Review | "Sentinel" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout
YA Paranormal published November 2, 2013
Spencer Hill Press
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

My Thoughts...

I am just going to do a really quick review on this book.  It's been a little while since I read it so there are some details that I don't really remember very clearly.  I did love the book, though, and I thought it was the perfect ending for this series.  I am sad to see it come to an end but happy that there is going to be a spin off series which was set up perfectly in this book.  This was a 5 star series for me, I loved every book in it.

Aiden is one of my favorite characters in any YA series without a doubt.  He has every quality that you could possibly want in a male lead character.  I also really enjoyed Seth's character in this book and I am looking forward to his series for sure.  ALex faced quite a lot in this book and she was also stronger than ever.  She is prepared to become the god-killer, but she has NO idea what exactly she is giving up to become this.  The ending of this book blew me away, it wasn't something I was expecting at all.  Most of the action in the book comes toward the end.  Most of the rest of the book is the preparation for the showdown with Ares.

I have always been a fan of Greek Mythology and books with that as a theme.  That's probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this series so much.  Appollo played a pretty big part in this book with some appearances by other gods and goddesses and even a Titan.  This Titan is what sets up the new series that Seth will star in. 

While this series is a YA series there are some adult like situations between Aiden and Alex which I think Jennifer handles very tastefully.  They are sexy without being too descriptive.

I think this pretty much sums up my thoughts on this book.  As you can see I really did enjoy this series and if you like YA Paranormal and Greek Mythology then you will want to give this series a try!

XOXO, Shelly

Review | "Ignite Me" by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite me by Tahereh Mafi
YA Dystopian published February 4, 2014
Harper Collins
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, called “a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love.”

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

My Thoughts...

Ok, I loved this book!  I loved this series, but this book was probably my favorite of the three.  I will say, though that I think this book was more about the characters and less about the conflict and so the ending did seem really rushed to me.  I do tend to enjoy books that are more character driven though and that's probably why I liked this one so much.

In the beginning of this series I was concerned about how the author was going to make me root for Warner, but she definitely did it.  I think, for me, and probably for others as well it was done by degrees.  I liked him a little in the first book, there is just something about a bad boy that I just can't help but like, then I read the novella that centers around him and I really got him after that.  By the end of the 2nd book I was nearly there, but after just a few chapters of this book I was fully on Team Warner.  

I will say that I didn't particularly care for the fact that this book seemed to be a hate on Adam book though.  He was painted totally as the bad guy and I felt a little like this was used to sway all those Team Adam people over to the other side.  Sure he was a total jerk throughout the entire book, but it's not like he didn't have a reason to act this way.  He was hurting and he lashed out, he went a little overboard at times or most of the time, but it's easy to see why.  I just didn't feel like he needed to be quite so badly portrayed, but that's just my opinion.

This book takes up right where the last one ended.  Juliette and Warner end up forming an unlikely alliance with the other survivors of Omega Point when they decide to take down The Reestablishment from the inside and they know they can't do it alone.  Juliette is finally realizing her full potential, something that Warner has seen in her from the beginning.  It's not all fun and games as they train to take on Warner's father.  They have to learn to work together as a team and that's not easy to do when they all have their secrets.

I still think that Tahereh has one of the most beautiful and unique writing styles and I love that this shows in Juliette's voice.  This book had less of it than the other two since Juliette wasn't so much inside her head in this one, but it's still there and it's beautiful to read.

I was so sad to see this series come to an end and it seems to be an abrupt end.  The final scenes in this book were a little rushed and then it's just over.  I am not unhappy with how it ended, I just think maybe an epilogue to show where they ended up would have been a nicer way to end the series.  

If you are looking for something new to read and you enjoy YA Dystopian you need to give this series a try.  While the concept is not entirely unique the writing definitely is.

XOXO, Shelly

Review | "Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
YA Contemporary published February 26, 2013
St. Martin's Press
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Bono met his wife in high school, Park says.
So did Jerry Lee Lewis, Eleanor answers.
I’m not kidding, he says.
You should be, she says, we’re 16.
What about Romeo and Juliet?
Shallow, confused, then dead.
I love you, Park says.
Wherefore art thou, Eleanor answers.
I’m not kidding, he says.
You should be.

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love—and just how hard it pulled you under.

My Thoughts...

I really enjoyed this book, not quite as much as Fangirl, but almost.  For some reason I am not such a fan of books set in the 80's.  I have no idea why....I grew up in the 80's, but it's not something I particularly enjoy reading for some reason.  I know...it's weird!

Eleanor is an awkward 16 year old.  She is described as being overweight with fiery, curly red hair.  She is not trendy in any way.  She has this way of not letting what others say about her bother her.  You can tell that deep down it probably does, but she doesn't let it show.  Her family life is just messed up.  She lives with her mother and step dad along with a handful of siblings.  Her mother is one of those women who loves her kids but she loves her husband more and that makes for a pretty bad situation for Eleanor especially.

Eleanor meets Park on the bus on first day of school.  Park is a skinny, equally awkward, half Asian boy.  At first they don't talk then at some point Park notices that Eleanor is reading his comic books while he reads them on the bus.  Their relationship progresses slowly over the course of that year in school.

Park is adorable and he is just the perfect boy for Eleanor even though they seem so oddly matched.  His mother is also one of the best characters in the book.  This book has a lot of good supporting characters.  This story, like all the others of Ms. Rowells that I have read, has fantastic characters that grab you from the beginning and make you care about what happens to them.  I will say that I didn't care for the ending of this story particularly, and that's why I didn't end up giving it 5 stars on Goodreads.  I am one of those readers that likes for the endings to be nice and tidy and this one isn't.  It leads you in a certain direction and you are fairly certain that you know what happens, but it's not written down if that makes any sense!

So, I really liked the book, I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone.  If you like YA Contemporary then this is not a book you will want to pass over.  Everyone that reads it seems to really love it!

XOXO, Shelly

Review | "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
YA Contemporary published September 13, 2013
St. Martin's Press
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

My Thoughts...

This is going to be a pretty quick review because it's been a little while since I finished this book.  This was my first Rainbow Rowell book and I loved it so much.  I really like her writing style, I love that the characters are so easy to relate to.  

Cath is a twin, she and her sister Wren are starting their first year of college.  Cath and Wren (yes....Cath/Wren....mom wasn't expecting twins and they ended up sharing a name!) have been nearly inseparable since birth.  Now Wren had decided to assert her independence by choosing not to be roommates in college.  Wren is more social where Cath is decidedly not.  She is more comfortable in her online fangirl world of Simon Snow fan fiction where she is somewhat of a celebrity fan fiction writer. 

This could be considered a coming of age book, I suppose.  This is the story of Cath coming to terms with who she is apart from the sister who has always been a constant.  It's about Cath having to leave Wren to learn from her own mistakes.  It's about falling in love for the first time, truly falling in love, not settling for someone who feels comfortable.  It's about teenage girls dealing with a father who has a mental illness and a mother who left when taking care of someone besides her was just too hard.  And along with all this it's about all the relationships, friendships, etc...that come along with being an 18 year old.

I adored Levi, he was just awesome and so patient with Cath when she was pretty much clueless for most of the book.  He is able to pull her out of the world of Simon Snow while still supporting her need to be a part of it...if that makes any sense!  Really all the supporting characters in this story were great.  Ms. Rowell has a wonderful talent for writing really great characters that you identify with and care about.

The only part of the book that I didn't care so much for was the actual Simon Snow passages.  I loved reading the fan fiction that Cath was writing, I just didn't care for the "original" Simon Snow content, I didn't think we necessarily needed that to understand that she was writing fan fiction.  I pretty much just skimmed those parts.

If you are looking for a really good read and you enjoy Young Adult Contemporary then I can't recommend this book highly enough.  I promptly went out and bought all of Ms. Rowell's books after finishing this one!  In fact I will be reviewing them all on the blog this week.

Happy Reading!

XOXO, Shelly

YA Dystopian Review "State of Nature" by Ryan Winfield

Title: State of Nature

Author: Ryan Winfield

Released On: November 23, 2013

Publisher: Birch Paper Press

Buy Link -  AMAZON 

Author's Website:   https://www.facebook.com/ryanwinfield
Author's Goodreads Profile:  Ryan Winfield

Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author Ryan Winfield, a thrilling tale of friendship, betrayal, and adventure.

The final chapter...

After leaving the Isle of Man, Aubrey and Jimmy return to the Foundation to confront Hannah about her betrayal and to free the people of Holocene II only to find themselves facing new and more difficult challenges in a world where nothing is as it seems.

Don’t miss the epic conclusion you’ll have to read yourself to believe.

Destined to become a classic, The Park Service trilogy will inspire and delight readers of all ages.

MY REVIEW

Well...what can I say about this book?  Not much without spoilers!  I will see what I can do though...

So this book starts right where the last one left off.  Aubrey, Jimmy and the Professor are in the sub on their way back to Hannah and Holocene II.  Now, Jimmy and Aubrey are none too happy with Hannah and with good reason.  What they find when they get there gives them even more reason to be furious with her.   She is manipulating them all into doing what she wants.   She wants to put Eden back online and she needs Aubrey to go down into Holocene II to let them all know that they will begin retirement again soon.  

Aubrey ends up taking Jimmy with him and that's when things start to get really intense.  They find literally an underground movement that is run by someone they call The Chief.  Aubrey finds out more about himself throughout the course of this book.  He also finds out things about Hannah that have him even more determined to put an end to her.  She is trying to take over where her father left off and she's trying to blackmail Aubrey into helping her.

This book is full of twists and turns where Aubrey and Jimmy travel around the world again in an effort to once again attempt to save the people of Holocene II.  They are trying to make it safe for them to finally come and live on the surface like man was intended to before The Foundation decided that man was a danger to the planet.    There is a continuing theme of love and loss throughout this series, but this book was at times heart wrenching.  Aubrey and Jimmy go through so much in this book and they are closer than ever.  They even going so far as to put words to those feelings even though they are vague leaving the reader to decide just how they want to perceive the relationship.  No matter how you look at it the relationship between these two is rock solid and gets more so as the story progresses.

It's so hard to say much more without spoiling anything.  I was sad when the book came to an end.  I will say that while I was sad, I was happy for the time I got to spend in this world and with these two characters.  It was a joy to see how Aubrey went from the gangly boy in the first book to the man he became in this book even though he had to go through so much heartache to get there.  I think this sums it all up pretty well for me and it's a beautiful sentiment at the end of the book.

”Leaves will fall, cold will creep in
A circle of life that ends where it begins
It may take a thousand years and a thousand poems penned
But my hair will someday gray and my back will bend—
Then my shadow will join my body in the earth once again.

I know not the way, or even the when
Or who chooses that day we’re called away to ascend
But you bathed me in your bravery and forgave me my sins
You made a home in your heart for mine to live in—
And in return, my friend, this poem is my oath that a river of love will run through it until the very end.”

Ryan has a way of pulling you into a story and keeping you there with the vivid description and characters that you can't help but fall in love with.  I will miss this series but I can't wait to see what he has in store for us in the future.

If you would like to read my reviews of the 2 prior books in this series you can do so here:

The Park Service
The Isle of Man

I am also going to do a full series video review of this trilogy on my YouTube Channel so be sure to go subscribe so you will be notified when it posts!

Young Adult Review "Perfection" by J.L. Spelbring

Title:  Perfection
Author: J.L. Spelbring
Publisher:  Spencer Hill Press
Publication Date:  May 7, 2013
Genre:  YA Dystopian / Alternate World
Buy this book on Amazon

Author's Website 
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Synopsis from Goodreads:

The personification of Aryan purity, Ellyssa's spent her whole life under her creator's strict training and guidance; her purpose is to eradicate inferior beings. She was genetically engineered to be the perfect soldier: strong, intelligent, unemotional, and telepathic. 

Only Ellyssa isn't perfect. 

Ellyssa feels emotions--a fact she's spent her life concealing. Until she encounters the epitome of inferiority: a dark-haired boy raised among renegades hiding since the Nazis won the war a century ago. He speaks to her telepathically, pushing thoughts into her mind, despite the impossibility of such a substandard person having psychic abilities.

But he does. 

His unspoken words and visions of a place she's never visited make Ellyssa question her creator. Confused and afraid her secret will be discovered, Ellyssa runs away, embarking on a journey where she discovers there is more to her than perfection.

My Thoughts...
Okay, first of all I really enjoyed this book, but in my opinion this is not a dystopian novel, it's more of an alternate world novel.  To me, dystopian is the state of the world after a catastrophic or apocalyptic event.  This book is more a case of what the world would be like if Hitler had been successful in creating his "perfect" Aryan race.

Ellyssa is a young woman who happens to be one of a small group of children who were created to be "perfect" humans.  They have blonde hair and blue eyes and they each have a special ability bestowed upon them by their father Dr. Hirsch.  They were raised in and trained in The Center.  They are all efficient in what they do and they are emotionless, that is except for Ellyssa.  She learned at an early age to suppress and hide her emotions from everyone.

Dr. Hirsch is just a bad guy, he is the main person behind this perceived utopia.  Anyone who doesn't conform is eliminated.  Those who don't meet the perfection standards are put in the roles of workers.  The renegades are the ones who have been in hiding eking out an existence any way that they can.  When the renegades are caught they are killed. 

When a renegade is brought in to The Center he is able to "speak" to Ellyssa through telepathy, which is her particular special ability.  She doesn't know what happens to him, but she has been restless for awhile, knowing that things aren't quite what they seem. Her fathers agenda is far more sinister than he leads everyone to believe. She does a little digging around and discovers things that horrify her and she knows that she needs to leave.  It takes some creative thinking on her part, but she is able to get away as she follows the vague clues the renegade was able to give her.

Things move pretty quickly from this point and Ellyssa faces some pretty rough times.  She finally comes to a place where she is found by a group of Renegades.  There is some dissension in the group when they take her in, but she does have a few champions in the group.  Rein is a wonderful character and is the perfect love interest for Ellyssa.  There are some really great people in the group of renegades and Ellyssa starts to realize how good her life could really be if she is able to get away from the ones searching for her.

This story reminds me a lot of Brave New World in the beginning and then when Ellyssa finds the Renegade group it reminds me of The Host. The character of the Detective was one of those characters that you cna't help but dislike as well as most of Ellyssa's siblings. I feel like the character development was good, I liked the pace and I also liked that while there could be other books to make a series it isn't completely necessary.

If you like Alternate World/dystopian books then this is one you may enjoy.  The whole idea of "what if?" is actually quite chilling if you think about it.  I wouldn't hesitate to read more books by this author.

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book, courtesy of the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

YA Paranormal Romance Review & Giveaway "Infinityglass" by Myra McEntire

Title:  Infinityglass (Hourglass #3)
Author: Myra McEntire
Publisher:  Egmont USA
Publication Date: August 6, 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Buy this book on Amazon 
Author's Website 
Author's Goodreads Profile

Synopsis from Goodreads:  

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time travelers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?

My Thoughts...
This is the last of the 3 Hourglass books and while I didn't review the first 2, I did enjoy them immensely and I will probably talk about them a little in this review.  I want to make this totally clear as well, this is NOT a standalone book you absolutely need to read the first 2 books before you pick this one up.  Also, I am not planning on any spoilers for this book, but if you haven't read the previous books there will be some spoilers for those books.  There is no way to avoid that so if you plan to read them you may want to skip this review until you have read them all!  I will say this first though, if you like YA Paranormal Romance, time travel, Sci-fi, characters with extraordinary powers, etc...then you need to read this series.  It's very well written, it's a finished series now and I blazed through these 3 books in no time at all.

So, the first book is written from Emerson's Point of view, first person.  Then the 2nd book is written in first person from Kaleb's POV, which I must say, I enjoyed reading a YA book from the male perspective.  Now, this one is also in first person with the POV being split between Dune and Hallie.  I know that when you see that synopsis you automatically think that this book is going to be from Lily's POV and that's totally misleading!  I thought the same thing, but it's not the case.  I am so glad that we get the split POV in this one because getting to know Dune better was a pleasure there is no doubt about that!

Hallie's dad is the head of Chronos which is locate in New Orleans.  He is a businessman and runs Chronos accordingly.  It's not at all like The Hourglass where everyone is like family.  He barely acknowledges that Hallie is his daughter most of the time.  Hallie has been sheltered all her life and while there is a reason for that he not lenient with her in the slightest.  She is schooled at home and even has her own dance studio with a private teacher coming in to teach dance.  She is only "let out" to do jobs for Chronos.  More surprisingly her work partner is Poe!  With all this she has become quite adept at sneaking out and it helps that her particular ability is being able to change her appearance at will.

We already know that Dune's ability is related to water and tides, but we find out so much more about him in this book.  He is the big Samoan boy with dreads and big brains in the other books, but he changes pretty dramatically in this book when he is assigned to help protect Hallie.  Dune was the one who was able to crack open the Skroll and he knows more about the Infinityglass than anyone else in either Chronos or The Hourglass.  There are two things that he never banked on though.  One is that the Infinityglass is a person and not an object he needs to go on a quest to find and two, that he would fall in love with her.

When Hallie is accidentally "activated" things start to happen really quickly.  She starts to learn things about herself and her family that she never expects.  Dune is there to help her deal with and process all this new information.  He is also her saving grace when the "rips" start to affect her differently than they do everyone else.  He brings the rest of The Hourglass crew to NOLA to help finish this once and for all.  Once they are all together Teague and Jack make their move to use the Infinityglass to their own gain.  

The ending of this story was nicely wrapped up which is a nice thing these days.  There were really no loose ends left "just in case".  I was a little disappointed in the ending, just a tiny bit.  There was so much build up in all the books and it just seemed to be over really quickly.  I didn't dislike the ending, it just seemed a little abrupt after all they had been through.

Like I said, this is a really well written series and I enjoyed it so much.  I am looking forward to see what Ms. McEntire has up her sleeve for us next!

*Disclaimer:  I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been authorized to giveaway ONE HARDCOVER copy of Infinityglass along with an Infinityglass poster!

So...here are the rules:

• Must be at least 15 to Enter
• You must live in the US for hard copy books.
• You will have 24 hours to contact me once it's confirmed that you are the winner and I have emailed you.
• Failure to contact me in 24 hours will result in my drawing another name as winner. 

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YA Romance Review "The Georgia Corbins" by Kara Leigh Miller

Title:  The Georgia Corbins
Author: Kara Leigh Miller
Publisher:  Entranced Publishing
Publication Date: June 10 , 2013
Genre:  YA Romance


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Author's Website 
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Synopsis from Goodreads:  

Ali Philips never thought anything could be more devastating than the day Levi and Tucker Corbin, her two best friends—her only friends—moved away. Three years passed without a single phone call, text message, or email from them and she’s resolved to the fact that she will probably never see them again. Until one morning when she comes face-to-face with Levi Corbin in physics class. 

Little does she know, the Corbins have returned to Haldeen with only one thing on their minds: winning Ali’s heart. Ali soon finds herself in the middle of a love triangle she doesn’t want any part of. As she tries to reclaim the friendships she’s lost and to adjust to the unfamiliar feelings she’s having, she struggles with making the one decision that will forever change their lives: Levi or Tucker Corbin? 

She’s always had a special bond with Tucker and feels most comfortable when she’s with him. But Levi brings her to life in a way she didn’t think was possible and makes her feel things she didn’t think she would ever feel. Torn between the two, Ali is certain of only one thing–by the time it’s over, she’ll lose one of her best friends.

My Thoughts...

Let me start this out by saying that I wanted to love this book, I really really did.  There was just something about it that kept me from loving it and if you have read it then you probably know what that was.  Ok, let me clarify that I don't dislike a love triangle.  I love a good love triangle when it's presented in a way that doesn't have me disliking the girl/guy who is having to choose between the other two.  I can honestly say that I didn't care for Ali and the reason is because of how she treated both of these boys.

Ali, Tucker and Levi are best friends, they do everything together for years, then when they are in the 7th grade the boys' parents get divorced and they move to California with their mother.  Ali doesn't hear a single thing from them for 3 whole years.  Not a phone call, no letters, emails, etc... I never really was clear on why they never contacted her, but for some reason they didn't.  Suddenly they show back up in Haldeen, which judging by the name of the book I am assuming is in Georgia.  Now I am not from the South, but I can't imagine that everyone says "ain't" or "y'all" nearly as much as it's portrayed in this book!  Ok...sorry, back to the story... So Tucker and Levi, who are twins by the way, are back in town and it doesn't take long for them to both start chasing after Ali.

Teen drama ensues and there is a lot of swimming in their underwear, drinking at parties, skipping school, etc...  Ali decides that she is just going to date them both so she can try to make up her mind which one she really likes the most.  The problem is that she loves them both.  Prom is fast approaching and she tells them, and everyone else that she is going to make a decision soon.

Here is what bothers me...not only is she stringing them both along, she is making out with both of them constantly and often on the same days.  I know that we don't see  a lot of the boys alone, but it's made clear that they come to blows over it and why shouldn't they.  If I could give them my advice it would be to get the heck out of Dodge and as far away from Ali as possible!  So more teen drama and then she finally decides to make her choice, and this is after several heart pounding scenes with one boy in particular.  It's 100% clear to me from the beginning who she should choose.  It's made clear throughout the book who she is "in love" with.  Then she makes her choice and does she choose the one she should?  She tries to make her case for why she chose the one she did and it's totally bogus, at least to me.  It made sense in theory, but in practice I think it blew up in her face and you know what?  I don't feel one bit sorry for her, I think she was lucky that either of them wanted her after what she put them through.

So, you can see why I gave this 3 stars on Goodreads!  I think the story had potential, but in order for me to fully enjoy a story I have to like the main character and I just never really liked Ali.  I didn't like what she was doing to the guys one bit.  There are probably tons of readers out there who will love this book though, it's just that type of book.  There are some semi-steamy scenes and some words that I haven't seen used in a YA romance!  There isn't much profanity, a couple of f-bombs maybe.  It was a super quick read, I finished it in about 3 hours, I think.

*Disclaimer:  I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.*

YA Contemporary Review "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

Title:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
Publisher:  MTV Books & Pocket Books
Publication Date: February 1, 1999
Genre:  YA Contemporary


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Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Charlie is a freshman.

And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his year yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can't stay on the sidelines forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

My Thoughts...
Normally this is a book that I would read and not review, but for some reason I feel compelled to write up something really quick.  I bought this book quite some time ago.  I want to say that I bought it when the movie came out because I wanted to read it first and I did!  I don't see a lot of movies in the theater, especially movies like this (I am more of an action/thriller girl) so I had plenty of time to read this while I waited for it to come out on DVD.  I am SO glad I read the book first. Not only was the book WAY better, I felt like I had more a sense of what was going on in the movie since I had read the book.

This whole entire book is a series of letters written by Charlie.  Charlie is getting ready to start High School, he's a loner whose only friend committed suicide at the end of their 8th grade year.  It's never made clear who Charlie is writing the letters to other than a hint that it's someone that knows a friend.  He is, however, clear that this person doesn't know him personally and isn't from the town he lives in.  The letters span the year that Charlie is in 9th grade which happens to be 1991-1992.  I also was intrigued by the story because this happens to be the year that I was a Senior in High School.

Basically the story goes like this...Charlie is a loner, the boy with no friends who is considered a bit of a freak.  He ends up making friends, at a football game, with a boy in his shop class who happens to be a senior.  Through Patrick he meets Sam and falls in love immediately but she tells him right off that he can't think of her that way.  This of course, doesn't stop him from thinking about her constantly.  He falls in to their group pretty quickly and while he does interact some, he is one that sits back and kind of takes in everything around him....hence the reference to him being a wallflower.  

My favorite interactions in the book are the ones with Bill, his English teacher.  Bill has realized Charlies potential and throughout the course of the story is pushing him to be better.  He is giving him extra reading and work to do, but he is also trying to encourage him to become a part of the group and to experience things instead of just watching others have those experiences.

There really is a ton I could write about this tiny little book!  I know that it's a coming of age type story, but when I read this I realize how sheltered I was throughout my high school years.  I can't imagine doing even half the stuff Charlie and his friends did at that age, but I know that it's very common.  Charlie is not only dealing with the normal teen stuff, he is also experiencing periods where he blacks out.  Eventually he discovers the root of this problem and it's dealt with accordingly.

There were SO many good things in the book that were left out of the movie. I know that they can't put everything in a book in a movie version of it, it's a shame that some of these things weren't even touched on. There are moments between Charlie and his sister that were very touching and so real.  All in all I really enjoyed the book and the movie didn't live up to it. 

If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it.  I know it's considered YA, but it's not one that I would hand off to my almost 14 year old daughter to read, even though she informed me that kids in her class were reading it last year.  There are some themes covered here that I just don't know if she would be ready for. Patrick is gay and that is discussed quite openly and in some detail, there is also quite a lot of drinking and drug use and references to sex and masturbation.  I would recommend reading it before letting your teenager read it.  I know that everyone has different standards for what we let our kids read and while this is considered a kids "rite of passage" type book it's always a good idea to be aware of the content.  I would put it at a 16+ age level, but again, this is just my opinion.

YA Dystopian Review & GIVEAWAY "Quarantine: The Saints" by Lex Thomas

Title:  Quarantine: The Saints (Quarantine #2)
Author: Lex Thomas
Publisher:  Egmont USA
Publication Date: July 9 , 2013
Genre:  YA Dystopian

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Synopsis from Goodreads:  

A cross between the Gone series and Lord of the Flies, Quarantine #2: The Saints continues this frenetically paced and scary young adult series that illustrates just how deadly high school can be.

Nothing was worse than being locked in—until they opened the door...

McKinley High has been a battle ground for eighteen months since a virus outbreak led to a military quarantine of the school. When the doors finally open, Will and Lucy will think their nightmare is finished. But they are gravely mistaken.

As a new group of teens enters the school and gains popularity, Will and Lucy join new gangs. An epic party on the quad full of real food and drinks, where kids hookup and actually interact with members of other gangs seemed to signal a new, easier existence. Soon after though, the world inside McKinley takes a startling turn for the worse, and Will and Lucy will have to fight harder than ever to survive.

The Saints brings readers back to the dark and deadly halls of McKinley High and the QUARANTINE series.

My Thoughts...
Ok, so I liked the 1st book, but this book took it to a whole other level for me.  The story in this one was more involved and we learned SO much more about the characters and the gangs.  The ending was pretty unexpected and quite frankly it was awesome!

This one starts where the the first one left off.  David is gone and suddenly Will is in charge of the Loners.  Then there is a small ray of hope when the doors open again.  That hope is dashed so quickly by a barreling school bus, but not before some of them escape.  Many of the escapees were Loners so that brings the few Loners who are left way down.  They can't compete at the drops because of the low numbers.

The kids who opened the doors are from a local private school.  These kids have essentially been on the run for the entire time since the virus hit.  Their number has been greatly decreased from the beginning because the military has hunted and killed them.  The McKinley kids have dubbed them The Saints.  Their leader, Gates is charismatic and quite likable, but there is something about him that isn't quite right.  One by one the Loners move on to new gangs leaving only Will and Lucy are the only ones left, but how long can that last?

This book is quite possibly more viscous and bloody than the last one.  Many of the main characters go through tremendous changes in this book.  Will grows up, Lucy transforms into something incredible, Hillary becomes more insane and Sam is a whole other story.  The influx of the new kids changes the the whole dynamic of the school and not necessarily for the better even though it seems like it in the beginning.

I am going to have a hard time waiting for the next book to come out for sure!  This one was just one crazy thing after another and the pace is just so fast I read this book in no time.  There are some more adult themes in this one as well.  If you read the first book and enjoyed it then you will like this one without a doubt.  If you haven't read these and you like YA Dystopian then I highly recommend this series.

*Disclaimer:  I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I have been authorized to giveaway ONE PAPERBACK COPY of Quarantine 1: The Loners and ONE HARDCOVER copy of Quarantine 2: The Saints!!  So enter for your chance to win.

So...here are the rules:

• Must be at least 16 to Enter
• You must live in the US for hard copy books.
• You will have 24 hours to contact me once it's confirmed that you are the winner and I have emailed you.
• Failure to contact me in 24 hours will result in my drawing another name as winner. 

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