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Blog Tour: The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons (Review + Villains Spotlight)

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.

Blog Tour: The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons (Review + Villains Spotlight)The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons
Published by Cerulean Books on November 7, 2016
Pages: 411
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Allies, once inseparable, splinter until they break apart.

An insidiousness carves its way through Wonderland, challenging the land’s very existence.

Battle lines will be drawn as pages, long languishing in darkness, are finally illuminated.

Swords will clash, blood will be spilled, and lives will be lost.

For what is written can still be erased.

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Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Lost Codex by Heather Lyons! I’m very excited to be a part of this blog tour! I knew this book was going to be an emotional roller coaster because I’ve read all of Heather’s books. She’s amazing and her books are ALWAYS amazing and this series is ESPECIALLY amazing!!!!! But I also know she feeds on the tears of her readers, so I did my best to emotionally prepare myself… There was no emotionally preparing myself though… *Takes deep, shuddery breath*

So yeah… Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy my review! And after that, check out which villain I would like to see in the The Collectors’ Society world!

(REVIEW UPDATED 11/27/16)

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This book broke me so bad, I don’t even know if I can form coherent sentences. The feels were powerful and the emotions were strong and I’m still hurting from this book hangover, even though I finished this book eleven days ago*. (*As of when I updated this review on 11/27/16)

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So.. I mean, I don’t even know where to start. Or how to be normal and coherent in this review. There’s a good chance I’ll be a babbling fool, honestly… So let’s just begin.

Alice is fierce and brave and amazing. I love her in the modern world and I seriously ship her and Finn together, but she BELONGS in Wonderland. She is a true queen, a leader. And her leadership, guidance and strong hand are needed in Wonderland. Her people need her. And as much as I adore Finn – poor Finn… – I seriously think I ship her more with the White King. But maybe that’s just the part of me that ships royal couples and prefers Wonderland to modern-day NYC..?

I still absolutely adore Mary, but I’m still dying to see her in her own timeline *Stares at Heather…* My heart broke for her and Victor in this book, but I’m satisfied with where the story ended, though it was a rough path to the end!

The A.D. has become one of my new favorite characters! He’s changed so much and he’s such a comic relief, which is MUCH NEEDED, considering the hell Heather puts her characters through!

As for the Librarian is….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP HER IDENTITY REVEAL WAS INSANE AND OMG I CAN’T EVEN WITH THE TEASING AND THE HINTS AND THE RED HERRINGS AND HOLY CRAP!!!

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I mean I just.. I don’t even know what else to say at this point. Like… look at these review notes:

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I mean.. I just… I can’t…. This book was emotionally exhausting in all the best ways. I’ve always highly recommended Heather and her books and I obviously highly recommend this book, as well as this series. I’m 99% sure this is my favorite series of all her books. The emotional roller coaster, the feels, the craziness – it WILL drain you. But by the end, you’ll be so satisfied, you won’t even care! That’s the magic of Heather Lyons and her epic stories. So yeah… GO READ THEM!

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Now for some fun!! We were asked to answer an intriguing question for this blog tour:

villain 

My answer: Ursula from The Little Mermaid (the Disney version)

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Ursula always creeped me out as a kid. Especially the scene depicted in the GIF above.. *Shudders* She’s so evil and vindictive.. Her hatred for King Triton fuels her desire to destroy Ariel.

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Ursula has NO redeeming qualities. She doesn’t just seek to destroy Triton by destroying his daughter. She ACTIVELY intervenes to make sure the mermaid princess can’t achieve her goal within the contracted timeframe.

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I think she would be a formidable foe for the Collectors’ Society team. She’s manipulative and cunning and her magic is fairly strong. with her ability to change her appearance, she can blend in and sneak right past them without them even knowing. Her ability to change her appearance also means she’s not limited to causing mayhem in the oceans – she can also access land.

Just imagine the harm she could cause, the catalysts she could destroy – or worse, warp with her magic into something evil… *Gulps*

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PURCHASE PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES

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THE COLLECTORS’ SOCIETY Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Kobo

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THE HIDDEN LIBRARY Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | Kobo | Nook

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THE FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Heather Lyons is known for writing epic, heartfelt love stories often with a fantastical twist. From Young Adult to New Adult to Adult novels—one commonality in all her books is the touching, and sometimes heart-wrenching, romance. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. She and her husband and children live in sunny Southern California and are currently working their way through every cupcakery she can find.

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Amazon | Newsletter

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five-stars

Review: Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

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: Glitter by Aprilynne PikeGlitter by Aprilynne Pike
Series: Glitter Duology #1
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on October 25, 2016
Pages: 384
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel - Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.

When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.

Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.

But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

From the second I heard about Glitter, I was really excited to read it – it sounded amazing! And it definitely didn’t disappoint! It was crazy good, with an intriguing world, characters you hated to love and Aprilynne Pike’s epic writing. This book had me so enraptured, I barely took review notes, so apologies if this review is a bit rambly!

Like I said above, the world in this book was so intriguing! Modern-day outside the palace, 18th century France inside the palace – but with advanced technology. It was such a crazy mash-up that it worked beautifully and flowed seamlessly.

The characters in this book are not good people. They are selfish and self-serving and make horrible decisions that hurt other people. While reading, you’ll often find yourself asking, “Why do I care about them so much? They’re horrible! So why do I care?!?” The answer is… I don’t have an answer. But I did care – I cared what happened to them, even the manipulative and conniving characters.

Danica was horribly selfish, but I loved her (again, I have no idea why! Haha). She was bold, pushing to get what she wanted and needed in life. She didn’t care who she had to hurt and step on to achieve her goals. I’m still not sure how I feel about Saber, or their relationship. Sometimes I liked him, sometimes I didn’t. But he had a complicated past and I understand why he behaved as he did.

Molly was a great character. I wish Danica had trusted her more. I’m incredibly sad with the way her story ended. I also adored Lord Aaron. He was a good, loyal friend. Another character I loved was Giovanni. He felt like the only truly kind, selfless character in the book and I loved the relationship he and Danica had.

Justin was SO horrible, nasty and vindictive. I totally pictured him as Prince Theo from Guilt. Danica’s mom, Angela Grayson, wasn’t much better. I totally pictured her as Catherine de Medici from Reign.

The ending was CRAZY and INTENSE!! I COMPLETELY should have seen it coming – it was SO obvious. But it was still insane and I CANNOT wait to see what happens in book two! With the way things ended in book one, I’m eager to see where everyone’s stories go next. I HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of Pike’s previous books, as well as to those who love books set in the 18th century. This book was described as being Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette and it’s a spot-on description; so, if you like those things, you’ll LOVE Glitter!

five-stars

Guest Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

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.

Guest Review: Never Always Sometimes by Adi AlsaidNever Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
Published by Harlequin Teen on August 4, 2015
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-half-stars

Never date your best friend.

Always be original.

Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Best friends Dave and Julia were determined to never be cliché high school kids—the ones who sit at the same lunch table every day, dissecting the drama from homeroom and plotting their campaigns for prom king and queen. They even wrote their own Never List of everything they vowed they’d never, ever do in high school.

Some of the rules have been easy to follow, like #5, never dye your hair a color of the rainbow, or #7, never hook up with a teacher. But Dave has a secret: he’s broken rule #8, never pine silently after someone for the entirety of high school. It’s either that or break rule #10, never date your best friend. Dave has loved Julia for as long as he can remember.

Julia is beautiful, wild and impetuous. So when she suggests they do every Never on the list, Dave is happy to play along. He even dyes his hair an unfortunate shade of green. It starts as a joke, but then a funny thing happens: Dave and Julia discover that by skipping the clichés, they’ve actually been missing out on high school. And maybe even on love.

A message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have Amber here with a guest review for Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid.

You can find Amber on Book Stacks Amber and on Twitter!

Without further adieu, here’s Amber’s review! Enjoy!

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Never, Always, Sometimes is the story of Dave and Julia. Before starting high school, they create a list of “Nevers,” things to never do in order to avoid become clichés. Flash forward three years to the start of senior year, when one of them rediscovers the list and Julia decides it’s time to tackle all of their “nevers.” The book revolves around this list, and that was my favorite aspect of the story.

Their story is told in third-person omniscient, which isn’t something I’ve seen very often in YA. It’s broken up into three parts:
Part One: Dave
Part Two: Julia
Part Three: Dave and Julia

Dave was my favorite character so I enjoyed his chapters the most. I thought the narrative style and the way the book was broken up into parts really worked well for this story.

Because the book revolves around Julia and Dave checking cliché experiences off their list, the story itself is full of clichés, which I thought was really interesting but I think some people who typically avoid YA contemporary for that reason wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much. For example, one of the items on their never list is to never fall in love with your best friend. You can probably imagine where the story went. There is a love triangle but I thought it was handled really well. One of the things I really liked about this book is that the characters weren’t over the top and annoying. Sometimes I feel like teen characters in YA and written to be super dramatic people who overreact about everything. I felt like, for the most part, Dave and Julia were mature and had realistic reactions to the events that took place. There were times when I thought Dave could have spoken up more when Julia was enacting crazy schemes in order to check something off the list, but then maybe the story wouldn’t have been as entertaining.

The adults in the book didn’t have big roles, but I loved all of them and wish they’d had a bigger part in the story. Julia’s dads were both great, and it can be so hard to find healthy, supportive parent-child relationships in YA. Julia’s bio-mom is mentioned throughout the book, but didn’t lend much of anything to the story except to further explain/excuse Julia’s weird manic pixie dream girl persona and appeared and disappeared throughout the book. Julia tries to seduce one of her teachers for the sake of crossing an item off the Never list, and although I was cringing extra hard during those parts, and I wish we’d gotten to hear more from her teacher. Julia is SO MEAN to him, and although she later apologizes and they repair their relationship, I never got the closure I wanted from them.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but things took a turn that I was not expecting and it left me disappointed in everything that happened after. The POV the book was written in was interesting, but it always left me wanting to know more about what in the world the characters were thinking when they did something unexpected and out of the blue. Dave and Julia were the best of friends, so it was surprising that after a few terrible moments, suddenly they were completely unable to connect and understand each other. That wasn’t realistic to me and seemed out of character for them both.

Overall, I did enjoy the story but the second half dragged for me, and the ending didn’t give me the closure that I wanted. I think 20 more pages would have been enough to wrap up Julia and Dave’s story more completely.

three-half-stars

Guest Review: Lailah by Nikki Kelly

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.

Guest Review: Lailah by Nikki KellyLailah by Nikki Kelly
Series: The Styclar Saga #1
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 7, 2014
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
two-half-stars

Over one million Wattpad readers have made Lailah a sensation!

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely Allie – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

A message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have Cas here with a guest review for Lailah by Nikki Kelly.

You can find Cas on Checkmate Reads and on Twitter!

Without further adieu, here’s Cas’s review! Enjoy!

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Alright, so where should I start with this one? It definitely felt like been there, done that. I really really wanted to like Lailah, I did. Sadly, I couldn’t. Everything just felt like another rift off of Fallen and Twilight. I love books about vampires and angels, so that wasn’t my real problem with the book. The paper characters and love triangle are probably what killed this whole book for me.

Let’s start with Lailah, shall we? I wanted to like her because how cool is it to remember parts of your past lives! She just seemed to me to be too flaky and materialistic for me. She was more worried about going shopping than she was trying to figure stuff out. When a conflict would arise, she would run before trying to sort out a better solution. Very disappointed in that aspect of our heroine. She just was not super relatable to me, and I need a stronger female character than what Lailah provided for me. I’ll fight for Aelin over Lailah anyday!

Ugh, so with any YA book about vampires and angels what else are we missing? A love triangle! Oh joy, more reasons for Lailah to not have her act together. So introduce Jonah, a bad boy vampire, and Gabriel, the ever overly attractive love of all my past lives main angel. Between these three and everyone else trying to get in on this love mess, it really starts to detract from what’s left of the plot. I would just like to put out a PSA that stalkers are not someone you want in your life, run away from them as soon as possible. Don’t let them in your bedrooms! YA tends to overly romanticize bad boys a bit too much, and I felt that Jonah crosses the line to way too creepy. Gabriel is just a jerk.

There was way too much insta-love for me. I prefer to see the relationship blossom and grow into something magical, like Hazel and Gus. I am a huge fan of angels and demons/vampires, and was a bit disappointed in the whole side dimension, not real heaven and hell type thing. Don’t use Angels if you’re afraid of also writing about the existence or absence of God.

I don’t seem myself reading the rest of the series, unless someone thinks that I’m missing out and it’s gotten way better! I do believe in book second chances. But for right now, I’m not super pleased. It sounds like the author had some good ideas, but the execution was not there. Definitely a better story if it’s just for Wattpad.

I would like to thank Meredith for sending me this ARC. I didn’t like it as well as I wanted to, but I’m at least owning up to that. I had such high hopes for this book. Just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean that someone else won’t. If you loved Lailah, I’m not dissing you or saying that you have bad taste in books, just that we have different preferences! If you loved it, then that’s great for you. Keep reading! I think I’ve ranted enough for now. :)

two-half-stars

Review: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys (Blog Tour)

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: Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys (Blog Tour)Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys
Published by Delacorte Press on November 8, 2016
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-half-stars

A slick thriller from the author of HEXED, perfect for fans of THE CELLAR by Natasha Preston and PANIC by Lauren Oliver.

You are cordially invited to participate in a game of thrills and dares. Tell no one, and come alone. If you dare.

Hope is sick of everyone treating her like she’s breakable. Sure, she has cystic fibrosis (basically really bad lungs), but she’s tired of being babied by her mom and her overprotective best friend, Ethan, not to mention worrying about paying for her expensive medication and how she’s going to afford college.And she’s bored with life in her run-down New Orleans suburb.

When an invitation arrives from a mysterious group that calls itself the Society, Hope jumps at the chance for some excitement. This could be her ticket out. All she has to do is complete a few dares and she just might win some real money.
But the Society isn’t all that it seems . . . and soon Hope finds that playing the game isn’t a choice—it’s a requirement.

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys (November 8, 2016 – Delacorte Press). I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It was an enthralling read and I’m really excited to share my review with you! Enjoy!

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Dead Girls Society was an amazing thrill-ride of a book – intriguing and a bit terrifying. It was like The Skulls meets The Breakfast Club meets I Know What You Did Last Summer. I was excited to read it from the second I learned about it and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

There are a ton of characters in this book and they’re all intriguing and unique. I really liked the main character, Hope. She was brave and foolish and fierce and insane, all at once. Hartley was fearless and tough. The way her story ended shocked the crap out of me. Farrah surprised me in more ways than one. She broke the stereotypical mold she started out in and quickly became one of the more intriguing characters. I feel like we learned the least about Nikki, so it’s hard to say much about her. And Lyla… I don’t even know where to begin…

As for the guys, I wasn’t a huge fan of either Ethan or Tucker. I understand the reasons behind their actions, but Ethan acted like a child, more times than not, and Tucker just… I guess he wasn’t so bad, but I never fully liked him. I shipped Hope and Ethan in the beginning, but by the end, I just wanted Hope to tell both of them to eff off. I didn’t trust either of them, so that probably effected my feelings towards them a bit..

Every time I had to put this book down, I didn’t want to. The suspense was so intense – trying to figure out who’s behind this and who we can trust – and agonizing! Situations often escalated quickly and I reached a point where I was just didn’t trust anyone – and, as it turned out, I had good reason not to trust anyone! I had so many crazy theories and they were all over the place.

And then that ending.. The big reveal… HOLY CRAP. I never saw it coming. Once all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, it made perfect sense. But before that? I never even got close to figuring it out. The very ending, especially? HOLY CRAP IT WAS SO I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER AND I LOVED IT AND I NEED BOOK TWO NOW, PLEASE!

Overall, if you couldn’t tell, I LOVED this book and everyone needs to read it ASAP! I was already a fan of Michelle Krys from reading Hexed. But this book and its intense thrill-ride has solidified my love for this author and her amazing stories.

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Blog Tour Schedule:

four-half-stars

Guest Review: My Second Life by Faye Bird

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.

Guest Review: My Second Life by Faye BirdMy Second Life by Faye Bird
Published by Farrar Straus and Giroux on January 19, 2016
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
four-stars

A pacy pageturner that asks: Can you be held responsible now for something you did in a previous life?

Fifteen-year-old Ana has a good life--she has friends and a boy she likes and a kind mother--but still, she's haunted by her past; she knows that she lived once before as a girl named Emma, and she still misses her old family. When, by chance in her life now, Ana meets a woman she knew in her previous life, a terrifying memory flashes through her mind of a young girl drowning. Was Emma responsible? And should Ana pay the price? Consumed by guilt, Ana sets out to find out as much as possible about the person she was before and what she had done, only to discover that the family she misses so deeply had dark secrets of its own. To come to terms with her life now, Ana must figure out how to let go of the past.

A message from Meredith: Hey everyone! Today, I have Heather here with a guest review for My Second Life by Faye Bird.

You can find Heather on The Hermit Librarian and on Twitter!

Without further adieu, here’s Heather’s review! Enjoy!

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I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was offered the chance to review My Second Life. I believe in reincarnation and the thought that you can be held responsible for something you did in a past life is definitely intriguing. It brings up so many questions: can someone who did good be allowed a pass if they commit a crime? Can someone who did something terrible ever be redeemed? Faye Bird tackles one of these questions with Ana, her main character.

Ana is a fifteen year old girl who has always known that she’s lived a life before. From the moment she is born into her life as Ana, she has memories of her life as Emma, the girl she was previously. For the most part these memories manifest as a longing for her first mother, which causes a lot of conflict with her current mother. This was illustrated in the book by the fact that as a reader I never really got the sense that we knew Ana’s mother. She was in the book for brief periods of time, but her character was never really developed in my eyes. I think this was a good method because it gave me a similar sense of distance from her like what Ana must have felt.

Things get tricky for Ana when she, by chance, runs into someone from her old life and starts to have memories that are much darker than anything she’s ever experienced before. It brings up the question in her mind; what did I do when I was Emma? This question drives Ana to dive into an investigation of her past life and the path that it leads her down is frightening, nerve wracking, and will ultimately lead to a place that will lead both Ana and the reader unsettled.

I won’t go into much more plot wise because I don’t want to spoil the story, but I will say that you’ll think you know what’s happening but the truth will surprise you. Faye Bird does a good job of keeping the ending close to her chest. The pacing of her writing is very quick, which I appreciated. This read could be done in a day or two if you’re busy, maybe a couple of hours if you’ve got a spare afternoon.

One of the things that I wish had been more developed in the book was Ana’s previous life and how it worked and why she was the only one that seemed to be “gifted” with this second chance. She was incredibly lucky to be reborn at all, but also, how did it happen that she was reborn so close to her original family? Out of the whole world, England again? I’d be curious to see if Faye Bird has another book planned that might examine someone else’s experience with rebirth that might explain some of these loose threads.

The romantic aspect of the story between Ana and Jamie was a bit lackluster for me and didn’t add anything, though I think it was meant to give Ana a sense of normalcy. Considering her extraordinary circumstances, that sort of plot device was probably a good idea, but similar to Ana’s mother, I never really connected with Jamie. I was much more interested in how Ana was feeling, what was going on in her head, how she was dealing with “living” two lives at once.

There were a few slow points in the beginning, but I think that, even given the negatives I’ve pointed out here, that My Second Life is well worth the read. It’s a good concept and makes you think about the question that Ana faces: can you be held responsible for something “you” did in a past life?

four-stars

Review: The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine

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 Shadow Queen by C.J. RedwineThe Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
Series: Ravenspire #1
Published by Balzer + Bray on February 16, 2016
Pages: 387
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.

But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.

The Shadow Queen was one of my most anticipated books of 2016. I attempted to read it months ago when it first came out, but my reading slump was in full force. I was really worried my slump would effect how I felt about this book, so I put it down each time I tried to pick it up. But in the last few months, my reading slump has finally trickled off and I was finally able to pick this up and get past the first chapter and I’m SO glad I waited! I was able to truly enjoy it – without fear of my reading slump – and I LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!

I LOVED Lorelai. She’s so fierce and fiery. I kept picturing her as Adelaide Kane in Reign (AKA: Mary, Queen of Scots). She pushed forward despite the tragedy and loss she faced. She never lost sight of her end-goal and what it meant for not just her, but everyone in her kingdom. She’s definitely one of my favorite characters of 2016!

Leo was the comical relief of the book. He kept Lorelai focused, while keeping her from drowning in the tasks she had to face. I was incredibly shocked with the twist in his story, though. I kept thinking it was a fake-out, that it couldn’t be true. But, sadly, it wasn’t a fake-out. I also loved Gabril and everything he represented. He was like Lorelai’s rock. Several times, I feared for his safety and sanity. But I’m satisfied with how his story ended.

Kol was.. Whoa. I don’t even know where to begin without risking spoilers. He was incredibly (mentally) strong, despite the events that unfolded in the beginning of the book. And he went through a lot of strife – more than what one person should have to deal with. But time and again, he pushed through. I loved where his story ended!

Trugg and Jyn were epic. They were the perfect “I hate you but I want to kiss you” couple. They were also super loyal and willing to sacrifice everything to protect Kol and their people. I kept picturing Trugg as Kellan Lutz.

Irina reminded me a LOT of Queen Levana from the Lunar Chronicles. It’s crazy how convinced she was that she was in the right, that everyone betrayed her and she’s justified in seeking her revenge – and that makes her the scariest type of villain there is, because there’s no reasoning with her or convincing her she’s wrong.

This book was such an emotional rollercoaster. One second I was ready to cry, the next I was laughing my butt off and then I was ready to cry again. Sometimes I wanted to happy-cry and sometimes my heart broke so hard for the characters. It was just incredibly tense and very heart-in-your-throat and I loved every single second of it! I wish there was a sequel, but I’m very satisfied with how it ended.

Overall, if you couldn’t tell, I ADORED this book. It had gorgeous writing, epic world-building and characters that I cared about with all my heart. I highly recommend it for those who love fairy tale retellings (it’s a Snow White retelling!) and for fans of CJ Redwine, a master storyteller and an author who is now forever on my auto-buy list!

five-stars

Review: Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige

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: Stealing Snow by Danielle PaigeStealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Series: Stealing Snow #1
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens on September 20, 2016
Pages: 375
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four-stars

First kisses sometimes wake slumbering princesses, undo spells, and spark happily ever afters.

Mine broke Bale.

Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent her life locked in Whittaker Psychiatric—but she isn’t crazy. And that’s not the worst of it. Her very first kiss proves anything but innocent…when Bale, her only love, turns violent.

Despite Snow knowing that Bale would never truly hurt her, he is taken away—dashing her last hope for any sort of future in the mental ward she calls home. With nowhere else to turn, Snow finds herself drawn to a strange new orderly who whispers secrets in the night about a mysterious past and a kingdom that’s hers for the taking—if only she can find her way past the iron gates to the Tree that has been haunting her dreams.

Beyond the Tree lies Algid, a land far away from the real world, frozen by a ruthless king. And there too await the River Witch, a village boy named Kai, the charming thief Jagger, and a prophecy that Snow will save them all.

Fairy Tale retellings are my book crack. I DEVOUR them. So when I first heard about this book, I was incredibly pumped, especially since The Snow Queen isn’t used as often in retellings. But I was very disappointed with Dorothy Must Die, so I was a little bit hesitant to pick this up; however, the premise was so intriguing and curiosity got the better of me – and I’m SO glad! It was incredible and I can’t wait for book two!

I really liked Snow! She was stronger than she gave herself credit for and it was intriguing seeing her grow and change throughout her journey. Despite being a villain in the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, I couldn’t help but root for her. By the end, it was obvious that she was coming into her powers and embracing her destiny. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her in book two!

The guys in this book were intriguing. I definitely think my favorite was Jagger – he was hilarious but also cocky and annoying – typical Mysterious YA Dude, yet I really adored him. The way his story ended… I’m anxious to see what happens next! I definitely also liked Kai, but I saw him as more of a friend than a love interest. And I never really liked Bale… There was just something about him… I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that but… Yeah.

I really liked Gerde and the relationship she and Snow had. I felt so bad for her, though. I really can’t wait to see what awaits her in book two. I was also very intrigued with the River Witch. I want to know more about her and her background. I want to know if we can trust her. I also can’t wait to meet the other witches, especially the Witch of the Woods and the Fire Witch.

I don’t know if I necessarily liked Margot and Temperly but I hate how their stories ended becaue I NEED to know more!!! Finally, I obviously hated Snow’s mother and Lazar. But the revelations were pretty intense, and that ending was !!!!!!!

Overall, this book was amazing and intriguing! Honestly, it has renewed my interest in finishing the Dorothy Must Die series and it has me BEYOND excited for Paige’s new fairy godmother origin series, which doesn’t come out until 2018 and THAT’S TOO FAR AWAY! The long wait has me feeling sad panda :(

BUT ANYWAY… I HIGHLY recommend Stealing Snow to those who love fairy tale retellings! If you loved the movie Frozen, this will definitely capture your attention and refuse to let go (See what I did there??)! Danielle Paige fans will DEFINITELY enjoy this, as her writing has grown in leaps and bounds since Dorothy Must Die. Finally, if you WEREN’T a Dorothy Must Die fan, I HIGHLY recommend you give this a shot. It might surprise you – I know it surprised me!

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Favorite Quote:

“Just because we all lived in glass houses of insanity didn’t mean that we could not be cruel.”

four-stars

Review: Heartless by Marissa Meyer

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: Heartless by Marissa MeyerHeartless by Marissa Meyer
Published by Feiwel & Friends on November 8, 2016
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
three-stars

Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland, and a favorite of the yet-unmarried King of Hearts, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, all she wants is to open a shop with her best friend and supply the Kingdom of Hearts with delectable pastries and confections. But according to her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for the young woman who could be the next Queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the king's marriage proposal, she meets Jest, the handsome and mysterious court joker. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into an intense, secret courtship.

Cath is determined to define her own destiny and fall in love on her terms. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

This book was an intriguing and imaginative take on the classic that fans of retellings will love! The writing and world are gorgeous, but that’s a given since this is Marissa Meyer! The characters are wonderfully reimagined – I love Meyer’s take on how certain characters got their starts and how they came to be as they are in present-day Wonderland.

I really liked Catherine. It was so interesting to see the infamous, feared Queen of Hearts as a young girl, kind and carefree. It was great seeing the way she evolved and how she came to be a true Queen. I also loved the way Meyer explained the origin of those chilling words – “Off with their heads!” And I loved her friendship with Mary Ann, but the way things ended made me sad panda.

The Joker was hilarious, kind and wonderful – if not slightly deceitful for keeping so many things from Catherine. Their story could have ended so differently had he been honest from the beginning. Even still, I did NOT expect his fate to be what it was. And the things his fate set into motion? Unbelievable!

There were SO many other characters that I could discuss, but we’d be here all night. This book has a huge cast of characters and they’re all interesting in their own right. Some are new to the story, like Jack (who was an ass) and Margaret (who was horrible) and others were beloved characters from the classic, like the white rabbit, Mr. Caterpillar and and the King of Hearts. But in true Marissa Meyer fashion, whether they were secondary characters or tertiary characters, they were incredible, multi-dimensional characters who you wanted to know more about!

One of my favorite things in Alice in Wonderland retellings is the Mad Hatter and his tea parties. And in that respect, this book did not disappoint! I LOVED Hatta and the way Meyer portrayed him and his story. However, I never fully trusted him. He reminded me of scheming, self-serving, devious Morpheus. I also loved the Cheshire Cat – another favorite of mine when it comes to Alice in Wonderland Retellings. I actually would have liked to see MORE of Cheshire, though, and would have loved to learn more about his backstory.

I definitely think this is the kind of retelling where, if you haven’t read the original classic, you’re fine and can follow along without an issue. BUT.. If you HAVE read the original, you definitely catch more. Meyer brings in a lot of elements from the classic, including certain elements of Wonderland and certain quotes from the original text. There are mentions of the Tulgey Wood, the Jabberwock, the Vorpal Sword, the Looking Glass maze, the foods that make you shrink/grow, the Hatter and his mad tea parties, etc.

Unfortunately – and it pains me to say this – I did have a few issues with this book. It’s a stand-alone, as far as I know, so it was a long book because it needed to tell a complete story. However, at times, it felt too long and dragged out. It also had a very slow start. Don’t get me wrong, the entire book was fascinating, but the beginning was just slow. I had to read nearly half the book to get to a point where things really started to pick up. But I also think this is because I put this book on a HIGH pedestal. I expected a LOT from this book and maybe I put too much pressure on it and maybe my expectations were unrealistic. It really was a great book, but I just wanted MORE – expected more.

Overall, though, this book was incredible. Marissa Meyer is an incredible story teller. She creates these amazing worlds and characters and you can’t help but fall head first down the rabbit hole (see what I did there?!?) and into the story. I HIGHLY recommend this book for fans of Marissa Meyer and fans of retellings!

three-stars

Review: A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (Blog Tour)

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 Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (Blog Tour)A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
Series: Kingdom on Fire #1
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on September 20, 2016
Pages: 416
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads
five-stars

Henrietta can burst into flames.

Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she’s shocked when instead of being executed, she’s named the first female sorcerer in hundreds of years and invited to train as one of Her Majesty’s royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the prophesied one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta is not the chosen one.

As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Hey everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (September 20, 2016 — Random House Books for Young Readers). I absolutely LOVED this book!!! It was a roller-coaster of emotions and I’m really excited to share my review with you Enjoy!

~*~*~

ALL THE STARS!!! THIS BOOK GETS ALL THE STARS, YOU GUYS!!! This book was so epic and amazing, I don’t even know how to put it into words. The world, the world-building, the characters, the writing – it’s all epic beyond words and DEFINITELY exceeded my expectations!

Nettie is an epic, fierce heroine. I’m fascinated by her powers and backstory. I’m rooting for her!! Despite her extraordinary circumstances, she feels relatable. She definitely went through a lot and she had a TON of character growth from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see what book two holds for her!

I love Magnus – he’s cocky, hilarious and fiercely loyal to his friends and those close to him. I was definitely shocked at some of his revelations, though, and even hated him a few times. However, overall, he’s wickedly tempting and definitely on my Book Boyfriend list. I REALLY want something to happen with him and a particular person, but I know the obstacles to that and I’m not sure how things will go, but I’m excited to see!

Blackwood was incredibly frustrating and obnoxious, especially in the beginning. But I was shocked to find that, as time went on, I came to like him – a lot! Some of his revelations were INTENSE and CRAZY and I can’t believe the bond that formed between him and MAN I HATE SPOILERS SO JUST READ THE BOOK SO WE CAN DISCUSS THIS, GUYS!

I REALLY liked Hargrove, though I don’t think I was supposed to! But there’s just something about him that made him entertaining to read about. He’s hilarious and sarcastic and like the crazy uncle everyone wishes they had. I wanted to shake him a few times, but the revelations and explanations that had to do with him had me like !!!!!!!!!

I adored Agrippa in the beginning. He was like everyone’s grandfather. And then… things happened… and… SPOILERS SO I CAN’T BUT GRRRR!!!!!!!

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I wasn’t a fan of Rook and never saw him as being a potential love interest. I just never really liked him and I can’t completely figure out why. I just didn’t feel he was an important – or necessary – character.

The writing is gorgeous in this book. It’s descriptive and it flows. The book itself reminds me of a mash-up between The Imposter Queen by Sarah Fine and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. The plot was intriguing and only became more so the longer I read and the closer to the ending I got.

Overall, I loved this book so much, it physically pained me each time I had to put it down! I’m pretty sure this is my #1 favorite book of 2016 (so far)!!! I can’t wait to get my hands on book two and see what happens next! I HIGHLY recommend this one!!! You won’t regret it!!

five-stars