Cress by Marissa Meyer

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.
Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.
When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

This is a loose retelling of Rapunzel. Cress was placed in a satellite when she was a child, and, since then, she’d never had a haircut. So, her hair is very long, and it’s *everywhere*. It’s how I imagined Rapunzel’s hair would be in the fairy tale, except she always kept it tamed (in good fairy tale form).

The main difference in Cress is that she’s not locked in a tower and blind to the rest of the world. Cress is in a satellite, and has hacked into every system she can find. She knows exactly what’s going on in the world and she wants to be a part of it. She doesn’t wait to be rescued—instead, she rescues herself. She just needs a ride in order to do it. I liked that.

The relationship that develops between Cress and Thorne is predictable, but enjoyable. And I really like that Thorne didn’t ‘change’ at the end. So many YA stories have the hot-jerk-boyfriend suddenly change and become not-a-jerk by the end so that the protagonist can live happily ever after with him. That drives me crazy. Thorne isn’t the hot-jerk-boyfriend type, but he has a reputation of being something of a player. Cress has a crush on him, but that crush doesn’t develop into insta-love. It takes a more realistic path. I really liked that.

The action is just as fun and engaging as previous books. Cinder’s doubts in herself are realistic and fitting, and her choices fit her age and experience. I’m very much looking forward to the next book, which appears to be a retelling of Snow White.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

The first book in this series, Cinder, is a futuristic sci-fi retelling of Cinderella. Scarlet is about Little Red Riding Hood, but with a modern twist.

In the original fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood is meek, scared, and incapable. Scarlet is none of these things. She learns that her grandmother is in danger, so she rushes off to rescue her. She has such determination that she overcomes any obstacles by sheer will. She has no problems taking care of herself, and isn’t easily scared off. I loved reading about her.

We meet two new characters in this book: Wolf and Thorne. Thorne is hilarious. He’s got the perfect blend of swagger and cluelessness. Wolf is, of course, something of the Big Bad Wolf character, but in an interesting way. He’s not your typical alpha male character because of his damaged past. I liked him, and I liked the romance that blossoms between him and Scarlet.

Cinder is in this book, too, and the story starts out with two separate story lines: one for Cinder and one for Scarlet. They seem unrelated at first, and then Meyer connects them in a pretty cool way. The plot has plenty of tension and the pacing makes it impossible to put this book down.

If you like fairy tales and sci-fi, you’ll probably like this series. Definitely recommended.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

This is a fantastic and imaginative retelling of Cinderella. I'm not always fond of retellings because they are sometimes rote and predictable. It's their nature because the basic plot is well-known. But a good author can make the reader invest in the story even if we know where it's heading. I was invested in Cinder.

Cinder is a cyborg because of a horrible accident that almost killed her when she was a child. In her society, cyborgs are considered second-class citizens. Actually, more property than citizens, which brings about some serious discrimination issues. Meyer handles them well. Cinder does as much as she can to hide the mechanical aspects of her body, but she can only do so much: one of her legs is mechanical and her foot is much too small (it's left over from when she was a child), making it near impossible to disguise. The change in attitudes from people she encounters is spot on and heartbreaking.

This theme is further illustrated in Iko, the android that lives with Cinder's stepfamily. Iko has a human personality, but she's not human. She *is* property, and her wishes, dreams, and feelings are never considered by the stepmother. It doesn't even occur to her. In fact, it will never occur to her because she sees Iko as far beneath her. Not unlike slavery.

Cinder herself is a fantastic character. She's a brilliant mechanic, feisty and strong, and smart about how she stands up for herself. She's also practical about her interactions with Prince Kai, but still loyal and selfless. She made the story interesting. Well, that and the pages and pages of action-packed tension. :) The romance develops slowly and on the more realistic side, and I liked how the two came together.

If you haven't read this, you should. It's great fun, and very entertaining. Definitely recommended.

The Little Android by Marissa Meyer

When android Mech6.0, saves the life of a handsome hardware engineer, her body is destroyed and her mechanics discover a glitch in her programing. Androids aren’t not meant to develop unpractical reasoning or near-emotional responses…let alone fall in love.

This is a short story, which I don’t normally review, but I really wanted to review this one because I loved it! This is one of the best fairy tale retellings I’ve ever read.

The Little Android is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in the world of Marissa Meyer’s Cinder and Scarlet. Cinder even has a cameo halfway through. :) Anyway, this retelling has been done so remarkably well that if you didn’t know the story of The Little Mermaid before reading it, it wouldn’t matter. This reads like its own coming of age story.

Mech 6 is a likable and sympathetic character, and her journey feels authentic and relatable. If you know how The Little Mermaid ends, then you already know how her story is going to end. Still, I couldn’t help but cheer her on. And then, when the end came, it felt so natural and touching and my heart went out to her.

The story doesn’t take long to read, so if you’ve got a spare fifteen minutes or so, I highly recommend it. You can read it for free here:

http://www.wattpad.com/story/11861703-the-little-android

If We Survive by Andrew Klavan

What do you do when a mission trip suddenly leaves you caught in the middle of a revolution?
Will Peterson is part of a mission team that has traveled to Costa Verde to rebuild the wall of a school. It's been a great trip-until a revolution breaks out just before they board their plane to go home.
But then it becomes a desperate race to escape: from a firing squad, from savage animals in the depths of the jungle, from prison cells and revolutionaries with machine guns.
One of the girls is showing Will amazing things about what it means to be truly fearless. And one of the guys has the makings of a real hero. None of them will go home the same. If they only survive.

I read this book because it was nominated for the Cybils YA Fiction award. Will, the main character, has gone to Costa Verde with a group of missionaries to do some volunteer work rebuilding a local school. On his last day there, a revolution breaks out and their lives are put in danger.

As far a christian fiction goes, I get leery about the message-y aspects it can sometimes have. Not so with this book. The fact that Will believes in God is just another aspect of his character, and this is done very well. There is nothing preachy or miracle-y in the story, which is refreshing. Instead, the story takes on a 'the lord helps those who help themselves' philosophy.

There is a lot of action, and the pacing kept me on the edge of my seat. I found Will to be a wonderfully real character, with realistic flaws, temperament, and ideas. The other characters were just as interesting, with their own issues and philosophies. There isn't as much growth as I wanted, and some of the events and incidents were a little predictable, but I didn't mind. This story is fun and full of adventure.

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Old Gods never die…
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.
Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.
These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.
Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.
Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.
The Goddess War is about to begin.

I loved Blake's first book, Anna Dressed In Blood, so I could not wait to get my hands on this one. Blake's writing is excellent, and she's great at giving just enough information to keep the reader intrigued. If you like Greek myth, this is probably the story for you. If you don't, you might still like it because the Greek gods are forced to taste mortality, and they don't like it. :)

Side note: if you don't know much about the story of the Trojan horse, Odysseus, or Apollo and Cassandra, look them up. I did, and I think I enjoyed this book far more because of it. It added a layer of depth for me that I totally enjoyed. You don't need to know the details, just the big picture will do.

The story is told mostly in two alternating perspectives: Cassandra and Athena. Even though Athena is thousands of years old, her personality works well in a YA story. All the gods in Greek myth behave like spoiled children at some point or other, and being immortal and all powerful isn't exactly a motivator to grow up, so to speak. It's not until they are faced with death that we see who is capable of maturing and who isn't. Athena has a mix of both, and I loved seeing her internal struggle with losing her powers, plus her growing respect for life.

Cassandra isn't nearly as interesting at first, but then we find out her history. There is another power at work inside Cassandra, and we don't find out what it is. But I was okay with that, and was content to see how everything was going to pan out. I wasn't disappointed, until the very end.

The things I found confusing were surrounding Apollo. The truth about him is accepted a little too easily. Which, all things considered, I can understand not wanting to dwell on it. But what happens to him in the end makes no sense. If it had to happen, then fine. But I need to understand it, and, no matter how many ways I look at it, I just don't. So it felt contrived and unnecessary instead of emotional and powerful. But that was the only part of the book that I didn't care for.

Still, I'm hooked and will definitely be reading the next book.

All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever.

When I first picked up this book, I had no idea it was historical. This story takes place during settler-like time: Roswell Station is a farming community, there is no electricity or amenities, and the school is one big room with one teacher teaching all grades levels. The summary didn’t really convey this, so I was a little surprised once I figured it out. It didn’t take long, and I settled into it nicely.

The story is told in second person, to Judith’s childhood friend, Lucas. She has loved him for as long as she can remember, but her disappearance, and her resulting inability to speak, has put some distance between them. I really enjoyed watching Judith grow throughout this story. She starts out practically worshipping Lucas, believing him to be perfect, but then she figures out that he’s human, makes mistakes, and is no better or worse than most other people in Roswell Station. She gets there slowly and realistically, and finds herself along the way.

The details behind her abduction are slowly revealed as well. We get just enough information to answer a few questions, and just enough teasers to keep us reading. I could not put this book down because I had to know the full story. And, once all is revealed, the details are both surprising and expected. There are tiny clues planted throughout that make perfect sense once we get to the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and its characters. Definitely recommended.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer.
She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

I’ll admit, I was worried when I picked up this book. I read Sepetys’s first book, Between Shades of Gray, and loved it. I was so afraid that Out of the Easy wouldn’t live up to its predecessor, because sometimes the second book gets rushed out the door and isn’t as enjoyable as the first. I am happy to say that I was worried for no reason.

I loved this book. Sepetys has such a way with words, and her characters are more than interesting. They are real, and just happen to live on a sheet of paper. Josie is spunky and strong, but not over the top. She’s going through her life doing what she can to survive, but she won’t let circumstances drag her down a road where she doesn’t want to go. Even if it would be easier. At the same time, she isn’t superwoman. When her mother’s actions have consequences that land on Josie’s doorstep, she doesn’t snap her fingers and have it taken care of. Instead, she has a normal, human reaction and makes some mistakes. I loved this.

The romance was a little odd, and the thing with Patrick didn’t feel quite authentic. But it didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment of the story. Definitely recommended.

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away?

I was offered an ARC of this book for review months ago, but I declined because of the subject matter. I wasn’t sure I could read the story objectively, and I was afraid it was going to be unrealistic. Having finally read it, I discovered I was right about one thing and wrong about the other: I *did* have a hard time reading it objectively, but that’s because the story is so very realistic. I was emotionally sucked in, and sympathized with Piddy in a visceral way.

Bullies don’t always have a reason for picking on someone. Piddy had never seen or spoken to Yaqui before another girl announces that Yaqui wants to kick her ass. We do find out that it has to do with Yaqui’s boyfriend in a roundabout way, but, really, Yaqui has simply decided that she doesn’t like Piddy, and therefore will make Piddy’s life miserable. This is done in a realistic way that doesn’t come close to over-the-top. Piddy’s fear and stress are palpable, so the bad choices she makes feel natural and sympathetic. The ending is also realistic, because it is nowhere near perfectly happy. It’s just the best situation that Piddy could find, given the circumstances.

I’ve read other stories that contain bullying, and most of them invoke eye-rolling or disbelief, but that’s not the case with this story. It’s very powerful, and will resonate with those who have experienced it first-hand. It will also give insight to those who haven’t experienced it, and help them understand what someone who is being bullied is going through.

For parents who might be concerned that this isn’t appropriate for teens, I disagree. This is something teens deal with all the time, and a book like this might help them. Instead of eliminating that source, I recommend reading it with them, and then discuss it. Perhaps let them lead the discussion to see what they have gotten from it. I wish I’d had access to a book like this when I was younger.

 

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. The convent views Sybella, naturally skilled in the arts of both death and seduction, as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin's skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

I read Grave Mercy not long ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Dark Triumph is the second book in the trilogy, and picks up right where Grave Mercy lets off. Instead of following Ismae, though, we follow Sybella. The two could not be more different, and I loved seeing the world through Sybella's eyes.

Even though we weren't with Sybella in her life before the convent, we can guess just how horrific it was based on the kind of people she grew up with. I thought LaFevers did an excellent job of  slowly revealing her history to us, and by the end I felt I knew her well and could understand why she came to the convent half-mad.

The romance was well done, slowly building in a believable way. I loved watching the relationship build between Sybella and Beast, but the transition from friendship to love happened a little too suddenly. I can see the signs that they like each other, and are even attracted to each other, but the leap to 'love' was a bit too quick. Still, I like them as a couple, and think they are good for each other.

I also enjoyed seeing the abbess through Sybella's perspective. She's so different with her than she is with Ismae, and it's clear her reasons are personal. I have a pretty good guess as to why, but I won't spoil that for you. :)

My favorite part of the story is watching Sybella come to terms with Mortain, the god of Death. Unlike Ismae, she has doubts as to his existence. With the childhood she had, I think this is quite normal. She comes into her faith in a roundabout way, which I found realistic and believable.

I'm really looking forward to the last book in the trilogy, which will follow Annith. The only bad thing is I have to wait until next year...

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it. Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

I loved the first book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone. *Loved* it. Karou and Akiva were amazing to follow, and I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen to them. And I thought I was going to die of suspense when it ended.

Even with my enthusiasm left over from the first book, I had a hard time getting into this one. Mostly because a lot of time has passed and we don’t exactly know what has happened. That info is revealed, slowly, and I found it a bit confusing. Once I had a handle on everything, then I settled happily into the story.

Blood and Starlight was almost as compelling as the first book. Close, so close, but not quite. I didn’t like Karou as much this time. She seemed too conveniently dense, especially when it came to Ten and Thiago. His motives were so obvious from the start that I got frustrated waiting for Karou to figure it out. Nothing terribly convenient or pivoting comes out of it, though, which means the rest of the plot didn’t come across as contrived, so I was able to shrug it off. It was just annoying and slowed down the pacing.

The relationship between Karou and Akiva was as expected. I wished that they could recover enough to have a conversation, but it also felt real that they couldn’t. So their resulting actions were both sympathtic and heartbreaking. I really liked seeing Akiva with his brother and sister, and getting to know them more, too. Considering how it all ends, it was necessary for us to understand the relationship among the three. With that understanding came a very powerful scene where I felt Liraz’s loss keenly, and it also made me fully understand the hostile alliance at the end—which I loved. :)

The only thing I wasn’t happy with was that Karou didn’t tell Akiva her secret, and I can’t see any reason for him not to know. In fact, he *needs* to know in order for their plan to work effectively. So I had mixed feelings about the ending. I’m still hooked on the story and am dying to know what’s going to happen next, but I’m hoping there isn’t going to be the withholding of information just to create tension. I think the author has more talent than to resort to this, so I’m hoping she won’t go there. But, I guess we’ll see in the next book—which I will *definitely* be reading. :)

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. 

I loved the first book, Girl of Fire and Thorns. I loved watching Elisa grow from a coddled, sheltered weakling into a warrior. So awesome.

The Crown of Embers is about Elisa learning yet something else: how to be an effective ruler. I've seen some criticism about this story, that Elisa goes back to being too much like her old self in book 1, but I disagree with that. Leading a band of guerrilla fighters is nothing like leading a country, plus all the backstabbing politics that come with it. Elisa is in new territory again, and she has to learn how to rule. She makes lots of mistakes in the process, but she learns from them and grows as a character.

I think Elisa's flaws are my favorite part of these books. She makes real mistakes, repeatedly, and there is no magic cure for them. There is no sudden epiphany that gives her the answers to all her troubles. Instead, she has to muddle through just like a real person would. As a result, she is a bit unlikable in Crown of Embers because she makes some terrible choices. But I was okay with this, especially when we see her growth--she is given the crown in the beginning, but she earns it in the end. That made it all worth it.

I am really looking forward to the next book, and what kind of trouble Elisa will get herself into. :)

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

When I first read the summary for this book, my palms began to itch uncontrollably. I could not wait to get my hands on it! When I finally got it, I dropped everything and sat down to read. It took a while to get into it, but once I did I could not put it down.

The world building is so rich and vivid, the supporting characters are real and hilarious, and the plot has layers within layers. And dragons can shape-shift into human form. Bonus!!

As the story unfolds, the plot gets even more complex—deliciously so. The pacing could have gone faster (hence it took me a while to get into it…a long while, like 150 pages), but that doesn’t bother me as much as it might others. If I like a character, then I will follow him/her through the story no matter how long it takes. And I loved Seraphina. She is so realistically caught between her two worlds, and the writing reflects it perfectly. I identified with her in a big way.

Believing she is the only one of her kind (and knowing the extreme consequences if she’s discovered), she lives her life in neither dragon nor human world. She’s in the human world on the surface, and it’s too dangerous for her to go to the dragon world because she'll be discovered. She can’t identify with either world because no one can understand her situation, and she can’t risk trusting anyone with her secret. Then, we learn more about her garden of grotesques…I am completely hooked on the possibilities that can come from this.

The romance was interesting, but certainly not the most compelling part of the story. I’m wondering how it will be explored in future books, though. I’m very glad it didn’t turn into a wretched love triangle, and I liked how Seraphina came to terms with her feelings. Actually, the best part of the whole story is the complexity of the relationships. Seraphina’s relationship with her uncle and her father, the grotesques in her ‘garden,’ and Princess Glisselda are deep and intricate. Which goes against how Seraphina tries to keep herself away from anything that goes beyond the surface. The contrast is compelling.

If pacing isn’t the most important part of a story to you, then you will probably enjoy the rich and fulfilling plot. And the last ten to fifteen chapters will leave you on the edge of your seat. 

Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason it never seems to get any easier. She's left behind her days of debauchery to find peace and forgiveness at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There she's uncovered her family's epic history, reclaimed her magickal powers, and met Reyn, whom she dubs "the Viking god." Just as she settles into her new life, Nastasya learns that her old friends might be in town....

Reuniting with her gorgeous and dangerous ex-best-friend, Innocencio, Nas wonders if she'll ever be truly free of her dark legacy. Is Incy dangerous, power-hungry, and wicked? Or is he the only one who truly understands Nas's darkness? Either way, Nas is desperate to find out who she really is-even if the answer kills her.

I read the first book, Immortal Beloved, last year and was pleasantly surprised at how much I loved it. I’ve been looking forward to reading this book, but it’s been a busy year and it took me this long to find the time to read. But it was SO worth the wait. Plus, the next book comes out in only a few weeks, so I don’t have to agonize for a year. Bonus!

Nastasya is such a frustrating character. She’s selfish, prickly, self-absorbed, and cowardly. But, dang it, she’s funny. Her scathing sarcasm had me laughing out loud more times than I can count. I’m pretty sure I’d hate her if I ever met her in person, but I love following her through all her ordeals, stupid decisions and all. She is so flawed that she feels completely real, but not in a tragic hand-upon-brow-woe-is-me way. She knows she’s a screw-up and she’s trying to do better. She just sucks at it. It makes for a very compelling read.

This story reminded me so much of how addicts or abuse victims can slide right back into their old lives, even though it’s the worst thing for them. It’s often easier because it’s what they know, and they don’t have to face anything difficult about themselves in the process. There are lots of addiction themes running under the surface here, which I think will really resonate with some readers.

The romance is a perfect balance of frustration and the promise of more. I knew how the two would end up, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching them get there. They are a good match, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that plays out in the next book. The end is quite satisfying, almost feeling like an end to the whole story. But there were a few clues planted here and there, hinting at the danger and drama to come. I cannot wait to read more.

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds.

I’ve been looking forward to this book since the first one, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, released last year. And I wasn’t disappointed, at all. I love these books.

In the first book, Elisa shows an incredible amount of growth, going from a clueless, sheltered girl to a leader of a rebellion. But she takes another step in Crown of Embers as she slides into the role of queen. There is so much she needs to learn, and she makes a mess of things in the beginning. But, eventually, she begins to figure things out and grow into herself as a person—which is starkly illustrated in the last few pages. It was beautiful to watch.

The romance was pretty easy to see coming, especially given their interaction in the previous book. But I loved the way it was done. There was a clear definition of what a wholesome and healthy relationship is, as well as how certain relationships can degrade and devolve a person into becoming less than what they are. I felt for their struggle, cheered for them, and was heartbroken at the harsh realities of their world.

The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, though it also feels satisfying at the same time: the conflict of this book is resolved well, and then we get a teaser of the conflict to come in the next book. And I *cannot* wait for it! Definitely recommended.

Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?

I first heard about this book last year at an SCBWI conference. It intrigued me, and I put it on my to-read list. And then I got the chance to read an ARC! I snapped it up very quickly, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s like a cross between Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Feed by M.T. Anderson, and Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.

The characters are the best part. The dialog and camaraderie feel authentic, and I laughed out loud more than once. Tom is likable and sympathetic, and fairly easy to relate to.  He also feels like your typical teenage boy with hormones and the tendency to jump to conclusions. I thought the author did a good job of capturing him as a person. The interactions between Tom and his friends is the highlight of the story, actually. There is a section where this is taken away, and I really missed it.

Another aspect which I enjoyed was when Tom and his friends are learning how to write software programs. I have to give props to the author because she clearly did some research on the subject. Their first encounter with the value ‘null’ is hysterical because it’s right on the money. I remember my first experience with this when I was learning to program, and had the exact same reaction. Not defining all your variables is a typical newbie mistake and the author captured it well. If there had been some infinite loops, that would have made it even better (an even more common newbie mistake).

For the most part, the plot kept me reading and interested, with only a few moments of head-scratching. Those instances were clear that the plot was driving the story instead of the characters, which bummed me out because they felt a bit contrived, but then the characters took over again later on. And Tom was most definitely driving the story for the conclusion, which I loved. We already knew this aspect of his character, but it was awesome seeing it in so blatant and brutally ‘out there.’ Some may not like him for it, but I ended up liking him more. I’m looking forward to the next book. 

For a chance to win an ARC, go here and fill out the form. Good luck!

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

This is a cute book that's definitely for fairy tale lovers. It reads like one and references practically all of them, so you kind of need to like fairy tales if you're going to read this book. :)

Personally, I love fairy tales so this book was right up my alley. I gave it a lot of leeway, simply because of the fairy tale aspect—there is no way anything in this book could be mistaken for what happens in real life, so I didn’t look at it that way. Instead, I put my feet up and went along for the ride. And it was a very pleasant ride.

This story references Jack and the Beanstalk, The Princess and the Pea, The Frog Prince, Rumplestiltskin, and more, but it is far more than the sum of its parts. The plot is more complicated than I anticipated (a pleasant surprise), and the characters have plenty of depth. The voice perfectly fits the story, and the first line is the best I’ve seen in quite some time:

“My name is Sunday Woodcutter, and I am doomed to a happy life.”

Doomed to a happy life?? That hooked me right there.

If fairy tales aren’t your thing, then this isn’t the story for you. But if you have a soft spot for them, then you’ll probably enjoy this darling of a book. 

For a chance to win an ARC, go here and fill out the form. Good luck!

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan

Farrah "Digit" Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group's number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping-- all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in...

A funny story. Digit has great voice and a great way of dealing with the smart side of herself. She hides in plain sight, but in the process she closes herself off from others and doesn't really get to know them. For someone so smart, there are a whole lot of things she misses. I loved that about her. Then, she meets John, someone who understands how it feels to hide your personality because it seems easier than dealing with the consequences of being yourself. She begins to wake up, so to speak, and let her real self, Digit, out for the sake of saving lives. Once she does this, she can't put Digit back in her box.

There are some very interesting themes going on in this story. I think many teenagers probably feel they are hiding their true selves from everyone else. I sure felt that way at that age, and I think teens will connect with Digit. She’s quirky, but not too quirky. She’s funny and even pretty normal in her abnormal way. I really liked her, and I loved following her through all the spy adventures across the country.

The romance was clunky, though. I didn't quite understand Digit's attraction to John, and I didn't see the signs that John was falling for her. Then all of a sudden they are a couple, sort of, and in love. It wasn't instalove, but we weren't close enough to either Digit or John to really feel what they were feeling. As a result, I wasn’t as invested in the ending as I wanted to be.

Still, this is a fun, fast-paced story that will bring a smile to your face. For a chance to win an ARC, go here and fill out the form. 

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

I AM NOT STUPID FUNNY.

I AM STUPID FAST.

My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing

Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will it get me girls -especially Aleah?

So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah's house in the night. But deep down I know I can't run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally have to stop.

I have been meaning to write this review for a long time. I read this book months ago and loved it. Felton is such a great character, real and typical teen boy. Reading about his growth spurt reminded me of my own boys (who are growing like weeds) and I’m wondering what puberty will be like for them.

Anyway, Felton went from tiny to titanic seemingly overnight, eating everything in sight, and then the football coach noticed how fast he could run and recruited him. On top of it all, his best friend Gus went to Caracas for the summer, leaving him with his other best-friend-who-really-isn’t-a-friend, and a really hot girl rents Gus’s house while he’s gone. His mom isn’t exactly stable and hasn’t gotten over the death of Felton’s father (ten years ago), and his brother practically has a mental breakdown. Basically, his whole life has been turned upside down. Everything Felton has perceived to be true suddenly isn’t, and he has to relearn who he is, who his friends are, and how to function in his family.

These are extraordinary circumstances, but I think teens experience this through ordinary things. So, they will be able to relate in a big way. Felton feels like a real teen boy with real thoughts and feelings and is a natural at denial (as are many teens). The story is funny and engaging, and I read it in a day. It's about football, but you don't need to be a football fan. I'm not, and I loved it.

If you like books about teens who feel authentic and real, this is for you. Definitely recommended. 

Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Gabi and Lia Betarrinihave learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italyto save their father from his tragic death in modern times.   But love calls across the centuries, and thegirls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plagueis advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population.

This is the third bookin the River of Time series: Waterfall, Cascade, and Torrent. I thoroughlyenjoyed the first two books, and this one did not disappoint. 

The story hits theground running, right where Cascade left off, and Bergren is masterful withpacing. This book had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish, and Istayed up reading *way* too late because I didn’t want to put it down. Actually,because I *couldn’t* put it down. :)

Gabi has gone back intime in order to try to save her father. That is, to try to bring him back intime to 14^th century Italy, where Marcello lives. That’s how thestory opens. Since the story is all about what’s happening in 14^thcentury Italy, we know Gabi will successfully bring her father there. Thequestion is, how will he handle it?

It was lovely to seeGabi’s family together again. A chance to see her mother happy, to have herfather back, to feel whole again. Those aspects came through well. Initially,Dad reacts as expected: confused and stunned, but then he sort of takeseverything in stride. I kind of wished it would have been harder for him,especially when he learns his daughters are heroes, which also makes them a bigol’ target for the enemy. I wish he’d had a harder time with this.

The rest of the storyis a rip-roaring adventure that is relentless and gripping. I could not tear myeyes away, even when the clock ticked on past 3am. Gabi and Marcello are justas fabulous as always, though they had some friction from their differentcultural backgrounds. This was a good thing. :) I liked how Bergren introducedit, and subsequently dealt with it. I also liked how Gabi starts to crack underthe strain of all the drama from everything that’s happened since she found thetomb. The reader has gotten a break between books, but Gabi hasn’t, and itshows.

This trilogy is greatfun with a good, strong main character. Definitely recommended. There are somenovellas coming out that continue this story, the first called Bourne and thesecond Tributary. I haven’t read them yet, but I will! I love the characters andI love the story.