Book Review: Unhinged

TITLE: Unhinged
Book 2 in the Splintered series
AUTHOR: A. G. Howard
PUBLISHED: Jan. 7th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy/UF, Retelling/Reimagining
PREMISE: Alyssa tries to deal with her life now that she's apart of Wonderland's messy politics.
MY REVIEW: I was a bit late to read Splintered, and despite a few personal issues regarding treatment of the popular girl, I wound up liking it a lot more then I thought I would. If you're looking for a twisty Alice referencing/retelling then this series will definitely deliver.
Regarding the popular girl thing, my issue is that she's basically just stereotyped and vaguely slut-shamed because she's a cheerleader/popular girl type. It's annoying and I wish YA authors would cut this the hell out. Oh, and before anyone chimes in and tries to point out the MC is in a love triangle, we shouldn't slut shame the MC either. We shouldn't be slut shaming AT ALL. This is a huge problem that is in YA and I wish people would stop it.
Other then that entirely personal issue (I say personal because it doesn't hinder the book or anything, it's just a personal pet peeve of mine that makes me roll my eyes), this was a very solid sequel. Revelations about characters are had. Specifically some really interesting ones regarding Alyssa's parents (and bless this series for making the parents into flawed but not horrible people). There's some good character growth on Alyssa's part and some good plot twists near the end that make me eager for the third book.
So except for some of the same problems the first book had, this was an overall really good sequel. I for one am looking forward to the next one.
WHO SHOULD READ: Splintered fans, Alice in Wonderland fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five butterflies

Book Review: The Dream Thieves

TITLE: The Dream Thieves
Book 2 in the Raven Cycle
AUTHOR: Maggie Stiefvater
PUBLISHED: September 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
PREMISE: Blue and the boys continue to discover the secrets of the ley lines.
MY REVIEW: I think this series will honestly be a matter of your own taste. If you love Stiefvater's stuff, you'll probably adore it. If you don't mind series taking their time to get to the point, it'll be a good one. However, if you are neither of these then...you probably won't be a fan.
Luckily, I happen to like Stiefvater's style. I do still think this series is rather slow at times but the interesting character dynamics make up for that. Because that's the main reason I stick with this series: the group dynamic. It's interesting all around, even in the ever annoying love triangle. I can forgive flaws in storytelling if you have interesting (i.e. flawed) characters and all these characters are interesting in their own little ways. I admit though, Blue's mother and her friends are my favorite.
So, the series isn't perfect. Like I said, your enjoyment of it will probably come down to a matter of personal taste. But if you enjoyed the first book then you will probably love this book just as much.
WHO SHOULD READ: Maggie Stiefvater fans, those that don't mind more character based urban fantasy
MY RATING: Four out of Five ravens

Book Review: Erased

TITLE: Erased
Book 2 in the Altered series
AUTHOR: Jennifer Rush
PUBLISHED: January 7th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Adventure
PREMISE: Anna and co. are now on the run and looking for answers. They may however, not like what they find...
MY REVIEW: Altered was one of those pleasant surprises from last year. I hadn't heard much about it so I didn't have many expectations. But it managed to be a very fun thrill ride so I was looking forward to this sequel quite a bit.
Rush managed to deliver. This one leaves right off where the last book did and assumes you're smart enough to keep up so you're not bombarded with info dump after info dump (I hate when sequels do that. SO annoying, even if I do get why authors do it). Quality wise it's still on par with the first so the series didn't go down hill. It didn't go up hill either. But it's still very entertaining.
So if you liked Altered or are looking for a new action based UF series to sink your teeth into, this one is a good pick.
WHO SHOULD READ: Fans of Altered, Kelley Armstrong fans (reminded me a lot of Darkest Powers)
MY RATING: Four out of Five action scenes

Book Review: The Impossible Knife of Memory

TITLE: The Impossible Knife of Memory
AUTHOR: Laurie Halse Anderson
PUBLISHED: January 7th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Realistic Fiction
PREMISE: A girl deals with her father's drinking problem.
MY REVIEW: Looking for a serious contemporary read? Well then this is your lucky day. As always Anderson takes a sensitive subject and manages to write about it in ways that aren't condescending, don't sugarcoat things, and makes you think.
While I don't think this is the best work I've read by Anderson (Speak and Chains are my favorites of hers), it's still a book to be proud of and the first of 2014 that I highly rec. It's still early in the year so I can't say if it's the best of 2014 yet. But knowing Anderson, it'll be in the top percentage of quality YA books this year. It's definitely one of the top ten reads of January for sure.
So as always, Anderson delivers. If you are a contemporary book fan, this is a must read.
WHO SHOULD READ: Anderson fans, Realistic fiction fans, Ellen Hopkins fans
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five toasts to the author

Book Review: Palace of Spies

TITLE: Palace of Spies
Book 1 in Palace of Spies series
AUTHOR: Sarah Zettel
PUBLISHED: November 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Historical Fiction, Mystery
PREMISE: Peggy gets caught up in court intrigue when she poses as a missing lady-in-waiting.
MY REVIEW: I picked this one up mostly because of my love for the authors other series: The American Fairy Trilogy which is such an underrated historical fantasy series. While I don't love this one nearly as much as I do with that trilogy (to be fair though: I fangirl hard over that trilogy), this one is still pretty solid.
I will warn that it's slow. If you're looking for an exciting time period mystery, this one probably isn't for you. But if you don't mind a heroine who uses her brains more then fists, then this one should be fun. Sometimes it does get a little TOO caught up in the historical details but at least the details are nicely done and it makes for a logical mystery for the time period.
So not as good as the American Fairy Trilogy, but still a nice solid period mystery for those that enjoy such things.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of The Agency series, Sarah Zettel fans, historical mystery fans
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five wigs

Book Review: Defy

TITLE: Defy
Book 1 in a new series
AUTHOR: Sara B. Larson
PUBLISHED: January 7th, 2014
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
PREMISE: Alexa poses as a boy in the prince's guard when her kingdom is attacked...
MY REVIEW: I'll be honest: I didn't care much for this one. Most of that is disappointment on my part. I was really looking forward to this one and the hype kind of built it up in my head. So fifty percent of it is my own fault. To be fair to the author, this is her first book. There's nothing truly unreadable about it. It's just...flat feeling. It's like when you go to a action movie and while the movie itself is perfectly entertaining enough, it won't be one of those you go to watch over and over again because it's a fairly simple movie that doesn't really grab a hold of you.
I myself am also giving this book lots of leeway because it's the author's first book. Not everyone can write tremendously right off the bat. For a debut...it's okay. Were this a seasoned author though, I'd be giving much lower marks. Because there were several plot holes, there was sloppy world-building, and the plot itself was paper thin. Romance also took over the book, which if this were meant to be a romance novel, would not be a problem. But it's marketing itself as a fantasy adventure, so I feel kind of cheated. It doesn't help that the romance was the annoying kind instead of the sweet/kind of cute kind. All the characters were also cookie cutter stock characters who never venture past their roles to play. Maybe they will in the next book, but I don't care enough to find out.
There were a few good scenes here and there. The writing was decent enough. As I said: it was readable. It just isn't what I would call a must read.
WHO SHOULD READ: Romance fans who like fantasy type settings
MY RATING: Three out of Five I wish this had been better sighs

This was a Net Galley received from Scholastic Press in exchange for a honest review.

Book Review: The Naturals

TITLE: The Naturals
Book 1 in the Naturals series
AUTHOR: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
PUBLISHED: November 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Urban Fantasy, Mystery
PREMISE: Cassie has an unusual gift that the FBI decides to put to use in order to find killers...
MY REVIEW: So I freely admit: this one isn't totally original. Teens with powers solving mysteries has been a thing in YA for awhile now. But I love the trope so I don't particularly mind. Like most of what she does, Barnes takes a familiar trope and puts a new fresh spin on it.
The characters are fun. The mystery is good and twisty. There's also a little left over in order to entice you to read the next book. I could have done without the love triangle but it never takes over the book so I don't find it nearly as annoying as I usually do. Which, considering forced love triangles are a pet peeve of mine, is kind of a testament to how well the author handled it.
So this one isn't totally original. But if you're a fan of the mystery solving group of teens genre then totally pick this one up. It's a solid addition to the group.
WHO SHOULD READ: mystery fans, Body Finder series fans
MY RATING: Four out of Five sleuths looking for clues

Book Review: In the Age of Love and Chocolate

TITLE: In the Age of Love and Chocolate
Book 3 in the Birthright Trilogy
AUTHOR: Gabrielle Zevin
PUBLISHED: 2013
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Dystopian (sort of)
PREMISE: Anya becomes an adult and decides her fate and deals with the consequences of what she decides...
MY REVIEW: This trilogy will forever be one of those that I have really conflicted feelings about. On one hand: lovely writing. Great character journey. Realistic about romance. Talk of law and how some laws can create criminals instead of being helpful.
On the other hand: confusing world. To this day I don't understand why chocolate was outlawed. I give the author credit for taking the idea and running with it, but it just plain doesn't make sense. Especially when it's revealed in this book that apparently chocolate being outlawed is a US thing. Everyone else eats chocolate and is fine. I just...don't understand it. At all. Plus for something that's supposed to be dystopian, it sure feels like a contemporary novel. Where it not for the constant mention of chocolate and the date, I would routinely forget that this is in the future. In fact, take away the chocolate part, this could be a regular contemporary book and you wouldn't lose anything. For contemporary readers who don't like dystopians this might be ideal. For the rest of us...it feels a bit like false advertising. Plus as a ending this was...kind of predictable. One or two things were a surprise, but overall, not much excitement going on.
So while this is good....there are things about it that bug me. But that's been me with this whole trilogy to be honest.
WHO SHOULD READ: fans of the first two, contemporary readers who aren't sure about dystopians
MY RATING: Three and a half out of Five candy bars
RATING FOR WHOLE TRILOGY: Three and a half out of Five I Love Chocolate shirts

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Make You Cry

This is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish

This week: Top Ten Books That Make You Cry (or in my case have a lot of strong devastated feelings about)

Note: I am a weird person when it comes to things that make me feel strongly. So...this list is probably going to be weird to some of you.

1) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I can't really go into why this one gave me massive feels without spoiling a large amount of the ending and I say this book is best read when you have no idea what's coming. Just please. Read it. I'll be here for you when you have sorted through your feelings.

2) The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

That awkward moment when you love a book but also hate it because of the feels you get at the end...

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Still not over it. For more info on what it is, read the book.

4 ) Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Also still not over it.

5) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I don't think I really need to go into why this is on here. Lets just say when the movie comes out I hope the theaters have lots of kleenex's handy.

6) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

No one can bring about feels by writing quite like Anderson. Her other books are just as wonderful.

7) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

While writing style/prose wise this book is average. The story and the things it has to say about how the way people treat you stays with you is powerful stuff.

8) Harry Potter series (but particularly 7) by J. K. Rowling

This one is pretty self explanatory to anyone who's been a fan of Harry Potter. The seventh book was a emotional ride and a half whether or not you agreed with/liked the ending.

9) The Hunger Games Trilogy (but particularly 3) by Suzanne Collins

Unpopular opinion: I loved Mockingjay. I thought it was wonderfully done and while some things sucked (FINNICK!), it was a powerful emotional ending. The Hunger Games people have their work cut out for them with this sucker but I'm confident they can manage it.

10) The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein

Trying not to spoil anything for movie fans who haven't read it (and seriously, why haven't you?) but um...lets just say the third is not going to be as happy an ending as Return of the King. Assuming of course Jackson doesn't say screw it and write his own ending. But Jackson seems to be following the book pretty accurately (aside from Tauriel/Legolas) so I don't think he will.

Looking Ahead: February 2014

So this is a new feature that I'm hoping to be able to do on a monthly basis that is just going to be previews of books coming in the next month that I'm excited for. 

Books I'm Excited For/Eager to Read in February:

1) Lunar Chronicles Book 3: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Released Feb. 4rth.

Why I'm Eager: Um....it's the Lunar Chronicles? If you've read it, you know why I'am eager. If you haven't read it, pick up Cinder pronto. This series is made of total awesome.

Other Notable releases on Feb. 4rth: Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell

2) Pivot Point Book 2: Split Second by Kasie West

Released Feb. 11th.

Why I'm Eager: Pivot Point was one of the many early pleasure reads of 2013 last year. After the way it ended, I can't wait to read what happens next.

Other Notable releases on Feb. 11th:

Scarlet Book 2: Lady Thief by A. C. Gaughen

3) The Well's End by Seth Fishman

Released Feb. 25th

Why I'm Eager: The plot sounds right up my ally. Plus, YA could use some more sci-fi so I say bring it.

Other notable release on Feb. 25th:

Tin Star series Book 1: Tin Star by Cecil Castellucci

On Feb. 27th: Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick

Some Adult Releases that look interesting:

4) Ghost for Hire series Book 1: Only the Good Die Young by Chris Marie Green

Released Feb. 4rth

Why I'm eager: Because no matter how many times it burns me, I cannot resist the allure of a new UF series. ;prays this one is good;

Other interesting ones on the 4rth: Three Princes by Ramona Wheeler

On the 11th: The Waking Engine by David Edison

5) Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

Released Feb 20th

Why I'm eager: It's fantasy. With dragons. It doesn't take much to make me pick up a book you guys.