Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Published by Sourcebooks Fire on January 5, 2016
Pages: 292
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

This book was haunting, chilling, riveting and realistic. It absolutely gutted me. My heart hurts for these characters, for the fact that this happens all the time in our world now. It feels really weird to say that this book was amazing, fantastic and epic because of the subject matter. But.. Nijkamp just did such an amazing job. Her writing – and the format of the book – really pulled the reader in, setting the tone and pace very early on. This is a book that will definitely stay with me for a long, long time.

Usually, I write about the characters of a book in great detail, because I’m an incredibly character driven reader. But it’s hard to talk about these characters in detail without spoilers. And it’s difficult to put into words how I felt about them – who I liked and didn’t like, who I sympathized with, who I feared for – because, really, I tried not to get too close to the characters. Logically, going into this book, you know you shouldn’t become too attached to them because you don’t know who will and won’t survive. But it’s really difficult to remain indifferent while reading a story such as this. You have to uncaringly care – which, I know, that’s the biggest contradiction ever. But… Just read the book, you’ll see what I mean…

That being said, I really found myself riveted by Sylv and Autumn. Their stories – the things they went through in this book – were the stories I wanted to see/hear/experience the most. For reasons. But.. spoilers.. So… Moving on…

There wasn’t a single moment in this book where my heart wasn’t pounding, where I didn’t feel tense and anxious, desperate to see how things would end, who would survive, who wouldn’t. And the fact that they were locked in the auditorium, with nowhere to run or hide, truly added to the urgency and horror. But the ending was, by far, the most intense part of this book. And that’s saying a lot, because every single part of this book was intense. But the ending took things to another level. My hands were actually shaking as I held my iPad, as I swiped to the next page and the next. I was blinking back tears, screaming in protest, begging the characters to stay safe. I was mentally and emotionally drained after finishing it.

I think the thing about this book that really hit home, though, was the social media aspect. It was incredibly heartbreaking and chilling. It was also very realistic, something we’ve actually seen happen during real life tragedies. Especially the news outlet aspect (I don’t want to describe this in detail, but it’ll make more sense if/when you read the book).

This was not an easy book to read. I imagine it wasn’t easy for Nijkamp to write, either. I absolutely recommend this book – I think it’s very important and relevant for today’s audience. But I also beg you to read with caution. Some scenes are vivid and graphic, some may be emotionally traumatizing. I would definitely say there are several trigger warnings that need to be tagged on to this book – obviously, the school shooting and violence/death aspect trigger warning. Sadly, I can’t go into detail on some of the other trigger warnings because they’re actually pretty spoilerish. But know that they are there and prepare yourself for them. I’ll vaguely tell you that bullying, rape and abuse are mentioned, as is loss of a parent (both via sickness and via death).

There are so many more things I could say about this book, but I think I’ll leave it be. You’ll either read this book and discover them for yourself, in which case, I don’t want to spoil you too much. Or you’ll find you’re not able to read the book and, in that case, probablely don’t want to hear further details about it.

Needless to say, this book was… Whoa.

Review: Royal Marriage Market by Heather Lyons

Jan4

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Royal Marriage Market by Heather Lyons

Royal Marriage Market by Heather Lyons
Published by Cerulean Books on December 15, 2015
Pages: 335
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Fans of The Royal We will not want to miss this epic love story!

Every decade, the world’s monarchs and their heirs secretly convene to discuss global politics and social issues—and arrange marriages between kingdoms.

Elsa may be the Hereditary Princess of Vattenguldia, but she finds the entire situation archaic and unsavory. While she wants what's best for her country, she isn't about to jump into an unwanted relationship—let alone a marriage—with a virtual stranger. Of course, her feelings matter little to her parents, whose wheeling and dealings over trade pacts and alliances achieved at her expense begin the moment they set foot in California for the Summit. So when a blindingly handsome royal runs into her, she doesn't hesitate to tell him there's no way she's marrying him.

Christian is all too happy to agree: no marriage. As the Hereditary Grand Duke of Aiboland, his main goal is to get through the summit without a bride being foisted on him. Which is why he suggests they help each other field potential intendeds. As Christian slowly gets to know Elsa, though, he realizes they have a lot more in common than just their feelings about the Royal Marriage Market. Only he can't fall for her, because royal or not, they're not meant for each other.

Elsa and Christian will have to evaluate matters of the heart verses those of state and crown, and decide whether or not tradition trumps love.

This is my tenth Heather Lyons book and I don’t even know what to say anymore. She’s epic, her books are epic, read her books!!! *Drops mic. Walks away.*

…

Oh, you actually want to know more about this book? Oh.. I thought the above covered it? No? Okay…

Royal Marriage Market was epic and amazing. Every time I read one of Heather’s books, I swoon and flail and call it my favorite. But then she writes another book and I swoon and flail all over again. Really, I don’t think I could pick a favorite Heather Lyons book because they’re all amazing. However, Royal Marriage Market is DEFINITELY up there near the top! I loved the characters, the plot, the resolution and the ending! So.. everything. I loved everything about this book!

I adored Elsa! She was incredibly spunky and fierce, torn between loving her people and wanting love for herself. She knew how to pick her battles – when to speak her mind versus when to stay silent and let the chips fall where they may. She actually reminded me a lot of Alice from The Collectors’ Society, another Heathery Lyons book!

Christian was an awesome character. He, like Elsa, understood his duty to his throne and his people, but he also wanted to live his life as he wished. He knew how to be a gentlemen, but he was also stubborn and a bit outspoken – as was Elsa. Their banter was hilariously epic! I shipped them pretty much right from the beginning! They were just absolutely perfect for each other! For almost the entire book, I was either cackling in amusement or doing a *head desk* at the things they said and did. They also had some super hot, steamy scenes… *Fans self!!!*

I adored the secondary characters in this book, as well. Heather really knows how to write amazing characters! I loved Charlotte and Parker – their relationships with Elsa and Christian (respectively), their loyalty, the integral roles they played near the end – they were just epic. Christian’s brother, Lukas, was the consummate playboy, but the friendship and understanding between him and Christian was epic. They were able to commiserate together, but they were also willing to “sacrifice” (in a completely comical way) each other if it meant escaping the clutches of their evil, heinous mother. Lukas spoke his mind, without any care as to who heard or what others thought. I would LOVE to see a spin-off with him! As for Elsa’s sister, Isabelle, I didn’t really have an opinion of her until the end. Then I adored her and how much she truly loved her sister. Without her – and the things she did to ensure they both had a happily ever after – things would not have ended the way they did.

There are a ton of other characters I should probably talk about, but that’ll take forever. So, to make a long story short, these characters are EPIC! Okay? Okay!

Basically, in my mind, this book is The Swan Princess meets Romeo & Juliet meets The Royal We (though, I must confess, I haven’t read The Royal We, but from what I’ve heard, the comparison fits!). The only reason I mention The Swan Princess is because, for a good chunk of the beginning of the book, the song “This Is My Idea” was stuck in my head! In fact, I’m listening to it now as I review.. ^_^

But yeah.. Just the way Elsa and Christian were so dead-set against the Summit and what it meant and the way they clashed in the beginning – it all seriously reminded me of The Swan Princess!

Plus, the way they fought against their parents – and their parents’ desire to marry them off to strangers for political gain, rather than love.

And then that ending!!!! The ending was incredibly complex, twisted and epic. Seeing all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place? Perfection. It was a little open-ended, but in a completely satisfying way. It felt realistic and I’m REALLY hoping for a sequel with Elsa and Christian or – as I mentioned above – a spin-off with Lukas!

So, as usual, I HIGHLY recommend this book, plus every book Heather Lyons has ever written! If you love books about royalty, hate-to-love relationships and open-ended, semi-HEA’s, you’ll LOVE this book!!!

Review: The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

Dec29

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on January 5, 2016
Pages: 336
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

Quick head’s up: This review may include some minor spoilers. They were included because I felt they were important, mostly because they were things I loved about the book (things about some of the relationships between characters, etc) and contributed to my overall rating.

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Holy wow, this book was epic! I loved everything about this book – the writing, the world, the plot, the characters – I have very few issues/complaints! I was really, really excited to read it and it absolutely exceeded my expectations!

I really liked Elli. She’s not a born fighter – in fact, she was pampered for pretty much her entire life. Yet she doesn’t sit back and just accept things as they are. She asks questions, demands answers and when things get tough, she fights. She pushes herself to do what she has to without complaint. Her loyalty to the Valtia and her compassion for others, coupled with her fierceness and inner strength, make her one of my favorite MC’s of 2015! I especially loved the plot twist concerning her and her “destiny/fate.” It was different and unique from other YA novels in many ways, though most are spoilery, so I can’t share in detail! Sorry!

Oskar was epic! In the beginning, he was moody, distant and sarcastic – Okay, okay, I know! You’re all probably like, “Wait, how do those things make him epic?!?!” But the thing is, later on in the book, once he warms up to Elli, he becomes really epic! The plot twist concerning him didn’t completely shock me, but it was still awesome! I also had MAJOR SHIP FEELS for him and Elli!

I loved Oskar’s strained friendship with Sig. It felt so raw and relatable. We all have (or have had) that friend who we love, but whose toxic nature makes us wary of their friendship. I loved the dynamics between Elli, Oskar and Zig, as well!

I think one of my favorite things about The Imposter Queen was the relationship between the Valtia and the Saadella. The mother-daughter-like bond is very heartwarming. I also loved Mim and how protective and loyal she was to Elli. Aside from the main character’s, she was one of my absolute favorites.

The characters in this book – both main characters and secondary characters (even some tertiary characters!) – were incredible! There are too many of them for me to discuss them individually, but they felt incredibly real and every single one of them had an important role to play. Fine did a wonderful job with character development, even with characters that didn’t seem to play a huge part in the story.

The ending – especially the last 65 pages (give or take) – was incredibly intense! The action never let up. The revelations and plot twists will keep you flipping pages, demanding more. My only issue with this book was that the pacing slowed down a bit roughly 70% in; however, the page numbers in the PDF eARC I had were off, so I don’t know where that is in the actual book. When I have a chance, I’ll find it in the bookstore and check, then update this part of my review!

Overall – if you couldn’t tell from my review – I HIGHLY recommend this book! I’m not really sure why, but this book gave me major Kiss of Deception feels and major Grisha feels. So if you loved those two trilogies, you’ll likely love The Imposter Queen! So far, there’s no series/trilogy name for this book and I have no idea if there’s going to be a sequel. But I REALLY hope there is! This was my first Sarah Fine book and I’m definitely eager to read more from her!

Review: A Midsummer Night #nofilter by William Shakespeare and Brett Wright

Dec22

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: A Midsummer Night #nofilter by William Shakespeare and Brett Wright

A Midsummer Night #nofilter by Brett Wright, William Shakespeare
Series: OMG Shakespeare
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 5, 2016
Pages: 112
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!

Imagine: What if the fairies and star-crossed lovers of the forest had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!

Four lovers who can’t decide who they have a crush on.
One mischievous fairy with a love potion.
Total chaos in the fairy world, the human world, and everywhere in between!

and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)

tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens.

A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.

I’ve always been fascinated by Shakespeare’s plays. But, like many, I find them confusing and hard to understand. I’ve taken classes on Shakespeare, purchased “Shakespeare for Dummies,” Googled translations and even watched the movies. But I still have a hard time grasping the language. A Midsummer Night’s Dream happens to be one Shakespeare play that I DIDN’T read in school. And I never got to it on my own, though I own it! But I’ve read and watched adaptions, retellings, etc and I know the basic premise – which made me SUPER excited to read this book!

I found myself reading A Midsummer Night #nofilter more carefully than the other three books in the OMG Shakespeare series – again, because I haven’t read the actual play and was more intrigued and curious for this one than the others. I was also able to follow who the characters were in this one, better than I was with the other three, because I’ve read so many adaptions and retellings – Also, because I LOVE faeries, so I had no issues remembering who Titania, Oberon and Puck were, especially! Knowing who the characters were went a long way in keeping any confusion at bay!

I also found the hashtags in A Midsummer Night #nofilter to be completely hilarious. I mean, all of the OMG Shakespeare books have been hilarious – how could they not be?!?! – but the hashtags were ESPECIALLY funny in this one!

Overall, this was definitely my favorite of the OMG Shakespeare books – for so many reasons! Between being the most excited for this play and better following who the characters were, I was able to pay more attention to the story itself. That made it incredibly enjoyable! And, honestly, it’s kind of inspired me to read the actual play now!!!

Whether you want to learn Shakespeare or teach Shakespeare, I highly recommend this book. You’ll never view Macbeth in the same way, ever again! And you’ll (actually) enjoy reading it!

Review: Macbeth #killingit by William Shakespeare and Courtney Carbone

Dec22

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: Macbeth #killingit by William Shakespeare and Courtney Carbone

Macbeth #killingit by Courtney Carbone, William Shakespeare
Series: OMG Shakespeare
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on January 5, 2016
Pages: 112
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Macbeth, one of the greatest stories ever told . . . in texts?!

Imagine: What if that tragic couple, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, had smartphones? A classic is reborn in this fun and funny adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most famous plays!

A prophecy from three witches.
A social-climbing couple committing a murder most foul.
A cover-up that spins way out of control.

and h8. The classics just got a whole lot more interesting. ;)

tl;dr A Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, posting photos, checking in at locations, and updating their relationship statuses. The perfect gift for hip theater lovers and teens.

A glossary and cast of characters are included for those who need it. For example: tl;dr means too long; didn’t read.

I’ve always been fascinated by Shakespeare’s plays. But, like many, I find them confusing and hard to understand. I’ve taken classes on Shakespeare, purchased “Shakespeare for Dummies,” Googled translations and even watched the movies. But I still have a hard time grasping the language. Macbeth was also one of my least favorite plays when we read it in High School and, to be honest, I had forgotten pretty much everything about it – the plot, the characters, everything! So when I first started reading, I found myself really confused, trying to remember who was who! Let’s just say I was really thankful for the character index!!

Confusion aside, Macbeth #killingit was hilarious and entertaining. Once again, the OMG Shakespeare books took a play that should have been serious and boring (sorry, Shakespeare fans! This one was boring for me when I read it in school!) and made it hilarious and entertaining. By breaking down the complex language into modern phone/internet speak (via text messages, group chats, status updates, emojis, etc), I was actually able to grasp what the play was about and follow along!

Overall, Macbeth #killingit was just as LOL as srsly Hamlet was! Though I definitely struggled with the characters, the content itself was easy to grasp and follow and I really ended up enjoying it – YES, I ended up enjoying one of my LEAST FAVORITE Shakespeare plays thanks to this epic OMG Shakespeare interpretation!

Whether you want to learn Shakespeare or teach Shakespeare, I highly recommend this book. You’ll never view Macbeth in the same way, ever again! And you’ll (actually) enjoy reading it!

Review: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

Dec21

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein
Series: Becoming Jinn #1
Published by Feiwel & Friends on April 21, 2015
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!

Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit.

To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny.

Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters”, Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.

I loved Becoming Jinn! I finished it in TWO days because I couldn’t put it down! I’m so sorry I didn’t read it sooner! The world of the Jinn, the magic and the rules – the way there are serious consequences to wish granting – are all intriguing. The characters are awesome and the life lessons are relatable. Lori Goldstein is a great writer and she really sucked me into her story. I had some minor issues with it, but overall, it was a wonderful read!

Azra is a bit tough to like in the beginning. Though I loved having an MC who refusec to sit back and accept their “destiny” (Because, really, not EVERYONE wants to be a vampire slayer, a chosen one, or the only one who can save the world); however, at times her attitude was awful and she could be really mean and dismissive to those who were close to her (her mom, her Zar “aunts” and her Zar “sisters”). I was really torn between feeling bad for her, for this destiny that was forced on her, this destiny that she doesn’t want and really just hating her attitude. I definitely think she grows a LOT by the end of the book. I was incredibly intrigued by the revelations about her and her family and I can’t wait to see what it means for her in the sequel.

I really couldn’t stand Yasmin for the majority of the book. She was so terrible to Azra – but then again, Azra wasn’t exactly nice to her or the other Zar sisters, either. But the more I read, the more I felt for Yasmin and her situation, especially by the very end. I understood where she was coming from and why she did the things she did. I really liked Laila, though, from beginning to end. She was one of my favorite characters! I felt very bad for her at one point and I hope she and Azra can reconcile!

As for the other three Zar sisters, – Hana, Mina and Farrah – well, they kind of faded into the background. I couldn’t really tell them apart from each other and I don’t really have much to say about them. The same can be said for the mothers: While I have many thoughts on Kalyssa, Samara and Raina (the mothers of Azra, Laila and Yasmin, in that order), I don’t really have much to say about the other three. They sort of faded into the background and weren’t as integral to the story. As for Kalyssa, Samara and Raina, they were so frustrating! I hated how cryptic and secretive they were. If they’d just TOLD their daughters the truth, maybe things would have turned out differently.

I really liked both Henry and Nate. Henry definitely had some odd moments, though, where he seemed a bit immature. I definitely felt for him and his family situation though. I definitely got the friend vibe from him and I hope he and Azra remain friends because I really enjoyed their friendship (And YA could use more female/male friendships). I liked Nate and Azra together, though, and I really hope things can work out for them! Poor Nate dealt with a LOT in this book and I’m (morbidly) curious to see what happens next for him.

Also, I really can’t stand the Afrit. Like, not at all! And we haven’t even officially met them. but they make me REALLY angry!!!! :(

Something really interesting about this book: Though it was about Jinn, it had a major contemporary feel to it. I really, really liked that because it made it more relatable. It’s not a book about a Jinn who also happens to be a teenage girl – it’s about a teenage girl who also happens to be a Jinn. It’s Azra trying to live her normal life while dealing with this huge family obligation – something many teens can relate to.

The ending was really crazy, with a ton of revelations and intriguing things. It was also sad and heartbreaking. But it sets things up nicely for the next book – which I just read the synopsis for and it’s also the conclusion!!! For some reason, I thought this was a trilogy and it’s actually a duology and that makes me sad panda :( But that also means the next book will be epic and intense and I can’t wait!!!

Overall, this book was really an amazing read. Though I had some minor issues with certain characters, as well as some pacing issues near the end, I really enjoyed the majority of it. I’m really happy with the character development and growth and, as I mentioned, the world and the Jinn magic and rules were really epic! If you love stories about Jinn, Genies and magic, I definitely recommend this one! And if you aren’t a huge fan of Jinn/Genie stories (which I wasn’t, really), then I also definitely recommend this book because, as I said, it really has a contemporary feel to it and the lessons learned are really relatable! Lori Goldstein is a great writer and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Review: Bloodcraft by Amalie Howard

Dec16

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Bloodcraft by Amalie Howard
Series: The Cruentus Curse series #2
Published by RAH Media LLC on December 15, 2015
Pages: 380
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

All magic has its price, and no one knows that better than Victoria Warrick. Gifted with a centuries-old blood curse, Tori has finally learned to master her blood’s demands and has emerged triumphant with Christian Devereux, a vampire overlord, at her side.

But the worst is yet to come …

In the infamous City of Lights, home to both the Witch Clans and the Vampire Council, Tori enrolls at the exclusive Belles Fontaines school in Paris, where she is faced with a devastating choice: choose Christian and be an outcast, or choose the coven and secure her place with the witches.

When the fate of the supernatural world is targeted by a sinister new threat, Christian and Victoria must unite their two warring species to defeat it. Their bond will be tested, twisted, and sorely weakened, and Tori will find herself in uncharted territory—a dangerous place to be when her blood’s magic has its own dark agenda.

But to save them all, she may have no choice but to invoke its deadly power.

*NOTE: Bloodcraft is Upper YA / New Adult (for mature content–violence, sensuality & language)

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Amazon | Kobo | B&N

Hi guys! Welcome to my stop on the Bloodcraft blog tour! Today, I was supposed to share with you my review. However, an unexpected and devastating death in the family caused me to fall behind in my reading and I haven’t finished Bloodcraft yet. The wonderful and understanding tour host has given me permission to share a review of what I’ve read so far, so that’s what you’ll find below! Once I’ve finished the book, I’ll update my review to a full review! Enjoy!

Also, be sure to click here to view the Release Week Blitz post, which has an excerpt, an epic giveaway and links to Bloodspell’s (The Cruentus Curse series, book one), $0.99 sale!

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Review Updated On December 21, 2015!

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Bloodcraft blew me away! Amalie’s gorgeous writing + an epic world + an intriguing plot + epic characters = another incredible book by Amalie Howard!

First of all, Amalie is a gorgeous writer. She creates these amazing worlds that just pull you in and refuse to let you go. I especially love the Bloodspell/Bloodcraft world. The magic, the rules, the history, it’s just all completely fascinating! And it makes sense, since I LOVE vampires and witches and always have! Amalie is also incredible at creating characters you love and characters you love to hate.

Tori had SO MUCH character growth from the beginning of book one to the end of book two. She really came into herself and her powers. I wasn’t sold on her and Christian’s relationship in Bloodspell, but I totally shipped them in Bloodcraft. And I really liked Christian a lot more in this book (as opposed to Bloodspell)! He, like Tori, had a lot of character growth and really came into his own and his powers. I liked the revelations with him a lot!

Lucian was totally evil in Bloodspell, yet I couldn’t help but feel for him. And in Bloodcraft, he became… Well, he wasn’t nicer or less evil, but something changed in him. I think, of all the characters that experienced character growth in Bloodcraft, he experienced the most! I was incredibly heartbroken by the way his story ended though :(

I never trusted Lena, not in either book. She kind of reminded me of Victoria from Twilight. Cunning, calculating and – when it really comes down to it – looking out for herself and no one else, even despite her feelings for Lucian. Yet, she was really growing on me in this book! And, like with Lucian, I was shocked and saddened by the way her story ended.

I really liked Leto and Aliya, but I was really weary of them and I really didn’t trust either of them. I had a feeling they were hiding things… And, by the end of the book, I was partially right about one of them and wrong about the other! I also really loved Pan and I’m so disappointed with the way his story ended! It made me so sad panda!!!

The plot for Bloodcraft really was incredibly intriguing! Don’t get me wrong, Bloodspell had an interesting plot, too. But Bloodcraft really had me turning pages as fast as I could! The plot twists and revelations (which I briefly mentioned above) were intense and epic. The ending of the book was non-stop action, one thing after another! It was emotionally draining and exhausting, but in a good way! I was so invested in these characters and the things that happened to them at the end… It was just !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall, I really loved this book. I didn’t enjoy Bloodspell as much as I’d hoped to, but Bloodcraft really made up for that with epic characters who experienced a ton of character growth, an intriguing plot, non-stop action, plus tons of revelations and plot twists! I HIGHLY recommend this book if you’re an Amalie fan, especially if you were meh on Bloodspell, because Bloodcraft was EPIC and will blow your mind!

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And now for the giveaway! Here’s what’s up for grabs:

-Kindle Fire giveaway is open to US residents due to shipping restrictions.
-Paperback copies of BLOODSPELL & BLOODCRAFT are open to US and INT readers.
-This giveaway is sponsored by Amalie Howard.
-Leading up to the release of BLOODCRAFT, more entries/options will be added to the rafflecopter to double your chances!

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About Amalie:

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island (Trinidad & Tobago) where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 25 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

An aspiring writer from a young age, Amalie’s poem “The Candle,” written at age twelve, was published in a University of Warwick journal. At fifteen, she was a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Award (a global youth writing competition). A Colby College graduate, she completed simultaneous Honors Theses in both French and International Studies, and graduated Summa Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa. At Colby, she was cited for research and criticism in Raffael Scheck’s article, “German Conservatism and Female Political Activism in the Early Weimar Republic,” and his subsequent book, Mothers of the Nation. She also received a distinction in English Literature from the University of Cambridge (A-levels) as well as a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. Traveling the globe, she has worked as a research assistant, marketing representative, teen speaker and global sales executive.

agold-authorShe is the author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 Amazon bestseller and a Seventeen Magazine Summer Read. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency and is a member of SCBWI.

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Review: Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Dec4

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Published by HarperTeen on September 15, 2015
Pages: 464
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

A prince.

A ball.

A glass slipper left behind at the stroke of midnight.

The tale is told and retold, twisted and tweaked, snipped and stretched, as it leads to happily ever after.

But it is not the true Story.

A dark fortress.

A past forgotten.

A life of servitude.

No one has ever broken free of the Godmother’s terrible stone prison until a girl named Pin attempts a breathless, daring escape. But she discovers that what seems to be freedom is a prison of another kind, one that entangles her in a story that leads to a prince, a kiss, and a clock striking midnight. To unravel herself from this new life, Pin must choose between a prince and another—the one who helped her before and who would give his life for her. Torn, the only thing for her to do is trade in the glass slipper for a sword and find her own destiny.

I picked up Ash & Bramble four times before I finally read it. The first three times, I couldn’t even get through the first chapter. The fourth time, I almost DNF’d in the exact same spot. But for some reason – mostly curiosity – I pushed through and finally finished it. Some sections of the book were intriguing, but there were also big chunks that were meh. Though I didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped to, I’m still glad I finally got to read it!

Part one of this book was strange and confusing. We’re thrown into this world, we meet these characters and then… Nothing. Nothing is explained. Nothing makes sense. I felt very disconnected from the story and the characters throughout this whole section of the book. The transition from Shoe’s third person POV to Pin’s first person POV was really messy and confusing, as well. In several spots, the transition happened abruptly within the same chapter, with no notation indicating who was speaking. Even if the author didn’t want to do a new chapter for each POV switch, she should have at least noted which character was speaking or done some kind of page break. I was reading an eARC, though, so maybe this is corrected in the final book. Still, it made for a VERY confusing read.

Part two was interesting at first, but something was still missing – something that kept me from connecting to the story and characters. The pacing seemed really off – it took a long time for Pin to realize what had happened, yet it didn’t take Shoe that long at all to find her – it was ridiculous how easily it all happened. Other than that, I don’t even really have anything to say about this section. It basically followed the outline of a typical fairy tale… Oh, but I will say Shoe’s chapters were really boring and hard to get through. I really just wanted to be in Pin’s mind for this section because it was really interesting and could have been even better if it had been more fleshed out (and, again, with less Shoe chapters).

As far as pacing goes, part three was the absolute slowest, most agonizing section of the book. Yet it was the most intriguing, the one forcing me to ask the most questions – How will this end? What will happen? But curiosity was (still) the only thing that kept me reading. I literally couldn’t put the book down for more than a few minutes before I had to pick it up again, dying to know how it would end.

The concept of this world, of Story and the Godmother doing its bidding, was definitely intriguing and original – I’ll give it that! But the execution was seriously lacking. As I mentioned, I had a terrible time connecting with the story and the characters. There really wasn’t a lot of character growth, either. There was a bit in part three, near the end, but not much. I also didn’t ship Pin and Shoe at all. I’m not opposed to instalove when it’s done well. But the instalove between Pin and Shoe was ridiculous. Plus, the love triangle was barely a love triangle. It was incredibly obvious who Pin would end up with. And again, I had no ship feels for Pin and Shoe, nor did I ship Pin and the Prince. Zero ship feels. Sad panda!

Really, this whole book made me a sad panda. I love fairy tale retellings, especially dark, twisted fairy tale retellings, but this one was just off the mark. The book was way too long, yet the ending felt rushed and unfulfilling. I heard there’s a companion novel, but it’s set fifty years into the future. It’s very unlikely that I’ll read it, though never say never, I guess! But I’m doubtful. The one thing I can say is that, confusing parts aside, Sarah Prineas was a great writer who will get even better over time. So even though I might not read the Ash & Bramble companion, I’d definitely be interested in seeing what else she writes over the next few years!

Would I recommend this book? I’m honestly not sure. I’d never say, “No, don’t read this!!” because everyone should read whatever they want and no one should ever tell someone else not to read a certain book. I never want to think my reviews stopped someone from reading something they might have loved, but this one really fell completely flat and, after speaking with some friends, a lot of people had the same issues with this book as I did. If you’ve been dying to read this, I say go for it! Judge for yourself. If you love it, let me know in the comments and tell me what you loved about it! I’m always open to hearing bookish opinions that vary from mine! Maybe you picked up on something that I didn’t!

Review: For the Record by Charlotte Huang (Sunday Street Team)

Nov29

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: For the Record by Charlotte Huang (Sunday Street Team)

For the Record by Charlotte Huang
Published by Delacorte Press on November 10, 2015
Pages: 320
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

If Almost Famous were a YA novel . . . a raw, honest debut celebrating music, friendship, romance, and life on the road.

Chelsea thought she knew what being a rock star was like . . . until she became one. After losing a TV talent show, she slid back into small-town anonymity. But one phone call changed everything

Now she’s the lead singer of the band Melbourne, performing in sold-out clubs every night and living on a bus with three gorgeous and talented guys. The bummer is that the band barely tolerates her. And when teen hearthrob Lucas Rivers take an interest in her, Chelsea is suddenly famous, bringing Melbourne to the next level—not that they’re happy about that. Her feelings for Beckett, Melbourne’s bassist, are making life even more complicated.

Chelsea only has the summer tour to make the band—and their fans—love her. If she doesn’t, she’ll be back in Michigan for senior year, dying a slow death. The paparazzi, the haters, the grueling schedule . . . Chelsea believed she could handle it. But what if she can’t?

Sunday Street Team is hosted by Nori @ ReadWriteLove28

Hey everyone! Today, I’m reviewing For the Record by Charlotte Huang for Sunday Street Team! I absolutely loved this book and I hope you enjoy my review!

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For the Record has been on my radar for over a year now. After reading and loving Open road Summer by Emery Lord, I was eager to read something similar. For the Record ended up exceeding my expectations. I loved the plot, the characters, the pacing and Charlotte Huang’s writing style. I enjoyed this book so much, if I could, I’d re-read it right now!

I really liked Chelsea because she was relatable and down to earth – an average girl living her dream. I wish she’d been a bit more sure of herself and I wish she had stood up for herself more often. I get it, she was excited to be in the band and didn’t want to rock the boat or risk getting kicked out. But she was always doing things to please others, always making sure she toed the line. That’s not to say she didn’t have ANY moments where she stood her ground, because she certainly did. I really liked the way her story ended and I’d love to see what happens next for her, whether it be in another full-length book, a novella, etc!

I liked Mandy but I never fully trusted her. Some of the things she did really made me sad and, at times, angry. She kind of redeemed herself near the end but I’m still annoyed with her. I will say, though, the double standards near the end with her and a certain someone were ridiculous and unfair.

I adored Beckett and I shipped him and Chelsea from very early on. He was one of the only band members who made Chelsea feel welcome. He had his jerk moments, but they were few and far between (especially compared to the other guys!). He had this tendency to speak the hard truth – which Pem did, too, but Beckett had this way of doing it in a gentle but firm way, whereas Pem did it in a cruel, harsh way. I’m REALLY excited with the way Beckett’s story ended and it makes me even more desperate for a second book, spin-off, novella, SOMETHING!

Pem was an asshole. I know he had his heart broken and stomped on, but that doesn’t give him the right to treat Chelsea the way he did. He acted like she was to blame for everything that went wrong and, let’s be real, Melbourne was doomed from the start – so that certainly wasn’t Chelsea’s fault. He really treated her like dirt and some of the things he said to her were completely out of line. I didn’t even feel bad for him when the reason behind his “rules” was revealed because he was such a stuck-up, snobby snob. Malcolm was a total playboy and a bit of a jerk, yet I couldn’t help but like him. I really don’t know what it was, but he had this goofball side that I loved and that cracked me up.

In the beginning, I really liked Lucas – he was sweet and funny! I shipped him and Chelsea at first, despite being 100% Team Beckett, until roughly halfway through the book, when he started acting clingy and needy. And super attention whore-ish. Then I kind of wanted to slap him.

The pacing of this book was spot-on. Chapter one jumped right into the action and the first few chapters had a great, easy set-up. This allowed Huang to jump into the heart of the story very early on. Still, there were a few things that caused the pacing to stagger. For example, the Lucas story line, which took up too much valuable page space and ate away at the rest of the plot. I think the book would have benefited from a shorter Lucas story line and more Chelsea, Beckett and Melbourne scenes.

That aside, this book was amazing in every possible way. I LOVED Huang’s writing style! It was smooth, rich and really pulled me in. It was detailed enough that I could visualize everything, yet it wasn’t weighed down with too many details. Finally, I just want to mention the tour guide appendix (featured at the end of the book) real quick. This was such a fun, creative element! I’m especially excited to see how it looks in the finished, physical copy of the book (as opposed to the eARC I was reading)!

I definitely recommend this book to those who loved Open Road Summer by Emery Lord! For the Record has a similar vibe and epic characters, as well as Huang’s gorgeous writing. The ending had this happily ever after – but still realistic – wrap-up that I really, really loved! Huang is definitely a debut author to watch out for and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Review: The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

Nov25

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Review: The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill

The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill
Published by Delacorte Press on December 8, 2015
Pages: 272
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
two-stars

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey...

With her trusty baton and six insanely organized clipboards, drum major Liza Sanders is about to take Destiny by storm—the boat, that is. When Liza discovered that her beloved band was losing funding, she found Destiny, a luxury cruise ship complete with pools, midnight chocolate buffets, and a $25,000 spring break talent show prize.

Liza can’t imagine senior year without the band, and nothing will distract her from achieving victory. She’s therefore not interested when her old camp crush, Lenny, shows up on board, looking shockingly hipster-hot. And she’s especially not interested in Russ, the probably-as-dumb-as-he-is-cute prankster jock whose ex, Demi, happens be Liza’s ex–best friend and leader of the Athenas, a show choir that’s the band’s greatest competition.

But it’s not going to be smooth sailing. After the Destiny breaks down, all of Liza’s best-laid plans start to go awry. Liza likes to think of herself as an expert at almost everything, but when it comes to love, she’s about to find herself lost at sea.

It always makes me sad when I have to give a book 2 stars. Mostly because below 3 stars is usually a DNF for me, so it’s rare that I have to actually rate and review a book that was a 2-star read. It’s happened a handful of times, though, and the reason I review these rare 2-star reads is simple: Though I didn’t enjoy them as much as I’d hoped to, I was still pulled in enough that I couldn’t bring myself to DNF. In those cases, I like to review, so I can explain my thoughts and feelings. And that’s the case with The Trouble with Destiny. I wanted to love it, since I really enjoyed Morrill’s Being Sloane Jacobs. Sadly, I had many issues with it.

The biggest issue I had with this book was the characters. I’m super character-focused, so if I don’t like the characters, I have trouble enjoying the book. I always try to keep an open mind while reading, but this book made it difficult. Our main character, Liza, was whiny and bossy. I loved how determined she was to win the competition and save her beloved marching band, but she definitely went about it the wrong way and she ended up being in her head the whole time and basically ignoring the thoughts and feelings of everyone around her. There’s nothing wrong with being focused and determined, but it felt like she lost sight of her true goal and the more she tried to get back on track, the more she sank (Sorry, couldn’t help it!).

I could NOT stand Demi. She just barely redeemed herself in the end, but it was done in a unrealistic (in my opinion) way. First of all, I’m SICK BEYOND WORDS of the mean girl trope in YA. Mean girls aren’t mean girls – they’re bullies! And no one seems to want to acknowledge that. Second of all, I’m even more sick of the “_____ is my ex-best friend. We are now mortal enemies” trope. From my experience, when you stop being friends with someone, you completely ignore them and forget about them. You don’t attack them and bully them. But maybe that’s just me. And then the resolution with their friendship at the end was ridiculous. Yes, I’ve had epic, massive fights with friends and then we’ve made up. But it’s not that simple and things don’t just go back to how they were. You need to talk out what happened and resolve the underlying issues. I get the miscommunication they experienced and how each felt ditched by the other – That was realistic. But Demi was SO nasty to Liza, the things she said and did SO horrible… No, I could forgive the miscommunication but not the nasty bullying. You don’t just go back to being friends after that. But again, that’s just me.

The Russ/Lenny thing was one of my least favorite love triangles ever. I mean, it kind of broke some of the stereotypes that surround love triangles, which was nice, but it was just poorly done and pretty predictable. I knew almost immediately how it would end. Also, I didn’t like Lenny at all and I got more of a friend-vibe from Russ. So there’s that, too.

Characters I did like? Huck and Hillary. Huck was hilarious, epic and had good taste in karaoke music. We didn’t see a lot of Hillary, but she seemed like a great friend.

Character issues aside, the things I DID enjoy about this book? Morrill’s writing. Her writing flows and pulls you into the story. The plot really intrigued me and that’s what kept me reading, more than anything. I really wanted to see what happened with the cruise ship and if the marching band would win the competition in the end. The pacing was fairly well done, as well. It’s a short, easy read.

I have a lot more thoughts on this book and I could discuss them all in great detail. But, as always, I hate thinking that my reviews might discourage someone from reading a book. I might not have enjoyed The Trouble With Destiny, but someone else might love it. I will NEVER tell someone NOT to read a book, though I won’t go out of my way to recommend it. So if you were excited for this book, give it a chance. You might love it! I truly hope you do! If you’re a fan of Morrill’s other books, you’ll likely love it! And if you like cute, easy reads, then this one is definitely for you! If you DO read it and DO love it, let me know in the comments – tell me why you loved it!

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Review: This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Review: Royal Marriage Market by Heather Lyons

Review: The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine

Review: A Midsummer Night #nofilter by William Shakespeare and Brett Wright

Review: Macbeth #killingit by William Shakespeare and Courtney Carbone

Review: Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

Review: Bloodcraft by Amalie Howard

Review: Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas

Review: For the Record by Charlotte Huang (Sunday Street Team)

Review: The Trouble with Destiny by Lauren Morrill