betrothed, who, though I'm a bit sceptic of his motives, I actually kinda liked. His actions may not speak in his favour in the bigger picture, but I do believe he genuinely cares for Kira and of course his teasing can be seen as a sign of affection (some boys don't know how to express themselves, ok?)...
Then there's the other boy who is showing definite promise and who has deep, dark secrets of his own, which allow him to relate to Kira's...
Ah the agony of an expected love triangle!
1
Prophecy is the promising start of a new series that brings something to the genre I'd like to see more of! Though I got frustrated by the characters at times, the writing was engaging enough for me to keep turning pages. There are high stakes, loss, WATER DRAGONS (seriously, how cool is that?) and also friendship and a beautiful world to explore! I'm really looking forward to finding out what else Ellen Oh has in store for these characters!

My rating: 4 stars

Review of Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed

Title/Author: Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton #1) by Leila Rasheed
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, January 22nd 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: One house, two worlds...

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name — but it would mean giving up her one true love... someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting... at Somerton.

Guys, you know how much I love adult historical romance. And I haven't yet found that excitement I get from the romance and the dresses and everything in a YA historical romance before, but Cinders & Sapphires was everything I could have wanted! It was what I wanted the Luxe series to be, but what it wasn't for me!

I love that Cinders & Sapphires is set in a time when things are a-changing, there's the movement for women's right to vote and to an education and can I just say how happy I am that things worked out, cause you know I wouldn't be where I am now if it hadn't been for those groundbreakers. I loved experiencing the limitations with the hope of MORE through Ada.

The POV switches between several characters, of which I loved Ada and Rose best, though I must say that I have a soft spot for Sebastian as well. Ada is an intelligent young woman who wants to be educated and I love her for that! I loved seeing the bond developing between her and Rose.

Of course there is a starcrossed romance and I love every minute of it! There are furtive glances, meetings behind luggage (though I must say my favourite is still the meeting behind the potted plant), LOVE LETTERS! *sigh* You just can't compare a love letter to an e-mail/text... I did think Ada and Ravi fell in love pretty quickly, but they just had that connection, you know? And gah, there better be some working out of things in the next book!

I loved the drama and the intrigue and the dresses and the romance... And I loved that Leila Rasheed touches upon more than one controversy and there's a homosexual relationship which is something that was NOT DONE in those times.
I did however think that three female characters seemed to be evil without a very good reason for it, there's the classic stepmonster, but I'm willing to overlook this in light of my absolute LOVE of the story!

I read this 400 page novel in no time at all, it was such smooth reading! I've heard Cinders & Sapphires be compared to Downton Abbey and all I can is: if it is anything like this book, I need to watch it! This is absolutely my kind of book and I think any historical fiction/romance loving reader will enjoy it!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Splintered by A.G. Howard

Title/Author: Splintered by A.G. Howard
Publisher/Date published: Amulet Books, January 1st 2013
How I got this book: bought it

Goodreads summary: This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers — precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

I always have mixed feelings before diving into a retelling, I'm both excited and worried the author has screwed up one of the stories I know by heart. I'd heard people rave about Splintered before I started it (namely Rachel @ Fiktshun whose taste in books I completely trust) and guys, IT WAS SO GOOD!!!

I absolutely love the tale of Alice in Wonderland and this darker, twistier version of what exactly happened is just my kind of story! A.G. Howard has managed to completely alter my perception of Lewis Carroll's tale, making me even more intrigued and gah, now I want to re-read his original tale! And this one! I loved the tale but couldn't get into the writing style as a kid, so I might just have to give it another try.

Alyssa is a little off-beat and I like that. I thought using bugs she traps and kills for her art was a little gruesome, but it fit into the story really well. I felt so bad for Alyssa, being afraid she would go mad like her mother and trying desperately not to resemble her in any way. I loved seeing her grow throughout the novel and embrace her identity, it was wonderful! I would have liked to have seen a little more of how things were the 'real world' before diving into Wonderland, but I can easily overlook this, cause the story really took off once we went down the rabbit hole.

Of course there are the boys: Jeb and Morpheus. And for once, while I'm usually all about the good guy, and I do love Jeb, I could actually imagine choosing Morpheus. That is one sexy winged guy! And he could relate to Alyssa's darker side far better and got her connection to Wonderland. I kinda loved his dual nature.
But Jeb stole my heart as well with his protectiveness and his genuine caring for Alyssa and just being selfless.

I really got lost in A.G. Howard's writing and her version of Wonderland! I kinda saw some of the twists coming, but was shocked by the ones I didn't! And it felt wonderful! I was so rooting for Alyssa, Jeb AND Morpheus (I can't help it, I love him) to figure everything out and I wasn't sure whether to wish for Alyssa to stay in Wonderland or to return to her home, but I was just so there in the moment with these characters! I love it when that happens!

I was kinda sad about one thing though:
***SPOILER! LIGHT UP TO READ***
Jeb forgot EVERYTHING that happened in Wonderland!! I mean, seriously? All the moments in which I adored him and he just doesn't remember any of it?? Also: how is Alyssa ever going to tell him about it? Is she going to tell him at all? I just don't want to let these characters go and want ALL THE ANSWERS!
***END OF SPOILER***

A.G. Howard's writing is vivid and amazing and completely lives up to the gorgeousness that is the cover of Splintered! With this as her debut, I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. I completely fell in love with this dark and twisty version of Alice in Wonderland and am already itching to reread it!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell

Title/Author: The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell
Publisher/Date published: Dial, January 10 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: There is a new king on the throne of Tildor. Currents of political unrest sweep the country as two warring crime families seek power, angling to exploit the young Crown's inexperience. At the Academy of Tildor, the training ground for elite soldiers, Cadet Renee de Winter struggles to keep up with her male peers. But when her mentor, a notorious commander recalled from active duty to teach at the Academy, is kidnapped to fight in illegal gladiator games, Renee and her best friend Alec find themselves thrust into a world rife with crime, sorting through a maze of political intrigue, and struggling to resolve what they want, what is legal, and what is right.

With a tagline that said 'Tamora Pierce meets George R.R. Martin' this book had A LOT to live up to. Fortunately, it was completely awesome, so this wasn't a problem whatsoever!

It took me about two or three chapters to get sucked into the story, but from that moment all I really wanted to do was READ ON. So while I was really busy, I still managed to read it in 3 days time, I just flew through it! The writing was engaging and kept me turning page after page wanting to find out what would happen next and OMG! how were they going to get out of this mess???

I kinda loved Renee. Maybe I was slightly biased because she and my mom share a name, but still, she was just plain awesome. I loved that she wanted to prove her worth rather than sit idly and rely on her father's connections and the place she could claim in society because of it. I love that she learns to see things differently and can admit she's wrong. I could easily see a girl of 16 making the choices she made sometimes and it was amazing to see her grow as a person through all that happens.

So there are some amazing other characters as well, mostly Savoy and his little brother. Savoy is one of those heroes who needs to learn it's ok to have a softer side while being a warrior. He's tough and he's hard on others, but has a firm sense of justice he lives by. I respect that. I may not always agree with him, but I can respect that. Also, his younger brother is all kinds of adorable and I just wanted to reach out and ruffle his hair!
I really liked Alec at first, but towards the end I felt betrayed by him and well, I still can't believe he'd turn his back on his friends, no matter the circumstances.

I really liked the magic system and the worldbuilding and GAH I JUST NEED MORE! Please let there be more! I need more Renee and Savoy and Tildor and the Academy and just ALL OF IT! I'm not done living in this world through the pages!

I really hope this will be an epic SERIES cause I absolutely loved this debut novel! Alex Lidell made me live in the moment with Renee and actually brought tears to my eyes a couple of times and while I'm a huge sap when it comes to romance, other types of novels rarely make me cry, so major kudos to Alex Lidell!
The Cadet of Tildor is everything that makes my fantasy-loving heart happy, highly recommended!

My rating: 5 stars

Debut Author Challenge 2013

I really missed participating in the Debut Author Challenge this year! In 2013 it's going to be hosted by Tara @ Hobbitsies and I'm really excited to be joining in again! I love supporting debut authors and discovering new ones to fangirl over is always fun :)

Also, how cute is that button designed by my amazingly talented friend Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl??? I love it!

Details about the challenge can be found here and a Goodreads list of YA and MG debuts of 2013 here.

So, without further ado, here are the books I'm already pining for to read towards this challenge:

1. Taken by Erin Bowman
2. Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans: this book sounds awesome and Lenore is such a nice person!
3. Dualed by Elsie Chapman
4. Pivot Points by Kasie West
5. Splintered by A.G. Howard: a retelling of Alice in Wonderland?? COUNT ME IN!
6. Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
7. Prophecy by Ellen Oh
8. The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
9. The Cadet of Tildor by Alex Lidell: pitched as Tamora Pierce meets George R.R. Martin: YES PLEASE!
10. The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings
11. Poison by Bridget Zinn
12. Strand of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson: I was SO creeped out by the tale of Bluebeard as a child, I think I didn't sleep for a week. MUST READ THIS RETELLING.
13. Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
14. Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley
15. Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green
16. Cinders & Sapphires by Leila Rasheed
17. Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
18. Vengeance Bound by Justina Ireland: FURIES!
19. Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross
20. The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan

Yeah, I don't really think I'll have a problem getting to 12 read of these... I'll probably be adding more to the list as 2013 progresses.. Some I've pre-ordered, some I was lucky enough to receive as an egalley, EXCITEMENT!

Any of you joining in as well?