Never judge a book by it's cover, or a movie by its trailer.

Books have always been a great source of inspiration for film; whether it's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Hunger Games, or even The Godfather. Books being turned into movies has become the cultural norm for the world today and it can be a gamble for filmmakers to try and visually create something

that looks different in each fans head.

Fans of the books often approach the movie versions of their favorite novel with trepidation; worried that the filmmakers vision for the story will ruin their own, and with three new movies coming out that are based on wildly popular young adult books (The Vampire Academy, Divergent, and The Fault in Our Stars) that worry has begun to grow, but along with the worry comes an immense excitement. There also comes in depth analysis of the trailers where fans try to guess how true the movie will be to the author's own vision or if the movie will even be any good. While some trailers are gushed over (The Fault in Our Stars) others are looked at with disappointment (The Vampire Academy). As fans we just have to hope that the movie will live up to our high expectations and we have to remember we should never judge a book by it's cover or a movie by its trailer.

Fans also have to deal with the people who haven't read the book saying something completely ignorant about the book and the people who read the book based on the trailer of the movie. A lot of the time these people judge too quickly without giving it a fair shot. Remember just because it may look like "just another vampire movie": or "another hunger games" doesn't mean you know the whole story. So if you haven't read the books be sure to give it a fair chance, you might be pleasantly surprised.

While I have my own judgments on each trailer I would love to hear what you think so leave a comment below and enjoy the trailers!

Review: Focus

 Title: Focus

Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

The Blurb:
Freshman year of college is hard even when you're not tied to the future king of a supernatural society.

Allie dives into college head first with Hailey as her roommate and the city of New Orleans as her backyard. As things within The Society heat up, Allie realizes that whether she’s with Levi or not, she's in far too deep to turn back.

Rating: 4.5 stars

The Backstory:
This is the second book in Alyssa Rose Ivy's The Crescent Chronicles. The first book in the series is called Flight and it's about a recent high school graduate who is working for her father in New Orleans for the summer before she goes off to Princeton. While in New Orleans Allie meets a handsome mysterious guy, Levi (short for Leviathan), shows Allie around New Orleans and introduces her to his just as mysterious friends; Hailey, Owen, and Jared. Eventually Levi tells Allie his secret, that he is part of a secret supernatural society. It turns out that Levi and his friends are Pterons, shape shifters who grow wings. Not only that but it turns out Levi's father is the leader of the supernatural society. Allie is amazed by this and she craves to learn more about them. The more she learns the closer she and Levi get. Then one night not too long before Allie has to leave New Orleans Levi gives her a beautiful ring and they consummate their relationship. Hailey reluctantly informs Allie that this means that Allie is now engaged to Levi and that she can't leave New Orleans. Allie Angrily flees New Orleans and on her way to Princeton she is taken by Shifters who are against Levi and his father. After Allie is rescued she realizes that she is going to have to stay in New Orleans if she wants to stay alive despite her anger toward Levi.

The Review:
This book picks up a couple of weeks after the events of the first book. Allie is attending college in New Orleans and she and Hailey get to be roommates. I really like the friendship that forms between these two it feels like a very realistic friendship. The state of Allie and Levis relationship is still up in the air. Allie still hasn't forgiven him for tricking her into becoming his mate. I was really glad that Allie didn't give in so easily to him because it really is a horrible thing to do to someone no matter how handsome they are. 

This book was well written and it really pulled me in. It has a nice aspect of college life with a supernatural twist. It has growing friendships and relationships. I particularly loved the growing friendship between Allie and Jared. In the first book those two didn't get off to a great start, but in Focus there is a mutual respect that increases between them. 

This book is also filled with romance and adventure. Of course Levi is going to do everything in his power to win Allie back but Allie is able to hold out even if she does secretly want to go running into his arms. There is also a lot more supernatural politics in this book which I found to be really interesting. My only complaint about this book is when Allie, Hailey, and their friends go out to a bar and Allie gets drunk. Levi shows up and tries to take advantage of that when she claimed to want to go off with him and have sex. Before they went out that night Allie tells her friends to make sure she doesn't go with him no matter what she says in her drunken state. Luckily one of Allies friends stopped her from going with him. I didn't like how Levi tried to take advantage in that situation. He knew she wasn't ready to forgive him but he still didn't respect her enough to wait until she was sober. Other than that one complaint I really loved this book, it was a lot of fun to read and there is a great plot and character growth.

There is a huge shocking cliffhanger at the end of this book that genuinely surprised me. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.


Don't forget to leave comments! I love feedback :)

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Author: Laini Taylor

The Blurb:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

The Review:

This book was a really good read. The minute I started it I was hooked and didn't put it down until I was finished. Once I was finished with it I realized I should have slowed down so it would've lasted longer.

All of the characters in this book are amazingly well written. They have depth and liveliness that I found really appealing. The main character in this story is Karou; she is a seemingly normal art student living in Prague. However she has a lot of secrets that she has to hide from her best friend Zuzana (who is awesome by the way.). She is working for a "monster" named Brimstone. I put the word monster in quotes because although frightening in appearance I actually really loved Brimstone, he is a chimera who raised Karou from a baby and has grown to care for her. Nonetheless he does have Karou work for him, it's her duty to go and collect teeth from traders. The traders turn in all kinds of teeth; human and animal. They trade these teeth in for wishes, the better the teeth, the bigger the wish. Karou doesn't know why Brimstone collect these teeth or what he does with them, she just knows he's starting to run low. Karou isn't allowed to have any big wishes of her own, but Brimstone does give her unlimited small wishes.

Karou herself is also a secret, she doesn't know how she came to be under Brimstones care, she doesn't know who her family is. All she knows is that Brimstone is the family she has now. It isn't until the angel Akiva sees her as she is collecting teeth that Karou seriously begins to question who and what she is. Akiva is a gorgeous angel hell-bent on revenge. The angels and the chimera have been at war for thousands of years and both sides have lost people that they loved. Karou gets caught in the middle when her and Akiva come face to face and there is a strong attraction between the two of them.

I really love this book, it had great world building, character development, and an amazing plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. I'm really looking forward to start the next book in this great series.

Rating: 5 stars

Don't forget to leave a comment! I love feedback :) 

Review: Legend

Title: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Rating: 5 Stars

The Blurb:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

The Review:

I love a good dystopian book and I've heard great things about this one so I was really excited to start reading Legend. 

This story is told from the POV of two different characters; one character is June, a fifteen-year-old prodigy who aspires to be a great military hero just like her brother Metias. The other character is Day a fifteen-year-old delinquent who just so happens to be the country's most wanted criminal. June and Day's worlds collide when June's brother Metias is murdered and Day becomes the main suspect.

The catalyst in this story is Metias's death. I knew his death was coming but that didn't mean I wasn't sad about it. I would've loved to see more of him.  It would be nice if there was a short story told from Metias's point of view, maybe when he finds out his parents died and that he would become the guardian for June. I think that would be an interesting story to read. He seemed like a genuinely good guy. I also felt awful for June because he was the only family she had left after their parents died long ago of a mysterious car crash. After her brothers death June is determined to find Day and bring him in.

Day has problems of his own. While on the run from the law he continually checks in on his family and makes sure they have enough money and food to live on. One night he finds out that his younger brother is sick. Day then goes on a mission to steal a cure from the hospital. He isn't a killer, but that doesn't matter, the government wants him caught and they'll do anything to catch him.

On the surface June and Day couldn't be any more different; June grew up in a wealthy district and never had to worry about food or sickness; while Day grew up extremely poor with no access to medicine or health care. The more you learn about them though the more you see that they have a lot in common. They're both smart, capable, and they both have loving families.. While they both have completely different lives and pasts once their lives converge it's interesting to see how much they are alike.

I don't really have any complaints with this book, it was well written and the characters were all really interesting. The plot line is solid and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a great book with great characters. This book is a must read and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Don't forget to leave a comment about what you thought of Legend or of the review. I love feedback :)

Review: Freak of Nature

Title: Freak of Nature

Author: Julia Crane

Rating: 3 stars

The Blurb:

Donate Body to Science. Check.

When seventeen-year-old Kaitlyn checked the box, she never suspected she’d have her life–and her body–stolen from her. She awakens one day in a secret laboratory to discover that her body is now half-robot and is forced to hide her own secret: that she still has human emotions and a human mind. If the scientists who made her find out, they’ll erase what remains of who she was.

Kaitlyn finds an unlikely ally in Lucas, a handsome, brilliant scientist who can’t get over the guilt he feels knowing she was once a vibrant, beautiful young woman. He never expected a science project to affect him the way she does. As he tries to help her rediscover her past, he finds himself falling for the brave girl struggling to find her place and acceptance between the human and computer worlds.

The Review:

I was really excited to read this book about a girl who has had her life turned upside down because she decided to donate her body to science. A story about a girl who one day wakes up to find she has no memory of her old life and that she is now half robot. 

I was somewhat disappointed to find out this book put pretty much all of it's focus in the romance. I really would have liked a bit more science in this science fiction book. I was also disappointed because Kaitlyn, one of the main characters, was a bit dull. Yes she is a robot who has emotions that she has to hide, but those emotions were mainly just romantic ones. I would have liked her to have more feelings because she honestly just wasn't very interesting. 

I did however love Lucas, the other main character and the scientist who helped turn Kaitlyn into what she is. He was so much more complex and conflicted. He had terrible guilt over what he had done to this girl. He also felt awkward because he was developing feelings for her. If the whole book had been told from his POV it would have been a lot more interesting.

I feel like Kaitlyn should have been more focused on escaping the lab but she was to embroiled in her romance with Lucas to even entertain that idea. It also bothered me how she was totally fine falling in love with someone who helped turn her into this "freak of nature." Even Lucas felt guilt over what he had done, it just seems more logical that she would have to work through her emotions to finally be able to love him. 

The ending was wrapped up a little too easily for me. It was like the author couldn't think of a way to end the story so she took the easy way out.

This book was a fun read. It's not the greatest book, but it is worth checking out. If you're looking for a book that doesn't have too much substance then I would recommend it.

Don't forget to comment on what you thought of the book or what you thought of the review! I love feedback :)

Review: The Darkest Minds

Title: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Rating: 5 Stars

The Blurb:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

The Review:

This book starts out when the main character, Ruby, is ten. there is a mysterious disease that is killing the world's children, but the government isn't worried about that, they're worried about the kids who survived. The kids who survived now have powers, some of them deadly. The children who survived the disease are sent to camps so the government can try to rehabilitate them. The camp separates the children into five different groups; the blue and green groups have the least amount of power and aren't considered to be much of a threat. The yellow, orange, and red groups are the most dangerous and after a while they are disposed of. When Ruby gets to Thurmond, her rehabilitation camp, we discover that she has the power to take away the memories of those she touches. This power is considered dangerous and Ruby should be placed in the orange group, fortunately for her she is able to take away the sorters memories and she lands herself in the green group.

One day Ruby is told by a doctor that Thurmond has discovered that She's actually an orange. Ruby is terrified because this means that she will be killed. The doctor, Cate Begbie, offers to help her escape. After Ruby has finally escaped Thurmond Ruby discovers that Cate has an alternate agenda. Cate wants to use Ruby in her fight in a war. ruby sees that she won't be free with Cate so she runs away and runs right into three kids. Liam, Chubs, and Zu have been on the run for a while now. When they meet Ruby Chubs is hesitant to let her into the group, but majority rules as Liam and Zu vote her in. Soon the four of them are off on an amazing adventure full of mystery and daring. It is with this group that Ruby begins to realize that she doesn't have to feel so alone.

I really liked this book. The premise was really interesting to me (I love books where people get mysterious powers). I also liked the emotional aspect, so much has happened to these kids that you can't help but be drawn into the story. The romance in this story is really sweet. It isn't an instant love, it builds naturally over time and I really liked that. there are also multiple villains which is exciting. You have Cate's group and the PSFs (the government).

Ruby is a pretty interesting character, she develops from being this scared girl who is afraid to use her power to someone who is brave and who will fight for herself and for the ones she loves. She has a truly terrifying power. When we meet the sixteen year old Ruby she is closed off, she doesn't talk to anyone and she doesn't touch anyone. She has made mistakes in the past and she doesn't want to repeat them.

Liam is Ruby's love interest and he is a really sweet guy. he is always trying to do what's best for the group and he would do anything to make sure they all survive. He has some secrets about a past that he isn't proud of, but the group loves him no matter what.

Zu is a young girl who is a yellow. She has an intense and dangerous power that she uses to save the group time and time again. She is also mute meaning she doesn't talk. She has other ways of communicating and the rest of the group understands her just fine.

Chubs is the skeptical one in the group. He is cautious and he isn't quick to trust. I love Chubs, he is easily my favorite characters. He sees things for what they really are and he stands his ground. While he initially didn't trust Ruby they were eventually able to form a close bond.

This book was a really great read. It was compelling, scary, and full of energy. The characters were great and fun. The story line was well though out and overall it was a really well written book. I can't wait for the next in the series to come out.

Don't forget to comment on what you thought of the book, I love feedback :)

Review: Indigo Spell

Title: Indigo Spell

Author: Richelle Mead

Rating: 5 stars

The Blurb:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch—a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood—or else she might be next. 

Review:

I bought this book at midnight the night it came out because honestly I feel like I have been waiting for this book for years and I really didn't want to wait until morning to read it. I finished this book in two hours and forty-seven minutes. I can 100% say that those two hours and forty-seven minutes were amazing!!

I don't want to go into too much detail in this review because this book has only just been released. What I can say is how much I absolutely loved this book and I'm already clamoring for more. Richelle Mead has said that this is the hottest book in the Bloodlines serious and I wholeheartedly agree. It was so passionate and  I was swooning and squealing all throughout this book, and I'm not ashamed to admit that. There were so many moments where I was audibly gasping and being amazed at what was happening. There was also a lot more magic in this book which was great. I feel like the more Sydney uses her magic, the more confident she becomes in thinking for herself about what's right and wrong. It's good for her to reevaluate certain aspects of her life.

Some things I can talk about that aren't too spoilery are the characters: 

• Sydney was always a great character but in Indigo Spell she really starts to shine. She really starts to think a lot more for herself in this book which is something that I really love. She also seems to finally be stepping up and taking control of her own life. 
• Adrian is as swoon worthy as ever, if not more so. I didn't realize how much I had missed his flirty/snarky comments until I started reading this book. He is in fine form with his witty one liners and romantic comments that could make any girl weak in the knees.
• There has been a lot of speculation about Marcus Finch and I can't really say that I've decided on how I feel about him yet. He will certainly bring some interesting story lines for future books so I am excited for that. Until then I just can't say what I think of him at the moment because he's too new so until I have decided I'll just say I'm cautiously optimistic. 
• Jill obviously still has the bond with Adrian which always makes what happens between him and Sydney interesting on a whole different level. I sometimes like to think about what's going through Jill's head when those two are off on an adventure. I'll say this for Jill; she sure is good at keeping secrets. 
• There is also still a love triangle going on between Jill, Eddie, and Angeline. There's not a lot of time spent on this triangle, which is understandable, but that's not to say that nothing happens with it.

The ending to this book was really surprising to me. I honestly didn't see it coming at all and I'm so excited to read the next book in the series The Fiery Heart. Unfortunately we won't be able to read that for another agonizing ten months! That awful thought aside this is by far the best in the Bloodlines series and I can't wait to read more.

Don't forget to leave a comment about what you thought of Indigo Spell I love getting feedback :)